Dear Friends,
I hope you had a joyful holiday season and were able to spend time with your family and friends. The start of this new year is a time to reflect on 2013, while looking forward to the year to come.
I am thankful to have spent the last year representing the 34th District of Texas in Congress--a District with such rich cultural heritage and strong economic potential.
This past year, I traveled extensively across the District, meeting with local officials and constituents to address issues important to us all such as infrastructure improvement projects, veterans benefits, immigration reform, and Mexico's water debt owed to the U.S. I want to thank everyone for their warm hospitality and their willingness to work with my office to improve South Texas.
I am thankful that so many constituents--particularly veterans--contacted my office over the past year for help to secure their benefits. I encourage anyone who is having difficulty with a federal agency to contact my office for assistance.
I am looking forward to this coming year in Congress and hope to build on 2013's momentum. In the early part of the year, Congress will be working to pass a farm bill to create stability in our commodity markets and to ensure that our nation's most vulnerable are able to feed themselves.
From the establishment of the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley to Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas production and the possibility of the installation of a SpaceX launch site, 2014 should be an exciting year for South Texas.
Thank you for the opportunity to represent you in Washington, and I hope that you and your family have a safe and prosperous 2014.
Sincerely,
Filemon Vela
Member of Congress
