Press Releases
Castro, Warren Urge Commerce to Strengthen New Rule on Assault Weapons Exports
WASHINGTON - This week, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA) released a letter urging the U.S. Department of Commerce to strengthen its new rule on firearms license requirements to prevent U.S. weapons exports from contributing to violence, forced migration, and instability across the globe. The full letter can be viewed here. “We applaud and appreciate the recent steps taken to amend the Department’s licensing policy for exports of firearms, which recognized … Continue Reading
July 17, 2024
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Caucus Democratic Co-Chairs Applaud Executive Actions to Expand Educational Opportunities for Latino Students
WASHINGTON — Today, Reps. Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Democratic Co-Chairs of the House Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Caucus, along with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (CA), co-chair of the Senate HSI Caucus, issued a joint statement applauding key actions the Biden-Harris Administration will take to expand educational opportunities for Latino students. The actions will establish the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic … Continue Reading
July 16, 2024
Congressman Castro Launches Third Annual Call for Public Suggestions of Latino-Driven Films to Nominate for the National Film Registry
SAN ANTONIO —Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) launched a nationwide call for public suggestions to help shape his third annual list of nominations of Latino-driven films that should be preserved in the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress. “For more than a century, Latino filmmakers have poured their talent and creativity into bringing our stories to the silver screen. As my office launches our third annual public call for nominations, I’m excited to hear from folks … Continue Reading
July 16, 2024
Castro, Booker, 86 Democrats Push for Outreach to Help DACA Recipients Apply for ACA Coverage
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Senator Cory Booker (N.J.) led 86 of their colleagues in the House and Senate in a letter urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand investment in outreach and enrollment assistance to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients ahead of the upcoming November open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance. Congressman Castro and Senator Booker have been longtime leaders in … Continue Reading
July 13, 2024
Statement from Congressman Castro on Shooting at Trump Rally
SAN ANTONIO — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) issued the following statement after a shooting during a rally held by former president Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania: “Political violence is unacceptable in any form. As we wait for more information, I commend the Secret Service agents who acted quickly to protect the former president and prevent further harm to the … Continue Reading
July 08, 2024
Congressman Castro Secures $11.7 Million for San Antonio Community Projects in FY2025 Federal Appropriations Bills
SAN ANTONIO — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that his office has secured approval from the U.S. House Appropriations Committee for $11,718,000 in federal funding to support fifteen San Antonio community projects. If passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate and signed into law, the funding will support projects including real-time monitoring to improve air quality on the Westside, revitalization projects focused on Woodlawn Lake and Monterrey Park, … Continue Reading
July 02, 2024
Castro, Cornyn, Fallon, Cuellar Push to Bring AFCYBER Consolidated Campus to Port San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO — This week, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Senator John Cornyn (TX), Congressman Pat Fallon (TX-04), and Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) released a letter sent to the U.S. Secretary of the Air Force expressing strong support for Port San Antonio’s efforts to build a consolidated campus for the 16th Air Force (AFCYBER) and associated missions and partner agencies. AFCYBER employs more than 2,000 Airmen, civilians, and contractors to conduct sensitive cyberspace and … Continue Reading
June 18, 2024
Congressman Castro Announces New Planned Passport Agency in San Antonio to Help Travelers with Urgent Passport and Visa Services
SAN ANTONIO — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that the State Department has selected San Antonio as one of six locations for a new U.S. passport agency, following requirements Castro voted to pass as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In a post on social media, Congressman Castro celebrated the selection as “incredible news,” citing years of work from San Antonio’s Congressional delegation to establish a local passport agency and save … Continue Reading
June 18, 2024
Congressman Castro Applauds President Biden’s Immigration Relief for Mixed-Status Families and High-Skilled College Graduates
SAN ANTONIO — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement in support of new immigration relief measures announced by President Biden that will provide protections from deportation and a pathway to legal status for the undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens and also ease the visa process for foreign-born graduates of U.S. colleges and universities. “For too long, mixed-status families have been forced to live in the shadows - worried that a traffic … Continue Reading
June 14, 2024
Johnny Canales Honored in the U.S. Congress
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to honor Johnny Canales, a beloved South Texas entertainer who died earlier this week at the age of 77. Canales was the longtime host of The Johnny Canales Show, a bilingual variety show that aired for decades across the United States and Latin America and is credited with helping to launch the careers of Tejano music superstars including Selena Quintanilla. To … Continue Reading
June 11, 2024
Congressman Castro Fights to Relieve Medical Debt for BAMC Patients through Fiscal Year 2025 NDAA
WASHINGTON — This week, U.S. House lawmakers will consider two amendments authored by Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) that would address ongoing issues with medical debt and financial hardship associated with civilian care at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio. If made in order by the House Rules Committee, the amendments will be included in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). “For years, BAMC’s agreement with Bexar County has allowed Army medical … Continue Reading
June 07, 2024
Castro, Nadler Push Disney, Fox, WBD for Answers on Transparency and Competition Concerns with Proposed Sports Streaming Venture
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the chief executive officers of The Walt Disney Company, FOX, and Warner Bros. Discovery to express renewed concerns that a proposed joint sports streaming venture among the three companies could reduce competition and harm consumers and to request further information to ensure appropriate government oversight of the venture. The … Continue Reading
June 04, 2024
Statement from Congressman Castro on New Asylum Restrictions
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, released the following statement in response to a new executive order that will substantially limit access to asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border: “The United States of America became the strongest, most prosperous nation on earth because of - not despite - immigration. The ‘daily threshold’ in this executive order would amount to a … Continue Reading
May 17, 2024
Reps. Castro, Escobar, Frost Introduce Stop Arming Cartels Act to Prevent Trafficking of Military-Grade Weapons to Mexican Cartels
WASHINGTON - This week, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16), and Congressman Maxwell Frost (FL-10) introduced the Stop Arming Cartels Act, legislation that builds on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to address the sale and trafficking of firearms from the United States to transnational criminal organizations around the world by prohibiting the further sale of 0.50 caliber rifles, regulating existing 0.50 caliber rifles, applying the same reporting … Continue Reading
May 16, 2024
“Joe Biden Did the Right Thing”: Congressman Castro Delivers Floor Speech Against Republican Bill to Force Weapons Shipments to Israel
WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, delivered a floor speech in opposition to H.R. 8369, a Republican bill that would limit President Biden’s discretion to ensure that the delivery of weapons systems and defense articles to Israel aligns with U.S. foreign policy objectives. H.R. 8369 was introduced in response to President Biden’s decision earlier this month to pause … Continue Reading
May 15, 2024
Congressman Castro Secures Key Wins for San Antonio in FAA Reauthorization
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, with key wins secured by Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) that will improve opportunities for San Antonio’s small businesses to participate in federally-funded airport contracts and expand travel options for military and business travelers who bring jobs and economic growth to San Antonio. “Today’s bipartisan vote to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration is great news for San Antonio, … Continue Reading
May 14, 2024
Castro, Issa Introduce Indian Ocean Region Strategic Review Act
THE HINDU: U.S. lawmakers to introduce legislation to formalise Indian Ocean strategy WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), senior members of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced the Indian Ocean Strategic Review Act, bipartisan legislation that would enhance U.S. strategic engagement with the Indian Ocean region by mandating the development of a multi-year strategy and implementation plan for coordinated regional … Continue Reading
May 09, 2024
Statement from Congressman Castro on President Biden’s Efforts to Prevent Israeli Ground Invasion of Rafah
SAN ANTONIO — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement commending President Biden’s commitment to halt U.S. offensive weapons shipments to Israel if Israel invades Rafah, a city in Southern Gaza where approximately 1.5 million Palestinians are currently sheltering: “For months, Palestinian families have fled to Rafah to escape death and destruction in … Continue Reading
May 04, 2024
Congressman Castro Announces Winners of the 2024 Congressional Art Competition for the 20th District of Texas
SAN ANTONIO — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) held a ceremony with local students, artists, educators, and community members to announce and celebrate the winners of the 2024 Congressional Art Competition for the 20th Congressional District of Texas. “The Congressional Art Competition is always a great opportunity to highlight the work of San Antonio’s talented young artists. This year, my office received more than 100 amazing submissions from across our Congressional District, … Continue Reading
May 03, 2024
Congressman Castro Celebrates Final Rule to Expand ACA Coverage to DACA Recipients
SAN ANTONIO - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a longtime Congressional leader in the effort to expand access to health care for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, released the following statement praising the Biden administration’s action to remove the prohibition that prevented DACA recipients from enrolling in coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace: “Over the last twelve years, DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of first-generation … Continue Reading