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Dear Friends,
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South Texas is seeing a drastic spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. As our medical professionals and first responders continue to work tirelessly to care for patients, we must also do our part in protecting ourselves and other community members. I cannot stress this enough, please wear a face covering or mask when out in public, practice social distancing, and if you're not doing so already, implement clean hygiene in your daily routine.
This past week I was hard at work in DC. I attended many appropriation markup meetings, ensuring that our district and South Texas communities as a whole, are fairly represented in fiscal year 2021.
In the district, I attended a solidarity procession for fallen soldier, Vanessa Guillen. And as always, my offices continue to help constituents with federal agencies.
As your representative, I want to keep you up-to-date and informed throughout this pandemic. I urge you to visit my website and social media pages, @repcuellar, to stay informed with the latest news. |
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| Rep. Cuellar Attends Solidarity Procession in Laredo for Vanessa Guillen |
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On Sunday, July 12th, I attended a solidarity procession for Vanessa Guillen, in Laredo, TX. The LULAC Laredo Mujeres Poderosas, Harley-Davidson, and our local military veterans delivered a procession that truly commemorated and honored Vanessa’s life. The parade went through the the city, leading to the unveiling of a stunning art mural - designed by Laredo’s very own, Abel Gonzalez. Vanessa's memory will live on through all those she impacted. Now we must ensure that her and her family receive justice, by continuing the fight for a full investigation into her death.
Pictured is Rep. Cuellar, the Laredo Mujeres Poderosas, Commissioner Precinct 4, Cindy Liendo, and City of Laredo Mayor, Pete Saenz. To watch the live stream of the procession, click here.
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Rep. Cuellar's week in Appropriations Markups
All last week, I was in DC for Appropriation markups. What this means is that congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend and rewrite proposed legislation. During these markups, I was able to do some of the following: secure language in the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill that will permit Congress to employ Dreamers; I secured over $66 million for Recruit Housing & Training Facilities, a Training System Simulator and F-16 Mission Training Center at Joint Base San Antonio in the fiscal year 2021 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill; and I worked hard to create the FY21 State & Foreign Operations bill, which will reaffirm strong support for long-term investments in Central America and Mexico.
To see me speak during these markup meetings, follow my social media pages @repcuellar. Pictured is Rep. Cuellar at a Appropriations meeting.
'Conversations w/ Cuellar' to Discuss Funding for Federal Courthouses and Land Ports of Entry
On July 8th, I held a press availability with local district media to discuss $1 billion for construction of federal courthouses - money which will aid South Texas - as well as $2.8 billion for improvements to Land Ports of Entry, which I helped secure in the Financial Services Appropriations bill. To watch the live stream of the press call, click here.
Save Lives. Wear a Mask.
As we continue to see an increase in COVID-19 cases and our hospitals being overwhelmed with patients fighting the virus, lets continue to take the proper precautions in protecting ourselves and our loved ones. Something as simple as wearing a mask can drastically decrease your chances of contracting the coronavirus. If you're in public, make sure to keep your nose and mouth covered at all times. Together we will overcome this pandemic, but in order to do so, we must follow the guidelines that our health professionals are putting forth.
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Intern Spotlight: Briana Reyes
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In this week's "Intern Spotlight" meet Briana Reyes. Briana is currently interning in my San Antonio district office, where she is helping assist constituents with any issues they may be facing. Originally from Laredo, Briana is a current undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin; she is studying Business and International Relations & Global Studies. Through this internship, Briana is wanting to gain insight into policies and issues that South Texans faces, ultimately contributing to her long time goal of entering the professional field. Upon completion of her internship, Briana plans to return to UT this fall - where she is a Head Coordinator for a freshman honors program, the Foundation Scholars Program. Eventually, she hopes to attend law school and become an attorney. When she isn't studying or interning at my district office, you can find Briana trying out new foods and taking advantage of Austin's unique music scene. Thank you for spending your summer with Team Cuellar and I look forward to seeing all the great work you'll do with us.
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Coronavirus Resource Handbook
My office's COVID-19 Resource Handbook provides an extremely helpful list of tools and services for all those in the district. We are constantly updating the information in our handbook and you can regularly check my website for the newest edition. This wide-ranging economic rescue package provides rapid and meaningful assistance for individuals, businesses, and first responders.
Sections include: unemployment, direct payments, food assistance, homeowners and protection programs, and more. If you have any questions about the topics listed on the handbook, please contact my offices for assistance. To view the English handbook, click here. To view the Spanish handbook, click here.
We're Behind on Responding to the 2020 Census
As of July 10th, our district has a response rate of 48.2%. Unfortunately, this is only a small improvement from last week and we're still trailing behind the state's average rate of 56.9%. The gap in responses is continuing to widen; don't get left behind. Let's improve these numbers and make sure every, man, woman, and child living in TX-28 is properly accounted for. You can complete the census form online, by clicking here. If you want to complete it by phone, call: 1-844-330-2020. Or, you can respond through mail, once you receive the paper form.
| This Week's Grant Newsletter |
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Don't miss out on a grant opportunity! Attracting more federal funds to the district and region has been a top priority during my tenure in Congress. In an effort to better serve you, I want to provide you with information on a variety of open federal grant opportunities in each week's newsletter. To see this week's edition, click here. If you'd like to subscribe to the weekly grants newsletter, please fill out our google doc form.
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Internal Revenue System (IRS): Extension to File and Pay - EXTENSION ENDS TODAY -
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Don't forget that he deadline to file your 2019 federal taxes is TODAY. If you initially qualified for the extension, you must file by the end of the day.
In this week's video, the IRS outlines who qualified for this extension because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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| LATEST NEWS |
7/10, Border Report: IBWC demands water Mexico owes US, otherwise Texas ranchers, communities ‘suffer’
7/10, The Monitor: Lawmakers request more funds, field hospital from federal government
7/9, The Monitor: Rep. Cuellar announces funding plans for new federal courthouse
7/9, KVEO: Congressman Cuellar announces funding for ports of entry
7/7, KVEO: $9.4 million dollars goes to Texas Workforce Commission to help with unemployment
7/6, Laredo Morning Times: Congressman Cuellar looking to what can be done about Mexican tourism
7/6, Laredo Morning Times: Cuellar discusses infrastructure bill for I-27
7/3, Rio Grande Guardian: Division among border leaders on ending US-Mexico travel ban
7/2, Laredo Morning Times: Cuellar discusses USMCA with Mexican counterparts on its first day
7/2, Texas Border Business:
'Conversation with Cuellar' to discuss new highway infrastructure bill
7/1, KVEO: Federal funding announced for border security
7/1, KRGV: Leaders and economists discuss USMCA trade agreement
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