{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gabe-vasquez-returns-over-1-million-constituents-secures-millions", "Rep. Gabe Vasquez Returns Over $1 Million to Constituents, Secures Millions to Strengthen Public Safety, Support the Economy", "2024-10-17", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "NM", "Gabe Vasquez", "V000136", "vasquez.house.gov", "vasquez", "https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "LAS CRUCES, N.M. \u2013 Today, October 17, 2024, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) highlighted his ongoing commitment to helping New Mexicans navigate federal bureaucracy and securing funding for community projects. The event brought together constituents who have directly benefited from his office\u2019s assistance with federal agencies as well as local leaders whose projects have received significant federal support through Community Project Funding (CPF).\n\nSince taking office, Vasquez has returned over $1 million to constituents, successfully resolving over 1,200 cases involving IRS disputes, Social Security benefits and VA assistance for veterans. Several constituents shared their stories of how Vasquez helped them overcome obstacles when dealing with federal agencies.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m excited to announce that my office has returned over $1 million to hard-working New Mexicans,\u201d said Vasquez. \u201cMy office has helped seniors access hard-earned Social Security benefits, resolved IRS issues for families and helped countless veterans. I\u2019m here to fight for everyone in southern New Mexico. Every success story shows the real impact we can have when we prioritize people over politics and ensure the federal government works for them.\u201d\n\n\u201cMy husband was a Vietnam veteran. He was very, very sick, and he died in Texas because that\u2019s where they sent him, and I waited and waited for my benefits. Every time I contacted the VA, they told me they\u2019re working on it, but it never moved. I came here, filled out paperwork. Congressman Vasquez\u2019s office sent it. On Thursday, your office sent me a letter saying that you heard from them, and on Saturday, I got my money. I can\u2019t thank you enough for what you\u2019ve done,\u201d said Karen of Las Cruces.\n\n\u201cMy husband and I are both veterans. I started getting heart issues in 1998. Recently, I was told I needed a transplant, and they told me I needed to go to Utah. My husband and I are pretty close to retirement and by us having to temporarily move and lose our employment, would mean our house and our car would be gone. All of the things that we\u2019ve worked for for retirement in a few years would be out the window. I called Congressman Vasquez and within the same week, the doctor called me back with an option to stay in state. It\u2019s amazing how fast things worked for us. I really appreciate your intervention, because without that, I would have been dead within a week or two\u201d said Cyprina of Alamogordo.\n\n\u201cCongressman Vasquez helped me with a Post Office issue,\u201d said John of Las Cruces. \u201cOur mailbox on our block got vandalized, and for months, we had to pick up our mail at the Post Office. I contacted the office and within days we got a new mailbox. It was crazy!\"\n\nIn addition to casework success, Vasquez highlighted over $14.2 million he has secured for Community Project Funding. Vasquez\u2019s submission of fifteen CPF projects for Fiscal Year 2024 marked the first time that New Mexico\u2019s second congressional district has participated in the CPF process in recent years. Local leaders in attendance praised Vasquez\u2019s leadership in bringing federal dollars back to New Mexico to fund essential community programs that will grow the economy and keep New Mexicans safe.\n\n\u201cUnlike my predecessor, I have secured millions of dollars in Community Project Funding for our district for the first time,\u201d said Vasquez. \u201cThese investments are supporting critical infrastructure upgrades, public safety initiatives and strengthening New Mexico\u2019s economy and families.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve been on the City Council while we\u2019ve had a representative who was unresponsive to our community\u2019s needs, and I don\u2019t ever want to go back to that. Because of the impact that Representative Vasquez has talked about here today, I just couldn't be more grateful for how you are representing us and for the support that you\u2019re bringing, of course, to Las Cruces, but also to rural communities all across the southern part of our state. Thank you,\u201d said Las Cruces City Councilor Johana Bencomo.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re here to work together at a local level, at a state level, at a federal level, and really here for our community and for our people. I think that just Congressman Vasquez being there to do that, it acknowledges that, and I can\u2019t thank you enough for that. Our little community of Mesilla in the past has not actually gone after any type of federal dollars, but Congressman Vasquez really opened that door and that opportunity, and it\u2019s been a breath of fresh air to see what\u2019s available and out there. I can't thank you more for that because it\u2019s great for our community and the future of the town,\u201d said Mesilla Mayor Russell Hernandez.\n\nVasquez remains committed to helping constituents navigate federal agencies, securing federal funding for local projects and ensuring that the voices of southern New Mexico are heard in Washington. For assistance with federal agencies, please visit vasquez.house.gov/help.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gabe-vasquez-returns-over-1-million-constituents-secures-millions"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9196328464895487, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}