NEWS FROM THE 15th DISTRICT

Dear Friends,

I hope you and your families are safe and well. I wanted to provide a brief update about what we have been working on to serve the people of the 15th Congressional District of Texas. Together, we will continue to seize opportunities and overcome the challenges our communities face.

Congressman Gonzalez Leads Bipartisan Delegation to the Border

On Sunday, April 11, and Monday, April 12, I led fellow Members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group of Democrats and Republicans, on a fact-finding mission to the Southern border.

The Members in attendance represented all parts of the country from New York to Hawai’i. I was proud to host Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Rep. Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Rep. Young Kim (CA-39), Rep. Conor Lamb (PA-17), Rep. Ed Case (HI-01) and Rep. Dan Meuser (PA-09).

The delegation met Sister Norma Pimentel, the Executive Director of the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, who discussed the humanitarian work her organization does and the root causes of Central American migration. Members also were given a tour of the Catholic Charities Rio Grande Valley Respite Center and met with community volunteers and migrants and discussed their experiences.


Following the tour, we did a ride-along with Constable Lazaro “Larry” Gallardo, Hidalgo County Constable Precinct 3 at Anzalduas Park in Mission, Texas to see the encampments of migrants visible from the banks of the Rio Grande Valley and view areas where migrants are known to cross into the United States. My colleagues and I were able to get a clearer understanding of the cooperation between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and the impact irregular migration has on our local budgets.


Members then heard from Federal District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa and various local leaders and law enforcement personnel about their on the ground experiences with the influx of migrants.


On Monday, April 12, the delegation visited McAllen Border Patrol Station for a tour of the outdoor migrant processing facility. The Members then visited the Donna Land Port of Entry and the U.S. Border Patrol Donna Soft-sided Facility, which serves to safely process individuals in U.S. Border Patrol custody.


The Congressional Delegation ended with a Rio Grande Boat Tour with Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Texas DPS and the Texas National Guard briefed Members on Operation Lone Star, a joint DPS-Texas National Guard operation which deploys air, ground, marine, and tactical border security assets to high-threat areas to deny cartels and other smugglers the ability to move drugs and people into the state.

We ended the visit with a bipartisan press conference to express our gratitude to the local, state, and federal law enforcement and leadership for their efforts and highlight the need for both parties to work together to break through the gridlock on immigration and many other issues. We all know that these solutions will take time, but I am confident that this group will lead the way to address the immigration challenges ahead in a bipartisan manner. I promise to keep you updated on our next steps.

The press conference can be viewed here.

My Letter to President Biden on Optimizing Pharmacies for COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

On Tuesday, April 13, I, along with 16 of my colleagues, wrote a letter to President Biden urging his administration to optimize the utilization of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program (FRPP). This would bolster vaccination efforts by community retail pharmacies and increase the number of vaccinations given in a shorter period of time.. The more options we have to inoculate those at risk and the general populace, the faster we can overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. Read my letter to President Biden here.

Head Start Program Funding for the Community Council of South Central Texas (CCST)

I am pleased to announce that The Head Start Program has awarded $1,295,684 to the Community Council of South Central Texas to promote readiness for pre-school children from low-income families in Guadalupe and Comal Counties. This award provides a multitude of assistance in educational, nutritional, health, social, and special services to families in Central Texas. I am committed to ensuring our schools, parents, and children have the resources they need to succeed and raise the next generation of leaders. Read my press release here.

Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) Reform

Too many Central and South Texas teachers, firefighters, police officers, and public servants are currently or will, in the future, be penalized by the Windfall Elimination Provision. That is why I co-sponsored H.R. 2337, the Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act of 2021. This critical legislation aims to secure the benefits for our hardworking public servants. Those who dedicate their lives to helping our community should not be punished or forgotten upon retirement. Read my press release here.

Reminders & Updates

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) COVID-19 Funeral Assistance

FEMA is now accepting applications for funeral assistance for Texans who have lost loved ones to COVID-19.

Those who have paid for funeral expenses for an individual whose death may have been caused by or was likely the result of COVID-19 after January 20, 2020, can apply for up to $9,000 in assistance per funeral. FEMA’s call center can be reached at (844) 684-6333; TTY (800) 462-7585, Monday-Friday from 8 AM CST – 8 PM CST. Multilingual services will be available.

Learn more from FEMA here.

Veterans Start Receiving Economic Impact Payments This Week

As part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Texas veterans and their beneficiaries, who receive Compensation and Pension (C&P) benefit payments and don’t normally file a tax return, will start receiving payments of $1,400 this week.

In most cases, the payments will be automatically deposited into a bank account or loaded onto the Direct Express cards where veterans receive their benefits. Those waiting on paper checks or debit cards through the mail should expect to receive their payments over the next several days.

I encourage all Central and South Texans to use the “Get My Payment” tool from IRS.gov to check the status of their payments and make sure they receive their money.

Tax Filing Deadline

The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced earlier this month that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year will be automatically extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021.

As always, it is my sincere honor to represent the 15th District of Texas. Please reach out to my office if you have any questions or concerns relating to federal matters.

*Please do not respond 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.*

Sincerely,

Vicente Gonzalez
Member of Congress