Hi Friends, 

As we wrap up the 117th Congress, I want to share with you some of the work I've done this Congress to ensure the growth and prosperity of our community.  We’ve done a lot of great work, and I’m excited to continue that momentum into the 118th Congress. 

Voted to Pass the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act 
On Thursday, December 8th, I voted to pass the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 7776, the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act. Every year, Congress must pass this legislation to fund our military and ensure our troops have the resources necessary to address threats against our nation, invest in modern technology, and support our defense initiatives. 

This bill included a 4.6 percent pay increase – the largest since 2007 – for our service members and an increase to the maximum allowable income to receive the Basic Needs Allowance to 150 percent of the federal poverty line. I am also happy to announce that my amendment, which requires the Secretary of Defense to provide an annual report to Congress on the number of non-citizen members of the Armed Forces, their immigration status, and how many naturalized that year, was included. This provision is the first step to fast track our service members towards a path to citizenship. We must keep our promise to take care of the brave men and women who’ve put their lives on the line to defend our country. It is past time we bring our unjustly deported Veterans home. 

Watch my video in the old House chamber after we passed the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act here. 

Voted to Pass the Veteran Service Recognition Act 
On Tuesday, December 6th, I voted to pass H.R. 7946, the Veteran Service Recognition Act, which provides our non-citizen service members a pathway to citizenship and brings wrongfully deported Veterans home. 
Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve called for Congressional action to right this wrong. I introduced H.R. 4393, the Repatriate Our Patriots Act, a similar piece of legislation that provides a solution to bring our deported Veterans home.  

It is a stain on our nation that we have treated our service members this way. I am proud we have begun to address this issue. We must reunite our Veterans with their loved ones here at home and prevent this atrocity from ever happening again. 

Watch my floor speech in support of the Veteran Service Recognition Act here. 
 
Voted to Pass the Respect for Marriage Act 
On Thursday, December 8th, I voted for H.R. 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act, which federally recognizes same-sex and interracial marriages. 

It is long past time our nation codifies these long-held beliefs into law. I am proud to play a part in a far-reaching law that protects equality in marriage for all in the eyes of the Federal government. 

Spoke to MSNBC’s “Meet The Press” About Our Southern Border 
On Wednesday, December 14th, I joined Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press” to discuss the end of Title 42 and what that means for our community.  

It's simple, we have an immigration problem, and it should not be incumbent on our border communities to stretch budgets thin to meet the needs of migrants arriving at our Southern border. I introduced legislation this year, H.R. 8823, the Safe Zones Act, to change the asylum process by creating safe zones at the Mexico-Guatemala border to provide a safe place for migrants to apply for asylum. This bill would end the dangerous and deadly trek to our southern border and cut criminal profits out of the equation. We have solutions to this issue, and Congress and the White House must act immediately to provide a humane path to asylum seekers and much needed relief to our border communities. 

 
Watch the interview here. 

 
Announced Service Academy Nominees 
On Wednesday, December 14th, I announced my nomination of young leaders in the 15th Congressional District of Texas to Military Services Academies. These eight South Texans will go on to hone their education and leadership skills to better serve our country. Service Academy attendees commit to serving in our nation's military for a minimum of five years upon graduation. 

These brave young men and women are taking control of their future, and I am so proud to know that we have dedicated South Texans who are answering the call to serve. 

Congratulations to our nominees:  

Announced the 2022 Congressional App Challenge Winners 
On Thursday, December 8th, I announced the winners of the 2022 Congressional App Challenge for the 15th Congressional District. This challenge encourages our middle and high school students in South Texas to engage and explore the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). This year we had a record-breaking number of submissions, and I am heartened to know that we have so many engaged and bright students who are ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow. 

Congratulations to our winners and all who participated!  

1st Place: Dienda Osric, Mission, TX, Science Academy of South Texas  
App: Superscript+ - makes programming easier while producing similar results and teaching this form of coding to new programmers will benefit them as they start learning to code.  

2nd Place: Edward Reyna, Palmview, TX, Thelma Salinas Early College High School  
App: Simply Loan - calculates the monthly payment given the loan amount, annual rate, and the number of payments.  

3rd Place: Evie Martinez, Harlingen, TX, Science Academy of South Texas 
App: Tritan Colors - tests your eye-hand coordination along with identifying if you have colorblindness. With certain levels focusing on eye-hand coordination part and others on colorblindness. 
 
Announced a $7 Million Grant for Nuestra Clinica del Valle 
On Monday, December 12th, I announced a grant for Nuestra Clinica del Valle from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services totaling $7,008,351. This grant will help support and build upon the lifesaving work that Nuestra Clinica del Valle has been doing for our uninsured and underserved populations in South Texas. 

Read my press release here. 

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Sincerely,

Congressman Vicente Gonzalez