Miller: I’m working hard to get Mexico to move the planned Trans-Continental Railroad back from New Mexico to Laredo

HARLINGEN, Texas – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller visited the Rio Grande Valley on Saturday, June 22, to discuss Mexico’s water debt to the United States.

The event, hosted by the True Texas Project, was held at Revolution City Church in Harlingen. The event was titled: “Water Crisis in the RGV: A Conversation with Ag Commissioner Sid Miller.”

In his remarks, Miller said he does not favor closing the border as a way of forcing Mexico to repay its water debt.

Miller said Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision a couple of years ago to slow trucks coming north across the border was a disaster for farmers and consumers.

“Some people want to close the border, you know, to put pressure on Mexico. I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Miller said.

“Governor Abbott did that, and I was fiercely against it. I attacked him in the press real hard for closing the border. There was somewhere between $3 and $4 billion worth of product spoiled. It went bad and it affected not only the Mexican side but affected our Texas growers too.”

Miller pointed out that some Texas growers farm both sides of the Rio Grande.

“We’ve got people like HEB, and they depend on product coming out of there (Mexico) to stock their stores. I told the governor, those shelves are going to go bare, just like they did during the COVID. And sure enough, that’s what happened. So, we don’t need to do that.”

Miller said Mexico is always the United States’ first, second or third best trading partner. Currently it is No. 1.

“We don’t need to be treating our neighbors and our best customers like that… in my opinion… you can disagree with me if you want. But I think diplomacy works a lot better than strong arming your friends and your neighbors and your best customer. They resent that.”

Abbott’s decision to block trucks going north backfired badly, Miller said.

“Matter of fact, when Abbott did that… we’ve got a plan that is in place, that is happening, it is the Trans-Continental Railroad. To bring product out of Mexico and (for) us to ship product into Mexico. And Canada is part of it too,” Miller said.

“It starts at Mazatlán, comes to Laredo, and goes to San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago and up to Winnipeg. Great. It is going to be a great railroad line.

“Well, when Abbott closed the border with his truck inspection program… by the way, they didn’t find any illegal contraband or illegals in those trucks. They had already been checked at the border. They (Customs & Border Protection) always check them.

“So, Mexico retaliated, and they are moving their (railroad) line from Laredo to New Mexico and they are bypassing Texas. That’s gonna kill us. We can’t allow that to happen.”

Miller said he has been “working diligently” to get Mexico to reverse its decision.

“I serve on the Tri-National Agriculture Accord. That’s Canada, United States and Mexico. We are the ones that had to negotiate the new USMCA to replace the NAFTA agreement,” Miller said.

“So, I’ve just about gotten Mexico, especially with the new leadership there now, convinced. I haven’t gotten on them on the line yet but we’re real close to bringing that railroad line back through Laredo, San Antonio, Dallas, and then on to Chicago.

“So, if we strong arm them again, we will definitely lose that rail line. And I don’t think it’s worth giving that up.”

Miller encouraged the farmers and irrigators in the audience to get with their U.S. representatives and senators, to forge a united front to press the White House to pressure Mexico. He said U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz have legislation pending to financially penalize Mexico.

Probably the best immediate way to get the water, Miller said, is to pump the water over their interior reservoirs and into the Rio Grande watersheds. But who can see Mexico agreeing to this?

“I don’t think we are going to get much help from the Biden administration for a water crisis here in the Valley,” Miller said. “So, the best thing we can do is change the leadership up there and re-elect Donald Trump as our president.”

That remark drew applause from the audience.

“I’m working real hard to get that man (Trump) re-elected. I’ve got a bus tour organized. We’re going to all the swing states. It is called the Gas and Groceries Tour. If I am successful and we move one percent of the vote in each one of those swing states, he wins every swing state. They’re that close.”

After his remarks, Miller took questions from the audience. The Q&A session went long, with lots of impassioned pleas for help from Valley farmers and irrigators.

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