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Congresswoman Escobar Secures Key Wins in Bipartisan Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Funding Bill

Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) voted in favor of the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MILCON-VA) Appropriations bill, which advanced out of the House Appropriations Committee with unanimous bipartisan support.

The FY2027 MILCON-VA bill provides $481 billion overall, including $157 billion in discretionary funding for military construction and veterans’ programs. It increases funding for veterans’ health care, including investments in suicide prevention, women’s health, and rural services, while including several key provisions the Congresswoman secured.

“As a member of the MILCON-VA Subcommittee, I worked to ensure this bill delivers meaningful progress for our service members, our veterans, and communities like El Paso,” said Rep. Escobar. “While no bill is perfect, this legislation reflects thoughtful bipartisan work and includes important steps forward on oversight, innovation, and accountability.”

Delivering for El Paso Veterans and Military Families

The bill includes multiple provisions led by the Congresswoman and focused on strengthening veterans’ care and supporting military infrastructure:

El Paso VA Medical Center Oversight: The Congresswoman wrote language in the legislation to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide detailed updates on activation planning for the new El Paso VA Medical Center, including staffing, equipment, and patient demand. This is in addition to her introduction of the El Paso VA Medical Center Activation Readiness Act in April. She previously helped secure $700 million for the facility’s construction and continues to push to ensure it opens in a timely and cost-efficient manner.
Veteran Health Care Coordination: The legislation directs the VA to study ways to improve coordination for veterans who rely on multiple health systems, helping reduce gaps in care and improve outcomes.
Dialysis Care Protections: The bill reinforces the importance of maintaining and strengthening access to specialty dialysis services for veterans in regions like El Paso.
Expanded Medical Image Sharing: The Congresswoman advanced efforts to modernize the VA’s medical imaging systems, improving coordination between VA facilities, community providers, and federal partners

Advancing Military Construction Reform and Innovation

The Congresswoman also secured provisions aimed at modernizing the military construction process:

Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSAs): The bill directs the Department of Defense to explore expanding the use of IGSAs for small-scale construction projects, a step toward making military construction faster, more flexible, and more cost-effective.
3D Construction Standards: The legislation encourages the Pentagon to accelerate development of standardized building codes for additive manufacturing, helping military installations adopt innovative construction technologies more efficiently, like the construction currently happening at Fort Bliss.
Support for Fort Bliss Missions: The Congresswoman supported a measure which highlights the importance of the 32d Army Air and Missile Defense Command, whose aging headquarters was built in the 1950s, and encourages planning for a modern headquarters to support its global mission.

Standing Up for Veterans Nationwide

Additional provisions include:

Herbicide Exposure Review in Puerto Rico: The VA is directed to evaluate historical herbicide testing in Puerto Rico and determine whether affected veterans are properly recognized and supported.
VA Technology Modernization Oversight: The bill pushes for stronger data governance and responsible use of artificial intelligence to improve claims processing while maintaining accountability.

Video remarks can be found here and more information about the bill can be found here.

TRANSCRIPT: Congresswoman Escobar Speaks on Bipartisan Wins in the FY27 MILCON-VA Legislation

Thu, 14 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This afternoon, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) spoke on the bipartisan wins included in the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Bill on the House floor ahead of the final vote for the legislation.

The video can be found here and a transcript can be found below:

Congresswoman Escobar: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the proud representative of the great military installation of Fort Bliss, Texas, and as a member of the MILCON-VA Subcommittee, I want to thank Chairman Carter and Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz not just for their work on this bill, but for being champions of bipartisan collaboration. So grateful to the both of you for that.

And while this is not a perfect bill, it does make real progress. The bill advances my provisions supporting reforms and innovation to help modernize a military construction process that is far too slow and rigid for today's military. The needs we have for military construction are far greater than the resources available, and I am deeply committed to reforming this process so that we can stretch those dollars even further.

This bill also supports planning for a new headquarters for the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command at Fort Bliss, whose aging facilities no longer match its global mission.

On the VA side, I'm pleased that this bill includes my own legislation to ensure oversight of the activation planning of the VA medical center being built in El Paso, right next to William Beaumont Hospital. I was proud to help secure the $700 million to build this great facility, and I'm committed to ensuring it delivers world class health care for veterans on day one.

While I'm disappointed the bill still contains a partisan provision that weakens gun background check protections for veterans that I do not agree with, the final product is still a thoughtful, bipartisan one, and I support it in its current form, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Thank you. I yield back.

Congresswoman Escobar Statement on Eminent Domain Action of Mt. Cristo Rey

Wed, 13 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released the following statement in response to reports that the Trump administration has filed an eminent domain suit for possession of nearly 15 acres of land at Mt. Cristo Rey:

“Mt. Cristo Rey's cultural and religious significance is central to our region. Seizing this community asset in order to build a border wall is consistent with the Trump administration’s blatant disregard for what communities like ours value.

“There are a number of other ways to provide border security. Instead, the Trump administration prefers to destroy this sacred site.

“I support the Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces in their opposition to the federal government’s actions to degrade a site so significant to our shared identity, and I have reached out to my New Mexico colleagues so we can collaborate on ways to save this site.”

Problem Solvers Caucus Endorses Congresswoman Escobar’s Dignity Act

Tue, 12 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released the following statement after the Problem Solvers Caucus endorsed her bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform legislation, the Dignity Act:

“Our immigration system has been broken for over 40 years. Families, businesses, and entire communities live with that sober reality every day. That’s why this endorsement from the Problem Solvers Caucus on my legislation, the Dignity Act, matters.

“Their support demonstrates the growing bipartisan recognition that the status quo is failing our country and that the Dignity Act is the only serious effort in Congress to fix it with humanity, accountability, and real solutions.

“I’m grateful for their endorsement as we continue moving immigration reform forward. The Dignity Act is a solution — for our economy, our national security and our future — and there is an urgent need for this reform right now.”

To learn more about the Dignity Act, click here.

The Problem Solvers Caucus is a group of Members of Congress — split between Republicans and Democrats — committed to advancing common-sense solutions to key issues facing our nation. Learn more about the caucus here.

What They’re Saying on the Dignity Act

Texas Tribune: U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar’s bipartisan immigration bill draws GOP support — and backlash

Congresswoman Escobar Interviewed by Migrant Insider’s Pablo Manriquez on the Dignity Act

Congresswoman Escobar Shares Concerns with El Paso Public Service Board on Data Centers

Tue, 12 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Last week, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) sent the members of the El Paso Water Public Service Board (PSB) a letter requesting the PSB adhere to several suggestions to protect and prioritize El Pasoans while ensuring transparency and accountability from data centers.

The letter can be found here, and the full text can be found below:

Dear Chair Morris and the esteemed members of the Public Service Board,

Thank you for serving our community and the leadership you have provided in challenging times. When the City of El Paso established the Public Service Board (PSB) in 1952, their decision to create a governing body independent of politics gave you and your predecessors the ability to focus squarely on the management and control of our community’s water and wastewater. That visionary decision has helped protect our most precious resource: water. I’m writing to ask that the PSB swiftly act to provide safeguards for our community as we see AI Data Centers proliferate in our region.

For decades, El Paso Water has led the way in innovation and aggressive conservation efforts and has rightfully put in place common-sense policies that El Pasoans have supported and honored. Since 1991, the majority of El Pasoans have followed the mandatory water restrictions set in place by El Paso Water and its Public Service Board. El Paso Water has hastened changes in behavior by running several different educational campaigns, like the Home Water Use Calculator, that help residents estimate their household water usage and identify opportunities to conserve water. El Pasoans have complied with these limitations, including replacing water-thirsty lawns with xeriscaping and watering outdoors on limited days of the week. We’ve celebrated our water reduction and – thanks to the innovation at EP Water – our community has been at the forefront of inland desalination and wastewater reuse.

Those of us who have water and wastewater connections are the fortunate ones. In El Paso County, there are still 1,878 individuals who live in colonias and cannot open their faucet for water, and without wastewater connections, must deal with septic tanks, many of which routinely fail. In the wealthiest country in the world, America still has residents who must truck in the water they use to cook, drink, shower and do laundry. I’m proud to work with El Paso Water to deliver as many resources as possible to help connect these citizens to water and wastewater, and I am grateful as well as to our partners at the County and our state delegation, who do everything possible to meet the water and wastewater needs of our shared constituents. Without EP Water’s dedication to these water and wastewater hookups, countless El Pasoans would not have had access to water. But we all still have much more work to do to close the gaps that remain.

An additional challenge we face is that El Paso is one of the fastest warming communities in the country, and as our summers get hotter, persistent drought conditions will continue to require EP Water to invest in innovative ways to diversify our water supply. Recent years in El Paso have ranked among the warmest on record, an unsettling trend and a danger we must recognize. While EP Water has been at the cutting edge of new technologies, alternative water supplies are increasingly costly, and residents are already feeling the strain on their pocketbooks.

Adding multiple large volume industrial water users, specifically multiple data centers, threatens to strain our already limited water supply. Given the sacrifices El Pasoans have been willing to make and the increases in utility bills over time, it’s no wonder El Pasoans are deeply alarmed. It’s crucial that the PSB and EP Water create safeguards that protect ratepayers and users from the unexpected and significant demands and water usage that come with data centers.

As a federal legislator, I’ve joined my colleagues in legislation that creates federal guardrails on data centers to protect our communities. However, we need a whole-of-government approach on this issue, especially given how quickly data centers are being constructed, and the limited information and consultation they are providing our residents.

As the PSB reviews EP Water’s plans to provide water for data centers in El Paso County, I respectfully suggest the PSB consider the following:

Contractually obligating all AI data centers to use the “closed loop” liquid cooling system for cooling that recycles water;
Clear metering that can be reported regularly to the PSB;
Transparency and reporting requirements that would ensure real-time reporting to the community and full public disclosure of usage:
Ensuring commercial users like AI Data Centers are contractually obligated to subsidize infrastructure improvements rather than shifting the cost to residential ratepayers;
Protections for the community during periods of drought, prioritizing residential and existing commercial users over AI Data Center users;
A separate rate structure for data centers, including system development fees, charging for peak capacity, and up-front capital contributions; and
Ensuring the investment that has been promised by Meta (and any other data center) is made and is appropriately deployed to sustainability.

Protecting El Pasoans is a shared obligation and a priority of mine as well, so please let me know if and how my team and I can be helpful in this effort.

Texas Tribune: U.S. Rep Veronica Escobar's bipartisan immigration bill draws GOP support - and backlash

Mon, 11 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Texas Tribune: U.S. Rep Veronica Escobar's bipartisan immigration bill draws GOP support - and backlash

The latest version of the El Paso Democrat’s Dignity Act includes a key change to make it more palatable to Republicans. Some have gotten on board, but others are firmly opposed.

By Gabby Birenbaum

WASHINGTON — When Democrats took control of Washington after the 2020 election, Rep. Veronica Escobar thought comprehensive immigration reform was within reach.

It didn’t work out that way.

The El Paso Democrat helped craft a bill party leaders introduced at the start of Joe Biden’s term to create an eight-year pathway to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the country. But the Democratic legislation never got enough buy-in within the party and was deemed a non-starter by Republicans.

The episode was instructive for Escobar, who succeeded Beto O’Rourke in Congress halfway through Donald Trump’s first term and, in short order, made her name as an authority on immigration among House Democrats.

“It was a real wake-up call for me on the politics within my own party,” Escobar said. “It really was during that first two years of the Biden administration that I realized, No. 1, we’re not going to get this done as a Democratic-only bill. No. 2, it really is going to need to be bipartisan if it’s going to stick. And No. 3, I think we’re going to lose elections because of immigration.”

After Republicans rode the issue to a House majority in 2022, Escobar changed tack. She teamed up with Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Cuban American who represents a heavily Hispanic district anchored in Miami, to write an immigration reform bill called the Dignidad, or Dignity, Act. Crafted “in some respects in secret” to avoid momentum-sapping backlash, Escobar said, the compromise that emerged included a pathway to work and travel authorization for long-term undocumented residents and a mandate for employers to check staffers’ work authorization status.

They re-introduced the bill last year, with a key change to make it more palatable to Republicans, as the political battlefield on immigration was veering from the now-quiet border to Trump’s mass deportation push.

In turn, the new Dignity Act has sparked an emerging debate that reflects the shifting political realities for both parties around immigration. Democrats, acknowledging that some Biden-era immigration policies were out of step with the electorate, reined in a key sticking point of the bill’s prior version by removing the pathway to citizenship beyond DACA recipients. Yet, there would still be a way for undocumented immigrants to get temporary legal status, a point that’s the crux of the GOP’s disjointed response to the bill.

What emerges is a picture of an uneasy Republican coalition in which business leaders, grassroots conservatives and the Hispanic voters who helped power Trump’s 2024 victory all lack alignment on how to proceed.

Through the careful building of a coalition — Escobar and Salazar only let cosponsors join in bipartisan pairs — the Dignity Act is now up to 40 cosponsors, half in each party. In Texas, that includes Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg, both in the moderate wings of their party.

But at the same time, the Dignity Act has unearthed a wave of conservative opposition, led by a fellow Texan, Flower Mound freshman Rep. Brandon Gill. Gill has been the tip of the spear in the pressure campaign against the bill, calling it a betrayal of conservative values and tantamount to offering amnesty, a dead letter in the GOP.

“The glue that held that [2024 GOP] coalition together was the mass deportation message that we ran on, because that is something that — particularly for working-class voters — resonates,” Gill said. “Because they’re the ones whose communities are being transformed. They’re the ones whose wages are being suppressed or whose jobs are being taken by this mass influx of illegal aliens that Democrats, by the way, created.”

To that end, Gill, an emerging force in the GOP, has sparred with Salazar about the bill on social media and made a point of endorsing candidates in Republican primaries who share his commitment to a more hardline immigration policy.

The Dignity Act doesn’t have support from GOP House leadership, and has no obvious pathway to passage at the moment. But despite the backlash, Escobar still sees a window — though narrow — for action, especially as Trump’s polling on immigration slips.

“There is an acknowledgment from the [Republican] side that the status quo cannot remain,” Escobar said. “I do think this is the moment. If we don’t get it done before August recess, it’s going to be really hard to get it done in the future.”

What’s in the bill

For decades, the basis of any immigration compromise has been a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants — a priority for many Democrats — in exchange for heightened border security, a Republican priority, and stricter employment verification. Efforts to break through the impasse have repeatedly fallen short, establishing bipartisan immigration reform as one of Congress’ legislative white whales.

The Dignity Act has a different framework. It includes a modified version of the DREAM Act, which would offer conditional permanent residency status and eventual citizenship to DACA recipients, or people brought to the U.S. as children who have lived most of their lives here.

But aside from Dreamers, there’s no pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the bill — the key change from the 2023 version. Instead, they can earn legal status through the Dignity Program — a seven-year pathway contingent on passing a criminal background check, paying $7,000 in restitution plus taxes owed and providing proof that the applicant worked or was in school for at least four of the seven years. Dignity status, which authorizes holders to work and travel freely, would last for seven years and could be renewed indefinitely for recipients in good standing.

“Dignity is not amnesty,” Salazar said at a press conference last year. “Dignity does not grant a path to citizenship to anybody. Dignity is the Solomonic way to fix a 40-year problem.”

Crucially, the Dignity Program is only eligible to immigrants who arrived in the U.S. before the end of 2020 — meaning any migrants from the Biden era are ineligible. And those who have achieved Dignity status are barred from claiming means-tested federal benefits or entitlement programs.

Escobar said a common criticism she heard “and totally understood” during the Biden administration was frustration over new arrivals getting work authorization while older immigrants who had been in the U.S. for decades never did.

“Even within the immigrant community, with mixed-status families, there was a sense that it was profoundly unfair,” Escobar said. “And this bill tackles that head-on.”

The funds generated from the Dignity program would go to apprenticeship and skills training programs for U.S. citizens.

The bill also reforms asylum and employment practices and bolsters border security. It phases in a requirement that employers use E-Verify to confirm the work authorization status of their employees. It funds border security infrastructure, including “physical barriers,” and technology and raises pay for some Border Patrol agents. And it overhauls how asylum works, including an end to the controversial catch-and-release practice.

Asylum cases would need to be determined within 60 days, and applicants would be screened and held in newly built humanitarian campuses. Those whose asylum cases are denied or who fail their credible fear interview, which establishes eligibility for asylum based on potential for persecution or torture in their home country, would be subject to expedited removal.

In addition, the bill would expand opportunities for legal immigration, doubling the per-country annual cap for green cards, removing children and spouses from being counted toward caps on employment-based visas, and making changes aimed at whittling down visa backlogs.

The politics of dignity

As Republicans attempt to hold their coalition together for the midterms, Gill said he sees immigration policy — and mass deportation — as a unifying force, especially for keeping working-class voters under the GOP tent.

“That’s the glue that held the coalition together,” Gill said. “So I think to betray that, to go back on our word on the core thesis of the last election cycle, from a political standpoint, would fracture and, in many ways, just dissolve that coalition entirely.”

Across the Republican conference, Gill said there is “virtually no tolerance or appetite for amnesty of any kind.” He said GOP members who support the bill have told him they are mainly interested in codifying border security. But he thinks Democrats cannot be trusted on the issue.

Salazar argues the exact opposite, telling Politico that “what I’m doing is I’m really trying to preserve the Republican base that gave victory to Trump,” particularly the new Hispanic voter converts.

A White House official said the Trump administration is “always happy” to review congressional proposals but declined to weigh in further on the bill, saying they were “focused on enforcing the current immigration laws and deporting the millions and millions of criminal illegal aliens that Joe Biden let in our country.”

Among Dignity Act supporters, the list of cosponsors includes numerous members in competitive districts, but also some of the more ideologically driven politicians in both parties. Escobar said there’s a Democratic wait list for members to get on the bill once they can be paired with a new GOP cosponsor.

The proposal has earned the support of business groups and immigration advocates alike, from the libertarian group Americans for Prosperity to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the liberal pro-immigration group FWD.us.

In the Lone Star State, the Texas Business Leadership Council and the Texas Restaurant Association have signed on as endorsers.

Justin Yancy, the president of the TBLC, said he often hears from construction and agriculture industry leaders, in particular, about the need for immigration reform. While his organization strongly supports the goal of a secure border, Yancy said, he also wants to see new pathways to legal immigration, such as those in the Dignity Act, in order to meet labor needs.

A mass deportation strategy, by contrast, is not economically viable, he said.

“Deporting everyone would be catastrophic for the economy — not just in Texas, but around the country,” Yancy said. “That’s just a nonstarter.”

Texas, Yancy said, needs “more employees, not fewer”. And people eligible for Dignity status under the bill would not be taking jobs, he said, given labor shortages that are causing economic upheaval in key industries.

The vociferous opposition of Gill and others speaks to the increasingly strained relationship between big business groups and the GOP. Gill said if the GOP wants to be the party of the working class, it has to reject business’ arguments on immigration.

“Mass migration does, in many ways, at least in the short term, benefit large businesses who basically view these people as labor input,” Gill said. “But the people who are harmed are the people whose jobs are taken away. And those are the people who don’t have fancy lobbyists in Washington, who can’t spend millions of dollars on political campaigns, but they’re the ones who show up and vote.”

But while Gill still sees immigration as Republicans’ strongest issue, Escobar thinks there’s an opening for bipartisanship.

She saw the recent head-rolling at the Department of Homeland Security, including the ouster of Kristi Noem as secretary and Greg Bovino as Border Patrol sector chief, as evidence that the White House recognized it needed to change tactics on immigration.

“Does that mean they will embrace the Dignity Act?” Escobar said. “I think it depends on whether a lot of these groups lobby the White House directly. Because ultimately, if Donald Trump gives his blessing, it’s done.”

Congresswoman Escobar Cosponsors Energy Bills Relief Act

Wed, 06 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This week, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) joined over 130 House Democrats led by the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Clean Energy Deployment Task Force Co-Chairs Reps. Mike Levin (CA-49) and Sean Casten (IL-06) on the Energy Bills Relief Act, a family- and consumer-focused approach to United States energy policy that ensures Americans have access to the most reliable and low-cost source of power available – renewable energy.

“Hardworking Americans are already facing skyrocketing utility bills, so it’s no wonder rate payers are afraid of being saddled with utility cost increases that might come from energy-intensive data centers," said Congresswoman Escobar. "I'm proud to cosponsor the Energy Bills Relief Act, which would ensure consumers aren't on the hook for higher energy costs. Corporations have been unwilling to meaningfully engage with communities or be transparent about their data centers, so we can’t risk them passing on their costs to consumers as well; this legislation provides guardrails to prevent that from happening."

Electricity rates are surging nationwide, and millions of households are struggling to pay their rising energy bills. The most effective way to lower utility costs for American households is to expand access to renewable energy — the most reliable and low-cost energy source.

We have the tools to power America with abundant, reliable, American-made clean energy. The missing link between those tools and expanded access to that low-cost and efficient energy is a consumer-first energy policy.

For too long, U.S. energy policy has boosted the profits of energy producers at the expense of energy consumers. The Energy Bills Relief Act shifts our focus to lowering costs and increasing reliability for American homes and businesses by deploying more renewable energy. It is firmly rooted in the American values of choice and competition. It prioritizes consumers and ensures access to low-cost energy for our homes, businesses, and economy.

Specifically, the Energy Bills Relief Act:

Reinstates the 2022 tax credits for home and system-wide energy improvements that were ended by President Trump and Congressional Republicans
Incentivizes utility companies to save consumers’ money by rewarding them for making their systems more efficient, thereby lowering bills
Provides financial assistance to American families to make sure their power isn’t shut off
Cracks down on price gouging by energy companies
Ensures that facilities like data centers are paying for their own energy costs, instead of pushing expenses onto consumers in the area
Gives a voice to the American people so they can benefit from energy projects in their community

Text of the legislation can be found here.

A section-by-section can be found here.

A one-page summary can be found here. A three-page summary can be found here.

A list of cosponsors can be found here.

Congresswoman Escobar Statement on the 2026 Farm Bill

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released the following statement on the 2026 Farm Bill:

"The Republican Farm Bill will hurt families and farmers, paving the way to more cruelty and exploitation of helpless animals. Americans are struggling with the consequences of Trump's disastrous tariffs and soaring food prices, all while Republicans are making deep cuts to the very programs that help them put food on the table. This year's Farm Bill makes life harder by removing funding for fruit and vegetable incentive programs, granting liability exemptions for multi-billion-dollar pesticide corporations, blocking states from pursuing local health and safety protections, and more. It also threatens hard-fought animal welfare protections by undermining laws like California’s Proposition 12, which banned the extreme confinement of many farm animals, and opens the door to taxpayer subsidies for inhumane industries like mink fur farming, where animals are kept in cruel conditions for luxury products.

"This legislation doesn’t just fail to meet this urgent moment, prioritize our economy, or help the American people - it exposes Republicans' loyalty to pesticide corporations and disdain for animal protections. I'll be voting no."

Congresswoman Escobar Statement on Passage of DHS Funding Bill

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released the following statement on the passage of the DHS funding bill:

"For over two months, Democrats pushed legislation to avoid the DHS shutdown - a bill identical to the Senate bill that passed 34 days ago.

"House Republicans finally put this long-overdue bill on the floor to fund the Department of Homeland Security without including more money for ICE or Border Patrol without reforms, which have billions available.

"If you’re wondering why they waited so long to get this done - we are too."

Congresswoman Escobar Statement on FISA Reauthorization Bill

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released the following statement on the FISA reauthorization bill:

“Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is a powerful tool for collecting foreign intelligence and helping keep our country safe. But with that power comes a real responsibility to protect the constitutional rights and civil liberties of the American people. The Trump Administration has engaged in a whole-of-government approach to overriding Americans’ civil liberties and constitutional rights, and Congress must use every opportunity to protect our citizens from this administration.

"Reforms enacted in recent years have been moving this authority in the right direction, but there are still serious concerns about how broad this authority is and how it can be used, particularly when it involves collecting Americans’ communications without a warrant.

"I believe we can protect both our national security and our civil liberties, but doing so requires stronger guardrails than those currently in place - particularly during this era. Until meaningful, enforceable reforms are adopted - especially those that close loopholes and ensure robust protections for Americans’ privacy - I cannot support reauthorization of Section 702.

"Our responsibility is not only to keep the American people safe, but also to uphold the rights and freedoms that define us as a nation. We must do both."

Federal Services Resource Fair

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 13:00:00 GMT

August 2025 Town Hall

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Congressional Office Hours with the Small Business Administration

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 18:30:00 GMT

Congressional Office Hours with Sentri/Global Entry Program

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 14:30:00 GMT

July 21, 2025 Tele-Town Hall

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 22:00:00 GMT

I'd like to invite you to join me on Monday, July 21st at 6pm MT for a live tele-town hall. With so much news over the last few weeks, I wanted to take some time to share my latest updates with you and answer your questions.

You can watch along on my Facebook page, or dial in at 866-478-3483 in English or 855-962-1021 in Spanish.

More Information:

The Republican Spending Bill
The Dignity Act
Impoundment
Republican Cuts: Rescissions

June 7th In-Person Town Hall

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Join Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) for her an in-person town hall on Saturday, June 7, at 10 a.m. MT at the Horizon High School Cafeteria.

This town hall is free and open to the public. El Pasoans can join this conversation on Facebook Live. El Pasoans can sign up to receive a reminder and submit their questions ahead of the event here.

For questions or more information, please contact Congresswoman Escobar’s office at (915) 541-1400.

Congressional Office Hours with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA)

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Congressional Office Hours with USCIS

Fri, 09 May 2025 18:00:00 GMT

March 29th In-Person Town Hall

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Join Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) for her an in-person town hall on Saturday, March 29, at 9 a.m. MT at the Eastwood High School Auditorium.

For questions or more information, please contact Congresswoman Escobar’s office at (915) 541-1400 or Veronica.Escobar@mail.house.gov.

Congressional Mobile Office Hours with the El Paso Passport Agency

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 14:30:00 GMT