Press Releases
CASTRO STATEMENT ON BIPARTISAN PASSAGE OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION CONFERENCE AGREEMENT
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after voting in favor of S. 1356, Revised National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Agreement: "Today, I joined my colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass a revised NDAA funding the Department of Defense in FY2016. Though this legislation is imperfect, it puts forward a responsible budget to strengthen our defenses, support … Continue Reading
November 04, 2015
CASTRO, MCCAUL INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE AND EFFICIENT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressmen Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20) and Michael McCaul (R-TX-10) introduced the Global Development Lab Act of 2015, legislation that authorizes and augments the capabilities of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Global Development Lab. The Global Development Lab applies science, technology, innovation, and partnerships to accelerate development impact and solve the world's most pressing problems. "USAID's Global Development Lab is … Continue Reading
November 04, 2015
CASTRO, CUELLAR, AND DOGGETT ANNOUNCE MORE THAN $2.7 MILLION TO SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SAN ANTONIO
Washington, D.C. - Congressmen Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), and Lloyd Doggett (TX-35) today announced $2,779,683 in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support affordable housing in San Antonio. Bexar County will receive the funding through the Community Development Block Grants program, the Emergency Solutions Grants program, and the HOME program. "Having an affordable place to live gives folks stability and security that … Continue Reading
October 30, 2015
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $874K REIMBURSEMENT TO BEXAR COUNTY FOR RIVER PROJECT
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) today announced an $874,826.44 reimbursement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) for the Mission Reach project. SARA will return the funds to Bexar County, which was the primary funding source for the project. This is the first tranche of a total $61.3 million USACE reimbursement Bexar County is entitled to receive for funding the Mission Reach project. "After years of pushing for … Continue Reading
October 28, 2015
CASTRO STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF BIPARTISAN BUDGET AGREEMENT
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 1314, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015: "The budget agreement passed in the House today reaffirms the United States' trustworthiness and positions the nation for advancement both domestically and overseas. By raising the nation's debt limit, the House of Representatives ensured the U.S. government pays its bills. The agreement also marks the end of harmful, … Continue Reading
October 27, 2015
CASTRO, BASS, AND RANGEL INTRODUCE LEGISLATION PROMOTING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA-37), and Congressman Charles B. Rangel (NY-13) introduced legislation to promote diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity within the U.S. Department of State's workforce. The Foreign Affairs Inclusion Reporting (FAIR) Act seeks to expand diversity in the Department of State through a combination of reporting on diversity recruitment, employment, retention, and promotion; an expansion of fellowship … Continue Reading
October 27, 2015
CASTRO APPLAUDS EXPORT-IMPORT BANK REAUTHORIZATION
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 597, legislation to reauthorize the U.S. Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank's charter, which has been expired since June 30 of this year: "Thanks to today's vote, more than 135,000 Texas workers whose businesses rely on the Ex-Im Bank for support can breathe a sigh of relief. The reauthorization of the Bank's charter ensures that more than 1,600 exporters in our state will … Continue Reading
October 21, 2015
CASTRO INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO CHANGE THE TERM ALIEN IN FEDERAL LAW
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) introduced legislation to remove offensive and inflammatory language characterizing immigrants as "aliens"? from federal law. The Correcting Hurtful and Alienating Names in Government Expression (CHANGE) Act changes this terminology in U.S. code and federal agencies' materials and documentation. "America is a nation of immigrants, yet our federal government continues to use terms that dehumanize and ostracize those in our … Continue Reading
October 09, 2015
CASTRO STATEMENT ON CRUDE OIL EXPORT LEGISLATION
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after voting in opposition of H.R. 702, legislation to lift the United States' ban on crude oil exports: "In the past, I've supported lifting the ban on crude oil exports to Mexico and expediting America's LNG exports. In crafting this bill though, Republicans took a "my way or the highway" approach and rejected the inclusion of provisions that would improve the legislation. For example, tax … Continue Reading
October 01, 2015
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $500K FOR SAPD TO HIRE FOUR OFFICERS
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) today announced $500,000 in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Justice for the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) to hire four additional officers. SAPD will receive the funding through the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program. "Ensuring SAPD has the resources and personnel it needs to protect our city is absolutely essential,"? said Rep. Castro. "Through the COPS … Continue Reading
September 30, 2015
CASTRO STATEMENT ON FY2016 CONTINUING RESOLUTION
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 719, a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through December 11, 2015: "While I am relieved that the federal government will receive the funding it needs to remain operational for the next two months, this short-term measure simply kicks a manufactured crisis down the road. It is essential we negotiate a bipartisan budget agreement to provide … Continue Reading
September 29, 2015
CASTRO CONGRATULATES YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY ON NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL DESIGNATION
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) today released the following statement after the Department of Education recognized the Young Women's Leadership Academy (YWLA) in San Antonio as a National Blue Ribbon School: "I could not be prouder of the teachers, students, and administrators at YWLA for earning this impressive and deserved distinction. The school's commitment to excellence shines through the young women enrolled there and all of their varied accomplishments. … Continue Reading
September 28, 2015
CASTRO, GREEN, BLANCO, MARTINEZ FISCHER CALL FOR FURTHER ACTION TO PREVENT HARMFUL CUTS TO TEXAS KIDS'
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Texas Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (San Antonio), and Texas Rep. César Blanco (El Paso) today renewed their call for the Texas Legislature to prevent $350 million of health therapy cuts over two years from going into effect in Texas. Last week, the offices of the three elected officials participated in a call with the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to discuss the impending cuts’ likely impact on Texas … Continue Reading
September 24, 2015
CASTRO ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $2.1M TO SUPPORT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) today announced more than $2.1 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education for four San Antonio colleges and universities to improve the educational attainment of Hispanic students. The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), Northwest Vista College, San Antonio College, and the University of Texas Health Science Center will receive funding through the Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program. "For our nation to … Continue Reading
September 22, 2015
CASTRO STATEMENT ON $1M DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE GRANT FOR BODY-WORN POLICE CAMERAS IN SAN ANTONIO
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) today released the following statement after the Department of Justice awarded the City of San Antonio $1 million through its Body Worn Camera Pilot Implementation Program to support the San Antonio Police Department’s purchase and use of body-worn cameras: “The tragic consequences of recent clashes between civilians and police officers highlight the urgent need for solutions. Body-worn cameras provide objective transparency that … Continue Reading
September 17, 2015
CASTRO ANNOUNCES$250K TO SUPPORT CITIZENSHIP PREPARATION SERVICES
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) today announced $250,000 in federal grants from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for San Antonio's Northside Independent School District (NISD) to support citizenship preparation services. NISD will receive the funding through the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program, which provides resources to build community capacity to support lawful permanent residents in the naturalization process. "As the grandson of an … Continue Reading
September 11, 2015
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $250K TO SUPPORT UTSA'S MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) today announced a $250,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). UTSA's Department of Mechanical Engineering will receive the funding through the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program, which aims to promote and strengthen Hispanic-Serving Institutions' higher education programs that graduate … Continue Reading
September 11, 2015
CASTRO, GREEN URGE CMS TO EVALUATE HARMFUL TEXAS MEDICAID CUTS
Washington, D.C. - Congressmen Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Gene Green (TX-29) today sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting the agency evaluate impending harmful Medicaid cuts scheduled to go into effect in Texas. If state leaders do not act, an estimated 60,000 Texas children will lose access to medically necessary therapy services on October 1. Every Texas Democrat in Congress signed Castro and Green's letter calling on CMS to ensure that the cuts do … Continue Reading
September 11, 2015
CASTRO ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF TICKETS TO PAPAL VISIT
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) today announced the availability of tickets to be present on Capitol Hill during His Holiness Pope Francis' visit to Washington, D.C. for residents of Texas' 20th District. "I'm privileged to be able to distribute tickets to this historic event, and give the residents of San Antonio an opportunity to visit the Capitol and see his Holiness Pope Francis' address. Pope Francis will be the first sitting pope ever to address a joint session … Continue Reading
September 10, 2015
CASTRO INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO INCREASE LAW ENFORCEMENT TRANSPARENCY AND IMPROVE POLICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY
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 of Information, Data and Evidence (PRIDE) Act would require states to report to the U.S. Justice Department any incident during which a civilian is shot or seriously injured by a law enforcement officer, and any incident during … Continue Reading