By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

A group of lawmakers from Texas is urging President-Elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State to continue to push Mexico to live up to its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty.

Under the water treaty, the U.S. delivers water from the Colorado River to Mexico. Mexico is obligated to deliver water from tributaries to the Rio Grande River on a five-year cycle.

That water is vital to farmers and communities in the Rio Grande Valley, but right now, Mexico is hundreds-of-thousands of acre-feet of water behind in payments to the U.S.

“I have complete confidence in your ability to lead the State Department,” U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) told Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio (R-FL). “I would just like to get your commitment to work with us to try to just simply get Mexico to live up to its requirements under the treaty, and if they won’t do it voluntarily, to look for leverage and ways we can persuade them to do what they already have a legal obligation to do, which is to release the water on a timely basis.”

Cornyn, along with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Reps. Monica De La Cruz (R-TX), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Tony Gonzales (R-TX) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX), sent a letter to Rubio underlining the importance of the treaty and the water to South Texas.

“As of November 2024, Mexico is over a million acre-feet in arrears for the current five-year cycle, despite the cycle being more than 80% complete,” the lawmakers wrote. “Unfortunately, without consistent deliveries, water shortages significantly impact agricultural stakeholders in South Texas, greatly straining Texas farmers and ranchers and jeopardizing their livelihoods and economic stability.”

As a result of the lack of water deliveries, in 2024, the only remaining sugar mill in Texas closed its doors after 51 years of business.

The lack of water now threatens the Texas citrus industry.

The lawmakers wrote to Rubio that a recent Minute, negotiated between the two countries as part of the water treaty to address the water debt, is a step in the right direction, but does not guarantee timely, reliable and consistent compliance with the treaty.

“Your leadership can critically reinforce the importance that Mexico provides consistent water deliveries pursuant to the treaty,” the lawmakers wrote. “We request a renewed effort to negotiate fair provisions guaranteeing Mexico provide annual water deliveries, similar to the annual deliveries required by America to Mexico in the same treaty.”

An increased focus on the monitoring and regular reporting, as well as stronger accountability mechanisms, such as the withholding of certain forms of aid to Mexico, could provide sufficient leverage to achieve their objectives, the lawmakers wrote.

During his confirmation hearing, Rubio gave Cornyn his commitment to work with Texas lawmakers on the issue.

“Absolutely. It has real implications not just for the state of Texas, but broadly for the United States,” Rubio said.