Advocacy

El Paso County Commissioner Pct. 2
Veronica Escobar

Advocacy
Last year I was proud to participate in advocacy for smarter, more inclusive border policy. I joined other community leaders to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform in Washington, D.C. and asked that border communities be included in the conversation. There are ways to deal with national security but still be sensitive to our border economy. We proposed reforms, for example, that would create more investment in our ports of entry and asked that they be upgraded with modern technology and be fully staffed.

On state and federal policy issues, I worked with other leaders to voice opposition to the re-opening of ASARCO during the TCEQ's permit hearing in Austin; I and leaders of Thomason Hospital visited with our Congressman and Homeland Security officials to ask for more dollars for Thomason as we treat victims of violence in our sister city who seek healthcare in our community; and, finally, I joined our Thomason CEO, Jim Valenti, to lobby officials in D.C. to ensure that important federal funding isn't cut from our community hospital.

Closer to home, at the County Courthouse I advocated for (and gained budgetary approval of) a much-needed County Planning Department, which will help us secure more federal and state funds to help our most vulnerable residents gain access to basic services. I also led the effort to provide cost-of-living increases for our employees, which help your County retain much-needed talent. I also asked the Court to reconsider the hefty salary increases it awarded itself and was able to convince my colleagues to return Commissioners' salaries to what we previously were earning (plus the same COLA other county employees and elected officials received). Unfortunately, the County Judge aggressively fought to retain his hefty salary increase, and I was the lone vote against it. Maybe we can revisit that issue in the next budget.