Press Releases
Congressman Castro Releases 2023 Report for the 20th District of Texas
Read the Full Report SAN ANTONIO - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released his end-of-year report detailing 2023 accomplishments on behalf of the 20th Congressional District of Texas. “Over the past two years, San Antonio residents have seen many reasons to be excited about the future. As the economy has rebounded and life has returned to normal, new jobs have brought thousands of families a better quality of life. As our city continues to grow, I want to make sure that no one is … Continue Reading
December 18, 2023
Congressman Castro Leads Texas Democrats, Hispanic Caucus Members Urging Justice Department to Block Texas “Show Me Your Papers” Law
Read the letter SAN ANTONIO — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) will lead Texas Congressional Democrats and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in a letter urging the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue legal action to prevent the enforcement of Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB 4), an unconstitutional and dangerous bill that would authorize state law enforcement and judicial authorities to obstruct federal immigration law. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is expected to sign SB 4 into law … Continue Reading
December 15, 2023
Congressman Castro Highlights Wins for South Texas and Military Families in the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act
WASHINGTON - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere released the following statement after voting to pass the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this week: “As the proud representative of Military City, U.S.A, I’ve always believed that supporting our servicemembers and military families is one of our most sacred … Continue Reading
December 14, 2023
Castro, Jacobs, Introduce Legislation to Strengthen U.S. Leadership, Influence in International Organizations
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, introduced the Restoring U.S. Leadership in International Organizations Act of 2023, legislation that would strengthen U.S. leadership and influence within international organizations. “Throughout my time on the House Foreign Affairs … Continue Reading
December 14, 2023
Castro, Fitzpatrick Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Retention and Decrease Financial Hardship for Intelligence Community Families
WASHINGTON — Today, Reps. Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), senior members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, introduced the Intelligence Community Families Act, legislation that would strengthen retention and decrease financial hardship for Intelligence Community employees by extending certain benefits, including in-state tuition for eligible dependents, that are already provided to Foreign Service and military families. “Every day, Intelligence … Continue Reading
December 14, 2023
Castro, Gallagher Introduce Legislation to Strengthen National Security, Improve Coordination Within Intelligence Community
WASHINGTON — Today, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) senior member Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and HPSCI Chairman Mike Gallagher (WI-08) introduced the Intelligence Community Joint Duty Improvements Act, legislation that would strengthen national security by improving joint duty requirements that facilitate information-sharing and cooperation between U.S. intelligence agencies. “As emerging technologies and global integration make threats to our national … Continue Reading
December 13, 2023
Following Push by Congressman Castro and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, ¡Alambrista! Selected for National Film Registry
WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after the Library of Congress selected his nomination, ¡Alambrista!, for inclusion in the National Film Registry. Earlier this year, Congressman Castro and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) nominated ¡Alambrista! and more than two dozen Latino-driven films for the National Film Registry as part of an ongoing campaign to highlight Latino contributions to American media and culture. The nominations were … Continue Reading
December 12, 2023
Congressman Castro Secures $1 Million to Support Expanded Passenger Rail for San Antonio Travelers
SAN ANTONIO — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that he secured $1 million to expand rail service for San Antonio travelers through two $500,000 Corridor Identification and Development awards to the Texas Department of Transportation. The awards, which are authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that Congressman Castro worked to pass in 2021, will allow the Texas Department of Transportation to develop scopes, schedules, and cost estimates for preparing, … Continue Reading
December 07, 2023
Congressman Castro Responds to Texas DPS Investigation into Operation Lone Star Abuses
WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement in response to reports that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) cleared itself of wrongdoing after allegations of abuse associated with Operation Lone Star: “The cruelty of Operation Lone Star is well-documented. Individual DPS troopers risked their careers to blow the whistle about the abuses that are part of Operation Lone Star, and their accounts align with what asylum-seekers have also said,” … Continue Reading
December 06, 2023
Castro, Torres, Goldman, Cherfilus-McCormick Lead Introduction of Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act to Curb U.S. Firearms Trafficking to Latin America and Caribbean
Congressman Castro announced the introduction of the ARMAS Act on December 6, 2023, at the Annual National Gun Violence Prevention Summit hosted by the Center for American Progress. A recording of his remarks can be found here - Congressman Castro is the second speaker in the program. WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35), Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10), … Continue Reading
December 04, 2023
Castro Staffer, UTSA Alumnus Honored for Dedication to Supporting Hispanic Success in Higher Education
WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) applauded his senior legislative assistant Eyole M. Mbongo - an alumnus of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) - for receiving the Outstanding Congressional Staffer Award from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) in recognition of his exceptional dedication to advancing equity in education. “For the last eight years, Eyole Mbongo has been a … Continue Reading
December 01, 2023
Congressman Castro Grills Trump-Era DHS Chief on Family Separation
WASHINGTON - During a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, grilled Chad Wolf, who led the Department of Homeland Security under Donald Trump, about the prospective resumption of family separation in a future Trump administration. During the hearing, Wolf, who now leads the America First Policy Institute, a right-wing group widely seen as … Continue Reading
December 01, 2023
Statement from Congressman Castro on Appeals Court Order for Texas to Remove Border Buoys from Rio Grande
WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) issued the following statement after the conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the state of Texas to remove dangerous floating buoys installed in the Rio Grande River as part of Operation Lone Star: “I’ve seen Governor Abbott’s border buoys for myself. They’re illegal and dangerous. I applaud the Justice Department for today’s hard-fought victory in the conservative Fifth Circuit and look forward to seeing these death traps … Continue Reading
November 15, 2023
Reps. Castro, Lee, Jayapal and Senators Booker, Durbin and Hirono Urge Biden Administration to Expand Health Coverage to DACA Recipients
WASHINGTON - This week, Representatives Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Barbara Lee (CA-12), and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) joined Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) to call on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to finalize their proposed rule to expand health coverage for those participating in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, crime victims, and immigrant children. In April 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services … Continue Reading
November 14, 2023
Castro, Booker Introduce Bicameral Bill to Expand Advanced Coursework Opportunities for Underrepresented Students
WASHINGTON - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Senator Cory Booker (NJ) introduced the Advanced Coursework Equity Act, bicameral legislation that would create a federal grant program to help states and school districts increase the enrollment of underrepresented students in advanced coursework and academic programs. The Advanced Coursework Equity Act would allow eligible schools and school districts to receive up to $60 million to implement universal screening for advanced students, … Continue Reading
November 14, 2023
Reps. Castro, Goldman, and Thompson Introduce Bill to Curb Trafficking of American Guns into Mexico
WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10), and Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-04) introduced the Disarming Cartels Act to curtail the trafficking of the U.S.-made firearms and ammunition southbound over the U.S.-Mexico border. Guns originating in the United States power human and drug-trafficking and other illicit activities by transnational criminal organizations in … Continue Reading
November 13, 2023
Statement from CHC Members on UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Nanette Barragán (CA-44), CHC Vice Chair of Diversity and Inclusion Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), and former CHC Chair Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement in response to a new study “Hollywood Diversity Report 2023: Exclusivity in Progress” that was released by the Entertainment & Media Research Initiative at the University of California, Los Angeles: “The report underscores what many advocates within media have … Continue Reading
November 09, 2023
Castro, Gallagher Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Intelligence-Sharing Across Federal Government
WASHINGTON - Today, senior members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Mike Gallagher (WI-08), who is also chairman of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, introduced the Open Source Intelligence Availability Act, which would require the U.S. intelligence community to develop a plan to make unclassified intelligence products derived from open-source intelligence (such as … Continue Reading
November 06, 2023
Statement from House Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Leaders on Recent Events in Honduras
WASHINGTON — Today House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Chairwoman María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) and Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (TX-20) issued the following statement in response to recent events in Honduras: “We are seriously concerned by the recent political violence in Tegucigalpa. The process of selecting an attorney general and deputy attorney general for Honduras has been lengthy, but the Honduran Congress and the administration of President Xiomara Castro must … Continue Reading
November 02, 2023
Congressman Castro Votes Against Republican Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act
WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after voting against H.R. 6126, the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act: “For weeks, I have called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to protect more innocent people from becoming victims of this conflict. As the death toll continues to rise, the United States must play an active role in rescuing hostages, supplying humanitarian aid to Gaza, and saving lives. “The world is … Continue Reading