Press Releases
Castro Statement on Texas Voter ID Law Ruling
San Antonio, TX - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) issued the following statement after a federal judge struck down Texas’ voter ID law: "Once again, a federal court has found Texas' voter ID law to be discriminatory and in violation of the Voting Rights Act. Republican state leaders' transparent efforts to make it harder and less likely that some Texans will vote are … Continue Reading
August 18, 2017
Castro Announces $366K for UTSA Medical Imaging Technology Research
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced $366,250.00 of federal funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to conduct collaborative research for Automated Medical Image Segmentation via Decomposition which allows medical professionals to provide customized medical care to patients. The grants are awarded through the Computing and Communications Foundation (CCF), which advances computing and communication … Continue Reading
August 09, 2017
Castro Statement on President Trump’s North Korea Comments
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement regarding President Donald Trump’s comments on North Korea: “We have twice seen the devastating consequences nuclear weapons can inflict on humanity. Every effort should be made to prevent that kind of destruction and suffering. This is not a playground. President Trump should not be matching reckless comments for reckless comments with Kim Jong Un. … Continue Reading
August 08, 2017
Castro Announces $798K for UTSA Earthquake Resilience Research
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced $798,892.00 of federal funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to develop a new generation of computer simulation models that will characterize the impact of severe earthquake conditions on reinforced concrete columns. The grants are awarded through the Disaster Resilience (DR) Grants Research Program, which … Continue Reading
August 02, 2017
Castro Statement on the RAISE Act
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced his support for the RAISE Act: "From the moment his campaign began, President Trump vilified immigrants to our nation, but claimed he only sought to curtail undocumented immigration. This new proposal is based on the false premise that all immigrants, including those who enter the country legally, are a drag on our economy. It runs counter to the spirit of … Continue Reading
July 28, 2017
Castro Statement on Passage of Intelligence Authorization Act
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3180, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018: “New and evolving threats around the world present grave challenges to the international community and require sophisticated abilities to combat. This legislation helps ensure America’s intelligence agencies have the … Continue Reading
July 26, 2017
Castro Statement on President Trump’s Transgender Military Ban Announcement
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement: “America’s armed forces need every patriotic person willing to serve and defend our country. The President’s policy announcement today is gratuitously discriminatory and will damage our national security. I’m grateful to all service members who have put their lives on the line for the United … Continue Reading
July 23, 2017
Castro Statement on Immigrant Deaths in San Antonio
San Antonio, TX - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after several immigrants were found dead in a truck at a San Antonio Walmart: “These deaths are tragic and avoidable. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones. I hope that those who remain hospitalized make swift and full recoveries. The smugglers responsible for the incident, who showed no regard for the lives of the people they were transporting, should be prosecuted to the … Continue Reading
July 18, 2017
Castro Statement on Malabar Naval Exercise
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and co-chair of the U.S.-Japan Caucus, issued the following statement after the successful conclusion of the Malabar 2017 naval exercise between the navies of the United States, India, and Japan: “The partnership between the United States, India, and Japan contributes greatly to regional security and prosperity. The three … Continue Reading
July 18, 2017
Castro, Doggett Request Explanation for Truncation of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Grants
Washington, D.C. - Congressmen Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Lloyd Doggett (TX-35) sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Thomas Price requesting an explanation for the agency’s decision to cut short the grant awards for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP). HHS recently notified the grantees that their year three funding (supported by fiscal year 2017 appropriated funds) would be the final year of their projects, despite originally being granted … Continue Reading
July 17, 2017
Castro Statement on Texas Legislature’s Special Session
San Antonio, TX - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement regarding the Texas Legislature’s 2017 special session: “Governor Abbott and Lt. Governor Patrick are forcing a special session and spending millions of taxpayer dollars to dictate bathroom policy. Instead of fixating on discriminatory legislation that will drive businesses away from our state, Republican leaders in Austin should focus on creating jobs, fixing schools, and combatting the persistent … Continue Reading
July 14, 2017
Castro Announces $5 Million for UTSA Cybersecurity Research
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced a five-year federal grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), expected to total $5,000,000.00, for the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). UTSA will receive the grant through the NSF’s Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program, which supports the enhancement of research capabilities of minority-serving institutions. The funding will go towards the establishment of a … Continue Reading
July 07, 2017
Castro, Boyle Statement on Transatlantic Partnership
Hamburg, Germany - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Congressman Brendan Boyle (PA-13), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after meeting with U.S. diplomats and European officials in Berlin and Hamburg, Germany: “As the United States strives to create a more peaceful, democratic world, our efforts benefit greatly from the strong … Continue Reading
July 01, 2017
Castro Statement on 20th Anniversary of Hong Kong’s Handover from the United Kingdom to China
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement: “Today marks the twentieth anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China. As part of the handover, the People’s Republic of China committed to the people of Hong Kong political, judicial, and economic autonomy under the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ policy. This commitment underlined the distinct … Continue Reading
June 29, 2017
Castro Statement Welcoming South Korean President Moon Jae-in to the United States
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, issued the following statement on the occasion of the Republic of Korea’s President Moon Jae-in’s visit to the United States: “I welcome President Moon to the United States as he visits Washington D.C. this week. The Republic of Korea is one of the United States’ closest allies in Asia. For more than 60 years, our nations have benefitted from a strategic and economic relationship … Continue Reading
June 27, 2017
Castro Statement on CBO Score for Senate Healthcare Bill
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) issued the following statement after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released its analysis of Senate Republicans’ healthcare bill: “Like the House’s legislation, the Senate healthcare bill will force working families and seniors to pay jacked up prices for worse care. Many Texans will face devastating consequences if it passes. Making painfully deep Medicaid cuts to fund tax breaks for the richest Americans is cruel. … Continue Reading
June 22, 2017
Castro Statement on Senate Healthcare Bill
Washignton, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement regarding Senate Republicans’ proposed healthcare legislation: “The new healthcare bill would be a disaster for Texans. It was drafted in secret by just 13 guys in the Senate, and then made public only after getting lobbyists’ approval. The bill will drive costs up, strip coverage for millions, and hurt senior citizens and working families the … Continue Reading
June 21, 2017
Castro Statement on U.S. Election Security Standards
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement after this morning’s open hearing with former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson: “In today’s hearing, I asked former Secretary Johnson about the security protecting the United States’ voting systems. He said that no minimum cybersecurity standards exist. Without requiring a consistent baseline of protections across all states, we … Continue Reading
June 15, 2017
Castro, Meeks Call on Secretary Tillerson to Exempt Rangel and Pickering Fellows from State Department Hiring Freeze
Washington, D.C. - Yesterday, Congressmen Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Gregory Meeks (NY-05), both members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, urging the Secretary to issue waivers for graduating Rangel and Pickering fellows’ appointment to the State Department Foreign Service despite the Department’s hiring freeze. Last week, the State Department contacted the most recent graduating class of Rangel and Pickering fellows to inform them … Continue Reading
June 15, 2017
Castro Statement on Fifth Anniversary of DACA
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), First Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, issued the following statement to mark the fifth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program: “This is a bittersweet day, as we recognize the fifth anniversary of a program that’s under threat despite having made such a positive impact on our nation. DACA has changed the lives of nearly 790,000 young people who call America home. These DREAMers … Continue Reading