In The News
Texas Democrats: Gov. Abbott should serve Texans, not Trump, and bring our troops home
Governor Greg Abbott should keep the Texas National Guard where it belongs — in Texas. On October 6, Governor Abbott took 200 Texas guardsmen from their families and jobs and sent them to Chicago, Illinois. In doing so, the governor facilitated a power grab by President Donald Trump. Abbott’s peers, the governors of Oregon and Illinois, have both objected to the National Guard descending upon the states they represent. In America’s long democratic tradition, the military has only been … Continue Reading
October 07, 2025
Rep. Castro on Texas troops in Illinois and what the shutdown has to do with the cost of healthcare
As 400 Texas National Guard troops arrive in Illinois at the request of President Donald Trump, San Antonio Congressman Joaquin Castro has asked Governor Greg Abbott to rescind his permission for Texas troops to be used in this way. "The Texas National Guard is here for the people of Texas, to be used for the benefit of the people of Texas, not to be deployed as a political prop by the President of the United States," Castro said at a news briefing on Monday. Castro said Abbott's decision to … Continue Reading
September 26, 2025
Castro pushes to extend tax credits that make healthcare more affordable for middle-income families
Health insurance costs for middle-income Americans insured through Obamacare could start to rise next month before surging in January, if Congress doesn’t intervene. Their premiums have been offset since 2021 by Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTC), which are set to expire. That is one of the topics on the table in the negotiations on a congressional spending bill that must pass before October 1 to avoid a government shutdown, according to San Antonio Congressman Joaquin Castro. “These are … Continue Reading
September 12, 2025
San Antonio U.S. Rep. Castro slams Trump over defunding grants for Hispanic serving colleges
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, put the Trump White House on blast for ending a federal grant program that assists predominantly Hispanic-serving institutions, or HSIs. The U.S. The Department of Education (DOE) confirmed this week — which also happens to be HSI Week — that it’s ending discretionary grants to institutions with that designation. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the specialized funding promoted “government-mandated racial quotas.” However, in a joint … Continue Reading
April 18, 2023
Rep. Joaquin Castro passes bills in Congress 1,500 miles away even as he battles cancer
Even as U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro recovers from surgery to remove tumors in his gastrointestinal tract, the San Antonio Democrat was still able to pass legislation in Congress thanks to a little bipartisan love on Capitol Hill. Yes, bipartisanship is rare in D.C. but it still lurks in the shadows. Castro underwent surgery at Houston's MD Anderson Cancer Center on Feb. 27 and is hoping to be back to work soon. "I'm especially grateful to my family for being so supportive and understanding," … Continue Reading
April 06, 2023
One on One: Castro seeking federal contracting equity and transparency
Federal officials have sought to address a lack of diversity in government contracting, but one Congressman with deep San Antonio roots insists more must be done to narrow disparities and expand participation. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, is leading a group of six members of Congress that is introducing the Expanding Opportunities for Diverse Entrepreneurs Act, legislation that would expand the reach of the Department of Transportation's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise … Continue Reading
April 06, 2023
Rep. Joaquin Castro files bipartisan bill to aid veterans exposed to toxins in Panama
Congress passed legislation last year expanding health care to veterans exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits when they were deployed overseas, offering long-awaited help for likely tens of thousands of Texans battling health issues including cancer. Now, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat who was a leader in that effort, wants Congress to go further and expand care for veterans who who were exposed to toxic herbicides, including Agent Orange, while serving in the Panama … Continue Reading
March 16, 2023
Texas Democrats ask U.S. government to prioritize union workplaces for clean energy funds
The Texas Democratic congressional delegation, led by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, submitted a letter last week that called on the U.S. Department of Energy to prioritize federal funds for hydrogen energy development for union businesses. The federal government is spending billions of dollars on the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program, which, the letter said, will involve hydrogen production, delivery, processing, storage, and end-use and create jobs. Businesses who want a piece of the funding … Continue Reading
March 07, 2023
Department of Defense 'dragging its feet' on waiving civilian medical bills, Joaquin Castro says
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren say the Department of Defense is "dragging its feet" on orders from Congress to waive debt incurred by patients receiving medical treatment at military hospitals, most of whom are treated at San Antonio's Brooke Army Medical Center. Some patients have been hit by bills totaling tens of thousands of dollars by the hospital, which provides emergency medical care to about 5,100 civilians a year, almost half of all civilians treated at … Continue Reading
March 02, 2023
Ayala: Congressman Castro’s stop at Centro Cultural Aztlán underscored broader drive for inclusion
The artists gathered in Centro Cultural Aztlán last week were part of its 46th annual Segundo de Febrero exhibit, an event that commemorated the 175th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It ended the U.S.-Mexican War but was subsequently broken, like other treaties the country failed to keep to its indigenous populations. The war, the treaty, the takeover of land led to so many losses for Mexican Americans, the bicultural population that arose from these … Continue Reading
February 17, 2023
Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro Says Publishers Are Failing Latino Stories
Last November, hundreds of workers at HarperCollins went on strike to protest low wages and racial inequity at their employer, one of the nation's largest publishers. As their strike reaches a tentative end, HarperCollins workers have forced the publishing industry to reckon with practices that have long made it one of the least diverse fields in media. Since the early days of our republic, publishers have helped shape the national narrative. Today, publishers are gatekeepers, selecting the … Continue Reading
February 15, 2023
Joaquin Castro announces nearly $1M in federal funding for domestic violence prevention programs in SA
Congressman Joaquin Castro and local leaders on Wednesday announced new federal funding to address domestic violence in San Antonio. In a news release, Castro's office said he secured $956,662 for two abuse prevention programs in San Antonio. "... Our city has grappled with the alarming crisis of domestic violence that unfortunately was only exasperated by the pandemic," Castro said at a press conference. "We're committed to mobilizing all available resources to break the cycle of violence … Continue Reading
January 05, 2023
St. Mary’s University gets $5.5M federal boost for under-construction Innovation Center
St. Mary's University, the 170-year-old Catholic liberal arts college on the city's West Side, announced Thursday it will receive $5.5 million in federal funding to help complete its Blank Sheppard Innovation Center. Construction on the three-story center, which broke ground in October last year, is expected to be complete in 2024 and will support advanced manufacturing, engineering and computing instruction. The third floor will be dedicated to a planned nursing program. The money, which … Continue Reading
December 06, 2022
Congressman Joaquin Castro on ‘Highlighting Latin Music Brilliance’ in National Recording Registry
In 1983, as the world transitioned away from the disco fever of the '70s and into the radical era of MTV in the U.S., one song gave top 40 a particular new injection of energy. That song was "Flashdance…What a Feeling" by Irene Cara (who recently passed away on November 25), the Billboard Hot 100-topping theme to unlikely blockbuster Flashdance, marking a defining moment for Gen X'ers and beyond. Cara's classic dance cut is one of dozens of Latin music works nominated to the Library of … Continue Reading
December 02, 2022
Bill filed in Congress would erase medical debt, surprise bills for civilian BAMC patients
Thousands of Bexar County families could soon get relief from crushing medical debt thanks to legislation just filed in congress. It would cancel surprise medical bills from Brooke Army Medical Center. In addition to being a government military hospital, BAMC is a trauma center, and many civilians are rushed there for emergencies. Often, they end up with tens of thousands of dollars in charges and if their insurance company fails to pay the bill in-full, the federal government takes money … Continue Reading
November 15, 2022
Rep. Castro urges Congress to make DACA permanent during lame duck session
The clock is ticking for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which is at risk of being declared illegal if Congress doesn't pass legislation to save it, said U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) on Tuesday. Castro gathered San Antonio business leaders and others for a virtual press conference to urge Congress to use the post-election period to pass legislation that provides permanent relief to DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers. "Today, [Dreamers are] small … Continue Reading
November 10, 2022
Joaquin Castro holds virtual press conference with student journalists
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro discussed mental health, free college, gun control and more on Nov. 3 at a virtual press conference he held for student journalists from all over San Antonio. Castro, a Democrat who represents the 20th Congressional District in San Antonio, is serving his fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives and is up for re-election. Approximately 25 high school and college students, including a representative from The Mesquite at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, … Continue Reading
October 21, 2022
Democratic lawmakers ask State Department to review whether state abortion laws comply with human rights commitments
Two Democratic members of Congress are asking the State Department's top lawyer to remind state and local governments of their human rights commitments and to review how state laws pertaining to abortion access "comply with international human rights and treaty obligations," according to a letter reviewed by CNN. "In particular, we ask that the State Department confirm U.S. support for and understanding of international human rights protections for abortion to the relevant UN bodies, … Continue Reading
October 13, 2022
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, Latino groups warn about rampant misinformation targeting Spanish speakers ahead of the elections
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, has joined a coalition of Latino organizations in their calls for social media platforms to do more to combat dangerous conspiracies and electoral misinformation aimed at Spanish-speaking communities. The group, named the Spanish Language Disinformation Coalition, says that Spanish speakers are particularly vulnerable because of their heavy use of platforms such as YouTube and WhatsApp, where disinformation on voting has spread in the leadup to the … Continue Reading
September 21, 2022
Colleges would be required to be more transparent about transfer rules under new bill from U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro
Colleges and universities would have to be more forthcoming about their student transfer requirements under a new measure put before Congress on Wednesday by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro. The goal, Castro says, is to help students wishing to transfer schools from losing college credit they have already earned. Castro's measure, the Transparency for Transfer Students Act, would require two- and four-year schools to post financial aid information and transfer deadlines on their websites, as well … Continue Reading