Hi Friends, 

A lot has happened since the last time we caught up. From celebrating funding for our community to introducing commonsense immigration legislation, I have been hard at work for South Texas. Check out some of what I’ve been up to below! 

Safe Zones Act 

On Thursday, September 15, I introduced H.R. 8823, the Safe Zones Act (SZA) of 2022, which provides a solution to stem the influx of migrants arriving at our southern border. Current law stipulates that those seeking asylum can only do so when in or at the border of the United States. This bill creates asylum processing centers, one on the border of Guatemala and three along the U.S-Mexico border—stopping many from making the dangerous trek to our southern border.  

We've heard from both parties that they want to get immigration reform done, my bill does just that. It’s time we pass a commonsense and humane solution to the situation at our southern border. 

Watch my video here and my interview here. 

Celebrated San Juan North Parks and Recreation Center Groundbreaking

Earlier this month, I celebrated the groundbreaking of the San Juan North Parks and Recreation Center, a project 4 years in the making. 

San Juan has seen tremendous growth in recent years, and with that growth comes the need for to develop areas for our community to gather, for kids to play, and for us to explore nature. I’m excited to see this project underway and San Juan creating spaces to make living in our communities even better. 
 
 

Welcomed Congressman Adam Schiff to South Texas 
On Thursday, September 8, I showed my friend, Congressman Adam Schiff around South Texas. 

First, we went to the Veterans International Bridge to talk about the constant flow of trade and travel between the U.S. and Mexico that directly benefits South Texas. We also discussed the success of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol’s Donations Acceptance Program to improve infrastructure and technology improvements. 

 
Next, we stopped at Texas Southmost College, where we discussed how recent legislation we’ve voted and worked together on will benefit South Texas and how we can fight against threats to our democracy. 
 
To end the day, we met with the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office and local law enforcement to discuss how legislation like the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is supporting our law enforcement in their efforts to keep our community and schools safe. 
 

Met With My Youth Advisory Council 
One of my favorite parts of my job is talking to my Youth Advisory Council. I believe it is important to get the perspective of our young leaders and the issues they feel strongly about. During our meeting, we spoke about President Biden’s recent announcement of student loan forgiveness and what that may mean for them and their peers and how we can address the steadily increasing cost of higher education. 
 
Spoke at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Leadership Conference 
To kick off the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, I spoke at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Leadership Conference to discuss navigating our nation’s energy transition to cleaner options. 

Elevating and amplifying Latino voices in all sectors of our economy is important. In South Texas alone, we have shown that Hispanic owned business can create real and positive change.  When we work together, we can help our communities and ensure the green energy transition doesn’t negatively impact marginalized communities. 
 
 
Participated In The Texas Tribune Fest  
On Saturday, September 24, I joined a panel of industry leaders and experts in the energy field to discuss “The Carbon Conundrum” and what the future of energy in Texas could look like. 

Texas is the top crude oil- and natural gas-producing state in the nation and leads the way in the fight for energy independence, but it also is at the forefront of the green energy transition, producing more electricity from wind turbines than any other state. We have the ability to diversify our energy sources and lead the world into a cleaner future, but we must be careful in the transition so we can keep American jobs and build a strong infrastructure that will support us for generations to come. 

Sincerely,

Congressman Vicente Gonzalez