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Congresswoman Veronica Escobar welcomed Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Alejandra Castillo, to El Paso.

During the visit, the Assistant Secretary and the Congresswoman met with local elected leaders and stakeholders to discuss Economic Development Administration (EDA) funding opportunities regarding the revitalization of the Mission Trail and local entrepreneurial tech startups and the organizations that support them to discuss the work they are doing in our community to help advance economic development. They additionally toured key sites of the West Texas Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing Coalition, which was recently awarded $40 million as a winner of the Department of Commerce’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge.  

“From helping us to combat the ‘brain drain’ and retain talented young people to making our community a leader in the Aerospace and Defense manufacturing space, investments in hybrid and large-scale additive manufacturing – like that from the Build Back Better Regional Challenge – are transformational for El Paso’s economy,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “I was proud to host Assistant Secretary Castillo and look forward to our continued partnership with EDA as El Paso expands into a formidable player in the national security realm.”

Managed by the EDA and funded by the American Rescue Plan, the Build Back Better Regional Challenge was developed to help regional economies recover from the coronavirus pandemic and address economic disparities and inequality in communities across the nation. The Congresswoman is the only federal representative to vote for the American Rescue Plan which funds the Challenge and invests in El Paso, UTEP faculty and students, innovative manufacturers, and talented workforce within the rapidly growing aerospace industry. 

The West Texas Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing Coalition is one of 21 winners – chosen from an original applicant pool of 529 – that will receive awards between $25 and $65 million to implement an average of six projects that together will enable each region's economic transformation and competitiveness.