By McAllen Chamber of Commerce
More than 150 guests including city officials, stakeholders and community members gathered to hear U.S. Representative Monica De La Cruz speak last Thursday during a legislative luncheon at the McAllen Performing Arts Center.
De La Cruz represents the Texas 15th Congressional District from McAllen to the San Antonio suburbs in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is the first Republican to represent the district since its creation in 1903 and was elected November 2022.
The legislative luncheon was sponsored by the City of McAllen, Lone Star National Bank, IBC Bank, McAllen International Airport and McAllen Economic Development Corporation. The event was part of the Chamber’s Government Affairs Council meetings, where community members can meet policymakers and engage civic leaders in meaningful discourse.
De La Cruz gave an overview of her last six months in Congress that included the House Financial Services and House Agriculture committees.
She touched upon legislation including a co-sponsorship of the Lower Energy Costs Act which aims to ensure the community relies on domestic energy, the Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act which works to eliminate double taxation on social security benefits and the Safety Net Hospitals Act that provides support for medical professionals.
De La Cruz introduced HR 1076 – Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act, which passed the House this May. The bill calls for a study to combat the flow of illicit fentanyl into American communities in connection with the trafficking of synthetic drugs.
During her address, she announced her appointment by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to the Mexico-United States Interparliamentary Group, a special foreign relations group that focuses on common problems in the interests of relations between the U.S. and Mexico.
De La Cruz closed the luncheon by assuring her efforts to prioritize legislation directed at our community.
For more information regarding the Chamber’s Government Affairs Council, please contact Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs Gerry Garcia at (956) 682-2871 or email ggarcia@mcallenchamber.com
