Friend,

With Fiesta less than a week away, spring is officially here! I hope you and your family had the chance to see this week’s historic solar eclipse and to enjoy the spring weather.

Have you registered to vote? The November election will be here before we know it, and I don’t want any citizen to miss out on the chance to cast their ballot. To check your voter registration or register to vote in Bexar County, click here.

Resources for You

Tax Filing Help: Tax Day (Monday, April 15) is right around the corner.

To help you save money on tax-prep fees, the IRS recently launched a new free tool to help you file your taxes online. This pilot program, which was made possible by legislation I voted, is available in 12 states, including here in Texas. You can check your eligibility and start your tax return here.

Taxpayers who need in-person assistance and make less than $60,000/year can also visit one of a dozen Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites. To find a site near you, click here.

The IRS is also offering extended weekly office hours to help with tax issues. The San Antonio office is open 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM Monday-Friday with extended hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 – 8:30 AM and 4:30 – 6:30 PM through April 16th. The office is located at 8122 Datapoint Dr., Suite 210, San Antonio, TX 78229 near the Medical Center. To schedule an appointment, call (844) 545-5640.

Over the years, my office has helped hundreds of families who issues with getting their tax refunds. If you need help after the tax filing deadline, or with navigating issues with any other federal agency, you can contact my office at 210-348-8216 or visit our website here.

News for San Antonio 

2024 Community Projects Funding

Every year, my office submits requests for federal funding to support community-driven projects in our Congressional District. In March, Congress approved nearly $12 million dollars for my requests, which include improvements to housing, libraries, safer streets, and other community priorities. Here are a few of the projects that will be funded:

• $135,000 to build a Learn Center at the Las Palmas Branch Library to help adults with workforce development skills.
• $250,000 to expand parking capacity at the Bexar County Bibliotech at Lerma’s to help bridge the digital divide and bring more resources to San Antonio.
• $750,000 to renovate and expand the South San Civic Center to better accommodate neighborhood residents, including those with disabilities.
• $1,000,000 to create a Community Economic Empowerment Center that will support small businesses.

• $500,000 to support the development of the YWCA San Antonio Women’s Live and Learn Center to provide secure housing and workforce training for young women.
• $765,081 to fund improvements to SAMMinstries’ Transitional Living and Learning Center, which supports families experiencing homelessness.
• $850,000 to maintain and repair two Opportunity Home San Antonio properties to preserve and protect affordable housing.
• $1,000,000 to expand the reach and impact of Casa Verde, an energy efficiency program by CPS Energy that helps low-income San Antonio residents with home repairs.
• $1,000,000 for Project Building Up! to repair homes of low-income homeowners to help preserve affordable housing options in San Antonio.

• $959,752 to help San Antonio install generators and pumping stations across the city to keep clean water running during extreme weather and blackouts.

• $850,000 to help VIA open a new facility for bus maintenance and keep more buses on the roads.
• $1,616,279 for pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements to three roads – General Hudnell Drive, General McMullen Drive, and Billy Mitchel Boulevard.

• $963,00 to support research for treatments for fatty liver disease at UT Health Science Center.

My office is now accepting community project funding requests for 2025. To learn more about the community project funding process, please call my office at 202-225-3236 or email [email protected].

News from Washington 

State of the Union

Every year, members of Congress can invite a special guest to attend the State of the Union Address. This year, I was honored to bring Priscilla Martinez, who lost her husband Aaron in a brutal anti-Latino hate crime last year. As Priscilla and her family fight for justice, their story is a powerful reminder about the importance of stamping out hate and white supremacy.

It was a privilege to host Priscilla and Aaron’s sister Elisandra (both pictured) for the State of the Union. To read more about Priscilla’s story, click here.

Pushing for Transparency on Government Surveillance of Latino Civil Rights Leaders

Throughout the early years of the civil rights movement, the CIA and FBI infiltrated local and national organizations to disrupt the fight for equal rights. Today, many of the details of those activities are still hidden from public view.

Last month, I asked the leaders of the CIA and FBI to declassify more federal files related to the historic surveillance of the Latino community. At a recent hearing, I got the CIA Director to commit to working with my office to shed new light on how government surveillance affected the lives of Latino civil rights leaders. It’s important for federal agencies to be transparent so that our country can learn from the mistakes of our past. To learn more about my work on this issue, click here.

Around Town

March was Women’s History Month, and I kicked off the celebrations by joining YWCA San Antonio for a Hard Hat Tour of their Live and Learn Center to celebrate nearly $500,000 that I got to expand housing and resources for young women who are working to break the cycle of poverty.

During Women’s History Month (and every month), I am inspired by the resilience of all the women in San Antonio who contribute to the greatness of our city and country.

In March, I joined San Antonio International Airport to celebrate all the new developments happening at our gateway to the world. For the last few years, I’ve been working alongside my colleagues in San Antonio’s congressional delegation to get more direct flights for SAT and bring more jobs and growth to our city.

Several weeks ago, I was also glad to join UT Health San Antonio for a ribbon-cutting celebration at their new state-of-the-art Outpatient and Surgery Center at Kyle Seale Parkway, which will serve patients on the Northwest side of San Antonio.

The event was also an opportunity to honor UT Health San Antonio President Dr. William Henrich, who passed away in March of complications from treatment for a rare form of blood cancer. Dr. Henrich was a wonderful leader who helped to build UT Health SA into a world-class center for research, education, and patient care, and he will be sorely missed.

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