Dear Friend,

This week our community has faced many challenges. Amid the devastation, I am proud to see Texans showing up and supporting each other. As your elected Member of Congress, I am fighting to make your voices heard and push back against the administration's reckless and shortsighted actions that harm emergency preparedness.

I want to hear from you, so I will be hosting a Telephone Town Hall next Tuesday, July 15 at 7:00 PM CT. More on this below!

In the meantime, if I can be of any assistance to you, please call my office in San Antonio at (210) 348-8216 or my office in Washington at (202) 225-3236.

San Antonio

This week my District Office in San Antonio hosted Senior Office Hours to share how my office can help and share relevant updates for the senior community.

My office also celebrated 49 students yesterday for completing year four and five of the Dr. Manuel P. Berriozábal Pre-Freshman Engineering Program (PREP) at UTSA. Keep up the great work!

It is an honor to recognize and serve our kids, seniors, and community members in San Antonio. To learn more about constituent services, visit our website.

On Recent Devastating Texas Floods

Families across Central Texas have been devastated by catastrophic flooding in Kerr County. I am heartbroken as there are over 170 people still missing and the number of lives lost continues to grow. Just last month, a devastating flash flood event took 13 lives in San Antonio. It is critical that we act.

I am urging leaders at all levels of government--local, state, and federal--to work together to prevent this type of tragedy from happening again.

NPR Morning Edition July 7, 2025

I am also deeply grateful to the firefighters and first responders who traveled from Mexico to work with American responders to save lives.

I am disappointed that Secretary Noem waited three days to approve FEMA search and rescue teams after the floods began. I sent a letter to the Committee on Homeland Security demanding answers on the cause of these delays. More on this below. ??

Legislative Updates

Oversight on Delayed FEMA Response

I, alongside the Texas Delegation, am calling on the House Committee on Homeland Security to conduct congressional oversight for FEMA's delayed response to the tragic floods in Texas. We owe it to every Texan and American to understand how cuts to FEMA are impacting its ability to help folks prepare for and recover from disasters.

Strengthening Teacher Workforce

Early education gives our kids the tools they need for future success. This week, I introduced the Head Start for our Future Act with bipartisan support. This bill would allow college students to work in Head Start and other early education programs through the federal work-study program.

Read more here.

Telephone Town Hall | July 15 at 7pm CT

I am hosting a Telephone Town Hall on July 15 at 7:00 PM CT.

I will be discussing several issues, including the budget that House Republicans just passed, which will strip many Texans of healthcare, gut food assistance like SNAP and more. I join our community in grieving the lives lost in devastating floods in Central Texas, as well as the lives lost in the floods last month in San Antonio, and will provide an update on recovery efforts and available resources.

To join this event, you’ll simply need to pick up the phone when I call. I hope to talk with you soon!

RSVP here.

Reminder | Student Internships

The deadline for the fall internship application is quickly approaching! We are looking for passionate young people who are eager to be a part of the democratic process. Click here for more information.

Applications are due July 25.

Friend, keep speaking out and sharing your story. I know you understand what's at stake. Thank you for your efforts--they are making a difference.

If you’d like to stay up to date on what I am up to, you can follow me on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, and Bluesky.

That’s all for today. Take care.

Sincerely,

Joaquin Castro
Member of Congress

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