Dear john,

This week, I'm continuing to travel the 28th Congressional District of Texas as part of my August District Tour. This month, I will be visiting all nine counties within my district, driving thousands of miles to see as many constituents as I can.

Be on the lookout for me this August. And if I miss you, my district office staff will visit every city in my district once a month during Neighborhood Office Hours. We will be sure to see you soon!

As always, if you need help with a federal agency, please contact any of my offices:

• Washington, DC: (202) 225-1640
• Laredo: (956) 725-0639
• San Antonio: (210) 271-2851
• Rio Grande City: (956) 487-5603

I announced $1,000,000 in Congressionally directed funding for Duval County’s community centers. The funds will be used to renovate the centers with new air conditioning, heating units, roof replacements, generators, and kitchen equipment.

The following five Duval County community centers will benefit from the funding:

• San Diego Community Center;
• Benavides Community Center;
• Freer Community Center;
• Concepcion Community Center; and,
• Realitos Community Center.

Community centers play a pivotal role in serving as places where people can connect, learn, and grow together, especially in Duval County. Thank you to Duval County Judge Arnoldo Cantu and County Commissioners Pete Guerra, Adalberto Vera, Marla Garza, and Marty Perez for working with me to secure this federal funding and renovate our community centers. In Congress, I will continue to fight for Duval County.

U.S. Department of Labor’s Assistant Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), the Honorable James D. Rodriguez, and I announced $1,500,000 in federal funding for the American GI Forum National Veterans Outreach Program, Inc., in San Antonio. The award is from the VETS’ Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP), which provides funding for employment services for homeless veterans and those at risk of homelessness. The program helps homeless veterans overcome barriers to re-entering the workforce and finding meaningful employment.

Of the $1,500,000 awarded to the American GI Forum National Veterans Outreach Program, $500,000 will be used for the American GI Forum to continue its existing program in San Antonio, which will benefit 238 veterans. The remaining funds will be used to expand the program to the Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin areas.

Assistant Secretary Rodriguez and I joined American GI Forum National Veterans Outreach Program President and CEO Colonel (RET) Sergio Dickerson for a tour of the organization’s residential center and a roundtable discussion with veterans who have benefited from the American GI Forum’s services and the HVRP grant in the past.

To our veterans, thank you for your service!

I announced $963,000 in Congressionally directed funding for new police cruisers in Guadalupe County. The new vehicles will be equipped with improved handling features, GPS, and communications systems to help officers as they respond to emergency calls.

The funds will provide police cruisers for several cities within Guadalupe County, including:

• Cibolo;
• Marion;
• New Berlin;
• New Braunfels;
• Santa Clara;
• Schertz; and,
• Selma.

Since 2010, the population of Guadalupe County has grown by 40%, and there is a pressing need for police cruisers. The new vehicles will equip local law enforcement with the necessary resources to maintain peace and counter criminal activity, including drug trafficking, human smuggling, and violent crimes.

Thank you to Guadalupe County Judge Kyle Kutscher and Mayors Mark Allen of Cibolo, Victor Contreras of Marion, Walt Williams of New Berlin, Rusty Brockman of New Braunfels, Jeff Hunt of Santa Clara, Ralph Gutierrez of Schertz, and Tom Daly of Selma for working with me to uphold law and order across Guadalupe County. To our police officers, thank you for your service!

I announced $1,300,000 in Congressionally directed funding for union apprenticeships in San Antonio. The funds will be used to purchase equipment and renovate workspaces for the Local 66 International Association of Ironworkers through the City of San Antonio’s Ready to Work apprenticeship program. The equipment includes:

• A forklift;
• A scissor lift;
• A real lift;
• A spider crane;
• A gas welding machine;
• 3 torches;
• CPR equipment;
• Connex storage;
• Desktop mills; and,
• A lathe.

With this investment, San Antonio’s Ready to Work apprenticeship program will help provide workforce training for those in our community that need it most. Thank you to San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, San Antonio Director of Workforce Development Michael Ramsey, and President Rudy Rodriguez of the Local 66 International Association of Ironworkers for working with me to invest in our workforce.

I will continue to stand with the working families of South Texas.

I announced $500,000 in Congressionally directed funding for the McMullen County fairgrounds. The funds will be used to renovate the fairgrounds with improved lighting for parking and arena areas, an upgraded livestock show animal barn, and a new pavilion.

The McMullen County fairgrounds play host for multiple events, especially youth programs like McMullen County ISD 4-H and Future Farmers of America, where an average of 100 students compete during the annual McMullen County Livestock Show. The renovations will make the fairgrounds safer, more accommodating, and more capable for future livestock-related activities.

I look forward to seeing our youth thrive as they utilize these fairgrounds to become the next generation of agricultural leaders in the United States. Thank you to McMullen County Judge James Teal for working with me to secure this Congressionally directed funding. I will continue to fight for McMullen County in Congress.

I announced $2,000,000 in federal funding for PILLAR's Project Re-entry and Treatment Network. The funds, awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), will be used to provide re-entry services, treatment, and recovery support services for 330 individuals.

PILLAR will utilize the award over a 5-year period to treat incarcerated individuals struggling with substance use disorders and/or co-occurring disorders as they return to their families and community. 50 persons will be treated in Year 1, and 70 persons will be treated each year in Years 2 through 5.

Mental health care is essential to our community’s wellbeing. This $2,000,000 investment will help PILLAR provide the care and treatment needed to get individuals suffering with substance use disorders back on their feet and back into the world. Thank you to PILLAR Co-Founders Arturo Diaz, Jr., and Manuel Sanchez for working with me to deliver for our community.

I announced $150,000 in federal funding for the design and implementation of a binational air quality measurement system at the Laredo/Nuevo Laredo cross-border region. The funds, provided by North American Development Bank (NADBank), will be used by Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute to monitor air quality along heavy truck routes, including the World Trade Bridge and the Colombia Solidarity Bridge.

The funds will be used to install three air quality monitoring stations to track various pollutants that impact air quality and public health, including ozone, PM2.5 (particulate matter), and nitrogen dioxide. One station will be installed in Nuevo Laredo, and two will be installed in Laredo at the intersections of I-69W and Los Cabos Drive, and Mines Road and I-69W. The stations will also gather environmental data, such as temperature, relative humidity, and dew point.

Laredo has recently seen a massive increase in trade, becoming the nation’s #1 in-land port of entry earlier this year. As more trucks come across the Rio Grande, it’s important that we monitor their impact on our air quality. The air we breathe knows no borders, and it’s our responsibility to work collaboratively with our southern neighbors to ensure that the air we share is clean and safe for generations to come. Thank you to NADBank, TAMIU, and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute for working with me to create a cleaner, healthier future for our binational community.

I announced $1,000,000 in Congressionally directed funding for the Zacate Creek Restoration Project. The funds will be used to enhance a section of Zacate Creek to create a new fishing area, reconstruct a retaining wall, restore the Zacate stream, landscape, irrigate, and clear invasive species.

Zacate Creek serves as a source of irrigation for agriculture, a habitat for numerous species of plants and animals, and a recreational haven for Laredo residents. The Zacate Creek Restoration Project will preserve the waterway by creating sustainable habitats, especially for local rare and endangered species.

Thank you to Laredo Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino, Laredo District 3 City Councilwoman Melissa Cigarroa, and City of Laredo Director of Environmental Services John Porter for working with me to preserve the beauty and bounty of Zacate Creek for generations to come.

I announced $963,000 in Congressionally directed funding for Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) STEM Connector Project with Laredo College. The funds will be used to create a graduate certificate in Systems Engineering at TAMIU, develop a coordinated engineering curriculum at TAMIU and Laredo College, purchase high-performing computers and other computer lab hardware, and hire engineering lab staff.

The funding, administered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), will provide cutting-edge STEM opportunities for Laredo students.

An education is the great equalizer. The STEM Connector Project will create a pipeline for Laredo students to pursue good-paying STEM jobs and achieve their American Dream. Thank you to Dr. Pablo Arenaz, President of TAMIU, and Dr. Minita Ramirez, President of Laredo College, for working with me to deliver for our students.

Dental Hygiene degree program starts in Laredo through UT San Antono (lmtonline.com)

San Antonio gets federal funds to help homeless veterans find housing and work | kens5.com

Cuellar announces $1M grant Guadalupe County police agencies | News | seguingazette.com

S.A. ironworkers union in line for $1.3M to boost apprenticeships (expressnews.com)

McMullen County receives welcomed gift - Pleasanton Express

PILLAR receives $2M grant to help inmates' reintegration into society (lmtonline.com)

Air quality monitors to be installed at Word Trade Bridge (kgns.tv)

Laredo's Zacate Creek Restoration Project gets $1M in federal funding (lmtonline.com)

NASA gives nearly $1M for STEM project between Laredo College, TAMIU (lmtonline.com)

One of my priorities in Congress is to improve the quality of life for South Texans. This week, I’d like to share with you several health and nutrition grant opportunities that my office can help with:

• Alcohol Treatment, Pharmacotherapy, and Recovery Research
  • This program will broadly focus on closing the treatment gap for individuals with alcohol use disorder.

• Understanding Expectancies in Cancer Symptom Management
  • This program is intended to support mechanistic research that aims to understand how and why expectancy effects occur in a cancer context, elucidate their role in cancer symptom management, and identify patients, symptoms, cancer sites, and contexts in which expectancy effects can be leveraged to improve cancer outcomes.

For more information, click here.

My office is coming to your neighborhood! My staff will be in your city every month to offer you help. Click on the link below to view dates, times, and locations where you can meet with a member of my staff:

Neighborhood Office Hours | Rep. Henry Cuellar (house.gov)