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One Year Anniversary of ARRA Shows Widespread Investments in Local Infrastructure, Transportation, Education and Other Priorities

Courtesy Ashley Patterson,

Washington, DC – Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) today announced that one year after being signed into law, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has delivered over $19 billion in committed federal funding to Texas and provided over $4.2 billion in tax cuts to hard-working Texans, delivering a stabilizing boost to communities throughout the state during the economic recovery of the past 12 months. 

In the 28^th Congressional District, over $634 million in Recovery Act funding has made significant investments in local infrastructure, transportation, education, health care, agriculture, energy and other community priorities.

“In one year alone, the Recovery Act has brought billions in federal funding to Texas making community priorities possible in these hard economic times and it has helped provide billions in tax cuts to hard-working families,” said Congressman Cuellar.  “The Recovery Act has helped our communities recover during this economic recession. Without a doubt, it’s been a boost to Texas.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was passed by Congress last year and was signed into law by the President on February 17, 2009. Since then, it’s provided over $99 billion in tax cuts and first-time homebuyer tax credits to 95% of all hard-working families nationwide, including $4.2 billion to working Texans through the Making Work Pay Tax Credit Program.

Since the rollout of the Recovery Act, Texas has received over $3.3 billion for state transportation, energy and other shovel-ready infrastructure projects, including $186 million worth of Recovery funding for Webb County priorities including:

$55 Million in Education Funding for LISD and UISD
$48 Million for the City of Laredo Water Utilities improvements project
$31 Million for the TX DOT Cuatro Vientos project
$10.5 Million for the Laredo International Airport’s runway improvements
$8.7 Million in Combined Extended Pell Grants to LCC and TAMIU

“With this Recovery Act funding, we’ve been able to resurrect shelved projects, brace our local schools from cuts and invest in critical infrastructure like our water treatment plants, roads and airport,” said Congressman Cuellar. “This national package will have a positive local impact for decades to come.”

In Congressman Cuellar’s district, over 274,000 families benefited from tax cuts provided by the Recovery Act, individuals who made less than $75,000 and married couples earning less than $150,000 qualified for tax credits up to $400 and $800 respectively.

In nearby Zapata County, over $3 million in Recovery Act funding provided education funds to the local public schools, law enforcement grants and $42,500 for the Zapata Boys and Girls Club. Also, Jim Hogg County ISD received $827,499 in Recovery Act funding since last February.

In LaSalle County, over $4.6 million in Recovery funding was distributed towards transportation, rural health care services, Cotulla ISD, Cotulla Boys and Girls Club, summer youth employment and $1.5 million worth of road improvements on Interstate 35 along the Frio and LaSalle County Line. 

Also in Texas, over 3.5 million people received a one-time stimulus payment worth $250 totaling $894,247,670 in combined tax credits throughout the state according to reports provided by ARRA.

The Recovery Act also provided funding for the widely popular Cash for Clunkers program, small business tax credits and mortgage refinancing programs.

“When you add everything up, the Recovery Act has made critical investments in our communities,” said Congressman Cuellar. “The tally shows it’s been a success.”

For more information on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, please visit www.recovery.gov.