Press Releases
CASTRO, MCCAUL INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEGISLATION PASSES THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Washington, D.C. - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressmen Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20) and Michael McCaul's (R-TX-10) legislation aiming to make the United States' international development efforts more impactful and cost-efficient. The Global Development Lab Act (H.R. 3924), authorizes and augments the capabilities of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) U.S. Global Development Lab, an entity that applies science, technology, innovation, and partnerships to … Continue Reading
September 16, 2016
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $635K FOR UTSA OBESITY PREVENTION RESEARCH
Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced a $635,101.00 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). The funding will go towards a UTSA College of Education and Human Development study that will evaluate the efficacy of the early childhood obesity prevention program "MÃranos! Look at Us, We Are Healthy!" which promotes healthy growth of predominantly Latino children in Head Start. … Continue Reading
September 15, 2016
CASTRO STATEMENT ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS WESTERN HEMISPHERE SUBCOMMITTEE'S PASSAGE OF VENEZUELA RESOLUTION
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement after the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee passed H. Res. 851, a bipartisan measure - of which he is an original cosponsor - that calls attention to Venezuela's current political, economic, social, and humanitarian crises: "The Venezuelan people are suffering at the hands of their corrupt government. Instead of addressing medicine and food shortages, … Continue Reading
September 14, 2016
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $1.4M FOR SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE METHANE EMISSIONS PROJECTS
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced $1,427,034.00 of federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to develop cost-efficient and effective ways to mitigate methane emissions from natural gas pipelines and storage infrastructure. The research will also seek to improve the quantification of the sources, volumes, and rates of methane emissions. The grants are part of a new initiative by DOE's Office of Fossil … Continue Reading
September 14, 2016
CASTRO, VELA STATEMENT ON MEXICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY TEXTBOOK
Washington, D.C. - Congressmen Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Filemon Vela (TX-34) together released the following statement regarding the Mexican-American history textbook considered during a public hearing before the Texas State Board of Education today: "The textbooks our kids read have a profound impact on their understanding of the world - their accuracy is of paramount importance. Texas has a special responsibility to ensure the books in our schools are factually correct. Given our … Continue Reading
September 11, 2016
CASTRO STATEMENT ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement commemorating the 15th anniversary of September 11, 2001: "Today we mark a solemn date that forever changed our world. The terror that struck our nation 15 years ago shook us to our core, but it also strengthened our resolve to protect and spread the democratic values we hold so dear. Our hearts may have broken for the souls we lost, but our spirit will never falter. The freedom, liberty, joy, … Continue Reading
September 10, 2016
CASTRO STATEMENT ON U.S.-RUSSIA AGREEMENT ON SYRIA
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement regarding the United States' agreement with Russia to reduce violence in Syria: "I'm hopeful that this agreement can end the indiscriminate bombing of civilians by the Syrian government, allow humanitarian supplies to reach besieged areas, and refocus the fight against ISIS and Al … Continue Reading
September 09, 2016
CASTRO STATEMENT ON NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR TEST
Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement regarding North Korea's fifth nuclear test explosion: "I strongly and unequivocally condemn North Korea's nuclear test and Pyongyang's ill-advised and relentless hostility. Yet again, the North Korean regime has ignored United Nations security resolutions in carrying out its second nuclear test in less … Continue Reading
September 08, 2016
CASTRO PRAISES HOUSE'S PASSAGE OF U.S.-JAPAN-KOREA TRILATERAL COOPERATION LEGISLATION
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after the House passed H. Res. 634, a measure of which he is an original cosponsor, that recognizes the importance of the United States-Republic of Korea-Japan trilateral relationship: "The North Korean regime's continued, aggressive behavior threatens the stability of the Asia-Pacific region. … Continue Reading
September 07, 2016
CASTRO STATEMENT ON UTSA PRESIDENT DR. RICARDO ROMO'S RETIREMENT
Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) President Dr. Ricardo Romo announced his retirement at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year: "Ricardo Romo transformed UTSA into an emerging research university that graduates more students and offers more degrees and more opportunities than it did the day he walked into the President's office. He has made a profound difference." … Continue Reading
September 01, 2016
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $4M TO HELP END VETERANS HOMELESSNESS
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) renewed $4,040,000.00 of federal funding for the non-profit agency Family Endeavors. The money is awarded under the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program to help thousands of very low-income veteran families around the nation who are permanently housed or transitioning to permanent housing. The SSVF grant program provides access to crucial services to prevent … Continue Reading
August 26, 2016
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $3.27M FOR SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROJECT
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced a $3,279,208.00 grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) for the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The DOE funding will support an SwRI project to make coal-based power generation more efficient, cleaner, and less expensive. SwRI is collaborating on the project - entitled "Pre-Project Planning for a Flameless Pressurized Oxy-combustion Pilot Plant" - with ITEA S.p.A., Jacobs, the Electric Power Research Institute, … Continue Reading
August 26, 2016
CASTRO STATEMENT ON PROPOSED SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION CONTRACT
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement regarding the City of San Antonio's proposed contract with the San Antonio Police Officers Association (SAPOA): "The proposed police contract is incomplete. Of the three main issues up for negotiation - salary, benefits and accountability reform - only the first two have been addressed. The negotiations over salary and benefits revolved around saving money and properly compensating San … Continue Reading
August 25, 2016
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $763K FOR NORTHWEST VISTA COLLEGE NANOTECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced a three-year $763,417.00 federal grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for Northwest Vista College's proposed Alamo Institute for Materials Technology (AIMTEC) project, which will address Texas' urgent nanotechnology workforce development needs that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board identified in its recent "Nanotechnology Forecast" report. "Nanotechnology may be science conducted on an … Continue Reading
August 15, 2016
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $1.7 MILLION FOR SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced a five-year, federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education expected to total $1,179,630.00 for the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD). SAISD will receive the grant through the Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) program, which provides counseling and information on college admissions to qualified adults who want to enter or continue a program of postsecondary education. The program also provides services … Continue Reading
August 10, 2016
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $458K FOR SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE SPACE PROJECT
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced a three-year $458,821.00 federal grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The NSF funding will support SwRI's "Occultations by Pluto, Triton and Large Trans-Neptunian Objects" project, the findings of which will aid in the development of more accurate atmospheric models for the subjects of the study. "From developing microsatellites that improve our … Continue Reading
August 09, 2016
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $325K FOR ST. MARY'S MANUSCRIPT IMAGING PROJECT
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced a $325,000.00 federal grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for St. Mary's University. St. Mary's will receive the grant through NEH's Digital Humanities Implementation Grants program, which aims to support the implementation of experimental projects that have successfully completed a start-up phase and demonstrated their value to the humanities. Specifically, the funding will support St. Mary's Jubilees … Continue Reading
July 19, 2016
CASTRO ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $870K FOR UTSA'S OUTREACH TO AND SUPPORT FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced three federal grants from the U.S. Department of Education totaling $878,400.00 for the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). UTSA will receive the funding through the Talent Search Program, which aims to help identify and assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. Talent Search is one of eight Federal TRIO Programs, which are targeted to serve and assist … Continue Reading
July 12, 2016
CASTRO STATEMENT ON SOUTH CHINA SEA RULING
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement after a Hague tribunal ruled on China and the Philippines' territorial dispute in the South China Sea: "Today's ruling should be respected. With this decision, China has a clear opportunity to live up to the commitments it made to the international community. Ignoring the tribunal's decision threatens stability in the South China Sea and erodes China's … Continue Reading
July 12, 2016
CASTRO STATEMENT ON SOUTH CHINA SEA RULING
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement after a Hague tribunal ruled on China and the Philippines' territorial dispute in the South China Sea: "Today's ruling should be respected. With this decision, China has a clear opportunity to live up to the commitments it made to the international community. Ignoring the tribunal's decision threatens stability in the South China Sea and erodes China's … Continue Reading