Rep. Cuellar has submitted the following Community Project Funding (CPF) requests for Fiscal Year 2027 to the House Appropriations Committee on behalf of Texas’s 28th Congressional District. These projects reflect local priorities and aim to enhance critical infrastructure, public safety, workforce development, and economic opportunity across the district. The projects are listed below in alphabetical order.
Under guidelines established by the House Appropriations Committee, each Member of Congress may request funding for up to 20 CPF projects. While only a limited number will ultimately receive funding, each request must fall within eligible federal accounts and be directed to a qualified state or local government entity or eligible nonprofit organization. Additionally, Members are required to submit a written explanation describing the purpose of each request and its federal nexus.
In full compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. Cuellar has certified that neither he, his spouse, nor any immediate family member has any financial interest in any of the projects submitted. Links to signed certification letters and federal nexus statements are included for each request.
Starr Paws Project
Amount of Request: $1,000,000
Intended Recipient: Starr County, 401 N. Britton Ave, Rio Grande City, TX 78582
This funding would be used to renovate and equip a modern animal shelter to serve rural, and underserved colonia communities along the U.S.-Mexico border. The proposed facility would expand access to preventive animal care and reduce long-term municipal costs associated with unmanaged stray populations and provide workforce development opportunities in animal care and facility operations.
This is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it addresses a documented gap in essential public services, mitigates public health risks, and delivers long-term cost savings through preventative animal care and disease prevention.
View Rep. Cuellar's signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Hebbronville Community Center
Amount of Request: $1,000,000
Intended Recipient: Jim Hogg County, 102 E. Tilley Street, Hebbronville, TX 78361
This funding would be used to renovate and equip the Hebbronville Community Center, a multi-purpose facility serving as a year-round community gathering space and an emergency shelter during natural disasters. The project improves disaster resilience and addresses critical public safety infrastructure needs in this rural South Texas community.
This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it preserves a vital public facility, improves energy efficiency, and ensures continued access to essential services for a predominantly low-income population.
View Rep. Cuellar's signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
La Salle County Regional Youth Center
Amount of Request: $1,000,000
Intended Recipient: La Salle County, 101 Courthouse Square, Cotulla, TX 78014
This funding would be used to construct and equip the educational and classroom components of a new Regional Youth Center located in Cotulla, Texas. The facility would serve youth and families from Cotulla, Encinal, and surrounding rural communities, where access to structured after-school educational programming and youth services is limited. The project would address gaps in educational resources and support improved academic outcomes by providing a safe and accessible environment for learning and skill development.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it strengthens educational resources, supports youth development, and promotes long-term economic resilience in an underserved rural region.
View Rep. Cuellar's signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Big Wells Community Center
Amount of Request: $250,000
Intended Recipient: City of Big Wells, 151 Commerce Avenue, Big Wells, TX 78830
This funding would be used to rehabilitate and equip the Big Wells Community Center. Planned improvements include interior and exterior upgrades to restore the facility’s functionality and safety. These upgrades are necessary to address aging infrastructure and maintain a safe, accessible, and functional space for community use.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it preserves a vital public facility, improves energy efficiency, and ensures continued access to essential services for a predominantly low-income population.
View Rep. Cuellar's signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
El Indio Community Center
Amount of Request: $750,000
Intended Recipient: Maverick County, 500 Quarry Street, Eagle Pass, TX 78852
This funding would be used to rehabilitate renovate and equip the existing 2,500-square-foot El Indio Community Center to improve safety, accessibility, and functionality for public use. The project would include interior and exterior renovations, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance upgrades, and rehabilitation of existing restroom facilities to meet modern safety and accessibility standards.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it modernizes essential rural infrastructure, enhances public safety and accessibility, and expands opportunities for community health and engagement in an underserved area.
View Rep. Cuellar's signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Port Laredo Logistics Ecosystem
Amount of request: $1,000,000
Intended Recipient: Texas A&M International University, 5201 University Boulevard, Laredo, TX 78041
This funding would be used to establish a Digital Twin and Logistics Resilience Lab at the Port Laredo trade corridor in Laredo, the nation’s busiest commercial land port. This project will improve real-time visibility into freight operations, identify chokepoints, and enable predictive risk detection. It will also advance research on freight power systems and develop technology-neutral standards for infrastructure, interoperability, and performance across evolving freight networks.
This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it improves the security, efficiency, and resilience of a corridor that carries a substantial share of U.S. trade. The project will enable proactive disruption management, strengthen cybersecurity protections for freight systems, and reduce inefficiencies in the movement of goods, delivering measurable economic and national security benefits.
View Rep. Cuellar's signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Homeland Security and Protective Services Academic Training Center
Amount of request: $1,000,000
Intended Recipient: Laredo College, 1 West End Washington Street, Laredo, TX 78040
This funding would be used to support the expansion of Laredo College’s Protective Services Department in Laredo through facility improvements and critical equipment and technology upgrades for modern law enforcement and homeland security training. Expanded training capacity will allow the college to support professional development for current officers and first responders while creating pathways for students to enter high-demand public safety careers.
This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it strengthens public safety and national security by preparing a skilled workforce to serve in law enforcement, forensic investigation, and homeland security roles. The project will enhance the capacity of a key border community to respond to evolving security needs while supporting economic development and workforce readiness in South Texas.
View Rep. Cuellar's signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
McDonald Observatory Upgrades
Amount of request: $1,000,000
Intended Recipient: The University of Texas at Austin McDonald Observatory, 82 Mount Locke Road, Fort Davis, TX 79734
This funding would be used to upgrade a 2.7-meter telescope at the McDonald Observatory to enable fully robotic, autonomous operations and enhance its capability to detect, track, and characterize satellites, near-Earth asteroids, and transient space objects.
This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it strengthens national capabilities in space situational awareness, supports monitoring of near-Earth objects, and advances technologies critical to both scientific research and national security.
View Rep. Cuellar's signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Gateway Community Health Center Autism Access Expansion Project
Amount of Request: $1,000,000
Intended Recipient: Gateway Community Health Center, Inc., 1515 Pappas St., Laredo, TX 78041
This funding would be used to expand autism and developmental disorder diagnostic capacity across Gateway Community Health Center’s tri-county service area, including Webb, Zapata, and Jim Hogg Counties. The project will strengthen healthcare infrastructure, reduce barriers to care through telehealth expansion, and improve early intervention and long-term health outcomes for children with autism and developmental disorders, and their families, across South Texas.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it expands critical healthcare infrastructure and diagnostic capacity to improve early detection and access to care for children with autism in underserved and rural communities.
View Rep. Cuellar's signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Zapata County Health Clinic Modernization
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Intended Recipient: Zapata County, 200 E. 7th Avenue, Zapata, TX 78076
This funding would be used to renovate and modernize the Zapata County Clinic. This project will strengthen healthcare infrastructure with improvements necessary to meet modern healthcare standards. The project will ensure continuity of service to a rural and medically underserved population, including veterans, low-income residents, children, and elderly patients who face limited access to alternative providers and transportation barriers
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it rehabilitates a critical healthcare facility to ensure continued access to reliable medical services and improve care delivery for underserved populations in a rural community.
View Rep. Cuellar's signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
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