Press Releases
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
June 14, 2017
Castro Statement on Shooting at Congressional Baseball Practice
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) issued the following statement after this morning’s shooting at a practice for the Congressional baseball game: “My prayers are with Congressman Scalise, the injured Capitol Police officers, Congressman Williams’ injured staff member, and all of their loved ones after this morning’s terrible attack. All Americans can agree that this sort of violence is condemnable. Every day, I am grateful to the Capitol Police who keep Congress … Continue Reading
June 13, 2017
Castro Statement on North Korea’s Release of Otto Warmbier
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement regarding North Korea’s release of U.S. citizen Otto Warmbier: “It is a great relief that Otto Warmbier’s unjust imprisonment in North Korea has come to an end, and that he will finally reunite with his family after an excruciating period of uncertainty and hardship. I am concerned about Otto’s health and reports that he is in a coma. This episode … Continue Reading
June 08, 2017
Castro Statement on Comey's Written Testimony
“Since the early days of his presidency, Donald Trump has inserted himself into the FBI’s work, publicly commenting on an ongoing investigation and privately expressing his desire for the agency’s leadership to clear his name. These actions violate the Department of Justice’s independence, as did the President’s repeated requests for loyalty from the FBI Director. That this highly suspect behavior immediately preceded Mr. Comey’s firing raises very disturbing questions about the President’s … Continue Reading
June 02, 2017
Castro Announces $500K to Support UTSA and Local High School Students
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced two federal grants from the U.S. Department of Education totaling $500,000.00 to the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). UTSA will receive funding under the Upward Bound Program, which provides key opportunities for students to succeed in the pursuit of higher education. Upward Bound is one of eight federal TRIO Programs. TRIO aids students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including low-income individuals, … Continue Reading
June 02, 2017
Castro Statement on President Trump’s Withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) issued the following statement after President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw the United States from participation in the Paris Climate Accord: “Leaving the Paris Agreement is an abandonment of U.S. global leadership. With the President’s decision today, the United States joins Syria and Nicaragua as one of only three nations in the world not to participate in the deal. Already, we have seen how the effects of … Continue Reading
May 26, 2017
Castro Introduces Legislation to Improve Public and Police Safety through Increased Law Enforcement Transparency
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) introduced legislation to bring transparency and accountability to law enforcement agencies across the nation with the aim of reducing the use of force by and against police officers. The Police Reporting Information, Data and Evidence (PRIDE) Act of 2017 would require states and Indian tribes to provide quarterly reports to the U.S. Justice Department regarding any incident during which a civilian is shot or seriously injured by a … Continue Reading
May 19, 2017
Castro Statement on U.S. Sanctions on Venezuela Supreme Court Members
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, issued the following statement after the U.S. Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on members of Venezuela’s Supreme Court: “The desperation, oppression, and violence in Venezuela is reaching a breaking point. Since the Supreme Court’s attempts to dissolve the National Assembly in March, the Venezuelan people have sustained massive protests despite a brutal crackdown from … Continue Reading
May 17, 2017
Castro Statement on Appointment of Robert Mueller as Special Counsel
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement: “The naming of Robert Mueller as special counsel for the investigation into Russia is a positive step. The American people expect him to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into whether any Americans assisted the Russians who interfered in our election, and, if necessary, to use his ability to prosecute … Continue Reading
May 16, 2017
Castro Statement on Comey Memo
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement: “If President Trump instructed Director Comey to stop the FBI investigation into Michael Flynn’s ties to Russia, he used his office to obstruct justice. Director Comey should come back to the House Intelligence Committee and publicly testify. Relevant congressional committees should be given Director Comey’s memo to review as well … Continue Reading
May 10, 2017
Castro Statement on Firing of FBI Director Comey
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after President Donald Trump fired Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey: “President Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director Comey is extremely suspicious. For the past six months, I have been asked if I believed Director Comey should be fired. Consistently, I have said that, despite his errors, I trust Director … Continue Reading