Date: 1986-06-24
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I take this time to advise my colleagues that I have asked for a special order tomorrow to discuss our recent meeting with Mexican parliamentarians. We have by law. by the way. only two of these between the United States and another country. with Canada and with Mexico. We meet once a year. once in Mexico and once in the United States. We try to meet away from the capital cities so that we may be away from the pressures and the responsibilities that we have here. This last meeting was the 26th consecutive meeting and we held it in Colorado Springs. CO. It was a very suecessful meeting with representatives external debt. but the clear message from all the parties in the Mexican that I perceived from our Mexican colGovernment and. of course. here from leagues is that at this point in time our two parties. there was representa- they need friends. They need friends tion from the Senate and from the who can understand their plight. can House. understand their political situation We have done In the years that I and can understand their fiscal situahave served as a member of this par- tion and that it is well and good for liamentary or interparliamentary friends to be frank with each other. group. we have done yeoman work. if I but that it is not a time to criticize or might say so myself. to say. "If you dont do this. or you Some of the problems thathave ex- dont do that. then your system is isted between Mexico and the United going to fail or any assistance we could States that were very serious problems give you wont be triggered." were first mentioned at one of these I sort of sympathize with them that meetings. the Colorado salinity prob- if we would look back to our country lem that was eventually resolved. the and to our time of need. let us say to a Chamizal question that - eventually time when I can vaguely. but nonthebecame a treaty between our two less remember. the Great Depression. countries. the salinity of the Lower and if our friends from across the seas Rio Grande in my adjacent area was in other countries would have started resolved. or the initiation of the reso- criticizing President Roosevelt and lution was made at this meeting. saying. "No. that is the wrong apI would like to mention this one spe- proach." or. "No. you have to cut here cifically because it shows how two na- or you have to cut there or you have tions working together with good will possibly corruption in your governand with frankness and in a direct and ment." that is not the time that you forceful manner can solve problems appreciate that coming from a good that at other times could not be solved friend. in any other nation or adjoining na- So they looked annoyed with some tions. of the actions taken in our country There was a stream coming from the and they sort ofnot questioned. beMexican side of the river into the Rio cause they know of our friendship. Grande with millions of cubic feet of they never questioned our friendship. salt. It was ruining the water below but they asked. "Why now. bringing that entry point to everyone down out things perhaps if you had done river on the Rio Grande. The solution earlier. it would have made us work that was arrived at by the engineers better toward achieving this goal." was that there be a dam placed before So that is one of the areas that we the water reached the Rio Grande have to be very cautious in. because River and that there be a channel the problems of Mexico where I live built some 70 miles to the Gulf of become our problems and a: failure of Mexico on Mexican soil. It was paid any system or a failure in any area of for onehalf by the Government of the economic sectors of Mexico right Mexico. onefourth by the IBWC. the away impacts on our side of the International Boundary and Water border. Commission. which would have been. Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker. will of course. U.S. taxpayers money. and the gentleman yield? the other fourth was paid by the Mr. DE LA GARZA. I am happy to water users on the United States side yield to the gentleman from Texas. of the river below the dam. Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker. I This is what you can do. The solu- thank the gentleman for letting me intion was solely on the territory of one terrupt him. country. The benefit would be divided. The only thing that motivates me is onehalf to the two countries and it that I want to thank the gentleman was paid for onehalf by one country for his remarks. I have gotten up on and onefourth by our country and two previous occasions on the House onefourth by the users. floor and have deplored the counterWe had at this meeting in Colorado productive statements that have been discussions. of course. on various and made by highly placed administrative sundry matters affecting our two officials. in which the reputation and countries. the integrity of the head of state of One of the things that I personally the Mexican Government. President derived from the discussions. both de la Madrid. has been questioned. public and private. with our Mexican I deplored it very much because it is colleagues. and this I say so only as a slander. It is a libel. myself. speaking for no one but President de la Madrid. as we know myself. they have tremendous prob- from the beginning. has earned a repulems in Mexico at this time. fiscal tation of being one of the most soberproblems. budgetary problems. They minded and honest of administrators. have a tremendous external debt. I just think that what the gentleI would commend President de la man is saying is so important that I Madrid for some of the steps which he want to go on record as reinforcing has taken. austerity measures. in spite and reaffirming and backing the genof potential harm to the very poor in tleman up in the statements he is Mexico. but steps that he was forced making. They are very valuable and I to take by imposition from the IMF or hope that many of our Members if other areas to whom they owe their they are not listening to us on the closed circuit. will read the RECORD tomorrow because what has happened here by these administrative badly advised spokesmen has been very. very detrimental to our relationships. not only with Mexico. but most of Latin America. I want to thank the gentleman for his very. very perceptive report and the remarks he is making in connection with this situation.