Latest news with #VeronicaEscobar
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Escobar: GOP budget bill would cut health care, give breaks to rich
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Republican budget bill — often called the 'big, beautiful bill' by supporters of President Donald Trump — would cut health care, nutrition programs and explode the national debt, said U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas. The bill, which has passed the U.S. House and is being discussed by the Senate, would also give 'massive tax breaks' to the 'millionaire and billionaire class,' Escobar said. That was one of the messages that Escobar delivered during a town-hall meeting Saturday, June 7 at Horizon High School in Horizon City. Escobar said that the town-hall meeting was an opportunity to listen to consituents, talk to them and answer their questions. She said the Republican budget bill is the big topic of converstation and concern. 'It passed out of the House a couple of weeks ago. The Senate is working on it now,' said Escobar, who voted against the bill when it came up before the U.S. House in late May. 'It will result in cuts to health care benefits, cuts to nutrition programs. It will explode the national debt, all of this in order to give the millionaire and billionaire class massive tax breaks,' Escobar said. 'It is important for people to understand what is in the bill,' Escobar continued. 'We still have an opportunity to stop it and kill it on the Senate side and come up with a bipartisan product that reflects our nation's values.' The Trump Administration's plans to 'pause' the Job Corps program, including a center here in El Paso, is 'devastating news,' she added. 'The reason they gave for the pause in the program were financial issues that happened with the program during the pandemic,' Escobar said. She added that she wasn't sure why the Trump Administration was targeting the program. A lawsuit has been filed against the 'pause' and the move is likely to be found illegal by the courts, she added. Michael Aboud, the chairman of the El Paso County Republican Party, called Escobar a 'tax-and-spend Democrat.' 'I don't understand why she would want El Pasoans or anyone to pay more taxes,' Aboud said. 'Our taxes are already way too high. She is upset because President Trump is cutting waste and is going to reduce our taxes. 'I don't see how you can be against that. I think it is nonsensical, unless you are greedy and just want to spend the people's money,' he added. Escobar has represented Texas' 16th Congressional District since 2019. She announced in April that she will be seeking another two-year term. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Officials unveil plan to fix dangerous issue with bridge at US-Mexico border: 'You just can't stand it'
After a years-long effort, a major port of entry between Mexico and the United States may indeed see a redesign that could significantly improve air quality and public health for nearby communities. According to local outlet KTSM, the U.S. government is set to modernize the Bridge of the Americas — or BOTA — located in El Paso, Texas. Originally constructed in 1967, the current infrastructure requires an upgrade. As a part of the upgrade proposal and review process, it has been determined that commercial trucks will no longer be able to use the bridge once the project is complete. Funded through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the effort recently overcame a delay to conclude the required environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act. El Paso Matters reported in March that the delay occurred to ensure compliance with new presidential executive orders. The "record of decision" obtained in recent weeks now concludes the NEPA process, another step in the project moving forward. U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar of Texas, a champion of the redesign, said, "We are one step closer to delivering a transformational investment to our border region, which will lead to cleaner air and a healthier community for generations to come." The decision to eliminate commercial trucks from the port comes in part as a result of the environmental review under NEPA as well as concerns from surrounding communities, which say they have long endured substantial air pollution from idling trucks. San Xavier resident Ricardo Leon, for example, told The Guardian in 2024 that he had developed a cough from the pollution. "On a hot day, it's very, very irritating, annoying. You just can't stand it. Your eyes start burning, you feel it in your throat, you can taste it," he said. Particulate matter pollution from vehicle emissions has been linked to a range of health issues, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, including cardiac conditions, asthma, and premature death in those with heart or lung disease. Commercial vehicles can cause more air pollution than passenger vehicles, and marginalized communities are disproportionately impacted by poor air quality. El Paso-based organization Familias Unidas del Chamizal, which describes itself as "working to organize families in the Barrio Chamizal to develop a community that can defend itself," said in a statement, per KTSM, "Removing the commercial vehicles is a major benefit to the public health of the residents of the Chamizal and communities that neighbor the BOTA who will no longer be subject to the diesel contamination." Eliminating a route for commercial trucks could cause concern about hampering trade, but the nearby Tornillo, Santa Teresa, and Zaragoza land ports of entry will still be open for this purpose. Assessments of the communities around each of these ports were included in the environmental review, or Environmental Impact Statement. According to Land Line Media, which covers the trucking industry, construction for the upgrade "is anticipated to begin in spring 2027, with 'substantial completion' of the project expected in summer 2030." Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. While reducing gas-powered traffic near densely populated communities is a great way to lessen the effects of air pollution on human health, using public transportation, riding a bike, and walking are other methods of cutting back on the heat-trapping pollution driving global temperature rise and extreme weather events. Mass conversion to electric vehicles among commuters as well as commercial transport could also make a big difference going forward. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
ICE admits nine people have died in custody this year as it requests more funding
Nine people have died in the custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency since Donald Trump took office, acting director Todd Lyons testified on Wednesday, as Democratic lawmakers grilled the official over the Trump administration 's plans to massively increase its funding. 'We do conduct a thorough investigation on all of those,' Lyons said, adding, 'ICE, as I've said, is dedicated to transparency.' The comments came as Democrats on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Homeland Security pressed Lyons over conditions in ICE detention centers, which Rep. Veronica Escobar, Democrat of Texas, said were 'abysmal' and 'tantamount to human rights abuses.' 'What we've seen under the Trump administration should send chills down the spine of every American,' Escobar said during the hearing. The agency has only publicly disclosed information on seven deaths for this fiscal year, the most recent of which was the April 8 passing of Brayan Rayo-Garzon, a Colombian who reportedly died by suicide, after a scheduled mental health evaluation was delayed multiple times. The deaths in custody, which Democrats accused ICE of being slow to report, are already nearing the worst full-year total under the Biden administration, when 12 died in custody in fiscal year 2024, according to an analysis from Prism Reports. During Wednesday's hearing, Escobar said ICE was slated for a 365 percent increase in detention spending as part of the Trump administration's larger budget push to increase Homeland Security spending by $43.8 billion. The Texas Democrat argued the increased spending on detention wasn't delivering better results for detainees, but rather private detention companies, who maintain large parts of the ICE detention network. 'The increase in costs to taxpayers obviously hasn't translated into an increase in humane conditions, but I bet it has meant an increase in profits for these private companies,' she said. 'That's what American tax dollars have been funding.' Lyons countered that ICE prefers to work with facilities maintained by local government jurisdictions, but Democrat-run 'sanctuary' areas that don't cooperate with ICE mean the agency has to detain people away from their local communities in privately run facilities. As part of the Trump administration's goal of rapidly deporting over a million people, ICE is reportedly holding 52,000 people in detention, nearly 10,000 more than the agency is budgeted for, according to USA Today. Lyons testified on Wednesday that the agency's detention capacity could grow to as high as 100,000 beds with additional funding. In March, ICE reportedly told Congress it was already short $2 billion to maintain its operations through the end of this fiscal year, which ends in September, though Lyons said on Wednesday the agency is operating 'within our means.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City Council votes to seek federal funds for I-10 deck plaza project
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The City of El Paso is taking another step toward a long-envisioned plan to build a five-block deck plaza over Interstate 10 in Downtown. The City Council voted 8-0 to apply for $4 million in federal funding during a meeting on Tuesday, May 13. The money would come from the Community Project Funding program, supported by U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar's office. If approved, it would help pay for early infrastructure work on the estimated $207 million project. If built, the Downtown deck plaza project aims to reconnect neighborhoods split by the I-10 corridor. The project will include pedestrian paths, gathering areas and access to Downtown businesses. 'If we get this project moving forward, then we're going to be able to bring in more people here,' City Rep. Josh Acevedo said said. 'They're going to be paying in our local economy sales tax. We get sales tax. That's the smart way of really looking at the long term.' To further fund the project, the City is providing $750,000 in matching funds, while the Paso del Norte Community Foundation will provide an additional $250,000, bringing the total local match to $1 million. City officials say timing is critical as the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is scheduled to begin its I-10 expansion project in 2027. Officials add the construction of the deck plaza would have to align with that timeline, or the opportunity could be lost. Critics of the project have raised concerns about the overall cost of the project and whether the money could be better spent on street repairs across the City. The city's application now heads to Escobar's office for review. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Escobar: BOTA project takes another step forward with no commercial traffic
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A 'record of decision' has been reached and the federal government will pursue an upgrade to the Bridge of the Americas that eliminates commercial cargo operations, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, and the U.S. General Services Administration announced on Friday, May 2. The 'record of decision' accompanies the final environmental impact statement for the modernization project for the Bridge of Americas, Escobar's office said. This completes the project's National Environmental Policy Act review that began in 2023, Escobar's office said. According to Escobar's office, GSA has selected the alternative No. 4 that will modernize the port of entry within its existing boundaries with minor land acquisition and the elimination of all 'commercial cargo operations.' 'After years of advocacy and work for the modernization of our land ports of entry, with particular care given to the health and environmental impacts on El Pasoans, I am thrilled to announce that GSA has finalized the best design option for the Bridge of the Americas,' Escobar said. 'Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are one step closer to delivering a transformational investment to our border region which will lead to cleaner air and a healthier community for generations to come. I look forward to seeing these designs come to life for a land port that will prioritize El Pasoans, create jobs, and promote economic growth and development. I'm grateful to GSA and CBP who were great partners throughout this process, and grateful to all El Pasoans who took part in these important conversations,' Escobar added. 'GSA is excited to take this pivotal step towards providing El Paso with a modernized port of entry while balancing Federal Government requirements, community objectives, environmental policies, and available taxpayer funding,' said Jared Bradley, acting Public Buildings Service regional commissioner for GSA's Greater Southwest Region. 'We look forward to continued partnership with El Pasoans through the procurement, design and construction of this critical land port of entry.' The current facility, including its buildings and infrastructure, 'have largely reached their end of life, operating beyond capacity and no longer meeting current U.S. Customs and Border Protection design standards,' Escobar's office said. CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha said: 'The much-needed project will improve the capacity of this vital port and allow CBP to meet contemporary border security initiatives effectively and efficiently while also delivering the highest level of customer service to international travelers utilizing the Bridge of the Americas port of entry.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
