Congress hopeful a DACA deal can be reached during Trump administration
Members of Congress are optimistic about a deal for immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children. The immigrants, known as “Dreamers” based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act, got a boost in their chances after President-elect Trump said he wanted them to stay.
“This is going to be a great opportunity for my colleagues on the Democrat side, who all high-fived me a couple of years back when we did a lot of substantive, bipartisan bills,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said. “Now let’s see if they’re committed to bipartisanship and actually working with President Trump to give the ‘Dreamers’ the certainty that they need.”
“I’m hopeful that we can move forward on a variety of areas where there’s common ground, involving immigration,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said. “I think we have a huge opportunity to reach bipartisan compromise on a comprehensive immigration reform.”
During an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” President-elect Trump said he wants to work with Democrats on a plan. He said many of these young immigrants are successful professionals and business owners who should stay in the U.S.
“I want to be able to work something out,” Trump said. “I think we can work with the Democrats and work something out.”
During the 2019 government shutdown, then-President Trump offered to give 700,000 DACA recipients and other immigrants with temporary protected status a three-year extension in exchange for $5.7 billion for the border wall.
The deal was not accepted.
“They’ve been here a long time, and they came as children. And my view is that people who come here as children are not responsible, the adults are responsible,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said.
President Obama started Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, in 2012 through executive action. Since that time, Congress has been unable to reach a deal to make that executive order the law of the land.
Thune, Barrasso, Cotton to make up Senate Republican leadership team
Senate Republicans have a new leader for the first time in 18 years. Sen. John Thune, S.D., will replace Sen. Mitch McConnell, Ky., who is the longest serving Senate GOP leader in history.
“This Republican team is united. We are on one team,” Thune told reporters. “We are excited to reclaim the majority and to get to work with our colleagues in the House to enact President Trump’s agenda.”
Sen. Thune was elected in a three-way race that included Sens. John Cornyn, Texas, and Rick Scott, Fla. Thune and Cornyn made a similar pitch, more aligned with McConnell. Scott, however, was the Trump candidate and wanted to shake up the structure of Senate leadership.
“I promise to be a leader who serves the entire Republican conference,” Thune said. “We’ll have an ambitious agenda, and we’ll take each and every Republican working together to be successful.”
One of the key issues in the race was the legislative amendment process. Many Republicans want to allow any senator to propose changes or additions to legislation. This will increase debate and give individual lawmakers more power to influence a bill.
They also wanted to get back to what’s supposed to be the normal appropriations process. Congressional protocol calls for 12 bills, specific to certain sections of the federal government, to be debated and written separately by the committee that has an expertise in that area.
As it currently stands, Congress has been passing continuing resolutions, omni- and minibus bills, which are massive in scope, difficult to read in full and don’t give senators an opportunity to debate and amend.
To round out Republican leadership, Wyoming’s Sen. John Barrasso was elected whip. He’ll be the No. 2 in charge of counting votes and trying to convince holdouts to support the party’s legislative priorities. Arkansas’ Sen. Tom Cotton will serve as conference chair.
Musk, Ramaswamy to lead Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency
President-elect Trump has created the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. And new details on a deadly massive explosion at a Kentucky food dye plant. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.
Musk, Ramaswamy to lead Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency
Trump said Musk will be joined by entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in leading the department. The president-elect said the two businessmen will help his administration “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies.”
Trump added the department will provide guidance from outside the government and “send shockwaves through the system.” The statement said Musk and Ramaswamy’s work will conclude no later than July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Musk, who also owns X, said on the social media site Tuesday night that all actions of the department will be posted online for “maximum transparency.”
Both Musk and Ramaswamy endorsed Trump during the 2024 campaign, with Ramaswamy doing so after dropping out of the race in January.
Along with meeting President Biden at the White House Wednesday, President-elect Trump is expected to also meet with Republicans at the Capitol as the GOP prepares to take control of both chambers of Congress, though some House races have still yet to be called.
The 44-year-old Army veteran is currently the host of Fox News channel’s “Fox and Friends Weekend.” Hegseth joined the network in 2014.
Hegseth is a Princeton and Harvard Business School graduate. He served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay and is still a member of the Minnesota Army Reserve.
In a statement, Trump said Hegseth is “tough, smart and a true believer in America first.” He added, “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice — our military will be great again, and America will never back down.”
Trump also filled other roles Tuesday, including selecting lawyer William McGinley as White House counsel, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as U.S. ambassador to Israel, real estate investor Steve Witkoff as special envoy to the Middle East, and former Congressman John Ratcliffe as CIA director. Ratcliffe served as director of national intelligence in the first Trump administration.
Republican senators to choose new majority leader
While control of the House of Representatives remains undecided, the Senate is firmly in the hands of Republicans after last week’s election and now they’re getting ready for another vote.
House Oversight Committee holding second UFO hearing
The House Oversight Committee is meeting Wednesday to once again talk UFOs. The hearing, which calls the objects by their new preferred name, is titled “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth.”
Arrogant bureaucrats in D.C. spend your money and withhold information on UAP while our nation's best pilots give a different story. How does the government expect to gain our trust when they don't trust us with the truth? pic.twitter.com/un2RzRfwrE
2 dead in Louisville plant explosion, nearby homes damaged
New information is emerging about the explosion at a food dye plant in Louisville, Kentucky Tuesday afternoon. CBS and NBC News have reported two people have died, and at least nine others were badly hurt.
Authorities said two people had to be rescued from inside the plant Tuesday, but all employees have been accounted for.
The explosion, which happened in the city’s Clifton neighborhood, damaged nearby homes and residents were evacuated. One homeowner said it was a huge explosion and his entire house shook.
Today was a tough day for our city but we will get through this. I’m praying for everyone who was impacted and I’m incredibly thankful for the first responders who rushed in to save them. pic.twitter.com/cRbmqblph0
The mayor of Louisville said employees who were inside the building “reported normal activity when the explosion occurred.” The cause is under investigation.
This is not the first explosion to happen at that factory. One worker died after a tank exploded in 2003, when the plant had a different owner.
Kraft Heinz pulls school-approved Lunchables off the menu
The school-specific meals made their debut last school year. Kraft Heinz said they were protein-enriched and had reduced levels of saturated fat and sodium to meet the requirements of the national free and reduced-price school lunch program.
However, the meals got pushback from nutrition experts, who were concerned the school versions of Lunchables would confuse parents into thinking store-bought versions were healthier than they are. Then in April, Consumer Reports said it found the school-approved Lunachables actually contained more sodium than their store-bought counterparts.
In a statement, Kraft Heinz said its decision to pull school Lunchables was due to lack of demand.
Republican leadership in Congress shaping up ahead of key vote
Republicans won a majority in the Senate and believe they are on track to maintain their majority in the House. So once the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, 2025, who will be in leadership?
In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is vying to keep the gavel. Johnson wrote a letter to his Republican colleagues in which he laid out their top priorities: secure the border, promote investment through the tax code, prioritize domestic energy production, reduce regulations and expand school choice.
“We will operate from our well designed playbook, and execute those plays with precision, to put points on the board and win for the American people,” Johnson wrote in the letter.
Johnson has the support of President-elect Donald Trump, which is a key advantage. He even got a shout out during Trump’s victory speech.
“I want to thank Mike Johnson, I think he’s doing a terrific job. Terrific job,” Trump said during his victory speech.
With Trump’s support, it will be tough to challenge Johnson. However, Republicans are on track to have a one or two seat majority. If anyone decides to put up a fight like they did with former Rep. Kevin McCarthy in 2022, this could become a true battle.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., is also running to keep his job. He has consistently been elected unanimously to be House Republicans’ number two, there’s no reason to believe that will change.
The biggest question is Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. She’s the conference chair and if she runs again, she’ll likely win. She is also contending to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in the new Trump administration, which would leave an opening.
The Republican congressional leadership elections will take place on Nov. 13.
In the Senate, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is stepping down as Republican leader after the longest serving tenure in history.
Three lawmakers are running to take his place: Sens. John Thune, S.D., John Cornyn, Texas, and Rick Scott, Fla.
Thune currently serves as the Republican Whip, or the number two. He’s in charge of counting how republicans will vote on certain bills and trying to convince holdouts to support the party’s legislative priorities.
Cornyn previously served as whip but had to step down because he was term-limited.
Scott previously served as the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the party’s campaign arm. He also challenged McConnell for leader in 2022 but only received 10 votes compared to McConnell’s 37.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., will take Thune’s place as whip.
Trump speaks of ‘incredible’ win after projected to be next US president
Donald Trump is poised to win the presidency again. How Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania helped put him over the top. And while Republicans have picked up seats in the Senate, will they also take the House? A look at where things stand. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.
Trump speaks of ‘incredible’ win after projected to be next U.S. president
Former President Donald Trump declared victory while addressing supporters in Florida early Wednesday morning, Nov. 6, as his lead over Vice President Kamala Harris grew. He picked up critical wins in key battleground states Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina.
“We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible, and it is now clear that we’ve achieved the most incredible political thing,” Trump said. “Look what happened — is this crazy? But it’s a political victory that our country has never seen before, nothing like this. I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president.”
Harris’ path to the 270 electoral votes has become less of a possibility, with most media outlets projecting Trump as the winner Wednesday morning. As of the time this article was published, Fox News, ABC, NBC, CBS, the Associated Press and Decision Desk HQ, a forecasting and analysis organization, have projected him to be the winner.
Donald Trump wins presidency for second time, completing improbable comeback https://t.co/VGPT8X5I88
Trump, who survived two assassination attempts during the campaign, was surrounded by family, Republican leaders, and his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance as he addressed the crowd inside the Palm Beach Convention Center around 2:30 a.m. ET Wednesday.
“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he told supporters. “Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason and that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness and now we are going to fulfill that mission together.”
Vice President Harris, who picked up wins in California and New York, did not speak Tuesday night, Nov. 5, but earlier in the evening campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond spoke to supporters at Howard University. He said the vice president was not giving up the fight despite how the numbers were going.
“We will continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken, so you won’t hear from the vice president tonight, but you will hear from her tomorrow,” he said. ”She will be back here tomorrow to address not only the HU family, not only to address our supporters, but to address the nation.”
Multiple news networks have confirmed Harris is slated to speak Wednesday morning. However, it is worth noting there reportedly has been no concession call yet from Harris to Trump.
Ray Bogan recaps election night from Washington
Washington is going to look a lot different in January.
Donald Trump made an extraordinary comeback. He lost the electoral and popular votes in 2020 after stinging defeats in Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania. This time around Trump won back both Georgia and Pennsylvania. He also took Wisconsin.
Republicans also won a majority in the Senate, with key victories in Ohio and West Virginia pushing them over the top. This will give them a key advantage as they work to confirm Trump’s cabinet picks and judicial nominations.
It’s important to remember that the majorities in Congress are razor-thin and nowhere near filibuster-proof in the Senate. So passing legislation will require bipartisanship.
The big question now is – who will be the Senate majority leader? The three candidates are John Thune from South Dakota, John Cornyn from Texas and Rick Scott from Florida.
Balance of power in Congress shifts, GOP retakes control of Senate
As Ray mentioned, the balance of power is shifting in Congress. Republicans will retake control of the Senate for the first time in four years.
The GOP flipped seats in West Virginia and Ohio, giving Republicans at least a 51-seat majority in the Senate.
In West Virginia, Republican Gov. Jim Justice is slated to replace the outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin, an independent who caucused with Democrats. In Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno is projected by multiple outlets to defeat incumbent Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown.
How the House of Representatives will play out remains to be seen. Republicans are hoping to retain control of the chamber.
They currently hold a slim majority, yet there are still over 100 races yet to be determined as of the time of publishing. Going into the night, Democrats needed to flip four seats to gain.
Stein wins in NC governor’s race, Republicans see victory in other states
Voters in 11 states also chose their next governors. While Republicans won big, Democrats did manage to retain power in several states.
North Carolina remained blue after the state’s Democratic attorney general, Josh Stein, beat out controversial Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. Robinson — who made history as the first Black lieutenant governor in the state — was already trailing in the polls, but his numbers took a dive in mid-September after CNN released a report detailing comments he allegedly made on a pornography website message board more than a decade ago on race, gender and abortion.
Thank you, North Carolina! I am honored to serve as your next governor. Tonight, we came together to resoundingly embrace a vision that is optimistic, forward-looking, and welcoming. I couldn't have done this without each of you. pic.twitter.com/3eeGGTVHed
In Delaware, Democrat Matt Meyer wins the race for governor. Meyer defeated Republican Mike Ramone and will take over from two-term Democratic Gov. John Carney.
Washington state will stay blue after Attorney General Bob Ferguson beat out Republican challenger Dave Reichert for the job. The seat was up for grabs after Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee said he would not be running again after serving three terms.
Indiana went from blue to red, with Republican Mike Braun defeating Democrat Jennifer McCormick. McCormick is a former Republican who split with the party after serving as the state’s schools superintendent.
Meanwhile, Republican Missouri remained red. The state’s Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe is set to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Mike Parson.
North Dakota stayed red, as well. Kelly Armstrong is projected to succeed Gov. Doug Burgum, who also chose not to run again after serving three terms. It is possible Burgum will get a place in the Trump administration.
Republicans will now have governors in 27 states; Democrats in 23.
*Editor’s Note: This story has been updated since our recording to correct that North Carolina did not flip blue as the current governor, Roy Cooper, is a Democrat.
Voters in four states chose whether to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right. The measure did not pass in Florida, Nebraska or South Dakota, but did in Colorado and Nevada.
Nebraska voters actually had two abortion-related measures on their ballot. While the constitutional right to an abortion failed, the other measure, which would prohibit abortions after the first trimester, passed.
Five other states were deciding on the right to an abortion. The measures passed in Arizona, Maryland, Missouri, and New York and is expected to make it through in Montana.
3 newly elected senators, 1 congresswoman making history
History was made in three states on Election Day.
In Delaware, Lisa Blunt Rochester — who already made history as the first woman and first Black person to represent the state in Congress — will now become the first Black woman to represent Delaware in the U.S. Senate.
Maryland Democrat Angela Alsobrooks will be the first Black candidate to represent her state in the Senate.
We just won our Senate race! As a son of immigrants, a public school kid, I never could’ve imagined I’d get to serve as a US Senator. I’m deeply humbled and grateful to NJ and for everyone who got us here. I promise I’ll serve with honor and integrity as a public servant for all. pic.twitter.com/qpuobm9Vf3
New Jersey Democrat Andy Kim will become the first Korean-American ever elected to the Senate. At 42 years old, he’ll also be the Senate’s third youngest member.
Finally, Sarah McBride, who won Delaware’s only open House seat, will be the first openly transgender person to be elected to Congress.
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Republicans claim Senate majority, end Democrats’ four-year hold
Republicans claim Senate majority, end Democrats’ four-year hold
Republicans secured a majority in the Senate following key victories in West Virginia and Ohio. The 2024 general election results ended Democrats’ four-year majority in the chamber, with the current balance of power now at 51-49.
The Senate was previously split 50-50 for two years, with Democrats holding a narrow majority through Vice President Harris’ tie-breaking vote. This shift will impact cabinet and judicial confirmations during the next presidential administration.
Senior Senate Democrats had indicated that, had they maintained the majority, they would reconsider ending the filibuster to pass voting rights and abortion legislation.
The big question now is who will lead the majority. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is stepping down as Senate Republican leader after serving as the longest-tenured leader in history.
Three candidates are vying for the position: John Thune, John Cornyn and Rick Scott. Thune, from South Dakota, currently serves as Republican Whip, managing votes and convincing holdouts to support party priorities. Cornyn, from Texas, previously served as Whip but was term-limited, while Scott, who led the National Republican Senatorial Committee and challenged McConnell for leadership in 2022, garnered only 10 votes compared to McConnell’s 37.
Is North Dakota’s new age limit for Congress constitutional?
North Dakota’s voters approved a ballot measure that sets an age limit for who can represent the state in Congress. The constitutional amendment says a candidate cannot run if they would turn 81 during their term.
The measure is likely to be challenged in court and may not be constitutional. In its 1995 decision U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot impose additional requirements on qualifying for Congress.
“It’s probably not constitutional,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said. “The Constitution doesn’t, it sets out an age minimum, but not an age maximum. So my guess, I’m sure somebody will take this to court, but my guess is it’ll probably get struck down.”
But if this were upheld in court and states nationwide adopted it, about two dozen elected representatives would be impacted. In the House, 18 members either already are or would be too old to run for another term. Four senators are already too old and many more would be during another six-year term, including 79-year-old Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
“I don’t understand what North Dakota thinks they have the authority to establish any maximum age for service,” Durbin told Straight Arrow News.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, would barely be allowed to run for reelection; he would turn 80 at the end of another six-year term.
“I love federalism, which means the states can pass their own rules, and we can have an experiment and see if it works,” Cornyn said. “So more power to them.”
Aside from the constitutionality, congresspeople wonder if this measure will send a message. If it were applied to presidential candidates, neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden would be allowed to appear on North Dakota’s ballot in November.
“We already have term limits for the president, obviously, we should have term limits for members of Congress,” Hawley told SAN. “I mean, just look around. I think there’s a lot of great examples of why we should have them.”
Senior Senate Democrat wants to block Alito from writing majority opinions
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., wants to prohibit Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito from writing majority opinions following the release of a secret recording. Blumenthal, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Chief Justice John Roberts should use his administrative powers to prevent Alito from writing any majority opinions and block him from presiding over a federal circuit court.
“He can say that Justice Alito no longer writes majority opinions, he can say that Justice Alito no longer presides over a circuit,” Blumenthal told reporters Wednesday, June 12. “He can take action within the court that sends a message that Justice Alito is either going to recuse himself or he will be, in effect, sanctioned within the court.”
Blumenthal made the comments in response to secret recordings that were released by liberal activist Lauren Windsor who posed as a pro-life conservative at an event with Alito.
“People in this country who believe in God have got to keep fighting for that to return our country to a place of godliness,” Windsor said to Alito in the recording.
“I agree with you,” Alito responded.
EXCLUSIVE UNDERCOVER AUDIO: Sam Alito x John Roberts x The Undercurrent 🧵
1/ Justice Alito admits lack of impartiality with the Left, says: “One side or the other is going to win.” pic.twitter.com/b5nmxToZ9z
Democrats on the Judiciary Committee have been trying to get the Supreme Court to adopt an enforceable code of ethics and are renewing their efforts in the wake of this recording.
“I think we ought to begin to think about using funding as a potential means of persuading justices that they should adopt a code of ethics,” Blumenthal said. “Justice Alito and Justice Thomas are politicians in robes. They’re hacks in the judicial robes that they wear and I think the chief justice has to take action to force them to recuse themselves.”
“Oh, I disagree with all of that,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said when asked about Blumenthal’s comments.
Republicans on the committee are against legislation that would create new requirements for the high court, citing separation of powers.
“Some of them involve Trump, I think, some of them involve [Jan. 6], some of them involve abortion,” Hawley told Straight Arrow News. “It’s been a big turn for the court and this is an attempt to pre-butt all of those so they could say, ‘Oh see it’s illegitimate, it’s illegitimate.’ My Democratic colleagues, if they don’t like the way an institution’s operating they say it’s illegitimate, if they like it, then they say, ‘Oh, it’s sacrosanct.’”
The Alito recordings received a lot of attention and also included audio of Windsor’s interactions with Alito’s wife and Chief Justice John Roberts.
“It’s a campaign of harassment against the Supreme Court in order to try to undermine public confidence,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is expected to ask unanimous consent to pass the Democratic-led Supreme Court ethics reform bill the afternoon of June 12. It will likely be blocked by a Republican member.
Senators ‘fear mongering’ about contraception bill
Senators accused each other of fear mongering as they prepared to vote on the Right to Contraception Act. In a statement, 22 Republicans said Democrats are “fear mongering” to “score cheap political points.”
“To suggest this bill expands abortion is vulgar fear mongering, plain and simple,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said.
“There is no threat to access to contraception, which is legal in every state and required by law to be offered at no cost by health insurers, and it's disgusting that Democrats are fearmongering on this important issue to score cheap political points.” pic.twitter.com/ctDtbF1FvI
— Senator Katie Boyd Britt (@SenKatieBritt) June 5, 2024
“An individual has a statutory right under this Act to obtain contraceptives and to voluntarily engage in contraception, free from coercion, and a health care provider has a corresponding right to provide contraceptives, contraception, and information, referrals, and services related to contraception,” the Right to Contraception Act states.
Schumer is bringing the bill up for a vote in hopes of getting Republicans on the record, knowing it will not pass his chamber nor be voted on in the Republican-controlled House.
“I hope they’re not destined to fail,” Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said. “The issues are extremely serious. We know what happened with the Dobbs decision. We are fearful what could happen in the courts, it’s important for Congress to express his views.”
Republicans privately debated whether they should vote “yes” on the bill which would allow them to bring forward amendments. Voting for the bill will also allow Republicans to bring forward an alternative bill proposed by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, which they said has stronger religious exemption provisions.
“When Republicans vote ‘no,’ he basically gets what he wants,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas said. “So the question was, should we vote ‘yes’ to get on the bill and demonstrate that we do have a position that we can explain to the American people.”
Republicans are also pointing to specific sections of the bill they oppose that are hidden in legalese.
“The problem with the statute is it would force states to have sex change drugs, sterilization drugs, available for minor children, and my state, we banned those,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said. “My legislature just did that, this legislation would override that. I strongly, strongly disagree with that.”
For instance, the bill defines contraception as “an action taken to prevent pregnancy, including the use of contraceptives or fertility-awareness-based methods and sterilization procedures.”
It also states a contraceptive means “any drug…approved… under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.” The abortion medication Mifepristone was approved under an amended version of that bill.
Republicans contend if this bill were only about contraception, it wouldn’t be necessary.
“There’s no state in the union that is trying to ban contraception. Nor could they because constitutionally, contraception is protected, which is as it should be,” Hawley said.
This isn’t the only bill without a future that Schumer has brought forward to get Republicans on the record. He brought forward a border bill that Republicans had already said they weren’t going to support, and he may bring forward a similar measure on IVF next week.
Water war heats up as US officials seek to block funds to Mexico over treaty fight
A longstanding water dispute between the United States and Mexico has reached a critical point, with Texas at the center of the controversy. The issue revolves around an 80-year-old water treaty, in which Mexico committed to sending 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the Rio Grande every five years. In return, the U.S. supplies millions of acre-feet of water to Mexico along other parts of the U.S. southern border.
However, during the most recent cycle that began in 2020, Texas lawmakers — led by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas — asserted that Mexico has delivered only a fraction of the promised water. The bipartisan group of legislators sent a letter to the Senate and House appropriators, urging them to withhold funds to Mexico.
“The 1944 water treaty between the United States and Mexico obligates both countries to share water resources from the Colorado and Rio Grande rivers,” the letter said in part. “Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, Mexico still fails to provide minimum, consistent water deliveries to the United States from the Rio Grande, instead waiting until the end of a five-year cycle to deliver the water owed to America.”
This shortfall has exacerbated water shortages in Texas, particularly in regions experiencing extreme drought conditions. For instance, the Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers sugar mill closed its doors in February 2024 due to lack of water from Mexico, affecting over 500 employees.
In response, the bipartisan group of legislators urged the Senate and House appropriators to withhold funds from Mexico until it fulfills its water obligations. The 1944 water treaty obligates both countries to share water resources from the Colorado and Rio Grande rivers, but Mexico’s inconsistent deliveries have strained relations. Texas lawmakers believe that withholding “designated funds” is a necessary step to get Mexico’s attention.
Meanwhile, Mexico itself faces drought challenges, receiving only about half of its normal rainfall over the last year. As the country’s presidential election approaches, Mexican farmers are pleading with candidates to conserve water. However, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has yet to make any decisions regarding the water dispute.
The situation remains tense, and both sides await Congress’ response to determine the next steps in this water war.