Valley Reps urge Cornyn and Cruz to reject ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’

4 hours ago 14

WESLACO, Texas – Six of the eight lawmakers that represent the Rio Grande Valley in the Texas House of Representatives are Democrats.

Five of the six have signed on to a letter urging U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz to vote against certain provisions in the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ (OBBBA).

If those provisions are not removed, the lawmakers say, Cornyn and Cruz should vote against the legislation.

The five are state Reps. Armando Martinez of Weslaco, Sergio Muñoz of Mission, Terry Canales of Edinburg, R.D. ‘Bobby’ Guerra of McAllen, and Erin Gámez of Brownsville.

The other Democrat in the Valley delegation, state Rep. Oscar Longoria of La Joya, did not sign the letter.

The five Democrats say OBBBA would slash billions from programs that feed hungry Texans and provide healthcare to working families across the state.

The letter has been signed by 46 Texas House Democrats.

The letter warns that OBBBA’s proposed nearly $300 billion cut to SNAP would force the state to find an additional $2.3 billion per biennium to keep families fed, while $863 billion in Medicaid cuts would eliminate healthcare for 303,000 Texans and destroy 55,000 Texas jobs in 2026 alone.

“Texas already faces the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation, with 5.4 million Texans struggling to put food on the table,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Gene Wu. “This devastating legislation would present Texas legislators with an impossible choice: either find an additional $2.3 billion per biennium to keep families fed, or watch hundreds of thousands of our fellow Texans go hungry. To House Democrats, that’s an unacceptable choice. Our Senators must reject these Washington DC games and take action to protect Texas jobs, our economy, and our most vulnerable residents.”

If the State of Texas picked up the slack and fully funded the programs Congress is slashing, it would devastate the state’s record of fiscal responsibility, the Democrats state. “Starting in 2028, Texas would be forced to cover $1.08 billion per year just in food benefits, plus an additional $87 million annually in administrative costs, a press release from the Democrats states.

“Texas families should not become collateral damage in Washington’s budget games,” the letter states. “Our state — which already contributes far more to the federal government than we receive back — deserves senators who will fight for working families, not abandon them in their time of need.”

The House Democrats are calling on Cornyn and Cruz to either remove these harmful provisions or vote against the entire bill.

Letter

Here is the letter:

June 30, 2025

Senators Cornyn and Cruz:

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) threatens to devastate working families across our state, jeopardizing the healthcare, food security, and economic stability that we collectively have been elected to protect.

Our state faces the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation, with 5.4 million Texans — 1 in 6 of our neighbors — struggling to put food on the table. This legislation’s proposed $300 billion cut to SNAP would present Texas legislators with an impossible choice: either find an additional $2.3 billion per biennium to keep families fed, or watch hundreds of thousands of our fellow Texans go hungry.

The human cost would be staggering. Harsh new work requirements would strip food assistance from older Texans and parents with children as young as 7, forcing them to document 20 hours of work per week or lose the meager $6 per day in benefits that help them survive. Furthermore, refugees fleeing oppressive governments would be denied basic nutrition assistance, hampering their integration into Texas communities.

These cuts would be devastating as well for the proud record of fiscal responsibility that the Texas Legislature has built. Starting in 2028, our state would be forced to cover $1.08 billion per year just in food benefits, plus an additional $87 million annually in administrative costs. This bill’s passage would represent an unprecedented federal abandonment of a 50-year commitment to ensuring American families don’t go hungry.

The damage extends beyond food assistance. The bill’s $863 billion in Medicaid cuts would eliminate healthcare for 303,000 Texans and could destroy 55,000 Texas jobs in 2026 alone, half of them in healthcare. Rural hospitals, already operating on razor-thin margins, would face financial collapse as uncompensated care costs skyrocket.

We urge you to reject these devastating cuts that would leave Texans hungry, sick, and economically vulnerable. If Congress refuses to remove these harmful provisions, we ask that you vote against the entire bill.

Texas families should not become collateral damage in Washington’s budget games. Our state — which already contributes far more to the federal government than we receive back — deserves senators who will fight for working families, not abandon them in their time of need. Texans are watching, and they’re counting on you to stand with them and to fight for them.