Press Releases
CASTRO STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING LEGISLATION
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after voting in favor of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2029, the FY2016 Omnibus Appropriations Bill: "Today, the House of Representatives did its job and voted to fund the federal government through FY2016. This package will provide the American people, the U.S. economy, and our nation's allies with confidence that the federal government will not resort to additional short-term funding measures … Continue Reading
December 17, 2015
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $2.7 MILLION FOR JOB TRAINING IN SAN ANTONIO
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) today announced $2.7 million in federal grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support job training and poverty reduction in San Antonio. The San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) will receive the funding through HUD's Jobs Plus Pilot program. The purpose of the Jobs Plus Pilot program is to develop locally-based, job-driven approaches to increase earnings and advance employment outcomes through work readiness, … Continue Reading
December 08, 2015
CASTRO STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF ENHANCED SECURITY MEASURES FOR THE VISA WAIVER PROGRAM
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees, released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 158, the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act: "To fulfill its responsibility to keep the American people safe, Congress must diligently update our nation's polices that affect security here at home. As the tragic San Bernardino attack demonstrated, increased vigilance … Continue Reading
December 03, 2015
CASTRO STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF LONG-TERM TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 22, the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which guarantees federal transportation infrastructure funding for the next five years: "Today, after years of inadequate, short-term measures, the House finally passed multi-year transportation infrastructure funding legislation. Thousands of construction projects can now proceed with certainty that federal … Continue Reading
December 03, 2015
CASTRO STATEMENT ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DECISION TO OPEN ALL COMBAT JOBS TO WOMEN
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced that the Department of Defense would allow women to serve in all combat positions: "The removal of these outdated restrictions will broaden the pool of talent available to the Department of Defense and strengthen our Armed Forces. The Pentagon's decision comes after nearly five years of extensive … Continue Reading
December 02, 2015
CASTRO STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after voting in favor of the conference agreement on S. 1177, the Every Student Succeeds Act: "The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is long overdue. This law's intent is to improve our national education system and assist our country's most vulnerable students. I'm glad that today the House voted to increase support for low-income students, for early education programs, … Continue Reading
December 01, 2015
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $365K TO SUPPORT UTSA MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) today announced $365,150 in federal grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) mental health research. UTSA will receive the funding through the NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Mental Health Research Grants program, which supports research in the understanding of mental illnesses using basic and clinical research. Dr. Carlos Antonio Paladini in UTSA's Department of … Continue Reading
November 28, 2015
CASTRO STATEMENT ON SHOOTING IN COLORADO
San Antonio, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after yesterday's shooting in Colorado: "I am deeply saddened that yet again our nation has suffered a tragic mass shooting. My prayers are with the victims and their families, and I hope that all those affected can find peace in the wake of such horrible tragedy. "This is not the first time in America that the target of intensely negative rhetoric has become the target of very real … Continue Reading
November 18, 2015
CASTRO INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT PRE-K PROGRAMS ACROSS THE NATION
Washington, D.C. - Yesterday, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) introduced legislation that will help eligible education and government entities across the country access federal prekindergarten (pre-k) funding. The Pre-K for USA Act creates new prekindergarten development grants and provides school districts and local entities with a direct line to federal funding, eliminating their reliance on states to access federal pre-k dollars. "Studies show that students who attend high-quality … Continue Reading
November 17, 2015
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $45K TO SUPPORT CHILD NUTRITION IN SAN ANTONIO
Washington, D.C. - Congressmen Joaquin Castro (TX-20) today announced $45,000 in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support a healthy eating initiative for San Antonio children. The North East Independent School District (NEISD) will receive the funding through the Farm to School Grants fund, which supports efforts to connect child nutrition programs with local farmers and ranchers through USDA's Farm to School Program. "Understanding where their food … Continue Reading
November 14, 2015
CASTRO STATEMENT ON ATTACKS IN PARIS
San Antonio, TX - Congressmen Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees, issued the following statement on the terrorist attacks in Paris: "The devastating attacks in Paris were an assault on all who cherish freedom and respect the dignity of human life. My prayers go out to the families of the victims and the people of Paris. In this moment of unimaginable tragedy, the United States stands by France, our oldest ally. We remain … Continue Reading
November 06, 2015
CASTRO, COFFMAN, DENHAM INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION SUPPORTING WOMEN VETERANS
Washington, D.C. - Yesterday, Congressmen Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20), Mike Coffman (R-CO-06), and Jeff Denham (R-CA-10) introduced legislation aimed at reducing the number of women veterans who are homeless in America. The Reduce Homelessness for Female Veterans Act requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to direct a contractor to conduct a survey focused on homeless female veterans. Currently, neither HUD nor the VA collects … Continue Reading
November 05, 2015
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