Cuellar reminds SA to DC group that border region is misunderstood

Rep. Henry Cuellar, the only Texas Democrat serving on the House Appropriations Committee, jokingly told SA to DC participants, “I could talk about appropriations, but there’s no earmarks and no money.”

Cuellar, instead, spent most of his time discussing immigration.  The Laredo native observed that the farther people live from the border, the stronger their opinions about the border tend to be – and they tend to be wrong.

The border region is not “the safest place in the whole world,” Cuellar noted.  But a GAO report he requested found that the crime rate along the border is lower than in Washington, D.C. and lower than the national average.

Cuellar laid out three elements for effective immigration reform.  First, smart border security that relies on technology, rather then using a 14th century solution – a fence – for a 21st century problem; second, a guest worker program; and third, a sensible solution to the 12 million undocumented residents already in the United States – not amnesty, but some sort of pathway to legal residency.

Cornyn: the Keystone Pipeline should be approved immediately

US Senator John Cornyn described Washington as a lot like Disney; "It is a fun place to visit, but it isn't reality."

The Senator noted that the sequester took many by surprise because most didn't it expect to happen. He said it hit disproportionately in San Antonio because it is Military City USA. "The military will suffer about a trillion dollar in cuts," he said. "This may be the only part of the federal government that this administration is willing to cut."

Cornyn said that many cuts are needed that are more logical. He told the group that the White House has cut its spring tours, saving about $18,000 a year, but there is obviously more that needs to be done.

He proposed that the nation should use an economic and spending model more like Texas, where more jobs are being created than the rest of the country, and where it is clear that we are doing something right. Cornyn asked what is the secret sauce in Texas? He said it starts with energy, special thanks to the invention of shale gas exploration and fracking. He speculated that if we could increase our production at the current pace, we could become energy independent in the foreseeable future. This benefit doesn't event count the economic benefit of the additional jobs.

Therefore, he said he believes the president should not delay in approving the Keystone Pipeline. "Imagine what it could mean in the geopolitics around the world if we could be less dependent on the middle east for oil," he said. The entire video is below.

Gallego Sees a Need for a Kinder Washington

Congressman Pete Gallego shared that for a guy from a small town, decisions in Washington seem to be more complicated than they have to be. He told the group that he has a different approach than many leaders in DC. He told of the birth of his first child and how everything he does is focused on what he wants to teach to his young son about honesty and integrity. He told the SA to DC attendees that he feels it should be ok to work with everyone in Washington, regardless of political party. He said relationships are important because we need everyone to build a stronger country for our children's future. He noted that Texas has the most to loose in the budget cuts to the military that came with the sequester. He also said we need help from all parties to fix the problem we created. The audience laughed when he asked, "Have you ever asked a favor of someone you just beat up?" He then said that Washington needs leaders who take care of the people of the nation, as well as a small business leader takes care of their customers. He recalled that he felt people have been rude to him when they find out he was a Congressman. He hopes to help change the attitude around the country about Congress.

Senator Cruz Wants To See Economic Growth

Sen. Ted Cruz said he and his staff have a singular focus – economic growth. Of all economic data swirling around, the most important data point is the 0.8 percent average economic growth rate during President Obama’s first term. Cruz contrasted that figure with the 3.3 percent average economic growth rate since World War II.

Without economic growth, Cruz said, no other problems in Washington can be solved - including the debt problem. Cruz said that budget writers cannot cut enough spending to balance budget without economic growth and that this issue could be the source of bipartisan agreement to get people back to work.

Cruz identified three sub-priorities: restraining out of control spending, reducing the tax burden on individuals and businesses and reducing the regulatory burden.

Late Reception features Mayor Castro and Congressman Castro

Today, San Antonio leaders participating in the SA to DC trip began to arrive at the San Antonio International Airport as early as 4:00 a.m. Discussions and planning started amongst the delegation members on topics including Small Business, Immigration, Military, and other focus issues important to the economic growth of our very own Alamo City. They are prepared to advocate on behalf of the more than 40,000 small business owners in the San Antonio metropolitan area. Arriving at 10:00 a.m. in Baltimore was soon followed by a 45-minute shuttle ride to our hotel, Marriott at Metro Center, where a late afternoon reception was held to welcome the San Antonio Delegation. A special thanks goes out to our very own San Antonio Mayor, Julian Castro and Congressman Joaquin Castro for answering questions from reception guests and our distinguished moderator, Ron Fournier, Editorial Director for The National Journal.

What to expect the first day in DC

The Greater San Antonio Chamber President tells what is in store the first day of SA to DC.

Dedicated staff make SA to DC special every year

Leaving the Chamber of Commerce weather behind in San Antonio, the Sa to DC group of 100+ business and community leaders took off early this morning for sunny, but significantly cooler Washington DC.

This post is a special shout out to the staff members from The Greater Chamber and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber who have spent countless hours getting meetings set up, staying up really late, getting up and working well before the sun rise to make this trip smooth.

Thanks especially to Jose Maria Gonzalez, Michael Vela, Will Garrett, Liza Barratachea, Lauren Sides, Michelle Morris and Allegra Zwan. You make this trip really special for the rest of us.

Photo: big loads of luggage are taken to charter busses for SA to DC attendees

Mayor Castro and Congressman Castro to kickoff SA to DC events

SA to DC 2013 starts off with a bang this year with a lively discussion on three topics with Mayor Julián Castro and Congressman Joaquin Castro, moderated by National Journal Editorial Director Ron Fournier. The opening event is a rare opportunity to catch the two together and talk about federal and local priorities on education, military relations and immigration reform.

Fournier has also made recent headlines because he joined several seasoned journalists to challenge White House tactics on their recent management of press relationships. He is also outspoken about the broken politics across our nation's capitol. In fact, today's blog suggests that President Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner need to grow up. 

Read it here:

Adult Leadership Required to Clean Up the Mess in Washington

by Ron Fournier