An array of local projects that lost millions of dollars in federal funding in March may secure a second chance in the next congressional budget cycle. That’s the word from the city’s intergovernmental relations office, which notified the mayor and City Council last week that the same funding requests, along with several new ones, will […]
Congressman Lloyd Doggett
Posted inEducation
Austin public education advocates blast Trump’s order aiming to close Education Department
President Trump signed an executive order Thursday to phase out the U.S. Department of Education – an agency that provides loans and grants to college students, distributes federal funding to schools and is tasked with protecting students’ civil rights. The move follows significant layoffs at the department, including staff at a regional office in Dallas. In […]
Posted inAustin
Austin scrambles to assess local impact of federal grant freeze
President Donald Trump issued a directive on Monday ordering a sweeping freeze on federal grants, including money to state and local governments. This action caused an immediate uproar, as well as lawsuits to put the order on hold. A federal judge stayed the order just before it was slated to take effect but legal wrangling […]
Posted inPublic Health
Doggett urges Texans to get health coverage before Jan. 15 and to watch out for flex cards
Two things remain true every November: the unfortunate fact that Texas is the most uninsured state in the nation – almost 20 percent – and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s long-running campaign to change that. On Wednesday, at Foundation Communities’ Prosper South location, Doggett made his annual pitch for Texans to get covered by Jan. 15 […]
Posted inElections
Austin post offices drop out of plan to host voter registration drive today
Local post offices across Travis County have reversed a plan that would have allowed residents to register to vote on-site today. Oct. 7 is the last day for Texans to register for the Nov. 5 election. With the help of U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, the county was all set to partner with the Postal Service […]
Posted inRoads
Federal grant provides $105M for Chavez-Fourth Street cap over rebuilt I-35
The city received a boost in its plan to construct broad, plaza-like caps over sunken portions of Interstate 35, with the announcement of a $105 million federal grant to fund a portion of the construction. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Transportation named Austin as a recipient of a Capital Construction Grant that is part […]
Posted inEnvironment
Austin receives $1M from EPA for plans to combat pollution
The city has received a $1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency that will fund climate action plans for Central Texas. The grant was announced Monday morning at City Hall, where members of City Council and federal lawmakers gathered to celebrate the award that is part of the EPA’s $5 billion Climate Pollution Reduction […]
Posted inTransportation
Austin airport’s safety is under scrutiny after a string of near misses
A disturbing string of dangerous incidents at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport – including near misses and two tarmac deaths this year – has elected officials clashing with city staff over safety at an airport where passenger volumes have more than doubled in the last decade. Now, some of those frustrations are boiling into public view. City […]
Posted inTravis County
Travis County commissioners, Doggett celebrate “unprecedented” investment in social safety net
The Travis County Commissioners Court and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett celebrated federal dollars allocated to address community needs and assist local nonprofit organizations at a Monday press conference. Several speakers credited Doggett for securing the $51 million from the Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program, which was authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act. The Commissioners […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin receives $2 million in federal funding for drug overdose prevention efforts
After a spike in the number of fatal drug overdoses last year, Austin is getting $2 million in federal funding for prevention programs, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) announced Tuesday. The money will be used to hire more peer-recovery coaches and for a public awareness campaign. City officials said this is the first time Austin has received […]
Posted inElections
Austin Council Member Greg Casar will run for Congress, vacating his Council seat midterm
Greg Casar, who has served on Austin City Council since 2015, will run for U.S. Congress, he announced Thursday. Casar last month teased a race for federal office, saying he was “considering” a run and had convened a committee of advisers. “I believe that working families from Bexar to Comal to Hays to Travis County […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin congressman wants to give local governments the ability to expand Medicaid
Democratic U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin is introducing legislation that would allow local governments in Texas to expand Medicaid to more of their low-income residents. During this year’s legislative session, Texas lawmakers again refused to expand the program statewide. Texas is one of just a dozen states that have not expanded Medicaid through the […]