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Dear Friends,
I hope you and your families are safe and well. It has been a busy couple of weeks and I wanted to provide you with a brief update about what we have been working on to service the people of the 15th Congressional District of Texas. Together, we will continue to seize opportunities and overcome the challenges our communities face.
My CNN appearance
On Monday, June 7, I joined CNN’s Jim Sciutto to discuss Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip to Central America and the surgical, results-based investments we must make in order to address the root causes of migration to our Southern Border.
Watch my interview here.
My letter to the Department of Homeland Security
On Thursday, June 3, I wrote a letter to urge Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to develop a plan to resume non-essential travel between the U.S. and Mexico. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas estimates that 30 to 40 percent of border cities’, such as McAllen, Texas retail activity can be attributed to Mexican Nationals.
As we enter the fifteenth full month of restrictions and vaccines become widely available on both sides of the border, it is critical that DHS develop a plan to resume non-essential travel at land ports of entry and communicate this plan to local stakeholders in border communities.
Read the full letter here.
My Letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra
On Monday, June 7, I sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra urging the Department to optimize and maximize their outreach to educate and encourage rural and underserved Americans to get vaccinated by utilizing local media outlets.
Read the letter here.
Federal Funding for Mental Health Programs
On Thursday, June 8, I announced $480,000 in federal funding for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s (UTRGV) Mental and Behavioral Health Education and Training Program awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
I am proud to bring funding focused on expanding and improving access to mental health professionals in South Texas. It is vital our community has access to quality, state-of-the-art health care services. Better trained healthcare professionals will be able to better serve our community—especially as we deal with the personal effects of the pandemic.
Federal Funding for Water Treatment Plant in Kenedy
Thursday, June 3, I announced $43,040,879 for the City of Kenedy’s water treatment plant, which has failed the city and Karnes County four times during four disaster events. Residents, evacuees, and businesses have been forced to go without water for periods of time and to boil their water in direct relation to natural disaster storm events.
I’m proud to support this massive infrastructure project for the City of Kenedy and congratulate them on their award. This is a much-needed infusion of funds that will provide critical upgrades and provide the citizens of Kenedy with a consistent source of fresh water.
Learn more about the project here.
Congressional Graduation Certificate
Congratulations to Travis Bishop on his outstanding academic achievement while at Stockdale Highschool. I am proud to award him the Congressional Graduation Certificate in Recognition of his hard work.
Reminders & Updates
Home Refinancing Options for Low-Income Families
On Sunday, June 6, Fannie Mae made RefiNow available to single-family lenders in connection with the Federal House Finance Agency (FHFA) refinance option for low-income borrowers with Enterprise-backed single-family mortgages.
Among the features offered with the RefiNow option, it:
- Reduces a borrower’s monthly payment.
- Provides a $500 appraisal credit to the lender at the time the loan is purchased if an appraisal was obtained for the transaction.
- Waives the 50 basis point adverse market refinance fee for loans at or below $300,000.
- Allows a debt-to-income ratio (DTI) up to 65%.
To learn more click here.
Child Tax Credit
Remember to file your taxes before the upcoming June 15 deadline so that you receive the accurate amount of new advance monthly Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments you are entitled to as soon as possible.
The American Rescue Plan expanded the Child Tax Credit to up to $3,600 per child for children ages 0 to 5 and $3,000 per child for children ages 6 to 17.
The American Rescue Plan also authorized advance monthly payments of the Child Tax Credit through December 2021. Beginning as soon as July and running through December, qualifying families are eligible to receive up to:
- $300 a month per child for children ages 0 to 5.
- $250 a month per child for children ages 6 to 17.
FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit
I encourage residents of the 15th District of Texas to utilize the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit program. The FCC program provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband (high-speed internet) bills for qualifying low-income households.
To learn more about the program and to apply, click here.
SBA Targeted EIDL Advance Applications
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is now accepting requests to reevaluate declined Targeted Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Advance applications. To request a reevaluation, applicants should follow these steps:
- Send an email to [email protected] with the subject line “Reevaluation Request for [insert your 10-digit application number]
- Include in the body of the email identifying information for the application including application number, business name, business address, business owner names(s), and phone number.
- Please also include an explanation and any documentation that addresses the reason for the decline, if available. SBA will contact applicants if additional documentation is required to complete our review.
SBA Shuttered Vendors Grant
The Small Business Administration (SBA) Shuttered Vendors Grant portal is now functional after a turbulent launch.
Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal at 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. Eligible applicants include: live venue operators or promoters, theatrical producers, live performing arts organizations operators, museum operators, motion picture theater operators (including owners), and talent representatives.
Apply for the grant here.
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 in relation 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
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