{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-leads-colleagues-in-urging-restoration-of-nadbanks-water-infrastructure-program/", "Cornyn Leads Colleagues in Urging Restoration of NADBank\u2019s Water Infrastructure Program", "2024-10-07", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "TX", "John Cornyn", "C001056", "www.cornyn.senate.gov", "cornyn", "https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), along with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Representatives Monica De La Cruz (TX-15), Vincente Gonzalez (TX-34), Tony Gonzales (TX-23), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), and Henry Cuellar (TX-28), today sent a letter to the North American Development Bank (NADBank) expressing strong support for the re-establishment of NADBank\u2019s Water Infrastructure Fund and urging the board to take swift action in restoring this critical program to improve water security for border communities.\n\n\u201cThe need for sustainable water management in the U.S.-Mexico border region is greater than ever. Re-establishing the fund would be a significant step in ensuring long-term water security for both municipal and agricultural communities,\u201d they wrote.\n\n\u201cAs it did in previous years, NADBank should use funding from retained earnings to provide concessional financing such as grants or subsidized loans for water conservation and diversification projects. This investment is essential to the well-being of our American municipalities and agricultural projects, and we fully support the Bank\u2019s role in overseeing and implementing the fund to ensure these resources are allocated effectively.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are confident that the re-establishment of the Water Infrastructure Fund will greatly benefit both sides of the border, ensuring that our communities have the water resources they need for the future,\u201d the lawmakers concluded.\n\nFull text of the letter is here and below.\n\nOctober 7, 2024\n\nUnited States Board Members\n\nNorth American Development Bank\n\n203 S. St. Mary\u2019s St., Ste 300\n\nSan Antonio, Texas 78205\n\nDear Members of the Board,\n\nWe are writing to express our strong support for the re-establishment of NADBank\u2019s Water Infrastructure Fund and to urge the Board to take swift action in restoring this critical program. The need for sustainable water management in the U.S.-Mexico border region is greater than ever. Re-establishing the fund would be a significant step in ensuring long-term water security for both municipal and agricultural communities.\n\nAs it did in previous years, NADBank should use funding from retained earnings to provide concessional financing such as grants or subsidized loans for water conservation and diversification projects. This investment is essential to the well-being of our American municipalities and agricultural projects, and we fully support the Bank\u2019s role in overseeing and implementing the fund to ensure these resources are allocated effectively.\n\nAny grant funding re-established through this program must be directed to both municipal and agricultural projects. These projects should not only conserve water, but also explore new ways to create additional water sources in the border region. In doing so, NADBank can address the urgent need for water security on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.\n\nThe flexibility of the grant program is critical. NADBank must be permitted to fund partial project costs in coordination with loans to enable solutions for a wide variety of projects. Additionally, NADBank should not be prohibited from providing loan financing to cover any remaining costs so as to ensure the fund remains adaptable and accessible.\n\nLeveraging resources from other federal and state agencies such as the USDA-Rural Development, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Texas Water Development Board, will be critical in closing the funding gap for these water projects. We urge the Board to coordinate efforts with these entities to maximize the impact of NADBank\u2019s investments.\n\nLastly, we request that U.S. Board members encourage Mexico to meet its capital commitments in a timely manner, and that the U.S. Board use its voice and vote to expedite the release of the remaining U.S. capital in line with Mexico\u2019s payments.\n\nThank you for your attention to this matter. We are confident that the re-establishment of the Water Infrastructure Fund will greatly benefit both sides of the border, ensuring that our communities have the water resources they need for the future.\n\nSincerely,\n\n/s/", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:55:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-leads-colleagues-in-urging-restoration-of-nadbanks-water-infrastructure-program/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7347941175103188, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}