WESLACO, Texas – U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores made her maiden speech at the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council this week.
At the group’s monthly meeting, Flores gave an update on her congressional work. After she had finished, LRGVDC President Ambrosio Hernandez asked Flores to do more to bring federal dollars to improve infrastructure at land ports of entry.
“All of our ports of entry need to be upgraded. All of them. Throughout the entire border. It is not fair… for our border communities to pay for your border security. We are one country, not one country when it suits you,” Hernandez told Flores.
“So if Brownsville, McAllen, Pharr, wherever it is, whoever is doing this, we are securing our border with our ports of entry. Yet we have to pay the bulk with our local taxpayer money.”
Hernandez is mayor of Pharr, which is home to the biggest commercial land port of entry in the Valley.
Flores said she had only learned how much it costs the economy when trucks are delayed at land ports of entry. She said she would do all she could to help.
“Every delay costs us millions of dollars. It is something that I actually did not understand. But I took the time to see it. This was about two or three weeks ago. And I was just in shock to see how much money it costs us, the United States, for every minute that it is delaying,” Flores said.
“So it is something that I am aware of now and, trust me, I will make sure we get the funds and the support that we need.”
Here is a video recording of everything Rep. Flores said at the LRGVDC meeting, including her interaction with President Hernandez.
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