Congressman Rodriguez secured $1.7 million in funding for the National Council de la Raza to perform minority health research and outreach in the Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2001. NCLR will use this grant to improve Hispanic health care in the United States through enhanced public health research, policy analysis, and information dissemination on Hispanic health issues. Additionally, NCLR will focus on the development of a National Resource Center for lay health educators (or promotores de salud), with a special emphasis on the health problems of Hispanic children.
In an attempt to improve chronically high rates of unemployment along the border, Congressman Rodriguez has requested federal funding for programs that improve the flexibility of the various economic sectors in the border region so they can better navigate the volatile markets of South Texas. Among other things, Congressman Rodriguez has spearheaded the effort to fund the Community Adjustment and Investment Program (CAIP), a loan program created by the United States Government for communities that need assistance adjusting to trade impacts of NAFTA.
In 2003, Congressman Rodriguez spearheaded a South Texas delegation letter urging the House and Senate Appropriations Committee to provide $20 million for CAIP, with $10 million designated for projects along the U.S.-Mexico border. CAIP has not received funding since fiscal year 2000.
With Congressman Rodriguez's support, CAIP has contributed $797,855 dollars in grants to local initiatives that have helped develop a long term strategic economic plan for the border, helped to retrain dislocated workers, and provided small businesses with access to capitol and other resources. These programs have helped to create or retain over 1,300 jobs in the Rio Grande Valley.
Congressman Rodriguez secured $350,000 for Project VIDA in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2003. Project VIDA, or the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA), is a labor-market intermediary that has trained over 2,000 Valley residents, with a 94% placement rate, for high skilled, high wage jobs. These funds will allow organizations like Valley Interfaith to continue their positive, community based, efforts to improve economic growth in the Rio Grande Valley.
