U.S. Representative for Texas's 20th District

Joaquin Castro is a San Antonio attorney who has represented Texas's 20th Congressional District since 2013 and serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Intelligence Committee¹². He earned degrees from Stanford University and Harvard Law School and served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2003 to 2013¹.

Where they stand

• Aid to Israel: Keep it, but with conditions on how weapons are used and aid to Gaza Said · high confidence
  • Voted against the $26 billion Israel security supplemental. (2024-04-20) source
  • Voted against the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which would require delivery of paused weapons to Israel. (2024-05-16) source
  • Joined a statement supporting Senate resolutions to block specific offensive arms sales to Israel while backing defensive systems such as Iron Dome. (2024-11-20) source
  • Said he opposed providing Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing without new conditions or reporting requirements. (2026-01-14) source
  • Cosponsored H.R. 3565, which would bar transfers of certain bombs and artillery ammunition to Israel unless Congress specifies their permitted uses and Israel gives written assurances. (2025-08-08) source
• Aid to Ukraine: Restore strong U.S. aid and add tougher sanctions on Russia Said · high confidence
  • Voted for the $40 billion Ukraine aid package in May 2022. (2022-05-10) source
  • Voted for the $61 billion Ukraine security supplemental in April 2024. (2024-04-20) source
  • Voted for the Ukraine Support Act, which provides military aid and loans to Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia. (2026-06-04) source
  • Said the Ukrainian people deserve U.S. support, that he has consistently backed providing Ukraine the resources to defend itself, and that he supports financial sanctions on Russian officials and banks. (2026-09-16) source
  • Criticized President Trump's February 2025 Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy as a display of deference to Russia. (2025-02-28) source
• Guns: All of that, plus ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines Said · high confidence
  • Voted for the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022, which would ban the sale of many semi-automatic assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. (2022-07-29) source
  • Said assault weapons used in the Uvalde, El Paso and Sutherland Springs shootings have no place on our streets. (2022-07-29) source
  • Cosponsored the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2025 and the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2026. (2026) source
• Abortion: Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks) Official action · high confidence
  • Voted for the Women's Health Protection Act, which would protect abortion access nationwide before viability and later when a patient's life or health is at risk. (2021-09-24) source
  • Voted for the Women's Health Protection Act of 2022, which would protect abortion access nationwide before viability and later when a patient's life or health is at risk. (2022-07-15) source
  • Called the Dobbs decision wrong and said every American should have the freedom to decide when and how to start a family. (2022-06-24) source
  • Was among the House members who introduced the Women's Health Protection Act in 2021, which would bar many state abortion restrictions while allowing limits after viability with health exceptions. (2022-05-10) source
  • Cosponsored the Women's Health Protection Act of 2025. (2025-06-24) source
• Immigration: A path to citizenship for most, and more legal immigration Official action · medium confidence
  • Voted for the American Dream and Promise Act, which offered a path to citizenship for Dreamers and some long-time TPS holders. (2021-03-18) source
  • Voted for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which offered legal status to long-time farmworkers and required E-Verify in agriculture. (2021-03-18) source
  • Voted against the Secure the Border Act, which funded border wall construction and tightened asylum rules. (2023-05-11) source
  • Voted against the Secure America Act, which provides about $70 billion for immigration enforcement and border security. (2026-06-09) source
  • Sponsored the Citizenship for Essential Workers Act, which would let immigrants who did essential work during the COVID-19 emergency obtain green cards. (2023-05-02) source
  • Cosponsored the American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 and the U.S. Citizenship Act in 2023. (2025-02-26) source
  • Said the vast majority of undocumented immigrants are hardworking people who pay taxes and contribute to American society. (2025-01-23) source
  • Said the administration's mass deportation machine has betrayed Dreamers and renewed his commitment to immigration reform. (2026-06-16) source
• Birthright citizenship: Yes, for everyone born here except the narrow exceptions like diplomats' children, as the Supreme Court ruled Said · high confidence
  • Called the effort to end birthright citizenship cruel and un-American and said the Constitution makes clear that people born in this country are citizens. (2025-06-27) source
• Redistricting: Independent commissions draw maps, with a national ban on partisan gerrymandering Official action · medium confidence
  • Voted for the For the People Act, which would require independent commissions to draw congressional maps and ban partisan gerrymandering. (2021-03-03) source
  • Called the 2025 Texas congressional map an illegal gerrymander and said Republicans rigged the system to keep power. (2025-08-29) source
  • Criticized the Supreme Court ruling allowing the map to be used, calling it corrupt and racist redistricting. (2025-12-04) source
  • Cosponsored the For the People Act of 2021, which would require states to use independent commissions for congressional redistricting. (2021-02-05) source
• Minimum wage: Raise it higher and tie it to the cost of living Official action · medium confidence
  • Cosponsored the Raise the Wage Act of 2025, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $17 over five years. (2025-04-08) source
  • The bill would raise the wage to $17 by 2030 and phase out subminimum wages, according to its Senate sponsors. (2025-04-08) source
• Marijuana: Legalize it and clear past convictions Official action · medium confidence
  • Voted for the MORE Act, which would remove marijuana from federal drug schedules and clear past federal marijuana convictions. (2022-04-01) source
  • Cosponsored the MORE Act, which would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and set up a process to expunge federal cannabis convictions. (2026-04-23) source
• Campaign finance: Overturn Citizens United by amendment and add public financing of campaigns Official action · medium confidence
  • Voted for the For the People Act, which created small-donor public matching funds, required disclosure of big donors and called for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. (2021-03-03) source
  • Cosponsored a proposed constitutional amendment letting Congress and the states limit election spending and create public campaign financing. (2024-07-11) source
  • Cosponsored the DISCLOSE Act of 2026. (2026-03-04) source
• Politicians trading stocks: No, ban it for members and their spouses Official action · medium confidence
  • Voted against the Stop Insider Trading Act, a stock purchase ban for members that also carried voter ID provisions. (2026-07-22) source
  • Cosponsored the Restore Trust in Congress Act, which would bar members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children from owning or trading individual stocks. (2026-07-20) source
• Paid leave: Create a national paid family and medical leave program plus paid sick days Official action · medium confidence
  • Voted for the Build Back Better Act, which created a national paid family and medical leave program. (2021-11-19) source
  • Cosponsored the FAMILY Act, a national paid family and medical leave bill, in 2025 and the Healthy Families Act, a paid sick days bill, in 2026. (2026-02-12) source
• Childcare and pre-K: Guarantee low-cost childcare for all families plus universal pre-K Official action · medium confidence
  • Voted for the Build Back Better Act, which funded free universal pre-K and expanded childcare aid. (2021-11-19) source
  • Cosponsored the Child Care for Working Families Act of 2025, which would cap child care costs for eligible families at 7 percent of income and expand pre-K. (2025-07-15) source
  • Sponsored the Head Start for Our Future Act in 2025. (2025-07-10) source
• Social Security: Expand benefits and fund it with higher taxes on the wealthy Official action · medium confidence
  • Cosponsored the Social Security 2100 Act in 2023, a bill that would increase benefits and apply the payroll tax to earnings above $400,000. (2023-07-12) source
• Trade and tariffs: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Said · medium confidence
  • Opposed the April 2025 across-the-board tariffs, saying they would be the biggest tax increase on everyday Texans in decades and would hurt San Antonio as a trade hub. (2025-04-02) source
• Foreign policy: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Said · medium confidence
  • Said he strongly supports the State Department, diplomats and foreign assistance, and criticized U.S. military actions in Venezuela and the Caribbean as illegal wars. (2026-01-14) source
• Qualified immunity: No, end it for police so officers or departments can be sued for rights violations Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would end qualified immunity for police officers in civil rights lawsuits. (2021-03-03) source
• Safety net programs: Expand help for childcare, housing and paid family leave Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted for the Build Back Better Act, which expanded aid for childcare, housing and paid family leave. (2021-11-19) source
  • Voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which added Medicaid work requirements and expanded SNAP work requirements. (2025-07-03) source
• Drug prices: Negotiate more drugs and extend the insulin and yearly cost caps to private insurance Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted for the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would cap insulin costs at $35 a month for people with Medicare and private insurance. (2022-03-31) source
• Income taxes: Raise taxes on the highest earners and corporations to pay for programs Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which set a 15% minimum tax on large corporations and a tax on stock buybacks to help pay for energy and health programs. (2022-08-12) source
  • Voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which made the 2017 individual tax cuts permanent at every income level. (2025-07-03) source
• Energy and climate: A gradual shift to cleaner energy, driven by incentives Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which used tax credits and incentives to speed a shift to cleaner energy. (2022-08-12) source
• Transgender athletes: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a federal rule basing school sports eligibility on sex at birth. (2023-04-20) source
  • Voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a federal rule basing school sports eligibility on sex at birth. (2025-01-14) source
• E-Verify mandate: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the Secure the Border Act, which would require all employers to use E-Verify. (2023-05-11) source
• Mandatory minimums: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the HALT Fentanyl Act, which applies mandatory minimum sentences to fentanyl-related trafficking. (2023-05-25) source
  • Voted against the HALT Fentanyl Act, which applies mandatory minimum sentences to fentanyl-related trafficking. (2025-06-12) source
• Student loans: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against overturning the Biden administration's broad student loan debt cancellation. (2023-06-21) source
  • Voted against overturning the SAVE income-driven repayment plan. (2023-12-07) source
• Healthcare: Keep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is broken Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted against the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, a private-market bill on association health plans and PBM transparency. (2025-12-17) source
  • Voted for restoring the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits for three years. (2026-01-08) source

No public position found on: National debt, Business regulation, Judges, Term limits, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.