Press Releases

March 25, 2024

Reps. Castro, Cherfilus-McCormick and Senators Murphy, Kaine Introduce Bill to Curb U.S. Firearms Trafficking to the Caribbean

WASHINGTON - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, along with Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Senator Chris Murphy (CT), and Senator Tim Kaine (VA), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights & Global Women’s Issues, have introduced the Caribbean Arms Trafficking Causes Harm (CATCH) Act, … Continue Reading


March 23, 2024

As Humanitarian Crisis Mounts in Gaza, Senior House Democrats Urge President Biden to Enforce U.S. Law on Security Assistance to Israel

WASHINGTON - Today, six senior House Democrats with significant experience in foreign policy and human rights - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02), Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12), Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01) sent a letter urging President Biden to make clear that continued efforts by the Israeli government to restrict humanitarian aid to Gaza will require the United … Continue Reading


March 21, 2024

Reps. Castro, Grijalva, and García Press DHS to Address Major Barriers to Asylum with CBP One App

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07), and Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), led 27 of their House colleagues in calling on the Department of Homeland Security to address serious concerns regarding the use of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s mobile application (CBP One) as the primary mechanism for managing asylum interview … Continue Reading


March 19, 2024

Statement from Congressman Castro on Initial Supreme Court Ruling on Texas Senate Bill 4

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling allowing Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB 4) to go into effect pending a final ruling expected later this year: “By enabling the Fifth Circuit’s disingenuous procedural jurisprudence, the United States Supreme Court undermines its own credibility. The Supreme Court has opted to allow for a trial run of a constitutional crisis. "SB 4 is an alarming state overreach that … Continue Reading


March 13, 2024

Statement from Congressman Castro on House TikTok Divestiture Vote

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement after voting NO on H.R. 7521, a bill that would compel the owners of TikTok to divest from the app or face a ban in the United States: “As a member of the Intelligence Committee and a dad to three young kids, national security and online safety are issues I take seriously. I also appreciate that TikTok has become an important platform for people across the world to speak truth to power, grow small … Continue Reading


March 12, 2024

Congressman Castro Secures Commitment from CIA to Declassify Information on Surveillance of Latino Civil Rights Movement

WASHINGTON - Today, during an open hearing of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a senior member of the Committee, pressed the leaders of U.S. intelligence agencies to declassify and release materials pertaining to surveillance of the Latino civil rights movement. During questioning, CIA Director William J. Burns committed to working with Congressman Castro to improve the historical record and ensure U.S. intelligence agencies can … Continue Reading


March 09, 2024

Congressman Castro Gets $10.6 Million in Funding for Housing, Libraries, Safer Streets, and More Community Projects in San Antonio

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that his office has secured $10.6 million through the Fiscal Year 2024 federal appropriations process to support thirteen community projects, including affordable housing, library campus development, safe streets construction, and water pumps to help ensure that San Antonio households can continue to receive safe drinking water during power outages. The funding is included in HR 4366, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which … Continue Reading


March 06, 2024

Reps. Castro, Raskin, and Schakowsky Lead 30+ House Democrats in Urgent Appeal to Prevent Israeli Ground Invasion of Rafah

WASHINGTON — Last night, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08), and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), a Chief Deputy Whip for the House Democratic Caucus, led 34 other House Democrats in a letter backing warnings from Biden administration officials about the humanitarian risk of an Israeli military ground invasion of Rafah. A city in southern Gaza, Rafah has … Continue Reading


February 29, 2024

In Face of Rising White Nationalism, Congressman Castro’s Guest for 2024 State of the Union to Spotlight the Deadly Impact of Anti-Latino Hate

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that his guest for President Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union will be Priscilla Martinez of Forney, Texas. Mrs. Martinez is the widow of Aaron Martinez, a rancher who was murdered in May 2023 by a neighbor who had previously harassed the Martinez family and told them that Latinos were not welcome in their growing North Texas community. “Last year, Aaron Martinez was murdered in cold blood by a man who was trying to drive … Continue Reading


February 27, 2024

Congressman Castro Announces $117,629 to Support Research into Kidney Disease at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that UT Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) was recently awarded $117,629 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease for the San Antonio Program for Undergraduate Research in Renal Science (SPURRS).  SPURRS is a unique program based at UT Health San Antonio’s Long School of Medicine that provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to work directly with faculty … Continue Reading


February 23, 2024

After Pressure from Congressman Castro, Department of Education Implements Changes to Fix Ongoing Issues with 2024-2025 FAFSA Rollout

WASHINGTON, DC —This week, following pressure from Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), the Department of Education released a temporary workaround to help students from mixed-status families apply for financial aid for the 2024-2025 school year. On February 16, Congressman Castro and nearly 100 of his colleagues wrote a letter pressuring the Department of Education to work quickly to solve ongoing challenges with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In their letter, the … Continue Reading


February 21, 2024

Congressman Castro Visits Burbank High School to Celebrate $4.5 Million in College & Career Readiness Funding for San Antonio ISD

SAN ANTONIO - Yesterday, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) visited Luther Burbank High School to announce a $4.5 million grant award from the U.S. Department of Education to support college and career readiness programs at Burbank High School and six other high schools in San Antonio Independent School District.  During the visit, Congressman Castro met with students enrolled in a Theory of Knowledge course through the Burbank International Baccalaureate program and visited a Health Sciences … Continue Reading


February 20, 2024

Congressman Castro and Congresswoman Salazar Press VA to Extend PACT Act Benefits to Panama Canal Zone Veterans

WASHINGTON - On Friday, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27) led a bipartisan group of 17 members of the House of Representatives in a letter urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand benefits and services for veterans who developed cancer and other health conditions after exposure to toxic herbicide during service in the Panama Canal Zone (PCZ). “As the Department of Defense routed herbicide to Southeast Asia in the 1950s, 1960s, and … Continue Reading


February 16, 2024

Congressman Castro Secures $4.6 Million for CentroMed Community Health Services

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that his office has secured $4,658,823 in federal funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Health Center Cluster grant program to help San Antonio’s CentroMed network provide high-quality, compassionate health care to more than 121,000 patients at 24 clinical sites throughout Bexar, Comal, and Guadalupe Counties. “For more than half a century, CentroMed has been an important center of affordable care for … Continue Reading


February 15, 2024

Congressman Castro Announces $18 Million to Expand Operations at San Antonio Airport

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that San Antonio International Airport will receive $18 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to support expanded operations, including the development of a new terminal connector to allow passengers to move between terminals without having to leave and re-enter secure areas. “San Antonio International Airport is our portal to the rest of the world. Over the last year, the airport has seen incredible growth - … Continue Reading


February 14, 2024

Statement from Congressman Castro on Deferred Enforced Departure for Palestinians

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement in response to President Biden’s designation of Deferred Enforced Departure for certain Palestinian nationals in the United States: "Last November, I asked President Biden to extend Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) status to Palestinians in the United States. I'm relieved to see today's announcement. "Nearly 30,000 people in Gaza - mostly women and … Continue Reading


February 13, 2024

Congressman Castro Fights to Renew Federal Funding for Affordable Child Care in San Antonio

WASHINGTON - Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), the co-founder and chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Pre-K and Child Care Caucus joined Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), who is also a co-chair of the Caucus and Reps. Sara Jacobs (CA-51) and Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), along with U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (VA), Bob Casey (PA), Bernie Sanders (VT), and Tina Smith (MN) to lead more than 100 members of Congress in an urgent push to renew federal funding for child care. Despite widespread … Continue Reading


February 07, 2024

Congressman Castro Announces $25,000 for UTSA Exhibition Featuring Texas-Based Printmaker Delita Martin

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) announced that his office secured a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for the University of Texas at San Antonio to hold a solo exhibition by Delita Martin, a master printmaker known for creating representations of Black women in complex and luxuriant narrative portraits. Delita Martin is an artist currently based in Huffman, Texas. She received a BFA in drawing from Texas Southern University and an MFA in printmaking … Continue Reading


February 06, 2024

WATCH: Congressman Castro Condemns Baseless Republican Impeachment Against Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) spoke on the House floor to condemn the baseless Republican attempt to impeach U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: Watch and download here A transcript of Congressman Castro’s remarks (as delivered) is below: This impeachment against Secretary Mayorkas is a sham. The process was a sham. The charges are a sham. And you might wonder — if that's the case, then why go through all of this trouble?  Well, last November, … Continue Reading


February 06, 2024

Statement from Castro, McGovern, Jesús “Chuy” García, Casar, Kamlager-Dove, Ramirez on the General Election in El Salvador

WASHINGTON - Following Sunday’s general election in El Salvador, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere released the following statement with Congressman James P. McGovern (MA-02), co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35), Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-30), and Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (IL-03): “As members … Continue Reading

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