Ever since Franklin Roosevelt promised aggressive actions to address the Great Depression when he first took office in 1933, the first 100 days of an elected official’s term has been a benchmark for campaign promises and performance evaluation. Monica De La Cruz, the first Republican to represent the Rio GrandeValley in the House of Representatives, has drawn widespread interest, especially since she campaigned largely on her endorsement of, and by, Donald Trump. Many people worried she might be part of the more extremist element of her party.
In her first 100 days in office, De La Cruz has done much to allay those fears, and represented her district, and the Valley, as a diligent, responsible member of Congress.
To be sure, she has aligned herself with her party on most issues and votes, but thus far has shown moderation in her positions and a greater focus on the issues that affect her constituency.
For example, the bills she has authored deal most with local and regional issues, such as seeking support for efforts to fight the spread of feral hogs that can devastate agricultural fields and ticks that breed along levees and resacas and can carry severe blood-borne diseases, and the renaming of McAllen’s Pecan Boulevard post office facility to memorialize fallen Border Patrol agent Raul H. Gonzalez Jr.
On major legislation she has shown moderation; a GovTrack evaluation of her votes so far places her in the political center. Although she campaigned against the Affordable Care Act and expansion of Medicare, she signed on to the Protecting Social Security and Medicare Act, a de facto promise by some Republican lawmakers to support the programs after Joe Biden in his State of the Union address noted that some party members wanted to sunset the programs.
De La Cruz drew attention when she invited Democratic state Rep. Terry Canales to be her guest at that speech, saying, “At the end of the day our state and federal legislators from both sides of the aisle need to work together to serve our fellow Texans first.”
It’s worth noting, however, that the Republican Party has courted Canales heavily in recent years, hoping to convince him to jump to their party.
We also note that De La Cruz’s moderate approach as a representative coincides with former President Trump’s rising and ebbing stature on America’s social and political scene, including within his own party. Do her positions reflect a political pragmatism that could change if Trump regains his support, and the Republican nomination for president? Or do they show that she is learning and understanding the issues and needs of the people and district she represents, and her duties and abilities to address them?
One hundred days is a short time for making such evaluations with any certainty. Her performance so far, however, suggests she is more than a political opportunist who rode into office on Trump’s coattails, but rather a serious official who takes her role as a public official seriously.
We trust De La Cruz’s performance in office will continue to develop with her tenure. Thus far, she has done much to calm any concerns about that performance.
