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Congresswoman Veronica Escobar voted to pass the $1.7 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act to invest in hardworking families, critical infrastructure, and local quality of life. The legislation, which incorporates critical priorities for El Paso championed by Congresswoman Escobar, includes 14 Community Funding Projects submitted by the Congresswoman that will bring $25,097,706 in funding directly back to El Paso. The Consolidated Appropriations Act will now head to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

“Throughout the 117th Congress, my Democratic colleagues and I have worked hard to deliver for the American people. From passing legislation that will create good-paying jobs to fighting to lower healthcare costs, investing in infrastructure and manufacturing and so much more, we’ve achieved historic accomplishments and this year’s Consolidated Appropriations Act is no different,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “The wins for El Paso in our final funding bill are historic and reflect our community’s most pressing needs and our aspirational priorities. I am excited to see these dollars come into our community and our hard work continue to improve El Pasoans’ lives.”

In addition to the Community Funding Projects attained for El Paso, the Congresswoman also secured significant investments and policy improvements for the borderland, that include:

• $800 million for a FEMA-administered Shelter and Services Program

Funding for this program will be available to non-federal entities like the City of El Paso and the County to help process arriving migrants and prevent overcrowding in short-term U.S. Customs Border Protections (CBP) facilities. These funds will ensure that migrants receive necessary services, have access to food and shelter, and that El Pasoans do not shoulder an unfair share of this process.

Congresswoman Escobar secured these funds after several conversations with House appropriators during which she was the sole advocate for El Paso, which has consistently offered food, shelter, and other services to migrant arrivals. This historic investment will go toward addressing the current migrant situation in El Paso and help with preparations for the eventual winddown of Title 42.

• Designate the El Paso Community Healing Garden as a National Memorial

Congresswoman Escobar’s bill, H.R. 4380, the El Paso Community Healing Garden National Memorial Act, to designate the Community Healing Garden at Ascarate Park as a National Memorial was included in the final government funding legislation. The Community Healing Garden will now receive National Memorial status, recognizing the lives lost to domestic terrorism on August 3, 2019.

• $550 million for the new El Paso VA Health Care Center

After bringing back $150 million to El Paso earlier this year for the concurrent design and early site development of the new El Paso VA Health Care Center, Congresswoman Escobar championed and included $550 million for the construction of the health care center.

• $15 million for Infrastructure at Fort Bliss

This funding will be used to construct a new fire station for the William Beaumont Army Medical Center area, which currently does not have one nearby. This appropriation was included after Congresswoman Escobar also secured the complimentary authorization in the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act.

• $2.5 million for the U.S. Mexico Border Health Commission

This increase of $500,000 above Fiscal Year 2022 will help the Commission execute and broaden its mission of promoting solutions unique to the Southern border over the next year.

• Over $110 million for the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC)

This funding, which is an increase of nearly $8 million from Fiscal Year 2022, will be critical for the IBWC as it aims to continue working on issues vital to our community, like combatting drought on the Rio Grande, constructing new levees, maintaining existing dams, and more.

• Funding for Additive Manufacturing in Future Vertical Lift and Low-Cost Missile Technology

These two requests, which provide $10 million for Additive Manufacturing in Future Vertical Lift and $10 million for Low-Cost Missile Technology, will allow America Makes to work closely with minority-serving institutions like University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP) to support our supply chain and create a diverse defense workforce.

• $20 million for the U.S. Space Force’s University Partnership Program

This funding will help the Space Force continue to grow this program, which includes universities like UTEP, and allows them to continue to develop leadership, conduct research, and sponsor projects that supports the Department of Defense.

The Community Funding Projects awarded to TX-16 include:

$595,000 for El Paso Children’s Hospital Pediatric Mobile Clinic

This project would be used for the acquisition of a mobile medical vehicle and the ability to outfit it with technology and equipment necessary for a Mobile Pediatric Clinic. The Mobile Clinic will be able to provide both basic and specialty pediatric healthcare throughout El Paso County while targeting areas in the County that oftentimes lack access to pediatric care and medical resources. Additionally, the unit will provide clinical services, vaccinations, financial education and resources for parents, and education with school district nurses and teachers.

$1,750,000 for the El Paso International Airport Solar Covered Parking Project

This project designs and constructs a solar-covered parking facility located directly in front of the terminal in short-term parking. The 2.5-acre system is expected to generate 1.5MW of solar which will offset the 2.1MW consumed by the Terminal annually.

$2,000,000 for the El Paso ISD After-School Community Learning Centers: Broadening STEAM Learning Ecosystems

This funding will be used to bridge academic and equity gaps in the south side of El Paso by offering after-school enrichment centers focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM), literacy, social emotional development, and health and fitness. The goal of the program will be to positively impact the trajectories of at-risk students into STEAM careers through the establishment of after-school enrichment centers at south side campuses. The program will provide wraparound support that promotes academic excellence by focusing on character building, physical activity, and academic tutoring and enrichment. This program will engage students to increase attendance, improve academic performance, and reduce disciplinary referrals.

$500,000 for the Heritage Tourism Business Connection

This project launches a business retention and expansion effort for businesses along El Paso County’s historic Mission Trail, which stretches from the eastern edge of the City of El Paso, includes the City of Socorro, the San Elizario Historic District, and the Town of Tornillo. The program would provide training and counseling for entrepreneurs as well as skills development for employees to help bolster the tourism industry in El Paso County. Entrepreneurs targeted by the program would include small business owners situated along the Mission Trail corridor including heritage tourism and ecotourism operators.

$1,000,000 for the SAC 1 Sediment Detention Basin

This project constructs a 34-acre-foot desilting basin strategically placed to detain peak flows and sediment affecting the RV Channel (located south of the project site). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with El Paso Water, would construct a desilting basin that will detain peak flows and sediment affecting the RV Channel, street crossings, residential, commercial, and agricultural land. This project will also prevent erosion and collapse of downstream structures some of which have already been reconstructed due to failure caused by the accumulation of sediment and will protect the existing structures from future damage.

$3,000,000 for the TTUHCEP El Paso Border Health Center

This project would be used to target at-risk communities in the border region, leveraging community and clinical partners, to conduct early diagnosis and monitoring, as well as to provide telemedicine services and surveillance for obesity, diabetes, and cancer. With the equipment purchased for this project – including computers, equipment, and other health information technology devices for data storage and analysis –the center would be able to provide generational care to families in the region, particularly in the colonias, establish an electronic health records system, and conduct evidence-based diabetes and cancer research. This request will support a unique collaboration in the region between local physicians, nurses, biomedical researchers, public health researchers, promatoras, and students.

$1,925,000 for the town of Anthony, Texas Police Department, Municipal Court, and Emergency Shelter Facility

This project constructs a new police station, courthouse, and emergency community shelter facility. Currently, the police department and courthouse are housed in the same building as the town hall and other public services and do not have an emergency shelter. The current facility is too small to sustain all these essential services and building a new facility for the police department, courthouse, and an emergency community shelter complex will allow Anthony to keep up with the community’s growth, safety, and tourism.

$1,300,000 for the El Paso County Animal Welfare Pet Wellness Clinic

The funding renovates an existing property into an animal wellness clinic that will offer high-volume spay and neuter programs, as well as vaccinations and microchips to track responsible ownership. In El Paso County, there are few organizations that offer low to no-cost versions of these procedures and this project would directly address this issue.

$4,000,000 for the El Paso County Senior Meal and Community Kitchen

This project, which was requested by El Paso County and will be constructed with El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank, builds a full-scale community kitchen using an existing kitchen concept at the main food bank with the capacity to prepare, serve and deliver 10,000+ meals daily to elderly, disabled homebound, and youth populations as well as meet any emergent meal needs of the community during natural disasters or public health emergencies such as a pandemic. Once completed, the community kitchen along with other food bank services will serve as a teaching facility providing training and workforce development in culinary skills, warehousing, forklift operation, CDL driving and other vocational trades in coordination with the County of El Paso's Reentry/Transitional Center.

$1,735,000 for the Horizon City Transit-Oriented Development Phase 1

This project would be used for the initial design and environmental study of a Transit-Oriented Development in Horizon City. The Transit Oriented Development is intended to provide opportunities for Horizon City residents to live, work and play in a compact area. By creating this development, Horizon City intends to also strengthen its resiliency by diversifying its tax base and revenues. The transit plaza will serve as a hub for transit routes that will provide access to residents in the TOD area, as well as Horizon City as a whole, to educational facilities in east El Paso County and at the University of Texas at El Paso campus and the Rio Grande campus of El Paso Community College.

$2,442,706 for La Casa de los Abuelitos

This project constructs a new Abuelitos facility as a permanent home for El Paso’s elderly and frail homeless male population. The facility will be comprised of both transitional (shelter) and permanent beds and will specifically target homeless men who are harder to serve, those who are frail, in need of additional support services, and most at risk in a normal shelter setting. Utilizing a vacant lot at 150 Brown Street, this proposal involves the development of a new housing facility with 31 beds that will be designed to address the needs of a more elderly and frail population that will include ADA-compliant showers, restrooms, etc. The facility will also include a kitchen/dining area, office space, laundry room, and other essential components.

$750,000 for a Planning Study conducted by Texas A&M Transportation Institute, El Paso to Improve Land Border Crossing Transit and Pedestrian Connectivity to Business Districts in the El Paso Region for Equity, Accessibility and Economic Development

This project is for a planning study to improve land border crossing transit and pedestrian connectivity to business districts in the El Paso region. Land border crossings are a critical economic activity link for U.S. retail businesses and residents in their immediate surroundings and in the lower income neighborhoods they often connect to, as well as for businesses located elsewhere in the community. This study will complement existing community efforts by identifying specific improvements needed to connect transit and pedestrian traffic between the land border crossings with the highest pedestrian traffic and the business, medical and residential districts in their surroundings as well as other major points of attraction throughout the El Paso region.

$4,000,000 for Vinton Water and Wastewater Phase III

This project provides for the expansion of a looped water and sewer system with a wholesale supply of treated potable water and treatment of wastewater for the local business sector. The proposed system includes approximately 21,600 linear feet of 8-to-12-inch waterline, one master meter, 44 fire hydrants, and approximately 65 first-time commercial service connections. On the wastewater side, the system would include 13,980 linear feet of 8-inch sewer line and the decommissioning of 59 onsite sewage facilities. The implementation of adequate water and sewer infrastructure will address public safety and health concerns that include fire flow and environmental health.

$100,000 to conduct an Appraisal Study for Future Projects on the Franklin Canal

This project would have the Bureau of Reclamation, in conjunction with El Paso County Water District No. 1, conduct an appraisal of a 1-mile section of the Franklin Canal in Central El Paso, Texas. 

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