Following Pressure from Sen. Cruz and Trump Administration, Mexico Begins Honoring 1944 Water Treaty

WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued a statement following the Trump administration’s announcement of a deal with Mexico to secure shipments of water Mexico owes to the United States under the 1944 Water Treaty.
Sen. Cruz said,“Mexico’s failures to uphold its water obligations have been devastating to Texas farmers and cities. I have been fighting for years to secure those deliveries, including by advancing sanctions legislation in the United States Senate and by emphasizing to both American and Mexican officials that the U.S.-Mexico relationship cannot proceed productively unless Mexico meets its obligations. Recently, I worked with Secretary Rollins to secure a $280 million grant to provide critical economic relief in the Rio Grande Valley, but that was only, and explicitly, a stopgap measure.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates that under the Trump administration and the Republican Congress, the United States will insist that other nations meet their obligations to Americans. It will provide critical relief to Texans and establish a basis for the further necessary work that must be done to assure Texas farmers of reliable and predictable water supplies.
“Today’s achievement could not have been accomplished without President Trump’s public stance on holding Mexico accountable, or without the tireless work of Deputy Secretary Landau, Secretary Rollins, Senator Cornyn, Congresswoman De La Cruz, and former IBWC Commissioner Giner.”
BACKGROUND
Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico is obligated to deliver 350,000 acre-feet of water per years averaged over a five-year cycle. But, Mexico has not made reliable annual deliveries, leading to a devastating shortfall including in Texas and across the Southwest.
Sen. Cruz has led the push to ensure that Mexico delivers water to Texas that it is obligated to provide under the 1944 Water Treaty:
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