REP. SYLVIA GARCIA SECURES TEN MILLION+ FOR HOUSTON, SOUTH HOUSTON, GALENA PARK, AND JACINTO CITY COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) voted to pass the historic $1.5 trillion Bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations Bill. As part of the package, 9 Community Project Funding (CPF) requests led by Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia were secured. The bill's transformative investment will help Texas families with cost-of-living increases, good-paying jobs, and local community projects.

"I was proud to secure nearly $10,200,000 in Community Project Funding for Houstonians across our community," said Congresswoman Garcia. "These critical funds will invest in local neighborhoods, strengthen communities, and foster economic development for Texans. This will improve our district and benefit all district residents for years to come."

The legislation includes the following Community Project Funding secured by Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia:

• Project: City of Galena Park Water Line and Fire Protection Improvements

Amount: $3,000,000

Background: This project would replace and upgrade the aging system and allow the city to guarantee delivery of potable water to residents and provide adequate firewater in case of fire. The project would replace over 52,000 linear feet of water mains and install over 100 new fire hydrants for fire protection.

• Project: Pasadena Independent School District, Pasadena, TX for education technology

Amount: $2,000,000

Background: Investing in technology will allow both teachers and students to connect, including during temporary school closings. investing in new technology supports the district's mission to empower students to become accomplished, self-directed, collaborative, lifelong learners by engaging them in rigorous curriculum and innovative meaningful experiences.

• Project: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX for facilities and equipment

Amount: $1,100,000

Background: The BCM Long-COVID Model System of Care will advance understanding of this post-COVID-infection syndrome, while providing critical services to promote the full recovery and long-term care of everyone in the Texas 29th Congressional District and across the Houston community. In addition to the establishment of the physical clinic location, BCM will develop a secure and longitudinal database, maintained and analyzed by analytical experts in the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, creating an indispensable resource to understand the varied impacts of Covid-19 on our multi-ethnic population and to determine how best to care for them.

• Project: Asian American Health Coalition of Greater Houston, d/b/a HOPE Clinic, Houston, TX for a health initiative, including facilities and equipment

Amount: $1,000,000

Background: The funding would be used to develop a school-based clinic at Aldine Middle School. The clinic would deliver both physical and mental health services to the nearly 16,000 in the school's feeder patterns.

• Project: South Side Water Main & Fire Hydrant Construction

Amount: $997,365

Background: This water infrastructure project will replace existing 80-year-old water mains serving a region from Market Street to Lane Street. This will yield a significant increase in water flow and pressure to ensure access to potable water and required water pressure for fire protection.

• Project: YMCA of Greater Houston, TX for the Early Childhood English Language Learner Initiative

Amount: $700,000

Background: The project proposes to create and pilot the Early Childhood English Language Learner Initiative/ECELLI that aims to support the success of English Learners enrolled in licensed childcare facilities and home childcare programs in underserved communities.

• Project: The Houston Financial Empowerment Center (HFEC)

Amount: $621,000

Background: The HFEC launched in January 2020 as a free, on-demand, professional financial counseling service for all Houstonians regardless of income, employment status, or resident status. The professionally trained counselors help individuals manage their finances, pay down debt, increase savings, establish and build credit, and access safe and affordable mainstream banking products. The program has three locations, including the Magnolia Park Multi-Service Center.

• Project: TXRX LABS, Houston, TX for employment and training activities, an apprenticeship program, and a youth STEM initiative.

Amount: $550,000

Background: The project proposes to train more than 150 veterans and second-chance residents, and service another 75 adults through the apprenticeship programs. The youth STEM initiative will train over 500 local high school kids in innovative and relevant job skills for the future of our workforce.

• Project: El Centro de Corazon, Houston, TX for facilities and construction

Amount: $225,000

Background: The funding would be used to expand the dental clinic by adding additional space and dental equipment. It would also be used to purchase flood pedestrian gates to prevent clinic flooding and ensure access to care during severe weather events.

The package was passed by the Senate and is awaiting signature by President Biden. A detailed summary of the bill is available here.

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Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018, becoming the first Latina ever to represent the Texas 29th Congressional District. She serves on both the House Judiciary and Financial Services Committees.