Press Releases
Rep. Castro, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Nominate 33 Latino Works for Inclusion in National Recording Registry
WASHINGTON - This week, Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Raul Ruiz (CA-36), and CHC Vice Chair Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) led the CHC in nominating 33 works by Latino musicians for inclusion in the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. "The National Recording Registry's very existence speaks to the importance of music and broadcast in American culture and society. Music brings people from all different backgrounds together, and Latino music … Continue Reading
November 23, 2022
Castro, Cárdenas, Luján, Menendez Lead Colleagues Urging Twitter to Restore Protections for Spanish-Speaking Users
WASHINGTON — Representatives Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) and U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (NM) and Bob Menendez (NJ) led colleagues in a letter to Twitter CEO Elon Musk, urging Twitter to reverse cuts that expose Spanish speakers to fraud and abuse. The letter follows an alarming spike in harassment on the platform and reports that Twitter has fired a large majority of its contractors domestically and abroad who work to detect and remove illegal and harmful … Continue Reading
November 21, 2022
Congressman Castro Announces Winner of 2022 Congressional App Challenge for the 20th District of Texas
SAN ANTONIO – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that Rishi Hariharaprasad, a junior at Brandeis High School, has won the 2022 Congressional App Challenge for the 20th Congressional District of Texas. Rishi’s winning app “Disabled Health” helps people with disabilities access user-friendly technology to search for online information about at-home injuries. "Disabled Health" will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building and featured on … Continue Reading
November 17, 2022
Congressman Castro Seeks Public Suggestions for Songs from Latino Artists to Nominate for National Recording Registry
WASHINGTON - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) is requesting public submissions for songs from Latino artists that should be inducted in the National Recording Registry. The National Recording Registry is a federal archive managed by the Library of Congress that works to preserve sounds with cultural and historical significance to the United States. "For generations, songs from Latino artists have formed the soundtrack to American life. As the Library of Congress works to enshrine the great … Continue Reading
November 14, 2022
Castro, Booker, Jayapal Lead 83 Members Calling on Biden Administration to Remove Barriers to Affordable Health Care for DACA Recipients
WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Senator Cory Booker (NJ) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) led 83 colleagues in a letter calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to remove barriers that prevent Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients from accessing affordable health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace and the Children's Health Insurance Program. "[Current] regulation excludes a significant pool of … Continue Reading
November 10, 2022
Reps. Castro, Chabot Introduce PARTNER with ASEAN Act to Extend Diplomatic Privileges to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
WASHINGTON - Representatives Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Steve Chabot (OH-01) introduced the bipartisan Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations (PARTNER) with ASEAN Act, legislation that would strengthen relations between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by authorizing ASEAN to be designated as an international organization with diplomatic privileges and immunities consistent with the International Organization … Continue Reading
November 09, 2022
Congressman Castro Holds Ceremony to Honor Four Women Veterans for Service to San Antonio and the Nation
SAN ANTONIO - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) held a ceremony to honor four San Antonio women veterans for their distinguished military careers and service on the Military Service Academy Nominations Board for the 20th Congressional District of Texas. Every year, Congressman Castro receives dozens of applications from students seeking a Congressional nomination to support their admission to a U.S. military service academy. As part of the nomination process, a panel of local veterans … Continue Reading
November 04, 2022
Ahead of 2022 Midterms, Castro, Cárdenas, Menendez, and Luján Press YouTube to Urgently Address Spanish-Language Disinformation
WASHINGTON —Today, Representatives Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) and Senators Ben Ray Luján (NM) and Bob Menendez (NJ) joined 11 of their colleagues to send a letter expressing concerns about YouTube's lack of action and transparency regarding the spread of Spanish-language misinformation and disinformation on the platform, particularly in the days before the 2022 midterm elections. In prior discussions, YouTube assured members of Congress that tackling disinformation for … Continue Reading
November 04, 2022
Congressman Castro Holds Press Conference with Student Journalists to Discuss Democracy, College Affordability, School Safety, and More
SAN ANTONIO - Yesterday, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) held a press conference with student journalists from San Antonio high schools and colleges to take questions about democracy, college affordability, school safety, and other issues of importance to young people and their campus communities. Congressman Castro meets with San Antonio student journalists "San Antonio is home to the best and brightest students in the country, and I was so pleased to hear their thoughtful and … Continue Reading
October 28, 2022
Congressman Castro Visits K9s For Warriors Campus in San Antonio to Highlight Value of Innovative Mental Health Services for Veterans
SAN ANTONIO - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) visited the K9s For Warriors Petco Love K9 Center on the city’s West Side to learn about the center’s work to train service dogs for veterans in need. During the visit, Congressman Castro also highlighted the bipartisan PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act, a new federal law he voted to pass that will help connect service dogs with veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. Congressman Castro visits with … Continue Reading
October 28, 2022
Congressman Castro Secures $1.7 Million for UTSA to Train Next Generation of Nuclear Science and Nonproliferation Policy Leaders
SAN ANTONIO - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that his office secured $1,749,997 in federal funding for the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to train the next generation of nuclear security science and technology leaders through the Consortium on Nuclear Security Technologies (CONNECT) program. These funds, awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy, will help UTSA recruit and retain students interested in nuclear science, engineering, and nonproliferation policy and … Continue Reading
October 24, 2022
Congressman Castro Touts New Federal Funding for San Antonio Students in Visit to Jefferson High School
SAN ANTONIO – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) toured his alma mater, Jefferson High School, to visit with students and educators and highlight the impact of $500,000 in federal funding he got for Communities In Schools of San Antonio to expand into six San Antonio ISD schools and provide wrap-around services to approximately 850 students. Congressman Castro visits Jefferson High School “Thirty years ago, teachers and mentors at Jefferson High School helped me and … Continue Reading
October 21, 2022
Castro, Fitzpatrick Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Oversight and Accountability of U.S. Foreign Aid Programs
WASHINGTON - Today, Representatives Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) introduced the Enhancing Development Finance Corporation Oversight Act of 2022, bipartisan legislation that would improve oversight and accountability of U.S. foreign aid programs by granting law enforcement authority to the Office of Inspector General of the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC OIG). "As the Development Finance Corporation works to improve global standards of … Continue Reading
October 21, 2022
Castro, Jacobs Lead Call for Biden Administration to Affirm Global Commitment to Protecting Sexual and Reproductive Rights Post-Dobbs
WASHINGTON - This week, Representatives Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Sara Jacobs (CA-53) led 67 of their fellow members of Congress in a letter to the State Department, warning that state-level abortion restrictions may violate U.S. international human rights commitments and asking the Biden administration to affirm its support for protecting sexual and reproductive rights around the world. "[R]egression on abortion rights in the United States threatens our standing as a global leader on human … Continue Reading
October 17, 2022
Congressman Castro Calls on EEOC and FCC to Prevent Discrimination and Strengthen Equal Opportunity for Latinos in American Media
SAN ANTONIO - Last week, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) sent letters to the chairs of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), calling on the agencies to improve data-sharing practices to better ensure equal employment opportunity within the American media industry. "Earlier this month, I released the findings of a new Government Accountability Office report showing that Latino underrepresentation in the American media and … Continue Reading
October 05, 2022
Congressman Castro Releases Second Installment of GAO Report on Latino Underrepresentation in American Media
Read the full report Read a summary of the report in Spanish Watch a livestream of Congressman Castro's release address at the National Press Club WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the second of two Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports on the underrepresentation of Latinos in the American media industry, including the film, television, news, and publishing sectors. "When I was a kid growing up in the Mexican-American neighborhoods of San Antonio, the … Continue Reading
September 30, 2022
Statement from Congressman Castro on Shooting of Migrants in Hudspeth County
WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement calling for murder charges and accountability in the wake of the September 27, 2022, shooting of two migrants in Hudspeth County, Texas. The shooting, committed by the now-former warden of a private detention center and his brother, resulted in the death of one migrant and the hospitalization of another. "This was a hate crime against brown-skinned immigrants that was inspired by the invasion rhetoric of … Continue Reading
September 29, 2022
House Passes Castro-Kim Bill to Expand Global Impact of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 8463, the Millennium Challenge Corporation Eligibility Expansion Act, bipartisan legislation that would expand the number of countries eligible for development partnerships with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The legislation was introduced by Reps. Castro (TX-20) and Young Kim (CA-39) with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks (NY-05) and Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) and Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) … Continue Reading
September 28, 2022
Castro, Torres, Warren, Murphy Demand Answers from Commerce Department about Troubling Increase in Assault Weapon Export Approvals
Commerce Approved $15.7 Billion in Firearms Export Licenses and Denied Less than 1% of Export Applications Since Taking Over Approvals from State Department Text of Letter (PDF) WASHINGTON - Today, Representatives Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Norma Torres (CA-35) and Senators Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Chris Murphy (CT) sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo expressing serious concern about the threat to global public safety from the Commerce Department's process for approving … Continue Reading
September 27, 2022
Statement from Reps. Castro and Sires on New Report Detailing State-Sponsored Human Rights Violations in Venezuela
WASHINGTON - Today, Representative Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Subcommittee on International Development, International Organizations, and Global Corporate Social Impact and Representative Albio Sires (NJ-08), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, Migration, and International Economic Policy, released the following statement in response to a new report from the Independent International … Continue Reading