A Coastal Bend-area congressman will now be a strong advocate for our local military installations thanks to his new committee appointment.
U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela is now a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
That committee sets policy for national security and defense programs.
Vela says he’ll use his assignment to protect the mission of the Naval Air Stations in Corpus Christi and Kingsville, along with pushing for resources for Corpus Christi Army Depot.
“Having lived here in Corpus Christi for 22 years and not having grown up in a place where there wasn’t a military presence, it became very, very clear to me how impactful economically the presence of the military bases were,” Vela said.
The congressman also said he’s against the president declaring a national emergency to build a border wall because it would take away valuable resources from military installations.
