My team and I  continue to meet with various groups and members of our community in Washington, D.C. and South Texas to discuss how I can best serve our region.  

The U.S. House of Representatives has been without a Speaker for the last two weeks due to Republican infighting. This means the House is unable to pass critical legislation at a time of international crises and domestic uncertainty. The American people deserve a functioning government capable of overcoming hyper-partisanship and rising to meet the challenges before us. During this gridlock, rest assured that my team continues to work hard for you and our community. While Republicans continue to focus on ineffective party politics, my offices remain open and ready to serve South Texans.

I recently announced $5 million in federal funding for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) from the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation. The grant would fund the development of new manufacturing processes for tactical alloys used to produce military equipment ranging from turbine blades to warships.  

You may recall that a few weeks ago I sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, urging her to initiate a review and issue a fishery resource disaster determination for fisheries along the Gulf Coast so that shrimpers may access disaster relief assistance.

 
On October 16, 2023, I also urged Governor Abbott to help our shrimpers.   

Action must be taken now, or our Texas Shrimping industry will cease to exist.  

Read my letter here. 

Republican Congressman Andrew Garbarino and I led a bipartisan letter, along with 20 of our colleagues, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Administrator, Deanne Criswell, urging him to allow National Flood Insurance policy holders to pay their premiums in monthly installments. Currently, many South Texans are forced to pay their premiums in lump sums every year causing them financial hardship. Flood insurance should be made affordable as it is an essential tool for homeowners in South Texas. 

Read the letter here. 
 
I also released a statement concerning the unprovoked attacks in the Middle East and offered support to the Jewish community in South Texas. It has been more than two weeks since Hamas terrorists launched a brutal and despicable assault on our ally, Israel, with no end in sight. The consequences of Hamas’s actions have resulted in countless of innocent lives lost and will continue to have untold impacts on the region for years to come. I unequivocally stand with Israel and our Jewish community and condemn Hamas’s depravity. 

If you are a constituent of the 34th Congressional District of Texas or know of a South Texan who is trying to leave Israel, I urge you to call my office at (956) 682-5545. 

 Read my full statement here. 

One of the most important parts of serving as your U.S. Representative is making sure that federal agencies are working with you and for you. Whether you are having issues with passports, USCIS, OPM, the VA, or the IRS, my staff is here to assist.   

Should you have questions or need assistance with a federal agency, please call my office at (956) 682-5545 or submit a request online here to speak with someone on my team. 
 
Don’t take my word for it! Take Elias’s who we assisted with their passport application! 


You may be interested to know that Members of Congress can nominate candidates for an appointment to four of the five U.S. Service Academies! To request a Military Academy Nomination from my office, please complete the form here by 5 p.m. CT on November 17, 2023. 
 
Interested and want to learn more? My office will host a Military Service Academy Day on October 28, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT, at Hanna Early College High School Auditorium, 2615 E. Price Rd., Brownsville, TX 78521. My staff looks forward to speaking with you! 

The Congressional App Challenge highlights the importance of a Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics (STEM) education in the U.S. and helps students acquire valuable computer and coding skills. Middle and high school students with with an interest in STEM can unleash their creativity and potential by participating in the challenge. The application deadline is November 1, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. CT.  For more information or to submit an application, please contact, Ruth Camacho, in my District Office at (956) 682-5545. Students and educators can also learn more by visiting the Congressional App Challenge website. 
 

*Please do not reply to this email as this inbox is not monitored. Instead, please visit Gonzalez.House.Gov or call us at (956) 682-5545 or (202) 225-2531.*

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