Date: 1989-10-24
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker. after extending my commendation to the chairman of the subcommittee and the committee. I rise in support of the conference report. A bill making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development. and for other independent agencies. Mr. Speaker. of particular interest to me. the conference report includes language to authorize the Governor of Texas. at his discretion. to set aside up to $15 million out of Texas approximately $80 million in construction grant funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a revolving fund for the sole purpose of making loans to residents of colonlas in the counties of Cameron. Hidalgo. Zapata. Starr. Webb. Maverick. Val Verde. Terrell. Brewster. Presidio. Hudspeth. and El Paso. Loans from the revolving fund must be made for the purposes of connecting residences to sewer collection systems and making plumbing improvements necessary to meet county or city code requirements. The task of providing adequate housing. clean water. and effective sewage collection and treatment systems in Texas is a daunting one. The elimination of the health problems in the colonias will require a concerted effort on behalf of Federal. State. and local governments. Earlier this year the State of Texas approved legislation authorizing. subject to a statewide referendum. the sale of up to $100 million in bonds. The proceeds from these bonds would be targeted to fund the construction of desperately needed water and sewer systems in Texas colonlas. An amendment to the Texas State constitution must be approved by Texas voters before the bonds may be sold. I have publicly supported this constitutional amendment and would urge Texas voters to approve the amendment on November 7. At the local level. county governments in Texas have begun to adopt ordinances requiring developers to provide essential services to residents in an effort to prevent the future development of colonias. My home county of Hidalgo has been a leader in this area. Earlier this year I met personally with Secretary of Agriculture Clayton Yeutter to urge him to use whatever discretionary authority he might have to target Farmers Home Administration funding to water and sewer projects in colonias in States along the United StatesMexico border. This August Secretary Yeutter announced that the Farmers Home Administration would make available $5.5 million in fiscal year 1990 for such projects. This is in If 7407 addition to the more than $84 million that the Farmers Home Administration has spent for water and waste facilities to alleviate these problems In Texas counties over the last 10 years. The discretionary authority included In H.R. 2916 will give the Governor of Texas yet another tool to target up to $15 million in grant funds to colonia water and sewer development. Importantly. loans made with these funds would go directly to colonia residents themselves. to help them improve their quality of life. I urge the Governor to take full advantage of this authority. I would like to take this opportunity to commend my colleagues on the Committee on Appropriations. and especially my colleagues from Texas. Congressman WILSON. Congressman COLEMAN. Congressman CHAPMAN. and Congressman DELAY. for including this amendment in H.R. 2916. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.