Mike Conaway: “Thank you for including this amendment in the en bloc section. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support an amendment that will…”

“Thank you for including this amendment in the en bloc section. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support an amendment that will require the Secretary of State to submit a report on water sharing with Mexico as defined by the 1944 Water Treaty. This amendment has bipartisan support, and I would like to thank my good colleague Mr. Vela from Texas for supporting this important legislation. This amendment addresses Mexico's failure to uphold its water obligations to the United States by seeking to increase accountability in water management by requiring the State Department to provide regular reports to Congress outlining the management of the Rio Grande system. The Rio Grande plays an important role in meeting the water needs of businesses and families all across west and south Texas. This is a result of the 1944 water treaty between the United States and Mexico which outlines the obligations of both parties in the lower Rio Grande. Both the U.S. and Mexico are obligated to jointly manage and derive benefit from the water resources located across the binational border. Mexico is required to provide 350,000 acre-feet of water on average each year over a 5-year term. Currently, Mexico has failed to meet this obligation as they owe nearly half a million acre-feet to the United States. It's not a secret that Texas has suffered a terrible drought and there is really no relief in sight. Mexico needs to begin fulfilling its obligations.…”