Dear Friend,

Every ten years, our country undergoes a Congressional redistricting process to reflect population changes in each community. Through this process, our district recently expanded to include more than 40,000 new neighbors.

I’ve been proud to represent San Antonio in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013. This Congress, I look forward to continuing my work to strengthen what I call the “Infrastructure of Opportunity” – the great public schools and universities, sound healthcare system, and good-paying jobs that allow people to pursue their American dreams.

Recently, I secured more than $15.6 million for community projects in San Antonio to fund housing, health care, education and research, small businesses, and transportation for folks across our city.

We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us over the coming years to fulfill the promise of historic bills I helped to pass last year -- like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, which are already creating good-paying jobs and lowering health care and energy costs. But the road ahead is bright, and I’m excited about our future in San Antonio.

Assisting constituents like you is the most important part of my job. As San Antonio continues to recover from the pandemic, I want to make sure my staff and I do everything we can to help. If you need help with navigating federal agencies, passport and visa renewals, immigration, veterans benefits, small business aid, or other services, please reach out to my San Antonio office at (210) 348-8216 or visit my website.

As you may know, I had surgery earlier this week at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to remove small tumors that doctors discovered last summer. Thankfully, my prognosis is good, and I expect to be back in Washington to keep working for San Antonio after several weeks of recovery in Texas. Thank you to all those who have reached out with words of kindness and encouragement.

Resources for You:

• PACT Act: Last year, I voted to pass the PACT Act, a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. To learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply for benefits, click here.

• Texas Homeowner Assistance Fund: The Texas Homeowner Assistance Fund is still offering COVID relief grants up to $40,000 to help families with mortgage payments and up to $25,000 to cover property tax, property insurance, or HOA/condo dues. To learn more, click here.

• Capping the Price of Insulin: Last summer, I voted for the Inflation Reduction Act to lower the cost of living for folks in San Antonio and across the country. Under this new law, out-of-pocket costs for insulin are now capped at $35 per month for seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D. Learn more about new enrollment options here.

• OTC Hearing Aids: Last year, the Biden administration made hearing aids available to buy over the counter in stores like Walmart, Walgreens, Best Buy, and CVS. San Antonians will no longer need a prescription or an exam to buy an over-the-counter hearing aid, saving on average nearly $3,000. Learn more here.

Mark Your Calendar: Passport Fair on March 11

Over the last several weeks, the State Department has reported longer wait times for processing passport applications. To help you avoid travel delays, my office is holding a Passport Fair at the Northside Activity Center (7001 Culebra Rd) with Bexar County District Clerk Gloria A. Martinez on Saturday, March 11, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Appointments are required, and spots are limited. Please call my office at 210-348-8216 to reserve a spot.

Economic Growth Agenda:

A strong economy starts with a strong workforce. Last month, I introduced my 2023 Economic Growth Agenda – three pieces of legislation to create jobs, strengthen workforce development, and expand economic opportunity. I look forward to working with my colleagues to move these bills through Congress and onto the President’s desk.

• The Strengthening Youth Apprenticeships Act would expand paid apprenticeship programs for high school and college students to help young people build pathways to lifelong careers.
• The Navigating to Success Act would increase the funding available for supplemental services that help workers succeed in job training programs. Inspired by San Antonio’s Project Quest, the bill would fund things like interview preparation and help with tuition and books.
• The Head Start for Our Future Act would help address the national childcare shortage by allowing aspiring teachers to get Federal Work-Study jobs focused on early childhood education.

In The News:

For years, I’ve worked with Rosie and Le Roy Torres, a couple from Robstown, Texas who have been longtime advocates for veterans impacted by toxic burn pits during their service. Beginning more than five years ago, we held a series of field hearings and Congressional briefings about burn pit exposure – and Captain Torres brought his personal fight for justice all the way to the Supreme Court. Last year, their efforts culminated in the passage of the historic Honoring Our PACT Act. The Torres family defines what it means to be American, and in January, I proudly nominated Rosie and Le Roy for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Read more about their story here.

Over the last several weeks, my office has led and joined community events to help constituents and San Antonians access federal resources. Here are some of the highlights:

Strengthening Domestic Violence Prevention in Bexar County

Over the last few years, San Antonio has grappled with an alarming crisis of domestic violence that was only exacerbated by the pandemic. There is no level of domestic violence that is acceptable for our city – and addressing this crisis is a top priority for me.

On February 15, I joined Judge Monique Diaz and leaders from Guardian House and the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio to announce nearly $1 million in new federal funding for domestic violence programs in Bexar County.

Guardian House will receive nearly $500,000 for its Triple P Positive Parenting Expansion, a no-cost program that works to prevent child abuse and break generational cycles of family violence.

The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio’s Center for Miracles will also receive nearly $500,000 to support their work to train first responders and members of the South Texas community to identify and respond to child abuse cases.

Posthumous Medal Ceremony for Vietnam Veteran Kenneth Wayne Pogue

One of the greatest honors as a member of Congress is being able to recognize the sacrifice and heroism of our veterans and fallen servicemembers. On February 14, I held a posthumous medal presentation ceremony for the surviving family of Army veteran Kenneth Wayne Pogue, a late resident of San Antonio.

Through Mr. Pogue’s commitment to our nation and unwavering faith in religion and family, he worked each day to build a better future for his family and community. It was an honor to remember and celebrate his service by presenting his family with the medals he earned. If you are a veteran or the family of a fallen veteran and need help replacing military medals, please call my office at (210) 348-8216.

Union Roundtable with Rep. Greg Casar

Success comes from the ground up, not the top down – and my mission is to make sure that all hard-working people of San Antonio have a pathway to prosperity. On February 22, I held a union roundtable with Rep. Greg Casar (TX-35) to talk about pro-worker policies to help San Antonians get ahead.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is already creating tens of thousands of union jobs but there’s more we can do to make sure every worker gets a fair deal.

Nearly $200,000 in Federal Funding for Arts and Literacy Education on San Antonio’s Westside

Latino art, culture, and history are integral parts of San Antonio’s story. On February 21, I visited two storied institutions on the Westside to announce $102,250 for Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Latino Bookstore Education Outreach and Literacy Program and $95,000 for Centro Cultural Aztlan’s K-12 Chicano Arts Curriculum.

During my visit to Centro Cultural Aztlan, I met with local artists and community leaders to discuss how the new funding will support the center’s work to develop lessons and age-appropriate art activities to engage K-12 students in learning about Chicano art, culture, and history.

At the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Latino Bookstore, I held a book reading with second-grade students from SAISD’s JT Brackenridge Elementary School and spoke with local leaders about how the new funding will support literacy programs on the Westside.

Representing the community where I was born and raised is a tremendous honor. If you ever need help – or if you have ideas that you want to share – please reach out to my office by calling 210-348-8216.

Sincerely,

Joaquin Castro
Member of Congress