Joaquin Castro

Joaquin Castro (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Texas' 20th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2013. His current term ends on January 3, 2025.

Castro (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 20th Congressional District. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Castro is also running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 20th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Castro began his political career in the Texas House of Representatives, where he represented District 125 from 2003 to 2013.

Biography

Email [email protected] to notify us of updates to this biography.

Castro is an attorney and visiting professor at Saint Mary's University School of Law. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and B.A. from Stanford University.^[1]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Castro's academic, professional, and political career:^[2]

2013-present: U.S. Representative from Texas' 20th Congressional District
2000-present: Practicing lawyer
2002-2012: Texas House of Representatives
2000: Graduated from Harvard University with a J.D.
1996: Graduated from Stanford University with a B.A.

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2023-2024

Castro was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

2021-2022

Castro was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

2019-2020

Castro was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Castro was assigned to the following committees:^[3]

2015-2016

Castro served on the following committees:^[4]

2013-2014

Castro served on the following committees:^[5]

Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade
Committee on Armed Services
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
- Subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging Threats and Capabilities

Texas House

2011-2012

Joaquin Castro served on the following Texas House of Representatives committees:

Higher Education Committee Vice Chair
Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee

2009-2010

County Affairs Committee, Texas House
Higher Education Committee, Texas House (Vice Chair)

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, at which point Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023

Vote

Bill and description

Status

Yea

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 22, 2023, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2024. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.^[6]

Passed (310-118)

Nay

To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.

H.R. 185 (To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to nullify a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order restricting the entry of foreign citizens to the United States unless the individual was vaccinated against the coronavirus or attested they would take public health measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[7]

Passed (227-201)

Nay

Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023

The Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (H.R. 2811) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to raise the federal debt limit before a June 5, 2023, deadline. The bill also sought to repeal certain green energy tax credits, increase domestic natural gas and oil production, expand work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, and nullify President Joe Biden's (D) proposed student loan debt cancellation program. This bill was not taken up in the Senate, and the debt limit was instead raised through the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[8]

Passed (217-215)

Nay

Denouncing the horrors of socialism.

H.Con.Res. 9 (Denouncing the horrors of socialism.) was a resolution approved by the House of Representatives denouncing socialism and opposing the implementation of socialist policies in the United States. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.^[9]

Passed (328-86)

Not Voting

Lower Energy Costs Act

The Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to increase domestic energy production and exports by increasing the production of oil, natural gas, and coal, reducing permitting restrictions for pipelines, refineries, and other energy projects, and increase the production of minerals used in electronics, among other energy production-related policies. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[10]

Passed (225-204)

Not Voting

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".

H.J.Res. 30 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and vetoed by President Joe Biden (D) on March 20, 2023. This was Biden's first veto of his presidency. The resolution sought to nullify a Department of Labor rule that amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow retirement plans to consider certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in investment-related decisions. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.^[11] Click here to read more.

Passed (219-200)

Nay

Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.

H.J.Res. 7 (Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 10, 2023. The resolution ended the national coronavirus state of emergency, which began on March 13, 2020. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.^[12] Click here to read more.

Passed (229-197)

Nay

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023

The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 3, 2023. The bill raised the federal debt limit until January 2025. The bill also capped non-defense spending in fiscal year 2024, rescinded unspent coronavirus relief funding, rescinded some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding, enhanced work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), simplified environmental reviews for energy projects, and ended the student loan debt repayment pause in August 2023. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[13] Click here to read more.

Passed (314-117)

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)

Speaker of the House election (January 2023) - 15th vote

In January 2023, the House of Representatives held its regular election for Speaker of the House at the start of the 118th Congress. Voting began on January 3, and ended on January 7. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was elected speaker of the House in a 216-212 vote during the 15th round of voting. In order to elect a Speaker of the House, a majority of votes cast for a person by name was required.^[14] Click here to read more.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) (216-212)

Yea

Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant.

H.Res. 757 (Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that removed Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from his position as Speaker of the House. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.^[15] Click here to read more.

Passed (216-210)

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)

Speaker of the House election (October 2023) - 4th vote

In October 2023, following Rep. Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) removal as Speaker of the House, the House of Representatives held another election for the position. Voting began on October 17 and ended on October 25. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was elected Speaker of the House in a 220-209 vote in the fourth round of voting. In order to elect a Speaker of the House, a majority of votes cast for a person by name was required.^[16] Click here to read more.

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) (220-209)

Nay

Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes.

H.Res. 918 (Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that formally authorized an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden (D). The inquiry focused on allegations that Biden used his influence as vice president from 2009 to 2017 to improperly profit from his son Hunter Biden's business dealings. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.^[17] Click here to read more.

Passed (221-212)

Yea

Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the United States House of Representatives.

H.Res. 878 (Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the United States House of Representatives.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that removed Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from office following a House Ethics Committee investigation that determined there was substantial evidence that Santos violated the law during his 2020 and 2022 campaigns. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.^[18]

Passed (311-114)

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023

The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023

Vote

Bill and description

Status

Yea

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) was a federal infrastructure bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 15, 2021. Among other provisions, the bill provided funding for new infrastructure projects and reauthorizations, Amtrak maintenance and development, bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[19] Click here to read more.

Passed (228-206)

Yea

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 11, 2021, to provide economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key features of the bill included funding for a national vaccination program and response, funding to safely reopen schools, distribution of $1,400 per person in relief payments, and extended unemployment benefits. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[20] Click here to read more.

Passed (220-210)

Yea

Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 16, 2022, to address climate change, healthcare costs, and tax enforcement. Key features of the bill included a $369 billion investment to address energy security and climate change, an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices, a 15% corporate minimum tax, a 1% stock buyback fee, and enhanced Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement, and an estimated $300 billion deficit reduction from 2022-2031. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[21] Click here to read more.

Passed (220-207)

Yea

Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (H.R. 3617) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to decriminalize marijuana, establish studies of legal marijuana sales, tax marijuana imports and production, and establish a process to expunge and review federal marijuana offenses. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[22]

Passed (220-204)

Yea

For the People Act of 2021

The For the People Act of 2021 (H.R. 1) was a federal election law and government ethics bill approved by the House of Representatives. The Congressional Research Service said the bill would "expand voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It [would also limit] removing voters from voter rolls. ... Further, the bill [would address] campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices." The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[23] Click here to read more.

Passed (220-210)

Yea

Assault Weapons Ban of 2022

The Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 (H.R. 1808) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives that sought to criminalize the knowing import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding devices (LCAFD). The bill made exemptions for grandfathered SAWs and LCAFDs. It required a simple majority vote in the House.^[24]

Passed (217-213)

Yea

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (S. 1605) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 27, 2021, authorizing Department of Defense acitivities and programs for fiscal year 2022. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[25]

Passed (363-70)

Yea

James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023

The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (H.R. 7776) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2023. The bill required a 2/3 majority in the House to suspend rules and pass the bill as amended.^[26]

Passed (350-80)

Yea

American Dream and Promise Act of 2021

The American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (H.R. 6) was an immigration bill approved by the House of Representatives that proposed a path to permanent residence status for unauthorized immigrants eligible for Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure, among other immigration-related proposals. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[27]

Passed (228-197)

Yea

Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022

The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (S. 3373) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 10, 2022, that sought to address healthcare access, the presumption of service-connection, and research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[28]

Passed (342-88)

Yea

Chips and Science Act

The Chips and Science Act (H.R. 4346) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 9, 2022, which sought to fund domestic production of semiconductors and authorized various federal science agency programs and activities. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[29]

Passed (243-187)

Yea

Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021

The Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 3755) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives. The bill proposed prohibiting governmental restrictions on the provision of and access to abortion services and prohibiting governments from issuing some other abortion-related restrictions. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[30]

Passed (218-211)

Yea

SAFE Banking Act of 2021

The SAFE Banking Act of 2021 (H.R. 1996) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives that proposed prohibiting federal regulators from penalizing banks for providing services to legitimate cannabis-related businesses and defining proceeds from such transactions as not being proceeds from unlawful activity, among other related proposals. Since the House moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill in an expedited process, it required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.^[31]

Passed (321-101)

Yea

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 2471) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 15, 2022, providing for the funding of federal agencies for the remainder of 2022, providing funding for activities related to Ukraine, and modifying or establishing various programs. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[32]

Passed (260-171)

Yea

Equality Act

The Equality Act (H.R. 5) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that proposed prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas including public accommodations and facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit, and the jury system, among other related proposals. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[33]

Passed (224-206)

Yea

Respect for Marriage Act

The Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 13, 2022. The bill codified the recognition of marriages between individuals of the same sex and of different races, ethnicities, or national origins, and provided that the law would not impact religious liberty or conscience protections, or provide grounds to compel nonprofit religious organizations to recognize same-sex marriages. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[34] Click here to read more.

Passed (258-169)

Yea

Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023

The Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (H.R. 6833) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2022. It provided for some fiscal year 2023 appropriations, supplemental funds for Ukraine, and extended several other programs and authorities. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[35]

Passed (230-201)

Yea

Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act

The Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act (H.R. 7688) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to prohibit individuals from selling consumer fuels at excessive prices during a proclaimed energy emergency. It would have also required the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether the price of gasoline was being manipulated. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[36]

Passed (217-207)

Yea

Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021

The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. 8) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to prohibit the transfer of firearms between private parties unless a licensed firearm vendor conducted a background check on the recipient. The bill also provided for certain exceptions to this requirement. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[37]

Passed (227-203)

Yea

Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act

The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act was a federal elections bill approved by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to, among other provisions, make Election Day a public holiday, allow for same-day voter registration, establish minimum early voting periods, and allow absentee voting for any reason, restrict the removal of local election administrators in federal elections, regulate congressional redistricting, expand campaign finance disclosure rules for some organizations, and amend the Voting Rights Act to require some states to obtain clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice before implementing new election laws. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[38] Click here to read more.

Passed (220-203)

Yea

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938) was a firearm regulation and mental health bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 25, 2022. Provisions of the bill included expanding background checks for individuals under the age of 21, providing funding for mental health services, preventing individuals who had been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor or felony in dating relationships from purchasing firearms for five years, providing funding for state grants to implement crisis intervention order programs, and providing funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[39] Click here to read more.

Passed (234-193)

Yea

Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.

This was a resolution before the 117th Congress setting forth an article of impeachment saying that Donald Trump (R) incited an insurrection against the government of the United States on January 6, 2021. The House of Representatives approved the article of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of the charges. The article of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House.^[40] Click here to read more.

Passed (232-197)

Yea

Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022

The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act was a bill passed by the 117th Congress in the form of an amendment to a year-end omnibus funding bill that was signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022. The bill changed the procedure for counting electoral votes outlined in the Electoral Count Act of 1887. Elements of the bill included specifying that the vice president's role at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes is ministerial, raising the objection threshold at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes to one-fifth of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, identifying governors as the single official responsible for submitting the certificate of ascertainment identifying that state’s electors, and providing for expedited judicial review of certain claims about states' certificates identifying their electors. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[41] Click here to read more.

Passed (225-201)

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021

The 116th United States Congress began on January 9, 2019, and ended on January 3, 2021. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (235-200), and Republicans held the majority in the U.S. Senate (53-47). Donald Trump (R) was the president and Mike Pence (R) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021

Vote

Bill and description

Status

Yea

Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020

The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020 (H.R. 1044) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives seeking to increase the cap on employment-based visas, establish certain rules governing such visas, and impose some additional requirements on employers hiring holders of such visas. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended.^[42]

Passed (365-65)

Yea

The Heroes Act

The HEROES Act (H.R. 6800) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to address the COVID-19 outbreak by providing $1,200 payments to individuals, extending and expanding the moratorium on some evictions and foreclosures, outlining requirements and establishing finding for contact tracing and COVID-19 testing, providing emergency supplemental appropriations to federal agencies for fiscal year 2020, and eliminating cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatments. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[43]

Passed (208-199)

Yea

For the People Act of 2019

The For the People Act of 2019 (H.R.1) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to protect election security, revise rules on campaign funding, introduce new provisions related to ethics, establish independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions, and establish new rules on the release of tax returns for presidential and vice presidential candidates. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[44]

Passed (234-193)

Yea

CARES Act

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 27, 2020, that expanded benefits through the joint federal-state unemployment insurance program during the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation also included $1,200 payments to certain individuals, funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and funds for businesses, hospitals, and state and local governments. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.^[45]

Passed (419-6)

Yea

Equality Act

The Equality Act (H.R. 5) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to ban discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity by expanding the definition of establishments that fall under public accomodation and prohibiting the denial of access to a shared facility that is in agreement with an indiviual's gender indenitity. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[46]

Passed (236-173)

Yea

Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019

The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 (H.R. 8) was a bill approved by the House that sought to ban firearm transfers between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[47]

Passed (240-190)

Yea

American Dream and Promise Act of 2019

The American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R.6) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to protect certain immigrants from removal proceedings and provide a path to permanent resident status by establishing streamlined procedures for permanant residency and canceling removal proceedings against certain qualifed individuals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[48]

Passed (237-187)

Yea

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (S. 1790) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, setting policies and appropriations for the Department of Defense. Key features of this bill include appropriations for research/development, procurement, military construction, and operation/maintenence, as well as policies for paid family leave, North Korea nuclear sanctions, limiting the use of criminal history in federal hiring and contracting, military housing privatization, and paid family leave for federal personnel. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[49]

Passed (377-48)

Yea

Families First Coronavirus Response Act

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 18, 2020, addressing the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing access to unemployment benefits and food assistance, increasing funding for Medicaid, providing free testing for COVID-19, and requiring employers to provide paid sick time to employees who cannot work due to COVID-19. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.^[50]

Passed (363-40)

Yea

Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (H.R. 1994) was a bill passed by the House Representatives that sought to change the requirements for employer provided retirement plans, IRAs, and other tax-favored savings accounts by modfying the requirements for things such as loans, lifetime income options, required minimum distributions, the eligibility rules for certain long-term, part-time employees, and nondiscrimination rules. The bill also sought to treat taxable non-tuition fellowship and stipend payments as compensation for the purpose of an IRA, repeal the maximum age for traditional IRA contributions, increase penalties for failing to file tax returns, allow penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans if a child is born or adopted, and expand the purposes for which qualified tuition programs may be used. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. ^[51]

Passed (417-3)

Yea

Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act

The Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to address the price of healthcare by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate prices for certain drugs, requiring drug manufactures to issue rebates for certain drugs covered under Medicare, requiring drug price transparency from drug manufacturers, expanding Medicare coverage, and providing funds for certain public health programs. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[52]

Passed (230-192)

Yea

Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020

The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 1865) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, providing appropriations for federal agencies in fiscal year 2020. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[53]

Passed (297-120)

Yea

Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019

The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 (S. 1838) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on November 27, 2019, directing several federal departments to assess Hong Kong's unique treatment under U.S. law. Key features of the bill include directing the Department of State to report and certify annually to Congress as to whether Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous from China to justify its unique treatment, and directing the Department of Commerce to report annually to Congress on China's efforts to use Hong Kong to evade U.S. export controls and sanctions. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.^[54]

Passed (417-1)

Yea

MORE Act of 2020

The MORE Act of 2020 (H.R. 3884) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to decriminalize marijuana by removing marijuana as a scheduled controlled substance and eliminating criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana. This bill required a simple majority vote from the House.^[55]

Passed (228-164)

Yea

Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020

The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 6074) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 6, 2020, providing emergency funding to federal agencies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Key features of the bill include funding for vaccine research, small business loans, humanitarian assistance to affected foreign countries, emergency preparedness, and grants for public health agencies and organizations. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to suspend the rules and pass the bill.^[56]

Passed (415-2)

Nay

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (H.J.Res. 31) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on February 15, 2019, providing approrations for Fiscal Year 2019. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.^[57]

Passed (300 -128)

Yea

John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act

The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (S. 47) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Doanld Trump on March 12, 2019. This bill sought to set provisions for federal land management and conservation by doing things such as conducting land exchanges and conveyances, establishing programs to respond to wildfires, and extending and reauthorizing wildlife conservation programs. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.^[58]

Passed (363-62)

Yea

William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (On passage)

The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and vetoed by President Donald Trump on December 23, 2020. Congress voted to override Trump's veto, and the bill became law on January 1, 2021. The bill set Department of Defense policies and appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Trump vetoed the bill due to disagreement with provisions related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the renaming of certain military installations, limits on emergency military construction fund usage, and limits on troop withdrawals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House on passage, and a two-thirds majority vote in the House to override Trump's veto.^[59]

Passed (335-78)

Yea

William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Overcoming veto)

The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and vetoed by President Donald Trump on December 23, 2020. Congress voted to override Trump's veto, and the bill became law on January 1, 2021. The bill set Department of Defense policies and appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Trump vetoed the bill due to disagreement with provisions related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the renaming of certain military installations, limits on emergency military construction fund usage, and limits on troop withdrawals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House on passage, and a two-thirds majority vote in the House to override Trump's veto.^[60]

Passed (322-87)

Yea

Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019

The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (S.24) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on January 16, 2019, that requires federal employees who were furloughed or compelled to work during a lapse in government funding to be compensated for that time. The bill also required those employees to be compensated as soon as the lapse in funding ends, irregardless of official pay date. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to suspend the rules and pass the bill.^[61]

Passed (411-7)

Yea

Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. (Article 1)

The 2020 impeachment of Donald Trump (R) was a resolution before the 116th Congress to set forth two articles of impeachment saying that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress. The first article was related to allegations that Trump requested the Ukrainian government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for aid, and the second was related to Trump's response to the impeachment inquiry. The House of Representatives approved both articles of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of either charge. The articles of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House. ^[62]

Guilty (230-197)

Yea

Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. (Article 2)

The 2020 impeachment of Donald Trump (R) was a resolution before the 116th Congress to set forth two articles of impeachment saying that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress. The first article was related to allegations that Trump requested the Ukrainian government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for aid, and the second was related to Trump's response to the impeachment inquiry. The House of Representatives approved both articles of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of either charge. The articles of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House. ^[63]

Guilty (229-198)

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018

For detailed information about each vote, click here.

Votes on domestic policy (click to expand)

Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (Conference report) (HR 2)

Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018

Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023.^[64]

Voted Nay on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2 (second vote))

Bill Passed (213-211) on June 21, 2018

Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. It also proposed modifying the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as the food stamp program.^[65]

Voted Nay on: Securing America’s Future Act of 2018 (HR 4760)

Bill Failed (193-231) on June 21, 2018

Proposed funding a border wall, limiting legal immigration, a mandatory worker verification program, allowing DACA recipients to apply for legal status, and preventing separation of families at the border.^[66]

Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)

Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018

Reauthorizes through FY2023 and modifies some Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.^[67]

Voted Nay on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HR 36)

Bill Passed (237-189) on October 3, 2017

Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill provided exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.^[68]

Voted Nay on: Kate's Law (HR 3004)

Bill Passed (257-167) on June 29, 2017

Proposed increasing criminal penalties for individuals in the country illegally who were convicted of certain crimes, deported, and then re-entered the U.S. illegally.^[69]

Voted Nay on: No Sanctuary for Criminals Act (HR 3003)

Bill Passed (228-195) on June 29, 2017

Proposed withholding federal funds from states and localities that chose not to follow federal immigration laws.^[70]

Voted Nay on: American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)

Bill passed (217-213) on May 4, 2017

Proposed modifying the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.^[71]

Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand)

Voted Yea on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 6157)

Bill Passed (361-61) on September 26, 2018

Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.^[72]

Voted Yea on: Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 5895)

Bill Passed (377-20) on September 13, 2018

Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.^[73]

Voted Yea on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 6157)

Bill Passed (359-49) on June 28, 2018

Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.^[74]

Voted Nay on: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 5895)

Bill Passed (235-179) on June 8, 2018

Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.^[75]

Voted Nay on: Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S 2155)

Bill Passed (258-159) on May 22, 2018

Proposed exempting some banks from the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act^[76]

Voted Nay on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)

Bill Passed (256-167) on March 22, 2018

Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes.^[77]

Voted Nay on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)

Bill Passed (240-186) on February 9, 2018

Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018.^[78]

Voted Nay on: Further Extension Of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1892)

Bill Passed (245-182) on February 6, 2018

Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018.^[79]

Voted Nay on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)

Bill Passed (266-150) on January 22, 2018

Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018.^[80]

Voted Nay on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)

Bill Passed (230-197) on January 18, 2018

Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 16, 2018.^[81]

Voted Nay on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)

Bill Passed (231-188) on December 21, 2017

Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018.^[82]

Voted Nay on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

Bill Passed (227-203) on December 19, 2017

Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.^[83]

Voted Nay on: Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes (HJ Res 123)

Bill Passed (235-193) on December 7, 2017

Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017.^[84]

Voted Nay on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

Bill Passed (227-205) on November 16, 2017

Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses.^[85]

Voted Nay on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

Bill Passed (216-212) on October 26, 2017

Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027. (This bill proposed adopting the Senate's budget resolution.)^[86]

Voted Nay on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

Bill Passed (219-206) on October 5, 2017

Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027.^[87]

Voted Nay on: Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3354)

Bill Passed (211-198) on September 14, 2017

Proposed providing FY2018 appropriations for the federal government. It combined 12 appropriations bills.^[88]

Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)

Bill Passed (316-90) on September 8, 2017

Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts.^[89]

Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 601)

Bill Passed (419-3) on September 6, 2017

Proposed providing $7.85 billion for disaster relief requirements, including response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey.^[90]

Voted Nay on: Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (HR 10)

Bill passed (233-186) on June 8, 2017

Proposed amending the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, among other acts.^[91]

Voted Nay on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)

Bill passed (309-118) on May 3, 2017

Proposed a $1.2 trillion budget to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017.^[92]

Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand)

Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (HR 5515)

Bill Passed (351-66) on May 24, 2018

Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities^[93]

Voted Nay on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)

Bill Passed (250-166) on January 30, 2018

Proposed providing appropriations for military functions administered by the Department of Defense and for other purposes, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018.^[94]

Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018—Conference report (HR 2810)

Bill Passed (356-70) on November 14, 2017

Proposed authorizing FY2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths.^[95]

Voted Nay on: Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3219)

Bill Passed (235-192) on July 27, 2017

Proposed making appropriations for defense, military construction, Veterans Affairs, the Legislative Branch, energy and water development, and for other purposes for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2018.^[96]

Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)

Bill Passed (419-3) on July 25, 2017

Proposed providing congressional review and measures to counter aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes.^[97]

Voted Yea on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180, second vote)

Bill Passed (380-35) on July 28, 2017

Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.^[98]

Voted Nay on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180)

Bill Failed (241-163) on July 24, 2017

Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.^[99]

Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)

Bill Passed (344-81) on July 14, 2017

Proposed authorizing fiscal year 2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It did not provide budget authority.^[100]

Voted Yea on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 1301)

Bill passed (371-48) on March 8, 2017

The $577.9 billion fiscal year 2017 defense spending bill proposed $516.1 billion in base budget funding and $61.8 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations/ Global War on Terrorism funding.^[101]

114th Congress

The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.^[102]^[103] For more information pertaining to Castro's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections.^[104]

Economic and fiscal

Trade Act of 2015

See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015

Trade adjustment assistance
On June 12, 2015, the House rejected the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 126-302. Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing American workers displaced by foreign trade agreements with job training and services. The measure was packaged with trade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast-track authority. TPA is a legislative procedure that allows Congress to define "U.S. negotiating objectives and spells out a detailed oversight and consultation process for during trade negotiations. Under TPA, Congress retains the authority to review and decide whether any proposed U.S. trade agreement will be implemented," according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Castro was one of 144 Democrats to vote against the bill.^[105]^[106]
Trade promotion authority
On June 12, 2015, the House passed the trade promotion authority (TPA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015 —by a vote of 219-211. TPA gives the president fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements sent to Congress without the opportunity for amendment or filibuster. Although the House approved TPA, it was a largely symbolic vote given the measure was part of a package trade bill including trade adjustment assistance (TAA), which was rejected earlier the same day. Castro was one of 157 Democrats to vote against the measure.^[107]^[108]
Trade promotion authority second vote
After the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) and trade promotion authority (TPA) did not pass the House together on June 12, 2015, representatives voted to authorize TPA alone as an amendment to HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—on June 18, 2015. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-208, with all voting members of the House maintaining his or her original position on TPA except for Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). Castro was one of 158 Democrats to vote against the amendment.^[109]^[110]
Trade adjustment assistance second vote
The House passed HR 1295—the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015—on June 25, 2015, by a vote of 286-138. The Senate packaged trade adjustment assistance (TAA) in this bill after the House rejected the TAA measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015. Along with trade promotion authority (TPA), which Congress passed as part of HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—TAA became law on June 29, 2015. Castro was one of 175 Democrats to vote in favor of HR 1295.^[111]^[112]

Defense spending authorization

On May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Castro voted with 142 other Democrats and eight Republicans against the bill.^[113] The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015.^[114]

On November 5, 2015, the House passed S 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison.^[115]^[116] Castro voted with 134 other Democrats and 235 Republicans to approve the bill.^[117] On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015.^[118]

2016 Budget proposal

On April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, including Castro, voted against the resolution.^[119]^[120]^[121]

2015 budget

On October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017.^[122] Castro voted with 186 Democrats and 79 Republicans in favor of the bill.^[123] It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015.^[124] President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015.

Foreign Affairs

Iran nuclear deal

See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015

On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Castro voted with 176 Democrats to approve the bill.^[125]^[126]

Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
On September 11, 2015, the House rejected HR 3461—To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 162-269. The legislation proposed approving the nuclear agreement with Iran. Castro voted with 161 Democrats for the bill.^[127]^[128]

Suspension of Iran sanctions relief
On September 11, 2015, the House approved HR 3460—To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 247-186. HR 3460 prohibited "the President, prior to January 21, 2017, from: limiting the application of specified sanctions on Iran or refraining from applying any such sanctions; or removing a foreign person (including entities) listed in Attachments 3 or 4 to Annex II of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury." Castro voted with 185 Democrats against the bill.^[129]^[130]

Presidential non-compliance of section 2
On September 10, 2015, the House passed H Res 411—Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 245-186. Section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 required the president to submit all materials related to the nuclear agreement for congressional review. House Republicans introduced the resolution because two agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran were not submitted to Congress. Castro voted with 185 Democrats against the resolution.^[131]^[132]

Export-Import Bank

On October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods.^[133] Castro voted with 185 Democrats and 127 Republicans in favor of the bill.^[134]

Domestic

USA FREEDOM Act of 2015

On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048 - the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199 - the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 by terminating the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Castro was one of five Democrats who did not vote. It became law on June 2, 2015.^[135]^[136]

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Castro voted with 179 Democrats against the bill.^[137]^[138]

Cyber security

On April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies.^[139] Castro voted with 134 Democrats and 220 Republicans to approve the bill.^[140]

On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116.^[141] The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Castro voted with 104 Democrats and 202 Republicans in favor of the bill.^[142]

Immigration

On November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137.^[143] The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Castro voted with 134 Democrats and two Republicans against the bill.^[144]

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.^[145] For more information pertaining to Castro's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.^[146]

National security

NDAA

Castro voted for HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote.^[147]

DHS Appropriations

Castro voted against HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 that was largely along party lines.^[148]

CISPA (2013)

Castro voted against HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities. The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party.^[149]

Economy

Farm bill

On January 29, 2014, the U.S. House approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, known as the Farm Bill.^[150] The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill provides for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop.^[151]^[152] However, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.^[152] Castro voted with 102 other Democratic representatives against the bill.

2014 Budget

On January 15, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014.^[153]^[154] The House voted 359-67 for the 1,582 page bill, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats voting against the bill.^[154] The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations.^[155] It included a 1 percent increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and the protection of the Affordable Care Act from any drastic cuts. Castro joined with the majority of the Democratic party and voted in favor of the bill.^[153]^[154]

Government shutdown

See also: United States budget debate, 2013

On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201.^[156] At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference.^[157] Castro voted against the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate.^[158]

The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.^[159] The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Castro voted for HR 2775.^[160]

Castro said he would give up his pay in the event of a shutdown.^[161]

"I hope you will ask Senator Ted Cruz why he refuses to give up his pay during a shutdown he pushed for," he added.^[161]

Federal Pay Adjustment Elimination

Castro voted against HR 273 - Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees. The bill passed the House on February 15, 2013, with a vote of 261 - 154. The bill called for stopping a 0.5 percent pay increase for all federal workers from taking effect. The raises were projected to cost $11 billion over 10 years.^[162]

Immigration

Morton Memos Prohibition

Castro voted against House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status.^[163] The vote largely followed party lines.^[164]

Healthcare

Healthcare Reform Rules

Castro voted against House Amendment 450 - Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The amendment was adopted by the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 227-185. The amendment requires that all changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be approved by Congress before taking effect. The vote was largely along party lines.^[165]

Social issues

Abortion

Castro voted against HR 1797 - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The resolution passed the House on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 228 - 196 that largely followed party lines. The purpose of the bill was to ban abortions that would take place 20 or more weeks after fertilization.^[166]

Issues

Elections

2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated. Before the candidate filing deadline passes, Ballotpedia will separate these candidates into their respective primaries as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Texas District 20

Incumbent Joaquin Castro is running in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 20 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Joaquin Castro (D)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Endorsements

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2024

Texas' 20th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 20

Incumbent Joaquin Castro won election in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 20 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joaquin Castro (D)	100.0	157,211

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source	Total votes: 157,211
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

William Hayward (Independent)
Pat Dixon (L)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 20

Incumbent Joaquin Castro advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 20 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joaquin Castro	100.0	25,018

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 25,018
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 20

Pat Dixon advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 20 on March 16, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Pat Dixon (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Castro in this election.

2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 20

Incumbent Joaquin Castro defeated Kyle Sinclair and Adam Jonasz in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 20 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Joaquin Castro (D)	68.4	115,352
	Kyle Sinclair (R)	31.6	53,226
	Adam Jonasz (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	21

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 168,599
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Ismael Garcia (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 20

Incumbent Joaquin Castro advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 20 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joaquin Castro	100.0	33,214

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,214
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 20

Kyle Sinclair advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 20 on March 1, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kyle Sinclair	100.0	15,938

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,938
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2020

Texas' 20th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)

Texas' 20th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 20

Incumbent Joaquin Castro defeated Mauro Garza and Jeffrey Blunt in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 20 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Joaquin Castro (D)	64.7	175,078
	Mauro Garza (R)	33.1	89,628
	Jeffrey Blunt (L)	2.2	6,017

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 270,723
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Adam Jonasz (Independent)
Adam Martinez-Gomez (Independent)

Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 20

Mauro Garza defeated Gary Allen in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 20 on July 14, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Mauro Garza	60.1	7,162
	Gary Allen	39.9	4,762

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,924
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 20

Incumbent Joaquin Castro defeated Justin Lecea and Rob Hostetler in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 20 on March 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Joaquin Castro	92.1	61,861
	Justin Lecea	4.5	3,047
	Rob Hostetler	3.4	2,252

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 67,160
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 20

Mauro Garza and Gary Allen advanced to a runoff. They defeated Dominick Dina, Anita Kegley, and Tammy Orta in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 20 on March 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Mauro Garza	33.3	7,720
✔	Gary Allen	26.9	6,230
	Dominick Dina	22.6	5,242
	Anita Kegley	9.5	2,210
	Tammy Orta	7.7	1,786

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 23,188
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Joshua Carrizales (R)
Dan McQueen (R)

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 20

Jeffrey Blunt advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 20 on March 21, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Jeffrey Blunt (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

See also: Texas' 20th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 20

Incumbent Joaquin Castro defeated Jeffrey Blunt in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 20 on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Joaquin Castro (D)	80.9	139,038
	Jeffrey Blunt (L)	19.1	32,925

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 171,963
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 20

Incumbent Joaquin Castro advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 20 on March 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joaquin Castro	100.0	32,189

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,189
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2016

See also: Texas' 20th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Joaquin Castro (D) defeated Paul Pipkin (G) and Jeffrey Blunt (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Castro faced no opposition in the Democratic primary on March 1, 2016. No Republican candidates filed to run in the race.^[168]^[169]

**U.S. House, Texas District 20 General Election, 2016**
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Joaquin Castro Incumbent	79.7%	149,640
	Libertarian	Jeffrey Blunt	15.5%	29,055
	Green	Paul Pipkin	4.8%	8,974
Total Votes				187,669
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2014

See also: Texas' 20th Congressional District elections, 2014

Castro won re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. He won the Democratic nomination in the primary election on March 4, 2014, with no opposition. He defeated Jeffrey Blunt (L) in the general election on November 4, 2014.^[170]

**U.S. House, Texas District 20 General Election, 2014**
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Joaquin Castro Incumbent	75.7%	66,554
	Libertarian	Jeffrey Blunt	24.3%	21,410
Total Votes				87,964
Source: Texas Secretary of State

2012

See also: Texas' 20th Congressional District elections, 2012

Castro won election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Texas' 20th District. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on May 29, 2012. He defeated David Rosa (R), A.E. Potts (L) and Antonio Diaz (G) in the general election on November 6, 2012.^[171]^[172]

**U.S. House, Texas District 20 General Election, 2012**
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Joaquin Castro	63.9%	119,032
	Republican	David Rosa	33.5%	62,376
	Libertarian	A.E. Potts	1.7%	3,143
	Green	Antonio Diaz	0.9%	1,626
Total Votes				186,177
Source: Texas Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

2010

See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2010

Castro won re-election in District 125. He was unopposed in the March 2 Democratic primary and defeated Libertarian Jeffrey Blunt in the November 2 general election.^[173]

Texas House of Representatives, District 125 2010 General election results
Candidates	Votes	Percent
Joaquin Castro (D)	16,590	78.49%
Jeffrey Blunt (L)	4,545	21.5%

2008

On November 4, 2008, Castro won re-election to the Texas House of Representatives from the 125th District, receiving 36,003 votes without opposition.^[174] He raised $100,536 for his campaign.^[175]

Texas House of Representatives, District 125
Candidates		Votes	Percent
Joaquin Castro (D)		36,003	100.00%

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

Joaquin Castro has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Joaquin Castro, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

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2024

Joaquin Castro did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Joaquin Castro did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Joaquin Castro did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Joaquin Castro
Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Kamala D. Harris ^source (D, Working Families Party)	President of the United States (2024)	Primary	Lost General
Elizabeth Warren ^source	President of the United States (2020)		Withdrew in Convention
Julián Castro ^source	President of the United States (2020)		Withdrew in Convention
Hillary Clinton ^source (D)	President of the United States (2016)	Primary	Lost General

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Joaquin Castro campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Texas District 20	Won general	$658,837	$610,111
2022	U.S. House Texas District 20	Won general	$682,069	$635,073
2020	U.S. House Texas District 20	Won general	$705,568	$718,442
2018	U.S. House Texas District 20	Won general	$956,681	$955,293
2016	U.S. House, Texas District 20	Won	$1,187,623	N/A**
2014	U.S. House (Texas, District 20)	Won	$1,296,471	N/A**
2012	U.S. House Texas District 20	Won	$1,494,023	N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Castro's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $51,002 and $249,999. That averages to $150,500, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic representatives in 2012 of $5,700,168.36. Castro ranked as the 364th most wealthy representative in 2012.^[176] Between 2011 and 2012, Castro's calculated net worth^[177] increased by an average of 11 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.^[178]

Joaquin Castro Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2011	$135,242
2012	$150,500
Growth from 2011 to 2012:	11%
Average annual growth:	11%^[179]
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.^[180]

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Castro received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Lawyers/Law Firms industry.

From 2011-2014, 25.69 percent of Castro's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.^[181]

Joaquin Castro Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$2,454,051
Total Spent	$2,061,975
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Lawyers/Law Firms	$273,987
Real Estate	$107,100
Oil & Gas	$99,550
Health Professionals	$88,899
Building Trade Unions	$61,000
% total in top industry	11.16%
% total in top two industries	15.53%
% total in top five industries	25.69%

Analysis

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.^[182]

Castro most often votes with:

Castro least often votes with:

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Castro missed 45 of 1,736 roll call votes from January 2013 to September 2015. This amounted to 2.6 percent, which was higher than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.^[183]

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Castro ranked 123rd in the liberal rankings in 2013.^[184]

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Castro voted with the Democratic Party 93.3 percent of the time, which ranked 97th among the 204 House Democratic members as of July 2014.^[185]

2013

Castro voted with the Democratic Party 94.9 percent of the time, which ranked 117th among the 201 House Democratic members as of June 2013.^[186]

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Officeholder

U.S. House Texas District 20

Personal

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Charles A. Gonzalez (D)	U.S. House Texas District 20 2013-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Texas House of Representatives 2003-2013	Succeeded by -

[show]

Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Cornyn (R)

Ted Cruz (R)

Representatives

District 1

Nathaniel Moran (R)

District 2

Daniel Crenshaw (R)

District 3

Keith Self (R)

District 4

Pat Fallon (R)

District 5

Lance Gooden (R)

District 6

Jake Ellzey (R)

District 7

Lizzie Fletcher (D)

District 8

Morgan Luttrell (R)

District 9

Al Green (D)

District 10

Michael McCaul (R)

District 11

August Pfluger (R)

District 12

Kay Granger (R)

District 13

Ronny Jackson (R)

District 14

Randy Weber (R)

District 15

Monica De La Cruz (R)

District 16

Veronica Escobar (D)

District 17

Pete Sessions (R)

District 18

Erica Carter (D)

District 19

Jodey Arrington (R)

District 20

Joaquin Castro (D)

District 21

Chip Roy (R)

District 22

Troy Nehls (R)

District 23

Tony Gonzales (R)

District 24

Beth Van Duyne (R)

District 25

Roger Williams (R)

District 26

Michael Burgess (R)

District 27

Michael Cloud (R)

District 28

Henry Cuellar (D)

District 29

Sylvia Garcia (D)

District 30

Jasmine Crockett (D)

District 31

John Carter (R)

District 32

Colin Allred (D)

District 33

Marc Veasey (D)

District 34

Vicente Gonzalez (D)

District 35

Greg Casar (D)

District 36

Brian Babin (R)

District 37

Lloyd Doggett (D)

District 38

Wesley Hunt (R)

Republican Party (27)

Democratic Party (13)

[1] Project Vote Smart, "Rep. Castro," accessed August 13, 2011

[2] Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "CASTRO, Joaquin, (1974 - )," accessed February 5, 2015

[3] U.S. House Clerk, "Official Alphabetical List of the House of Representatives of the United States One Hundred Fifteenth Congress," accessed February 2, 2017

[4] U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk, "Committee Information," accessed February 20, 2015

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[12] Congress.gov, "H.J.Res.7 - Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020." accessed February 23, 2024

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[30] Congress.gov, "H.R.3755 - Women's Health Protection Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022

[31] Congress.gov, "H.R.1996 - SAFE Banking Act of 2021," accessed April 15, 2022

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[33] Congress.gov, "H.R.5 - Equality Act," accessed April 15, 2022

[34] Congress.gov, "H.R.8404 - Respect for Marriage Act," accessed January 20, 2023

[35] Congress.gov, "H.R.6833 - Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023," accessed January 20, 2023

[36] Congress.gov, "H.R.7688 - Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act," accessed January 20, 2023

[37] Congress.gov, "H.R.8 - Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021," accessed January 20, 2023

[38] Congress.gov, "H.R.5746 - Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act," accessed January 20, 2023

[39] Congress.gov, "S.2938 - Bipartisan Safer Communities Act," accessed January 20, 2023

[40] Congress.gov, "H.Res.24 - Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.," accessed April 15, 2022

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[43] Congress.gov, "H.R.6800 - The Heroes Act," accessed April 23, 2024

[44] Congress.gov, "H.R.1 - For the People Act of 2019," accessed April 23, 2024

[45] Congress.gov, "H.R.748 - CARES Act," accessed April 23, 2024

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[47] Congress.gov, "H.R.8 - Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019," accessed April 23, 2024

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[50] Congress.gov, "H.R.6201 - Families First Coronavirus Response Act," accessed April 24, 2024

[51] Congress.gov, "H.R.1994 - Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019," accessed April 27, 2024

[52] Congress.gov, "H.R.3 - Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act," accessed March 22, 2024

[53] Congress.gov, "H.R.1865 - Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020," accessed April 27, 2024

[54] Congress.gov, "S.1838 - Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019," accessed April 27, 2024

[55] Congress.gov, "H.R.3884 - MORE Act of 2020," accessed April 27, 2024

[56] Congress.gov, "H.R.6074 - Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020," accessed April 27, 2024

[57] Congress.gov, "H.J.Res.31 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019," accessed April 27, 2024

[58] Congress.gov, "S.47 - John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act," accessed April 27, 2024

[59] Congress.gov, "H.R.6395 - William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021," accessed April 27, 2024

[60] Congress.gov, "H.R.6395 - William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021," accessed April 27, 2024

[61] Congress.gov, "S.24 - Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019," accessed April 27, 2024

[62] Congress.gov, "H.Res.755 - Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors," accessed April 27, 2024

[63] Congress.gov, "H.Res.755 - Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors," accessed April 27, 2024

[64] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 434," accessed December 13, 2018

[65] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 284," June 21, 2018

[66] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 282," June 21, 2018

[67] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 434," accessed March 12, 2019

[68] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 549," October 3, 2017

[69] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 344," June 29, 2017

[70] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 342," June 29, 2017

[71] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 256," May 4, 2017

[72] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 405," September 26, 2018

[73] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 399," September 13, 2018

[74] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 313," June 28, 2018

[75] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 257," June 8, 2018

[76] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 216," May 22, 2018

[77] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 127," March 22, 2018

[78] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 69," February 9, 2018

[79] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 60," February 6, 2018

[80] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 44," January 22, 2018

[81] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 33," January 18, 2018

[82] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 708," December 21, 2017

[83] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 692," December 19, 2017

[84] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 670," December 7, 2017

[85] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 637," November 16, 2017

[86] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 589," October 26, 2017

[87] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 557," October 5, 2017

[88] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 528," September 14, 2017

[89] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 480," September 8, 2017

[90] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 441," September 6, 2017

[91] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 299," June 8, 2017

[92] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 249," May 3, 2017

[93] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 230," May 24, 2018

[94] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 49," January 30, 2018

[95] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 631," November 14, 2017

[96] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 435," July 27, 2017

[97] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 413," July 25, 2017

[98] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 437," July 28, 2017

[99] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 407," July 24, 2017

[100] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 378," July 14, 2017

[101] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 136," March 8, 2017

[102] Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 113th Congress," accessed April 29, 2015

[103] Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 114th Congress," accessed January 5, 2017

[104] Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the One Hundred Fourteenth Congress," April 13, 2015

[105] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 361," June 12, 2015

[106] Roll Call, "Deadline for TAA Do-Over Vote Extended to July 30 (Updated)," June 15, 2015

[107] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 362," June 12, 2015

[108] Roll Call, "Deadline for TAA Do-Over Vote Extended to July 30 (Updated)," June 15, 2015

[109] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 374," June 18, 2015

[110] Politico, "Trade turnaround: House backs new power for Obama," June 18, 2015

[111] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 388," June 24, 2015

[112] The Hill, "Obama signs trade bills," June 29, 2015

[113] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 239," accessed May 27, 2015

[114] Congress.gov, "H.R. 1735," accessed May 27, 2015

[115] The Hill, "Redone defense policy bill sails through House," accessed November 12, 2015

[116] Congress.gov, "S. 1356," accessed November 12, 2015

[117] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 618," accessed November 12, 2015

[118] Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to S. 1356)," accessed November 12, 2015

[119] Congress.gov, "S.Con.Res.11," accessed May 5, 2015

[120] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 183," accessed May 5, 2015

[121] The Hill, "Republicans pass a budget, flexing power of majority," accessed May 5, 2015

[122] Congress.gov, "HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015," accessed November 1, 2015

[123] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 579," accessed November 1, 2015

[124] Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1314)," accessed November 1, 2015

[125] Congress.gov, "H.R.1191 - Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015," accessed May 16, 2015

[126] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 226," accessed May 16, 2015

[127] Congress.gov, "HR 3461," accessed September 11, 2015

[128] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 493," accessed September 11, 2015

[129] Congress.gov, "HR 3460," accessed September 10, 2015

[130] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 494," accessed September 11, 2015

[131] Congress.gov, "H Res 411," accessed September 10, 2015

[rc492-132] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 492," accessed September 10, 2015

[133] Congress.gov, "HR 597," accessed November 2, 2015

[134] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 576," accessed November 2, 2015

[135] Congress.gov, "H.R.2048," accessed May 26, 2015

[136] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 224," accessed May 26, 2015

[137] Congress.gov, "HR 36 - the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act," accessed May 16, 2015

[138] Clerk.House.gov, "HR 36," accessed May 16, 2015

[139] Congress.gov, "HR 1731," accessed November 2, 2015

[140] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 173," accessed November 2, 2015

[141] Congress.gov, "HR 1560 - Protecting Cyber Networks Act," accessed November 1, 2015

[142] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 170," accessed November 1, 2015

[143] Congress.gov, "HR 4038 - the American SAFE Act of 2015," accessed November 20, 2015

[144] Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 643," accessed November 20, 2015

[145] Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 112th Congress," accessed September 5, 2013

[146] Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 113th Congress," accessed March 4, 2014

[147] Project Vote Smart, "HR 1960 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013

[148] Project Vote Smart, "HR 2217 - DHS Appropriations Act of 2014 - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013

[149] Project Vote Smart, "HR 624 - CISPA (2013) - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013

[150] Clerk of U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 31: H.R. 2642," accessed February 12, 2014

[151] Politico, "House clears Farm Bill," accessed February 12, 2014

[farm-152] 152.0 ^152.1 New York Times, "Senate passes long-stalled Farm Bill, with clear winners and losers," accessed February 12, 2014

[cnnhousevote-153] 153.0 ^153.1 CNN.com, "House passes compromise $1.1 trillion budget for 2014," accessed January 20, 2014

[vote-154] 154.0 ^154.1 ^154.2 U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 21," accessed January 20, 2014

[155] Roll Call, "Omnibus Sails Through the Senate," January 16, 2014

[156] Clerk of the U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 504," accessed October 31, 2013

[157] Buzzfeed, "Government Shutdown: How We Got Here," accessed October 1, 2013

[158] Clerk of the U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 504," accessed October 31, 2013

[159] The Washington Post, "Reid, McConnell propose bipartisan Senate bill to end shutdown, extend borrowing," accessed October 16, 2013

[160] U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 550," accessed October 31, 2013

[payshut-161] 161.0 ^161.1 Washington Post, "Which lawmakers will refuse their pay during the shutdown?" accessed October 2, 2013

[162] Project Vote Smart, "HR 273 - Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013

[163] The Library of Congress, "H.AMDT.136," accessed September 16, 2013

[164] Project Vote Smart, "H Amdt 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013

[165] Project Vote Smart, "H Amdt 450 - Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013

[166] Project Vote Smart, "HR 1797 - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act - Voting Record," accessed September 16, 2013

[167] Texas Legislature, "Bills Authored/Joint Authored by Rep. Castro," accessed August 21, 2011

[168] Texas Secretary of State, "2016 March Primary Election Candidate Filings by County," accessed December 15, 2015

[primaryresults16-169] The New York Times, "Texas Primary Results," March 1, 2016

[huffpost14-170] Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named huffpost14

[171] Texas Democrats, "2012 Candidate list," accessed May 10, 2012 (dead link)

[172] Texas Secretary of State, "Unofficial Democratic primary results," May 29, 2012

[173] Texas Secretary of State, "Official Texas Election Results," November 2, 2010

[174] Texas Secretary of State, "1992 - Current Election History," accessed February 24, 2014

[175] Follow the Money, "District 125 Texas House candidate funds, 2008," November 4, 2008

[176] OpenSecrets, "Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), 2012," accessed February 18, 2014

[177] This figure represents the total percentage growth from either 2004 (if the member entered office in 2004 or earlier) or the member's first year in office (as noted in the chart below).

[178] This number was found by dividing each member's total net worth growth percentage by the number of years included in the calculation.

[179] This figure represents the total percentage growth divided by the number of years for which there are net worth figures for each member.

[180] This figure was calculated using median asset data from the Census Bureau. Please see the Congressional Net Worth data for Ballotpedia spreadsheet for more information on this calculation.

[181] OpenSecrets.org, "Rep. Joaquin Castro," accessed September 23, 2014

[182] OpenCongress, "Joaquin Castro," archived February 25, 2016

[183] GovTrack, "Rep. Joaquin Castro (D)," accessed October 2, 2015

[184] National Journal, "2013 Congressional Vote Ratings," accessed July 18, 2014

[185] OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014

[186] OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014

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	v • e State of Texas Austin (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2024 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
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Joaquin Castro

Biography

Career

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2023-2024

2021-2022

2019-2020

2017-2018

2015-2016

2013-2014

Texas House

2011-2012

2009-2010

Key votes

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018

114th Congress

Economic and fiscal

Trade Act of 2015

Defense spending authorization

2016 Budget proposal

2015 budget

Foreign Affairs

Iran nuclear deal

Export-Import Bank

Domestic

USA FREEDOM Act of 2015

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

Cyber security

Immigration

113th Congress

National security

NDAA

DHS Appropriations

CISPA (2013)

Economy

Farm bill

2014 Budget

Government shutdown

Federal Pay Adjustment Elimination

Immigration

Morton Memos Prohibition

Healthcare

Healthcare Reform Rules

Social issues

Abortion

Issues

Sponsored legislation

Elections

2026

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 20

Endorsements

2024

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 20

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 20

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 20

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 20

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 20

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 20

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2020

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 20

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary runoff election