New fed funding assists Southwest Border Regional Commission

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Issues related to border regions recovering from the coronavirus pandemic and a drive to supporting activities aimed at building economic stability are being aided this year with two and a half million dollars in federal funding, announced last week by District 28 Congressman Henry Cuellar.
The congressman sits on the Appropriations Committee and reported that he was able to secure the funds that will be used by the Southwest Border Regional Commission and affect scores of counties along the US-Mexico border.
The funding this year marks the second such injections of financial resources for the group since its authorization in 2008.
Recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and its devastating effects on the local economy will be a focus for the group, according to a prepared statement from the congressman’s office last week.
The SBRC was created to address economic distress in the southern border regions of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. While the fully authorized amount for the SBRC is $33,000,000, the amount provided in this year’s Appropriations Bill will be used to appoint a federal co-chair in order to establish key partnerships with local communities, including a focus on underserved ‘colonias’ totaling 2.5 million residents.
This funding is in addition to the $1.25 million secured in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“The Southwest Border Regional Commission was created to address the economic challenges faced by communities along the border,” Rep. Cuellar said. “That’s why I worked hard to secure this funding for the commission so we can build critical infrastructure, expand our workforce, and strengthen our communities.
“As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I am committed to funding programs that encourage economic opportunity and community development on our southern border,” he added.
The commission is one of seven authorized federal regional commissions and authorities, which are congressionally-chartered federal-state partnerships created to provide economic development in their respective areas. The commission was authorized in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-234). Once fully funded, the SBRC would provide grants for broadband, infrastructure projects, workforce development, small businesses and other needed community development projects.