CONGRESSMEN'S CONCERNS GET OBAMA'S EAR

FORT BLISS -- Area congressmen were able to spend some time with
President Barack Obama during his visit to Fort Bliss on Tuesday.

Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, flew from Washington, D.C., with Obama
on Air Force One. Obama was met at Biggs Army Airfield by Reps. Ciro
Rodriguez, D-Texas, and Harry Teague, D-N.M.

For the congressmen, it was an opportunity to talk with the president
about issues and concerns affecting their districts.

"It was really quite an honor to be able to meet the president as he
came off the plane and to pass along some concerns we have about
Holloman Air Force Base and some veterans' issues that we're talking
about," Teague said.

While the purpose of the president's visit was to thank soldiers for
their work during Operation Iraqi Freedom and to discuss the end of
combat operations in Iraq, Reyes said he briefly discussed border
issues with the president.

"He wants to work to help stabilize Mexico and help (Mexican)
president (Felipe) Calderon," Reyes said.

Reyes, who recently returned from a trip to Argentina, Brazil and
Colombia, said that Mexico is not a failing state and suggested that
Colombia is an example of a country that has been successful in
dealing with drug trafficking and violence.

"I think we can all learn a lesson from Colombia in that 10 years ago
we had a situation there where people were wondering if that was going
to be a failed state," Reyes said. "Today, Colombia is helping to
train police officers from Mexico and about 11 other countries."

Reyes said that the lesson learned from Colombia is that "we need to
stick by our friends, we need to help them, we need support them. I'm
certain that Mexico, which is rightly important for us because we
share a 2,000-mile border with them, will give us the same result."

Rodriguez, a member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, said
that he was pleased to hear the president's commitment to providing
the resources for veterans such as the GI Bill.

Rodriguez said that about 240,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are in
colleges and universities across the country and that the number is
expected to rise to a half-million enrolled by the end of the year.
"We will see the beautiful results of that four to five years from now
when they become teachers, attorneys and doctors," Rodriguez said.