STATEMENTS FROM CONGRESSMEN RUBÉN HINOJOSA, HENRY CUELLAR AND CONGRESSMAN-Elect FILEMON VELA ON THE PROPOSED UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS DE LAS AMERICAS

Washington, D.C.- Today-Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (D-Mercedes)  and Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) and  Congressman-elect Filemon Vela (D-Brownsville) released statements regarding the UT System's decision to pursue the formation of the University of the Americas. UT de Las Americas will be a new regional university system resulting, in part, from a merger between UT Brownsville and UT Pan American; it will eventually bring a medical school to the Rio Grande Valley.

"We are watching history in the making," said U.S. Rep. Hinojosa. "This bold vision of expanding and at the same time unifying the Rio Grande Valley's universities and a medical school will serve to help create a metroplex that will be a haven of higher education, research, jobs and careers particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). What this also creates is bringing the system to a tier one level and being a Hispanic-serving institution this means more federal funding would be leveraged for this region. I congratulate UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa, the board of regents and everyone who has been involved in developing this process. I lend my full support to this incredible endeavor and look forward to the new University of Texas de Las Americas."

“Today is a historic day for the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas,” said Congressman Henry Cuellar. “I congratulate the UT System, its Regents and Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa for their commitment in ensuring that our students receive the best education possible and for understanding the dire need of a medical school in this part of the state. With plans for a new medical school, we are one step closer in fulfilling the dreams of many South Texas students. Having gone through the South Texas mergers of the late 1980’s, and as former Chairman of the Texas House Appropriations Subcommittee for Higher Education, you can count on my support and that of the South Texas Congressional delegation on this merger.”

Filemon Vela, Congressman-elect, 34th District of Texas: "I congratulate the UT System, its Regents and Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa for taking this bold step and ensuring that our university system in South Texas has the potential of reaching tier one status through the development of the UT de Las Americas. Through this innovative process, all of South Texas, particularly the Rio Grande Valley, from McAllen to Brownsville, will benefit from multiple educational components that will educate and train our next generation of doctors, engineers, scientists, and educators while creating jobs and growing our local economies. I am ready and committed to assisting in this process as one of the federal representatives of the area. I call on local, state and federal leaders to join our efforts to move the Rio Grande Valley in an exciting new direction."

###