Rep. Tony Gonzales Secures Key Wins for Border Security, Military Readiness in Congress

Today, Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) voted for the final passage of three Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Appropriations bills in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Gonzales is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and helped craft H.R. 8774, the Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2025, H.R. 8752, the Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2025, and H.R. 8771, the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2025.

"As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, we are tasked with crafting policies that determine how our tax dollars will be spent. I worked alongside Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee to carefully craft three pieces of legislation that put South and West Texas at the top of the list. These bills contain strong policies that will strengthen border security measures, bolster America's military readiness, support our veterans and servicemembers in South and West Texas, and hold Mexico accountable for its water debts. By cutting funding for President Biden's far-left tax and spend wish list, we reallocated funding to programs and services that will put our country back on the right track," said Congressman Tony Gonzales.

Key Wins Secured By Congressman Gonzales in H.R. 8774, the Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2025:

• Includes funding for training and recruitment efforts associated with Lackland Air Force Base
• $6.5 million for Air Force PACER FORGE Infrastructure for Lackland Air Force Base
• $15 million for Air Force vertical integration of scramjet supply chain

• $10 million increase for Air Force AFWERX Autonomy Prime

• $15 million increase in funding to bolster STEM Education for Hispanic Serving Research Institutions

• $80.13 million included for United States Special Operations Command Counter Unmanned Systems
• Supports funding for Air Force Specialized Skill training
• $13.4 million for Air Force operational additive manufacturing capabilities
• $5 million for Space Force for cislunar space domain awareness, to be used to operationalize technology to track foreign launches from China and Russia.
• $15 million increase for small Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs)
• $674 million for counternarcotics support, including $20 million above the President's Budget Request for programs to counter illicit fentanyl and synthetic opioids

Key Wins Secured By Congressman Gonzales in H.R. 8752, the Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2025:

46 homeland security priorities supported by Congressman Gonzales were included in the final passage of the Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2025.

• Maintains funding for 22,000 Border Patrol Agents
• $90 million for Operation Stonegarden
• $60 million to hire additional Deportation Officers and Criminal Investigators to enforce immigration and customs law
• Language to direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report on the number of immigration cases dismissed due to DHS' failure to prosecute
• Language that rejects catch-and-release and directs ICE to continue to prioritize detention and removal
• Language to direct CBP to prioritize critical renovations of checkpoints, like the Eagle Pass checkpoint, that are outdated and unable to accommodate the increasing volume of traffic along the southern border

Border Technology:

• $300 million for new border security technology

• $305 million for NII Technology
• $20 million for the Border Security Deployment Program
• $50 million for innovative technology

CBP Workforce/Mental Health:

• $160 million for Border Patrol overtime
• $140.9 million to restore pay cuts at CBP
• $50 million for workforce care and suicide prevention

Key Wins Secured By Congressman Gonzales H.R. 8771,the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2025:

• $175 million included for countering the flow of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs
• Prohibits funds that encourage or facilitate illegal immigration toward the U.S.-Mexico border
• Policies to swiftly improve critical dam safety and repairs, such as the Amistad Dam
• Policies to hold Mexico accountable for delivering water to South Texas under the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.