Friend,

I hope you and your family are doing well as we settle into the fall season.

I want you to know that I’m closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East.

If you are in contact with American citizens in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, or Lebanon, please encourage them to fill out the State Department’s crisis intake form to get the assistance they may need. The State Department’s crisis response team can also be reached by calling 1-833-890-9595 or 606-641-0131 (local). Americans traveling abroad should also enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which will register their presence with the U.S. Embassy and allow them to get security alerts.

Resources for You

Westside Home Repairs: As part of the 2023 community federal funding process, I was proud to get more than $1 million for Our Casas Resident Council. to support their High Impact Housing Project. The funds will be used to help homeowners in the near Westside fix safety concerns and bring their homes up to code. If you live in an owner-occupied home in the near Westside, I encourage you to call 210-354-2400 to get more information and request an application. 

Medicare Open Enrollment: The annual Medicare Open Enrollment period is running now through December 7th. During this time, seniors on Medicare can compare plans and choose the best coverage option for their needs and budget. Because of the Inflation Reduction Act I voted to pass last year, Medicare recipients can save on lower prescription drug costs, get free vaccines, and benefit from a $35 a month cap on insulin. You can explore plan options here or call 1-800-MEDICARE for help.

News From Washington

National Recording Registry Nominations: Over the past few years, I’ve been working with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to highlight the amazing contributions that Latinos have made to American history and culture. One of my favorite parts of that work has been nominating Latino musicians for the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress, which is our nation’s music archive.

In mid-September, I put out a public call for suggestions to shape this year’s list. The response I got was phenomenal: over 700 suggestions spanning 60 years of recording history. While it was hard to narrow down so much brilliant music, I eventually nominated 35 songs and albums, ranging from Selena’s “Como La Flor” to Vicente Fernandez’s “El Rey” to Jennifer Lopez’s “Waiting for Tonight” and Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls.” You can check out the Spotify playlist with all of my selections here. The Library of Congress will announce new inductees in the spring of 2024.

News From San Antonio

Protecting San Antonio’s Missions: The San Antonio Missions are a treasured landmark in San Antonio, attracting thousands of tourists from near and far. Unfortunately, several of the Mission sites have been the targets of vandalism over the past few months. Protecting these historic sites needs to be a priority, which is why I led a letter to the National Park Service earlier this month urging NPS to coordinate with state and local partners to protect the Missions. Proper protection will ensure the 300-year-old Missions survive for at least another 300 years. On November 2, I also got an amendment passed through the House of Representatives supporting more federal funding for the San Antonio Missions.

Bringing Tech and Manufacturing Jobs to South Texas: San Antonio is rapidly growing as a global leader in innovation, and I was glad to learn that the Biden administration selected UTSA’s Secure Manufacturing in South Texas Strategy Development Consortium for grant funding through the new Tech Hub program. The federal grant will help create good-paying jobs at the intersection of manufacturing, cybersecurity, and technology throughout the San Antonio region while strengthening our country's ability to be competitive on the world manufacturing stage. 

Working to Protect Mail Delivery: Over the past few months, my office has heard from nine separate homeowner associations who are affected by a sudden change in United States Postal Service (USPS) policy governing mailbox maintenance. For many years, USPS has maintained and repaired the neighborhood cluster boxes that residents rely on for safe mail delivery. However, in recent months, USPS has asserted that neighborhoods are responsible for cluster box maintenance and withheld mail delivery.

I wrote a letter to the San Antonio headquarters of USPS to get answers on this policy change and some neighborhoods have seen changes in the right direction since my letter. If you are having issues with mail delivery, please call my office at 210-348-8216.

Around Town

Honoring Jovita Idar

In September, I was proud to join the Mexican American Civil Rights Institute (MACRI) and the U.S. Mint to celebrate the launch of the Jovita Idár quarter, which honors a civil rights trailblazer who spent much of her life in San Antonio. Her quarter is the first to feature a Texas Latina, and it was great to see so many people coming together to honor her legacy.

My youngest daughter joined me for some of the weekend’s events, and it was exciting to think about a future where all of our girls will grow up learning about the Latina heroines who shaped the world for the better.

Celebrating MACRI

My family and I were also glad to join the MACRI for the grand opening of their visitor center on Buena Vista Street. San Antonio has a storied history of Mexican American activism, and MACRI is committed to telling the stories of the brave people who raised their voices for change. The opening of the visitor’s center is an important step toward MACRI’s goal of creating a permanent museum in San Antonio.

Helping San Antonio’s Small Businesses

Last year, I got more than $575,000 in federal funding for the UTSA Procurement Academy, a new program designed to help small businesses win government contracts and create jobs. Last month, I was proud to join their first cohort of entrepreneurs to officially launch the Academy.

For years, I’ve been working with national and city leaders to create opportunities for woman-and minority-owned businesses to participate in the procurement economy, and I’m excited to see the doors this will open for entrepreneurs across San Antonio. To learn more about the Procurement Academy, click here.
 
Get in Touch

My San Antonio and Washington D.C. offices are open to help residents of San Antonio with issues involving the federal government.

To share your views on policy, request a Capitol tour, or get in touch regarding other matters in Washington, call 202-225-3236.

To get help with a federal agency or get in touch regarding other matters in San Antonio, call 210-348-8216.

Sincerely,

Joaquin Castro
Member of Congress