Proudly representing the people of the 16th District of Texas

Congressman Silvestre Reyes was first elected to the United States Congress in 1996, becoming the first Hispanic to represent the people of the 16th District of Texas.  On January 6, 2009, Congressman Silvestre Reyes, was sworn into the 111th Congress by Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, for a seventh consecutive term in the United States House of Representatives.

Congressman Reyes serves as the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the primary committee in the U.S. House of Representatives charged with the oversight of the United States Intelligence Community, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and other executive branch departments and agencies.

Reyes has devoted his life to public service.  He first served his country in the United States Army in Vietnam from 1967 - 1969, and served as a helicopter crew chief.  In 1969, he began his career with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), now known as Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in the U.S. Border Patrol.  In 1984, Reyes was named Sector Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, and managed operations in McAllen and El Paso, Texas from 1984 to 1995. 

Known as "Silver" to his friends, Reyes retired in December 1995 after 26 1/2 years with the Border Patrol and in was elected the following year to represent the people of the 16th District of Texas in the United States House of Representatives.

Reyes was born and raised in Canutillo, Texas, just five miles outside the El Paso city limits. Reyes holds an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from El Paso Community College and attended the University of Texas at Austin and El Paso. He is married to Carolina Gaytan Reyes, and they have three children: Monica, Rebecca and Silvestre, Jr. He is also the proud grandfather of Amelia, Mateo Silvestre, Julian, and Orlando.

 Committee Assignments