LAREDO, Texas – U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar has secured $2.5 million in federal funding for the Southwest Border Regional Commission.
This is only the second time the commission has received authorization for funding since 2008.
Cuellar said the funding will support the SBRC’s efforts to secure economic stability across the southwest as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Southwest Border Regional Commission was created to address the economic challenges faced by communities along the border,” Cuellar said.
“That’s why I worked hard to secure this funding for the Commission so we can build critical infrastructure, expand our workforce, and strengthen our communities. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I am committed to funding programs that encourage economic opportunity and community development on our southern border.”
The SBRC was created to address economic distress in the southern border regions of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas.
Cuellar said that while the fully authorized amount for the SBRC is $33 million, the amount provided in this year’s Appropriations bill will be used to appoint a federal co-chair in order to establish key partnerships with local communities, including a focus on underserved colonias, totaling 2.5 million residents.
Cuellar said the funding is in addition to the $1.25 million secured in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Here are Cuellar’s remarks in full on the new funding:
“I secured $2,500,000 in federal funding for the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC), the second time since its authorization in 2008. The funding will support the commission’s mission to build economic stability across the southwest as our country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The SBRC was created to help with economic challenges in the southern border regions of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. While the fully authorized amount for the SBRC is $33,000,000, the amount provided in this year’s Appropriations bill will be used to appoint a federal co-chair in order to establish key partnerships with local communities, including a focus on underserved colonias totaling 2.5 million residents.
“This funding is in addition to the $1.25 million secured in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which I helped pass.
“I worked hard to secure this funding for the Commission so we can build critical infrastructure, expand our workforce, and strengthen our communities. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I am committed to funding programs that encourage economic opportunity and community development on our southern border.
“According to a report, if the 43 counties along the Texas border became the 51st state, it would rank 1st in poverty and unemployment, with a per capita income at $15,570, which is below the poverty line for a household of four. This state would also rank 1st in Spanish spoken at home, 16th largest state in the country, 3rd largest with a foreign born population, 3rd largest with a female head of household, 5th largest with civilian population in military duty.”
The Southwest Border Regional Commission is one of seven authorized federal regional commissions and authorities, which are congressionally-chartered, federal-state partnerships created to provide economic development in their respective areas. The commission was authorized in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
Once fully funded, the SBRC would provide grants for broadband, infrastructure projects, workforce development, small businesses and other needed community development projects.
By law, the Commission would work for a total of 93 counties on the southwest border – Arizona (10 counties), California (7), New Mexico (11), and Texas (65).
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