Sen. Cornyn Meets With Hidalgo Officials To Discuss Progress On Border Levee-Fence Project

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Sen. Cornyn Meets With Hidalgo Officials To Discuss Progress On Border Levee-Fence Project

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, hosted a meeting in his Capitol Hill office today with Hidalgo County Commissioners to discuss the current status of the border-levee fence project. With the strong support of Sen. Cornyn, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this year approved a proposal to incorporate the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) levees to serve as a portion of the border fence. On hand for today's meeting were County Commissioners Sylvia Handy, Tito Palacios and Oscar L. Garza.

"I appreciated the opportunity to meet with our local officials in Hidalgo County on the border-levee fence and was pleased with what I heard. This is a win-win situation for the area, so it is encouraging to see this project move forward," Sen. Cornyn said. "The levees are a critical safety measure against flooding, and they also help the U.S. Border Patrol as they seek to monitor and secure the border. I'm committed to doing everything I can on the federal level to ensure the border-levee project is built in a timely, efficient and responsible manner."

In 2007, DHS identified a need for a total of 22 miles of fencing in Hidalgo County. In response to local concerns, Sen. Cornyn took the lead in working with DHS and Hidalgo County on a joint barrier construction/levee improvement project, forging a plan to combine the federal government's need for border security barriers with the local government's need for flood control. Sen. Cornyn worked to coordinate several meetings between local and federal officials, including with DHS and Secretary Chertoff, to discuss and advocate for the proposal, toured the levees, and with his support, the Senate passed the FY08 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, which included $10 million for repair of the levees.

Secretary Chertoff announced in February acceptance of the alternative compromise plan to fencing that he said meets the operational needs of the U.S. Border Patrol as well as the flood control needs of Hidalgo County. Earlier this month, contracts were awarded to three construction companies for construction of the border levee-fence improvements, which is set to begin in mid-July.

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