Rep. Henry Cuellar has submitted funding requests for important community projects in TX-28 to the House Appropriations Committee.

Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 10 projects in their community for fiscal year 2022 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding is available here.

In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. Cuellar has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

Laredo Detoxification Center

Amount of Request: $3,350,000
Intended Recipient: City of Laredo - 1110 Houston St. Laredo, Texas 78040

The Detoxification Center benefits the public as involuntary and voluntary admission helps anyone that is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Those who have suffered from addiction know how hard it can be to overcome it alone, and the healing environment of detoxification center offers the support needed to make a successful recovery. The detoxification center will include individualized treatment plans to help patients identify and overcome the underlying issues that started their addiction. This is a good use of taxpayer dollars because using jail-time as a go-to method against persons with substance abuse or overcoming their addiction is not the best way to help mitigate the situation. Most people with legal troubles have existing substance or alcohol use problems and keeping them in jail is not a long-term fiscal benefit.

View Rep. Cuellar's signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project here.

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

Gateway Community Health Center, inc (GCHC) -West Laredo Family Medicine Clinic

Amount of Request: $2,129,260.00
Intended Recipient: Gateway Community Health Center - 1515 Pappas St. Laredo, Texas 78040

The proposed clinic will help alleviate the financial and communal health barriers that prohibit this community from accessing and receiving proper healthcare services. This clinic will also enable GCHC to expand its health care service capacity to the benefit of patients.

View Rep. Cuellar's signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project here.


Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies

La Joya Fire Station

Amount of Request: $1,700,000
Intended Recipient: City of La Joya - 701 East Expressway 83. La Joya, TX 78560

La Joya’s current fire station is the only first responder facility in the area and does not meet the standard building code requirements as much of the structure is outdated and falling apart. In addition, the population of La Joya and the surrounding rural areas has been growing. The fire station serves as a social hub as well as providing critical public safety services. The new fire station will provide La Joya firefighters the ability to properly respond to emergencies in this rural area of South Texas. 

This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because a new fire station will serve to better protect the health and safety of the community as well as provide a safer facility for the firefighters.

View Rep. Cuellar's signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project here.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies

City of Sullivan El Faro Road Flood Mitigation Project

This project will update El Faro road and drainage infrastructure to alleviate a heavy flooding problem in the community. These improvements would both make residents and drivers in Sullivan City safer and save the city a considerable amount of money over time.

This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it addresses a safety issue for the community.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies

Border Colonias Housing Rehab Program

Amount of Request: $2,000,000
Intended Recipient: NeighborWorks Laredo - 216 Bob Bullock Loop, Laredo, Texas 78043

Funds will support the rehabilitation and weatherization of housing for residents of colonias communities in Webb County.

This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because needed rehabilitation of aging and substandard housing will promote healthy living conditions and lower utility costs through energy efficient repairs for vulnerable families living in colonias communities.

Restoration of the Roma-Miguel Aleman International Suspension Bridge

Amount of Request: $5,000,000
Intended Recipient: City of Roma - 77 Convent Ave, Roma, TX 78584

The Roma-Miguel Aleman International Suspension Bridge is the last surviving suspension bridge on the United States-Mexican border. Built in 1928, the bridge is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Funds will help stabilize the bridge and save it from collapse. In addition, the project would rehabilitate the bridge for pedestrian and cycling traffic crossing from Mexico. This would free up space on the adjacent concrete bridge for commercial trucks to cross at this busy port of entry.

This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because in addition to preserving a historic bridge, repairs and stabilization will also mitigate a potential disaster from bridge collapse and the contamination of the Rio Grande with lead paint from the old structure.

Funds will support a new Emergency Operations Center for Zapata County. The new facility would enable first responders to serve the community more effectively while providing safe and secure conditions for emergency personnel and ensuring interoperable communications capabilities among all partner agencies and organizations.

This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the County relies on emergency services and this project would provide a safe and secure facility with upgraded capabilities for emergency response that will benefit all county residents.

Human Performance Optimization (HPO) Center

Amount of Request: $2,000,000
Intended Recipient: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

The HPO Center is focused on cognitive and physical research and learning to optimize human performance. It will provide unique opportunities to partner with other research and private entities to improve health, promote healthy aging, and overall, well-being of servicemember within the Department of Defense and beyond.

This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it will build and sustain a strong military force to ensure national security.