Page 1 Page 2 CONGRESSMEN HENRY CUELLAR, RUBEN HINOJOSA, AND SOLOMON ORTIZ MEET WITH HIDALGO COUNTY OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON D.C. States News Service March 7, 2007 Wednesday 1 of 1 DOCUMENT States News Service March 7, 2007 Wednesday CONGRESSMEN HENRY CUELLAR, RUBEN HINOJOSA, AND SOLOMON ORTIZ MEET WITH HIDALGO COUNTY OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON D.C. BYLINE: States News Service LENGTH: 710 words DATELINE: WASHINGTON The following information was released by the office of Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar: Congressmen Henry Cuellar, Rubn Hinojosa, and Solomon Ortiz welcomed Hidalgo County officials to Washington D.C. Among the officials were Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas, County Commissioner Hector "Tito" Palacios, and Godfrey Garza, JR., C.F.M., from the Hidalgo County Drainage District. The Congressmen also met with Louis Jones, P.E. of Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation and Gume Ybarra from Dos Logistics, Inc. The purpose of the meetings was to provide the Congressmen the status on several projects in Hidalgo County that need federal assistance. The issues discussed included: arrangements with the International Border and Water Commission to recover $10 million in bond money raised from citizens of Hidalgo County for levee improvements, the impact of the completion of the Hidalgo County Flood Map Modernization Project through Cooperation Technical Partnership (CTP) with FEMA, the inclusion of the Raymondville Drain Outfall Project in the Water Resources Development Act, and economic development opportunities in Hidalgo County. Congressman Cuellar said, "I personally spoke with Commissioner Carlos Marin of the IBWC and he assured me that the paperwork dealing with the $10 million from the county will soon be completed so that the federal government will help fund the levee work in Hidalgo County to help protect lives and property." "The hard working families of Hidalgo County voted in November to approve $100 million in bond money to improve our drainage problems. That's how concerned they are about our situation and with hurricane season fast approaching and our levees deteriorating, we have every right to be worried," said Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas. " Congressman Solomon Ortiz commented, "As border residents, we share the same challenges in south Texas," Ortiz said. "Finding solutions to the floodplain and insurance problems that plague south Texas is the quest for all of us. I thank my friends Henry Cuellar and Ruben Hinojosa for their focus on this matter." As the Chairman of the Subcommittee in Homeland Security that deals with FEMA, Congressman Cuellar also set up a meeting with FEMA officials to discuss the Hidalgo County Flood Map Coordination Project. "We had a very productive meeting with FEMA that I believe will lead to a good solution for those who are affected by this problem," said Congressman Cuellar. "I would like to thank Judge Salinas, Commissioner Palacios, and the Hidalgo County delegation for coming to personally advocate for their needs. This visit to Washington, D.C. will pay big dividends for Hidalgo County taxpayers in the near future." Page 3 CONGRESSMEN HENRY CUELLAR, RUBEN HINOJOSA, AND SOLOMON ORTIZ MEET WITH HIDALGO COUNTY OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON D.C. States News Service March 7, 2007 Wednesday "I appreciate the tireless work of my colleagues from Hidalgo County. Their efforts are integral in our push to make sure the Rio Grande Valley is adequately protected from an unforeseeable natural disaster," said Congressman Rubn Hinojosa. "Rest assured that I will continue to push for levee repairs that could potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives." Through the meetings, the Hidalgo officials gained the commitment of all three Congressmen to assist in any way they can to ensure the success of these initiatives. Judge Salinas also said, "I was happy to find all Congressmen eager to help and committed to helping Hidalgo County. Rest assured all three Congressmen have our best interests on their radar and they are working to help us resolve these flooding problems." "I believe that it is necessary to assist these projects in order to improve the quality of life in Hidalgo County," said Congressman Cuellar. "I will continue fighting to ensure that the needs of local communities across the Rio Grande Valley are being met. As always, my door is open to the constituents of the 28th Congressional District who require assistance from the Federal government. The South Texas Congressional Delegation is working as a team for the Rio Grande Valley." Congressman Henry Cuellar is a member of the House Homeland Security, Small Business, and Agriculture Committees in the 110th Congress; accessibility to constituents, education, health care, economic development, and national security are his priorities. Congressman Cuellar is also a Majority Senior Whip. LOAD-DATE: March 15, 2007 LANGUAGE: ENGLISH PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newswire Copyright 2007 States News Service