Payan testifies before Congress

Tony Payan, director of the Mexico Center at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, testified before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs’ Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere July 23 in the Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

Payan (right) provided a five-minute oral statement and took questions from the subcommittee for its hearing on “Pursuing North American Energy Independence: Mexico’s Energy Reforms.”

Also testifying before the subcommittee was Carlos Pascual, senior vice president at IHS Inc. and former U.S. ambassador to Mexico; Thomas Tunstall, director of the Center for Community and Business Research at the University of Texas, San Antonio; and Eric Farnsworth, vice president at the Council of the Americas and Americas Society.

Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., chairs the subcommittee, and its ranking member is Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J.