Press Releases
Castro Elected First Vice Chair of Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Washington, D.C. - Today, the members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) elected Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) to serve as the Caucus' First Vice Chair. In this role, Congressman Castro will help steer the CHC's legislative priorities. "I am grateful to my CHC colleagues for entrusting me with this new responsibility," said Rep. Castro. "As we look ahead to the 115th Congress, great challenges loom. We will need to contend with a new administration and a President who … Continue Reading
September 29, 2016
CASTRO STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF SHORT-TERM CONTINUING RESOLUTION
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after voting in favor of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5325 - Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 and Zika Response and Preparedness Act, 2016: "I'm glad that Congress reached an agreement to avert a government shutdown. The package we passed contains $1.1 billion to combat Zika, a virus that poses a serious threat to … Continue Reading
September 29, 2016
CASTRO STATEMENT ON WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT VOTE
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 5303, the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA): "The passage of this infrastructure and jobs legislation allows an important flood control project in San Antonio to move forward. The bill authorizes the Leon Creek Watershed flood risk management project to prevent future flooding at an aircraft engine testing facility at Port San Antonio. In addition to the … Continue Reading
September 28, 2016
CASTRO LEADS CALL FOR USCIS TO ADDRESS DACA RENEWAL BACKLOG
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Second Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), led a letter to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Leon Rodriguez to answer several questions regarding a backlog of several hundred Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal applications. On August 10, 2016, USCIS announced that DACA recipients who submitted a request for DACA renewal between February 14 and May 14, 2016 may … Continue Reading
September 28, 2016
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $5.3M FOR ST. MARY'S STEM EDUCATION
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced a five-year, federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education expected to total $5,325,975.00 to support St. Mary's University's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. St. Mary's will receive the funding through the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) STEM Program, which aims to develop and carry out activities to improve and expand institutions' capacity to serve Hispanic and other low-income … Continue Reading
September 27, 2016
CASTRO ANNOUNCES $3M FOR UTSA CYBERSECURITY CONSORTIUM
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced a $3,015,000.00 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). The funding will support UTSA's leadership of the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium (NCPC), a partnership of five universities that work to improve American communities' cyber defenses. "UTSA is leading the charge to ensure our first responders and state and local … Continue Reading
September 22, 2016
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 "Míranos! 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