Rodriguez Puts Park First, Safety Second

Washington- In yet another display of Ciro Rodriguez’s (D-TX) complete negligence of the safety of his constituents, the vulnerable incumbent Democrat has once again disregarded border security in an effort to move forward with a plan to create an international peace park between Texas and Mexico. Rodriguez, who represents the district that covers Big Bend National Park, wrote the resolution to create a bi-national park with Big Bend and the territory in Mexico. In addition, Rodriguez has repeatedly voted to prevent military assistance for border sheriffs and border patrol, threatening the safety and security of law enforcement and his own constituents.

“Ciro Rodriguez has blatantly ignored the facts and his own constituents by repeatedly neglecting to protect the families of his district from border violence,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Not only has he voted to prevent additional much-needed military assistance along the border, but he is now pushing forward a plan to create an international park between Texas and Mexico that will surely compromise border security and threaten the safety of his constituents.”

Texans and law enforcement alike have expressed their concerns of the negligence of public safety and tense border relations if the government were to move forward with Rodriguez’s U.S. Mexico park plan:

“Brewster County Sheriff Ronnie Dodson, whose vast county — bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined — includes the Big Bend, says if there was a park in Mexico, he’d stay on his side of the river.

‘I definitely wouldn’t go over there,’ he says. He’s leery of Mexican drug traffickers.” (John Burnett, “Security Worries Overshadow U.S.-Mexico Park Plan,” National Public Radio, June 16, 2010)

Although governors of border states have called for more security and Rodriguez himself admits border relations are tense right now, he has still chosen to ignore public safety and move forward with a project that endangers his own constituents.