We're pushing for more resources and a state of emergency. We won't let up.
Push for a federal state of emergency over Tijuana River Valley pollution.
Occurrences
In 2023, I led my Congressional delegation colleagues in calling on the President to declare a federal state of emergency over this pollution in order to unlock more federal funding and assistance for our communities.
Evidence
Representative Juan Vargas announced that he is leading a funding request for $100 million for the U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program (BWIP) in the Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations process. This funding can be used to help combat cross-border pollution, including pollution in the Tijuana River Valley.
Vargas said he is leading a FY2027 BWIP funding request to combat Tijuana River Valley pollution and stated, "We're pushing for more resources and a state of emergency." The release also says the San Diego congressional delegation has called for a federal state of emergency.
Assessments
Vargas publicly and officially pushed for a federal state of emergency over Tijuana River Valley pollution while in office, including a House release stating he was leading the effort and that the San Diego delegation had called for one. Because the claim is about advocacy rather than securing the declaration itself, his documented federal push is sufficient credit even though no emergency declaration is shown.
The promise was to push for a federal state of emergency, not necessarily to secure the declaration. Vargas publicly led San Diego congressional delegation efforts in 2023 asking the President to declare a federal state of emergency over Tijuana River Valley pollution, and later continued related federal advocacy and funding efforts. There is no evidence that a federal emergency declaration was actually issued, but the promised action was advocacy/push, so the commitment is fulfilled in the same federal term.