Congressman Vicente Gonzalez Delivers for South Texas Veterans and Servicemembers

Contact: Alexis Torres

Washington, D.C. – This Memorial Day, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) is honoring our nation’s Armed Forces through transformative actions that strengthen military readiness and improve the quality of life for our veterans, service members, and their families.

“From South Texas to the halls of Congress, I will never stop fighting on behalf of our veterans, active-duty service members, and their families,” said Congressman Gonzalez. “That’s why I continue working to pass legislation to expand access to veteran health care and benefits, conduct Congressional oversight to increase transparency around missing servicemembers, and bring millions in federal funding to our region for community services. We must uphold our promise to support the brave men and women who serve our nation and when they return home.”

Congressman Gonzalez recently supported the passage of the House Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, a $481 billion package to fund veterans’ health care and benefits and build and maintain family housing and other essential military construction projects. This legislation also included four amendments the Congressman successfully secured to address challenges veterans face when accessing the benefits they earned, such as requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit reports to Congress on open dental worker positions, average patient wait times at VA hospitals and clinics, and unfilled VA home health aide positions in Texas and New Mexico, detailing what communities are most affected; a study on the benefits of establishing a financial literacy center at VA medical centers and other facilities; and to support the burial of Military Working Dogs in veteran cemeteries.

This work builds on his efforts earlier this month in the House Financial Services Committee to introduce H.J.Res.178 to restore critical federal protections guaranteed to servicemembers and their families under the Military Lending Act. This legislation would ensure that South Texans are protected from predatory lending practices that threaten their financial security and long-term stability. 

Congressman Gonzalez continues to be a longtime champion of veterans and active duty servicemembers in the 34^th Congressional District of Texas, which is currently home to three National Guard facilities, Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, and runs adjacent to NAS Corpus Christi and Corpus Christi Army Depot. Over the last year, he has:

• Passed language into law to increase accountability, transparency, and urgency in investigating service members who go missing while on duty. This was a direct response to the murder of Brownsville native, Seaman Angelina Resendiz.
• Introduced the bipartisan and bicameral Veterans Member Business Loan Act, H.R. 507, to expand access to capital for veteran-owned small businesses by removing arbitrary lending caps imposed on credit union member business loans.
• Supported the Major Richard Star Act, H.R. 2102, which would allow disabled veterans to receive both their retirement pay and disability compensation. He signed a discharge petition to force a vote on this bill.
• Championed the Preserve Access to Rapid Ambulance Emergency Medical Treatment (PARA-EMT) Act, H.R. 2220, to address Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staffing shortages by expediting state civilian certification and licensure for military veterans who received EMS training during their time in service. 
• Advocated for the Driver Reimbursement Increase for Veteran Equity (DRIVE) Act, H.R. 1288, to increase travel mileage reimbursement rates for eligible South Texas veterans with service-connected disabilities.
• Led more than 50 House Democrats in demanding the Administration end the purge of minority servicemembers and veterans from military records, including South Texas hero, Sergeant Freddy Gonzalez.
• Urged the VA to reverse a decision that reduces reimbursement rates for caregivers who provide essential in-home health services to veterans.
• Expressed concerns over the VA’s proposed cuts to reduce its workforce by 30,000 and its effect on services provided in South Texas.
• Voted for the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, H.R. 6047, which would create a significant increase in in benefits for veterans and their surviving families while establishing an increase in monthly allowance for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities.
• Voted for the Veterans 2^nd Amendment Protection Act, H.R. 1041, to safeguard gun ownership.
• Voted for the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act, H.R. 3482, to digitize the scheduling of health care appointments at the VA.
• Voted for Veterans’ Transition to Trucking Act, H.R. 2954, to allow the VA to approve multi-state trucking apprenticeship programs.