CONGRESSMAN REYES: FIGHTING FOR EL PASO
The Border
Leading the country on border issues. Drawing on his position as the only Member of Congress with a background in border security and immigration and a go-to-guy on border issues for Congressional leadership, Congressman Reyes has been a consistent and powerful voice for commonsense immigration priorities and border communities. In the 109th Congress, the Congressman was deputized by then Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to lead Democratic opposition to the House Republicans’ meanspirited, enforcement only border security bill, H.R. 4437. In that role, he led Democratic floor debate time and testified at immigration hearings in Texas and Washington, DC that Republicans had politicized in an attempt to sensationalize the immigration debate, ultimately leading to the defeat of the bill.
Promoting awareness of border issues. Congressman Reyes organizes an annual Border Security Conferences in conjunction with the UTEP, an annual Border Conference in conjunction with the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, and an annual Border Health Conference in conjunction with the Border Health Caucus and the Texas Medical Association, providing forums for the advocacy of issues important to the El Paso community and bringing key decision-makers to El Paso.
Improving border crossings. Congressman Reyes worked with the Administration to complete the Ysleta Dedicated Commuter Lane (DCL), in the process securing $500,000 in construction funds for the project, and helped establish the DCL on the Stanton Street Bridge.
Fighting to reduce international bridge wait times. Congressman Reyes has fought to reduce wait times on our international bridges, convening numerous meetings with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, GSA Administrator Lurita Doan, and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner W. Ralph Basham, among others. The Congressman also brought a House Homeland Security Committee hearing to El Paso in January, 2008 to address wait times.
Advocating the interests of colonias and their residents. Congressman Reyes has been instrumental in securing over $121 million for colonias in the border region and securing additional funding specifically for colonias in El Paso County.
Culture
Bringing the Smithsonian to El Paso. Congressman Reyes was instrumental in securing Smithsonian exhibits for the El Paso community including "Our Journeys/Our Stories: Portraits of Latino Achievement" at the Chamizal and "El Rio" at UTEP.
Restoring the Plaza Theatre. Congressman Reyes has played an integral part in the restoration of the Plaza Theatre, working with the City of El Paso and the El Paso Community Foundation to bring the Plaza Theatre back to life, and helped secure $1.3 million in federal funds to advance the project.
Preserving our cultural heritage and promoting tourism. Congressman Reyes secured funding for the preservation of the Socorro Mission, a treasure of U.S., Mexican, and Texas Hispanic history. Founded in 1681 by Spanish and Native American refugees fleeing the Pueblo Revolt in northern New Mexico, the mission now serves as an anchor to tourism and economic development along the Mission Trail.
Education
Encouraging reading and literacy. To improve literacy skills and help El Pasoans experience the joy of reading, Congressman Reyes approached El Paso’s Empowerment Zone about the need to create a literacy initiative in El Paso. The resulting Read El Paso Read campaign, which Congressman Reyes helped kick off in January 2004, has passed out about 75,000 books in El Paso at multiple events. In addition, the Congressman consistently supports federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, which has spearheaded the nationwide "Big Read" literacy program. The El Paso Public Library has successfully applied for two "Big Read" grants of $20,000 each.
Improving math and science education for minority communities and women. In March 2006, Congressman Reyes hosted then Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in El Paso for a discussion with community leaders about how to ensure that border communities participate in our nation’s drive to increase innovation and competitiveness. After Pelosi became Speaker of the House, the Congressman led dozens of Members of Congress to establish the House Diversity and Innovation Caucus to improve and expand opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for underrepresented groups such as Hispanics, African-Americans, and women - a critical part of the House Democrats’ "Innovation Agenda." As caucus founder and co-chair, the Congressman:
• Fought for and helped secure $200 million for STEM activities at Hispanic Serving Institutions like UTEP and El Paso Community College;
• Fought for and secured a provision in the America COMPETES Act, passed into law in 2007, to ensure that thousands of new math and science teachers educated through the Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program fill classrooms in high-need areas like El Paso;
• Passed a bill into law requiring the National Academy of Sciences to study the barriers minorities face to entrance into the STEM fields;
• Introduced legislation, entitled the STEM Promotion Act, to recruit thousands of Americans into the STEM fields, with an emphasis on reaching out to communities like El Paso. (Update: The Congressman successfully attached the bill to legislation reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, which is moving forward in Congress).
Making college affordable. Congressman Reyes supported the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which will raise Pell Grant awards and halve interest rates on federal student loans, saving the typical student $4,400 dollars over the course of his or her loan.
Investing in El Paso schools. Since arriving in Congress in 1997, Congressman Reyes has secured $70 million for technology in El Paso schools.
Preparing El Pasoans for college. Congressman Reyes was an early and persistent advocate of TRIO programs such as Upward Bound, Talent Search, and GEAR UP, working with local partners to bring programs to El Paso and has successfully fought to restore and increase program funding in Congress after President Bush had threatened to cut and eliminate funding.
Protecting Head Start. Congressman Reyes successfully worked to keep Head Start as a holistic approach program, focusing on both health and education and by preventing President Bush from removing the program from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Energy and Environment
Standing up to polluters. After helping to secure $11 million for residential cleanup of Asarco-related environmental contamination in El Paso, Congressman Reyes wrote to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality asking that Asarco’s application for renewal of its operating permit be denied. In addition, the Congressman arranged for a federal investigation by the Government Accountability Office of allegations that Asarco had improperly disposed of military hazardous waste in its El Paso smelter.
Providing for a new renewable energy economy. Congressman Reyes provided key support for the Democratic Congress’ 2007 Green Energy Bill, which will require historic increases in automobile fuel efficiency, combating global warming while saving consumers thousands at the pump, and invest substantially in renewable energy, meaning quality jobs and clean air.
Empowering consumers to choose green. Congressman Reyes introduced the Knowledge Is Power Act, to allow consumers the ability to see on their electricity bills how their power is produced. The Congressman’s concept was included in the 2007 Energy Bill and signed into law.
Protecting El Paso’s beautiful open spaces. Congressman Reyes mediated an agreement to keep Castner Range free from development.
Healthy Communities
Promoting a more healthy border region. Congressman Reyes worked to ensure the Border Health Commission was located in El Paso and has secured $15.2 million for its operation, and has expanded awareness in Washington about the health challenges of the border region through his annual Border Health Conference.
Working for the four-year medical school. Congressman Reyes has staunchly supported the establishment of a four-year medical school in El Paso, securing $5.5 million for the medical school and the development of a regional medical complex.
Standing up for El Paso doctors. Congressman Reyes has fought to ensure that El Paso doctors avoid scheduled Medicare reimbursement rate cuts, such as the proposed 2008 cut of 10 percent, so they can continue to serve low-income El Pasoans.
Making SCHIP work. Congressman Reyes pressured the state of Texas to resolve disparities in reimbursement rates for El Paso in both Medicaid and SCHIP, which are federally funded programs operated by the states, and has consistently fought for increased funding and enrollment eligibility while encouraging eligible El Pasoans to sign up for benefits.
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, and First Responders
Bringing first responder and homeland security funding to El Paso. Congressman Reyes fought for changes in the criteria that determined whether a city is eligible for funds through the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). The criteria were changed to include international ports of entry and military installations, thereby allowing the City of El Paso to apply for and receive $5.6 million in UASI funding in 2007. The Congressman also secured over $1.2 million for El Paso interoperability to assure that first responders from different agencies could communicate with one another in the event of a emergency.
Providing resources to prosecute drug traffickers on the border. Congressman Reyes was instrumental in creating and then securing over $147 million for the Southwest Border Prosecutors Initiative, which provides reimbursement funds to eligible jurisdictions in the four southwest border states for qualifying federally-initiated criminal cases.
Helping border law enforcement. Congressman Reyes has fought to protect and increase funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), a formula grant program that provides financial assistance to states and localities for incarcerating undocumented immigrants who commit crimes, securing $4.1 billion for the program since 1997.
Building a new federal courthouse. Congressman Reyes helped secure over $70 million for the design and construction of the new federal courthouse in El Paso.
Housing and Economic Security
Revitalizing El Paso’s public housing. Congressman Reyes fought for Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approval of the two largest housing grants in El Paso history, $20 and $32 million through the HOPE VI program for the revitalization of aging public housing and the construction of new public housing.
Responding to the mortgage crisis. The Congressman supported Congressional efforts to address the problems that led to the sub-prime mortgage crisis and to provide families security in the face of a national wave of home foreclosures.
Building new homes for our military families. Through his work on the Armed Services Committee, Congressman Reyes persuaded Congress to expand legislative authority for the Residential Communities Initiative (RCI), the Army’s arm of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI), advocacy that has resulted in new housing for about 2,500 military families at Fort Bliss.
Protecting the middle class from a tax increase. Congressman Reyes supported a critical patch of the Alternative Minimum Tax that prevented 17,000 El Pasoans from being hit by a huge tax increase in 2008.
Fort Bliss, Economic Development, and Infrastructure
Expanding Fort Bliss. Congressman Reyes led efforts to secure major gains in military personnel and infrastructure at Fort Bliss under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, the Army's overseas rebasing initiative, and the Grow the Army Initiative. This growth will triple the size of the post, leaving Fort Bliss with 37,000 soldiers and a total base population of nearly 100,000 military members, civilian employees, and dependents. White Sands will see an increase of 3,700 soldiers, bringing the total military population in the region to over 40,000 troops. The expansion of Fort Bliss will bring an additional $4.6 billion annually in economic impact for El Paso, including 22,000 additional private sector jobs. By 2013, the total positive economic impact of Fort Bliss on the El Paso economy will be $6.3 billion a year.
Bringing billions of construction dollars to the El Paso region. As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Readiness, which has jurisdiction over military construction, Congressman Reyes has helped to secure $1.45 billion in military construction projects for Fort Bliss and White Sands Missile Range, with more than $2 billion in additional military construction planned for the region.
Promoting economic development in the Southwest. The U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Reyes’ Southwest Regional Border Authority Act, which includes a five-year, $250 million authorization for the U.S.-Mexico border region. The bill would help spur economic development in El Paso and other border communities.
Investing in the future of the Army, in El Paso. Congressman Reyes has been a leader in efforts to protect funding for the Army's $100+ billion Fort Bliss-based Future Combat System (FCS), which will bring further investment and more quality, high-tech jobs to El Paso.
Bringing home federal investment. In 2007 alone, Congressman Reyes’ district received grant funds totaling over $32.7 million awarded to El Paso agencies, non-profits, and local units of government.
Establishing an Empowerment Zone in El Paso. Congressman Reyes worked with community leaders to secure a Round II Empowerment Zone designation for the El Paso community in 1999. El Paso was one of only 15 cities nationwide to receive this designation.
Bringing good jobs to El Paso. Congressman Reyes has worked, with economic development partners in El Paso, to bring good paying jobs with benefits to El Paso. When Congressman Reyes came to office in 1997, the unemployment rate in the El Paso Metropolitan Statistical Area was 12 percent. By November, 2007, the rate was under 5.5 percent.
Intelligence
An El Pasoan leading in Washington. On December 1, 2006, current Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that she had selected Congressman Reyes to serve as Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Restoring oversight of the intelligence community. After intelligence failures led the country into war, Congressman Reyes restored effective and responsible Congressional oversight of the Intelligence Community, which includes the nation’s 16 spy agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Intelligence Agency, among others, recently launching a probe into the destruction of CIA interrogation tapes.
Supporting intelligence missions on the border. Congressman Reyes included key provisions in support of the El Paso Intelligence Center’s mission in the annual Intelligence Authorization bill, and has worked to expand EPIC’s influence and mission.
Responding to September 11, 2001. Following the 9/11 attacks, Congressman Reyes was actively involved in the investigation of the events that led up to the attacks and successfully pushed for the establishment of an outside investigative review in the form of the 9/11 Commission. The Congressman also helped Speaker Pelosi pass legislation implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
Creating opportunities in intelligence for El Pasoans. Congressman Reyes worked with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to establish an Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence at the University of Texas at El Paso. The designation comes with $500,000 in annual funding, which can be renewed up to four times for a total of $2 million in funding.
Labor
Increasing the minimum wage. The Congressman advocated for and supported the first federal minimum wage increase in a decade, from $5.15 to $7.25 over two years.
Standing up for federal employees. Congressman Reyes, a former federal employee, led efforts in the Armed Services Committee to restore labor rights for federal employees, which have been eroded under the Bush Administration and the Republican-led Congress. The Defense Authorization for 2008 restores collective bargaining rights and access to an appeals system for employees of the Department of Defense and revises the A-76 public-private competition process for the Department of Defense to restore balance and fairness to the A-76 process.
Standing up for federal employees. Congressman Reyes sponsored and passed legislation in the House to stall disruptive changes to the civil service system for Intelligence Community employees until the Administration can demonstrate it has procedures for employee appeals and protections.
Small Business Success
Expanding opportunities for small, disadvantaged companies. Congressman Reyes introduced the 8(a) Modernization Act to increase 8(a) net worth limits and expand the size of government contracts available to 8(a) businesses, including 90 8(a) firms located in El Paso. The bill was included in the Small Business Contracting Program Improvements Act and passed by the House of Representatives.
Protecting subcontractors. After El Paso small businesses had been frozen out of federal contracting opportunities by big, out-of-town contractors, Congressman Reyes successfully offered an amendment to the Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act to hold big contractors that do not keep their commitments to small business accountable.
Promoting El Paso small businesses. Congressman Reyes has worked with local chambers of commerce, Fort Bliss, the Army Corps of Engineers, and other groups to ensure El Paso small businesses are able to take advantage of federal small business programs and are prepared to capitalize on opportunities associated with the Fort Bliss expansion.
Fighting for small business lending. Congressman Reyes has worked over the years to increase funding for and oppose cuts to the Small Business Administration’s 7(j) small business lending program.
Transportation
Building El Paso’s roads. Congressman Reyes has secured $62.8 million in federal funding for local and regional transportation and highway projects, such the interchange at Global Reach, the I-10 off-ramp at UTEP, and the I-10 widening project.
Providing for public transportation. Congressman Reyes has secured $15 million for public transportation like buses and paratransit in El Paso.
Getting the Inner Loop done. Congressman Reyes supported the development of and secured funding for the first project of the El Paso Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority - the $237 million Inner Loop. The Congressman pressured the Texas Transportation Commission to agree to advancing the construction of this important project that will help alleviate truck traffic on inner-city streets and I-10.
Investing in El Paso's transportation future. Over the last two years, over $215 million in federal funds has been obligated to the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) planning area.
Veterans and Soldiers
Fighting for those who fought for us. Congressman Reyes, a combat veteran and a long-time supporter of veterans issues in Congress, advocated for and supported the passage of the largest single budgetary increase in the 77-year history of the Veterans Administration (VA), as part of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of 2008. In addition, the Congressman helped lead the fight during 2005 for approval of a $1.5 billion supplement to address a shortfall in the VA healthcare budget, ultimately securing passage of the needed funding.
Serving soldiers. In 2006, at the request of Congressman Reyes the USO opened a full-service center at Fort Bliss to serve the 20,000 soldiers incoming with the 1st Armored Division and the thousands of soldiers who pass through Fort Bliss each year while training for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Building a parking garage at William Beaumont. For 2008, Congressman Reyes secured $1 million for planning and design of a parking garage for William Beaumont Army Medical Center.
Securing top-notch healthcare for our veterans and servicemen and women. Congressman Reyes secured a $4.2 million laboratory renovation for William Beaumont Army Medical Center and $4 million for an expansion to El Paso’s Veterans Administration (VA) Clinic.
Listening and responding to veterans. Congressman Reyes has hosted an annual town hall meeting in El Paso every year since 1998, bringing Secretaries and high-level Administration officials to El Paso's veteran community, using the information to craft veterans policy in Washington and augment his extensive El Paso veterans casework efforts. In addition, the Congressman created the Veterans Citizen Advisory Panel (VetCAP) in 1999 to address the legislative concerns of the El Paso region veterans.
Building a new veterans home. Congressman Reyes was instrumental in securing the land and the majority of construction funding for the Ambrosio Guillen Texas State Veterans Home in El Paso and worked to get the construction contract of the home awarded to a local business.
Water
Investing in El Paso water infrastructure. In just the past five years, Congressman Reyes has secured $56 million for El Paso for projects expanding and improving water and wastewater services and providing stormwater and flood protection, including construction of the Northwest Water Treatment Plant.
Protecting El Paso from flooding and flood insurance. After the floods of 2006, Congressman Reyes secured emergency funding to remove sediment from the river channel before the next flood season and worked closely with the International Boundary and Water Commission and FEMA to raise levees and prevent El Pasoans from having to pay unnecessary flood insurance costs.
Problem solving water resource scarcity. Congressman Reyes helped lead the construction of the world’s largest inland desalination plant in El Paso and helped secure $27 million for its completion, providing El Paso and Fort Bliss a source of water for decades to come.
Improving federal flood protection policy. Congressman Reyes successfully offered two amendments to the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007 that would reduce potential flood insurance premiums for El Paso residents and require the use of more accurate tools when drawing flood maps.
