Heavy-hitting Demos of every stripe throw support behind Cuellar;
Congressional candidate shares outlook on significance of Nov. 5 vote

By María Eugenia Guerra

Describing a schedule that is "almost 24/7," Democratic Congressional candidate Henry Cuellar made a 45-minute break to update LareDOS on the fast-paced race he's launched to capture the 23rd Congressional District seat held by Republican incumbent Henry Bonilla of San Antonio.
Much has transpired since we last spoke to Cuellar at the beginning of this year. In the afterglow of heavy-hitting Democrats of every stripe throwing their support behind Cuellar -- including Minority Speaker Senator Richard Gephardt -- Cuellar and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Sanchez have made las paces.
"Mr. Sanchez and I have met and discussed our common goals for Texas, Laredo, and the country. Whatever was perceived as our points of contention, they are behind us," said Cuellar, who recently attended a Sanchez event in Laredo. "Think about the significance of the November 2 elections. Not only could Laredo have one of her own serving as Governor of the State, but she could also have a native son in Washington," Cuellar said.
Cuellar and State Rep. Richard Raymond, who now holds the seat Cuellar vacated in the Texas House to become Texas Secretary of State in 2001, have also mended fences, as evidenced by Raymond's recent endorsement of Cuellar.
That is not the case, however, with lifetime Democrat and longtime Cuellar ally Senator Judith Zaffirini, who has pledged her political allegiance to Republican Bonilla. Of the fissure between himself and Senator Zaffirini, Cuellar said, "It doesn't make sense in the big scheme of things because we worked together for the last 14 years. I hope to have the opportunity to work with her again," he said, moving the interview back to the upcoming election.
"We have literally covered all of West Texas, every county, towns of every size, street by street, " said Cuellar, a 14-year veteran of the Texas House. According to Cuellar, the registered voters of Laredo and northwest San Antonio will be critical to his race. "Historically, more registered voters turn out in that sector of San Antonio than in Laredo, even though we have more registered voters here. I'm asking all Laredoans who are registered to vote -- there are 90,000 -- to come out to vote November 5. We can make a huge difference in the outcome of this election and in the kind of representation we have had in Washington," Cuellar said.
Taking nothing for granted, Cuellar is methodically running an organized campaign that has been fueled by significant national, state, and local endorsements and contributions and the blessing of the state Democratic Party and the national Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The campaign has obvious momentum, and it is likely the most formidable challenge Bonilla has faced to date. Cuellar said he is running on his own record of service as a legislator and he's holding up Bonilla's record for public scrutiny and comparison.
"I am pro-business and pro-growth, and I know that commerce is the lifeblood of the border, but I know you can't put human needs, the needs of school children, and the needs of the elderly on the back burner. You can't put party allegiance before people. You can't remove education from the forefront of your agenda, because that is what will create the greatest positive changes in people's lives. You can't forget the working class and children. I want to bring to Washington some of the fresh, new ideas that worked for Texans and that will serve all areas of the district and the country," Cuellar continued, pointing to Bonilla's record.
"Mr. Bonilla's Congressional record, the history of his votes, is not something you would show proudly to the residents of South Texas. His record is, in fact, something that reveals the disregard he has for the educational and health needs of this region. The average federal funding for schools is about six percent -- the rest comes from the state and from local taxpayers. We can do better than six percent. Mr. Bonilla voted against $2 billion in school construction, which would have sent millions to the Laredo area. This was a lost opportunity and so was his 1999 vote against 100,000 new teachers, an $8 billion measure that would have had quite an impact here. He voted to cut $6.6 billion for school lunches, which affected hundreds and thousands of school children in South Texas. In 1995, Mr. Bonilla voted for the largest educational cut in history. In July 2001, he voted to lower the standard for how much arsenic can be in drinking water. He voted against restoring Environmental Protection Agency funds. In 1995, he voted in allegiance to Newt Gingrich's Contract with America to cut Medicare by $270 billion, the deepest cuts in history. Also in 1995, he cut Social Security by $23 billion," Cuellar continued.
"This is what I want the residents of the 23rd Congressional District to consider about Mr. Bonilla -- during the five years that Mr. Bonilla voted for four pay raises for himself, he voted three times against the passage of a minimum wage," Cuellar said. "I am not going to be a Mr. No who votes in the interest of his party rather than in the interest of those he should serve, those who elected him to office. Mr. Bonilla has cut left and right, seemingly without conscience, putting party politics before the interest of his community," he continued. "Take a look at his vote to have more stringent rules for independent auditors of corporate America. Why would a man who accepted campaign contributions of $7,250 from Enron push for more stringent guidelines for corporate responsibility? He accepted $500 this last January right after the Enron debacle unraveled," Cuellar said, adding, "He voted not once, but three times against measures for more corporate responsibility."
"If you represent South Texas and know the economic, educational, and health issues of life on the border, how can you vote to eliminate summer jobs and training opportunities for low income youth? How can you vote against Pell Grants for 380,000 students? How can you vote to eliminate funding for part-time jobs for elderly Americans? How can you cut Medicaid by $163 billion? Mr. Bonilla's time in office has been a history of lost opportunities for the children, the elderly, and the taxpayers of Laredo and South Texas," Cuellar said.
"My record of service as a State Representative speaks for itself. I know the people of my district, I know their needs, and I served them accordingly," Cuellar concluded.
Henry Cuellar has received the endorsements of Congressman Martin Frost (Dallas, TX), Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (San Francisco, CA), Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (Bethesda, MD), Congressman Gene Green (Houston, TX), Congressman Silvestre Reyes (El Paso, TX), Congressman Ruben Hinojosa (McAllen, TX), Congressman Charlie Gonzalez (San Antonio, TX), Congressman Ciro Rodriguez (San Antonio, TX), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus members who include Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz (Corpus Christi, TX), Congressman Joe Baca (San Bernardino, CA), Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (Montebello, CA), Congressman Bob Menendez (Union City, NJ), Congressman José E. Serrano (Bronx,NY), Congressman Ed Pastor (Claypool, AZ), Congressman Xavier Becerra (Sacramento, CA), Congressman Luis Gutierrez (Chicago, IL), Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (Los Angeles, CA), Congressman Robert Underwood (Delegate-Guam), Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez (New York, NY), Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (Lynwood, CA), and Congresswoman Hilda Solis (Los Angeles, CA).
He has also received the endorsement of the United Farm Workers Union, the firefighter's unions of El Paso, Del Río, San Antonio, and Laredo; the national and state AFL-CIO; a host of local and state teachers organizations; the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; and numerous other labor organizations.
Of the weeks ahead, Cuellar said, "There are many efforts out there to get out the vote, including that of the Laredo City Council, the local Democratic Party, and the state party. We are knocking on doors and asking people to vote. To win, I need to have the largest turnout in Laredo's history. If half of those 90,000 registered voters in Laredo would come out, if independents and my Republican friends in San Antonio come out, we can see this campaign to victory."
He concluded, "Think about the possibilities for having representation in Washington and the Governor's office in Austin. Where else could this be happening? It's a once in a lifetime event. If not now, when? If not us, who?"