TEXAS – Rep. Henry Cuellar, TX-28, and Rep. Michael McCaul, TX-10, announced the passage of H.R. 1567 on Tuesday.

  • Promotes energy, health, education between countries
  • Goal is to promote bilingual workforce on Texas border
  • Expand exchange programs

The United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Act is a bipartisan legislation implemented to increase professional development and economic growth in both countries, including the border region in Texas.

The bill focuses on the energy, health, entrepreneurship, and education sectors.

The goal is to promote a bilingual workforce that can better serve both sides of the border and increase economic development in the region.  

“Mexico is the United States’ second-largest export market and third-largest trading partner, with an estimated $615 billion in two-way trade between the two countries in 2017. With this in mind, it is imperative that we strengthen these relations and foster economic growth for all partners involved,” said Cuellar.

The state department currently supports exchange programs with Mexico through grants from the 100,000 Strong in Americas initiative, which was founded in 2011.

The program has provided more than 100 grants to 250 institutions in 25 countries. The measure will require the state department to create a strategy that expands educational and professional exchange programs with Mexico through the initiative. Specifically:

  1. Encourage more academic exchange programs at the secondary, post-secondary, and post-graduate levels, especially with communities and through academic institutions in the border region
  2. Encourage academic institutions and businesses to collaborate to support entrepreneurs and joint business initiatives
  3. Promote energy infrastructure coordination through vocational-level education and internships, particularly in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas
  4. Require the State Department to assess the feasibility of facilitating partnerships between universities and medical and nursing programs in both countries 

“As the Chairman of the U.S.-Mexico Inter-Parliamentary Group, I have long advocated for enhancing and strengthening the close relationship with our southern neighbor. This legislation states our commitment to promoting the academic exchanges between our two countries in the fields of business, energy, and health care,” McCaul said.