NEWS FROM THE 15th DISTRICT
Dear Friends,
I hope you and your families are doing well. It has been a busy couple of weeks, and I wanted to provide you with a brief update about what I 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.
Voted to Pass the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act
On Wednesday, December 7th, I voted with my House colleagues to pass the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.
I’m proud to vote for this legislation that invests in the protection of our nation and national security, reforms and improves practices to investigate, respond, and prevent sexual assault in the military, modernizes our defense capabilities, and supports our servicemembers and their families.
Find the bill here.
Introduced the Drug Price Transparency in Medicaid Act with Congressman Buddy Carter
On Wednesday, December 1st, Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01) and I introduced the bipartisan Drug Price Transparency in Medicaid Act to ban the use of spread pricing in Medicaid managed care and limit the power of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to artificially spike Medicaid drug prices.
Drug pricing shouldn’t be decided behind closed doors. South Texans deserve accountability and transparency in their drug pricing.
Read the press release here and the bill here.
Sent Bipartisan Letter to the Biden Administration Urging Them to Not Reinstate the Ban on U.S. Crude Oil Exports
On Thursday, December 9th, I sent a bipartisan letter with 7 of my colleagues to President Biden urging his administration not to reinstate a ban on U.S. crude oil exports.
This action would raise prices at the pump, hurt American jobs, and strain our supply chain even further. Instead, we must turn our focus to towards growing our energy independence and domestic production and strengthening our American workforce and economy.
 
Find the letter here.
Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth Hearing
On Wednesday, December 8th, the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth held a hearing to discuss with experts how affordable family care can expand our economic growth and lessen economic disparity.
Access to affordable child and family care is a prevalent challenge many Hispanic households, especially in South Texas, face. As our population grows, we need to invest in our families and enact policies that level the playing field.
The Build Back Better Act is a step in the right direction. It will expand the Child Tax Credit, cap the cost of childcare at 7% of a family's income for those making under $300,000, and establish universal pre-k for 3- and 4-year olds.
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Watch my questions here.
Announced $14 million for the Hidalgo County Head Start Program
On Thursday, December 2nd, I announced a grant $14,797,266 for the Hidalgo County Head Start Program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
This is the first installment of the five-year grant to serve 3,690 Head Start children in Hidalgo County. Head Start programs take a holistic approach to enhance cognitive, social, and emotional development with an emphasis on building familial support.
Read the press release here.
Announced $1.3 Million For Community Council of South Central Texas
On Monday, November 29th, I announced a grant of $1,311,305 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to the Community Council of South Central Texas.
This grant focuses on serving the Head Start families in New Braunfels ISD and Seguin ISD to enhance cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Read the press release here.
End with Our Interns
On Thursday, December 2nd, I had lunch with this semester's interns to discuss their time in Washington, D.C. and on the hill with my office. As their time with our office comes to an end, I want to thank Sophia, Jacqueline, Rodrigo, Pierce, and Angel for their dedication and hard work on behalf of the 15th District of Texas. I have no doubt that they will go on to do great things and make us proud.
Reminders & Updates
Fiscal Year 2021 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Application Period Opening
The FY 2021 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program is now open until December 17th.
This grant would provide direct financial assistance to eligible fire departments, Emergency Medical Service Organizations, and State Fire Training Academies, to equip and train emergency personnel.
For additional information and to apply on the FY 2021 AFG Program, please visit here.
USDA ReConnect Program Still Open!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is making $1.15 billion available through the USDA’s ReConnect program.
On November 24th, the Department began taking applications for grants and loans to assist rural areas access high-speed internet.
To see if you qualify and to apply, click here.
Rental Assistance Resources
The pandemic has hit many individuals and families hard. Resources are available to help those struggling with rental payments and looming eviction notices.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at (956) 682-5545 if you need assistance with any of these resources.
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Get Vaccinated To Protect Against the Delta and Omicron Variants
South Texas has led the country in vaccinations, but we’re not out of the woods yet. With the spread of the Delta and Omicron variants, we must be vigilant and do our part to protect ourselves, our families and community.
Find locations to get your COVID-19 vaccine here.
Investing In America’s Communities Program
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is investing the $3,000,000,000 from the American Rescue Plan to fund six collective programs:
Please Be Advised: Extreme Passport Delays. Apply Early!
Due to the ongoing pandemic, passport processing centers are experiencing delays in the renewal process. The U.S. State Department recommends renewing your passport at least six months before you plan to travel, and urgent day-of appointments are reserved only for life-and-death cases.
The State Department continues to onboard more staff to quickly process the influx of applications, but currently routine service can take up to 18 weeks and expedited service can take up to 12 weeks. Don’t wait to renew, apply early!
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More information can be found here.
Home Refinancing Options for Low-Income Families
On Sunday, June 6th, Fannie Mae made RefiNow available to single-family lenders in connection with the Federal Housing 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.
FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit
For residents of the 15th District of Texas that need assistance paying for internet, I encourage you to utilize the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit program. The Emergency Broadband Benefit 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.
Small Business Administration Targeted Economic Injury Disaster Loan (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.
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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