The 113th Congress has been sworn in and now it's time for lawmakers to get down to business and find solutions to the problems our country is facing.
This year, Rep. Filemon Vela is representing the newly created District 34 over on Capitol Hill.
His district encompasses portions of 11 counties across south Texas, including some right here in the Rio Grande Valley.
The congressman joined Action 4 Sunrise on Thursday, Jan. 10 to discuss an array of topics.
Vela said he is focused on accomplishing many things while serving in office for his district. He wants to create jobs here at home, revitalize south Texas and border economies, reform immigration, protect social security and Medicare benefits for seniors, and enhance benefits for veterans.
One of the hottest issues in the nation today is the topic of gun control. Rep. Vela didn't shy away from his stance on the issue. The congressman says we need to look at both sides of the issue and also look at making access to mental health care simpler.
When it comes to our troops in Afghanistan, the time is now for our troops to come home according to Vela. President Obama is considering a "Zero Hour" option to pull out every single American troop from the country in 2014 and put an end to the war in Afghanistan. Rep. Vela agrees with Obama and says we need to concentrate on our borders, both to the north and south of the United States.
For more, you can click on the video to hear responses from U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT