Rep. Michael Cloud has submitted the following funding requests for important community projects in TX-27 to the House Appropriations Committee. Projects are listed in alphabetical order.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community — although only a handful may actually be funded. Representatives must also provide a written statement describing the federal nexus for each Community Project Funding request. Additional information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding is available here.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. Cloud has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
Fiscal Year 2027
South Texas Residential STEM Academy
Amount Requested: $3,750,000
Intended Recipient: Texas A&M Victoria Campus
This proposal seeks funding to establish the A&M Victoria South Texas Residential STEM Academy, a summer program designed to serve middle and high school students from independent school districts across South Texas. The Academy will provide one-week, residential, on-campus STEM immersion experiences focused on robotics, engineering, computer science, applied mathematics, healthcare technologies, aviation, and emerging energy systems. Many South Texas students lack access to advanced laboratories, robotics programs, or hands-on engineering opportunities during the academic year, and this three-year initiative seeks to create a sustainable feeder pipeline that inspires the next generation of engineers, technologists, and healthcare innovators, ensuring local students are prepared to lead in high-demand STEM careers. Proposed tracks, in line with NASA mission areas, include Robotics & Automation; Engineering & Applied Physics; Cybersecurity & Coding; Health & Biomedical Technologies; Energy & Environmental Systems; and Aviation.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Protecting Farm and Ranch Water Supplies in the Nueces Watershed Amount
Requested: $3,500,000
Intended Recipient: Texas A&M University Corpus Christi Campus
Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi proposes a Nueces Watershed project in TX 27 to protect the water supplies that farms and ranches rely on by improving how we manage groundwater pumping and aquifer recharge. The project will conduct field surveys and applied investigations to map where groundwater is replenished, how pumping affects nearby private and agricultural wells, and how groundwater and river flows interact. Subawards will be issued to eligible local government entities and conservation districts within Texas Congressional District 27—including Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Groundwater Conservation Districts, the Nueces River Authority, and county governments, and producers. This funding will support producer coordination, field access, monitoring network installation, and outreach. No subawards will be made to nonprofit organizations. Note: Producers serve as project participants and beneficiaries (providing site access, in-kind support, and receiving technical assistance). Eligible local government entities (surface water conservation districts [SWCDs], groundwater conservation districts [GCDs], counties) handle any pass-through funds for producer coordination and outreach. This project will produce practical, “NRCS ready” tools: (1) maps showing high-value recharge and conservation zones; (2) guidance on sustainable pumping rates and well spacing; (3) recommended monitoring designs (paired shallow/deep monitoring wells near priority stream reaches) to protect baseflow; and (4) a neighbor well “sentinel” monitoring and mitigation framework with clear action triggers to reduce conflicts and protect existing wells. Findings will be published and delivered as GIS layers and producer-facing guidance for NRCS field staff and local conservation districts. A key focus is turning this technical work into information producers can actually use.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Matagorda Ship Channel Improvement Project
Amount Requested: $128,400,000
Intended Recipient: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Galveston District
The Matagorda Ship Channel Improvement Project, TX, authorized by section 401(1)8 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020 (P.L. 116–260), would improve the existing federal navigation channel from the current -36′ MLLW depth to a depth o f-47′ MLLW. It would also widen the channel width to 300′. The Community Project Funding request is for a Construction New Start to include funding to award the Entrance Channel Hopper Dredging and Oyster Mitigation construction contracts.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Corpus Christi Ship Channel Maintenance Dredging
Amount Requested: $50,000,000
Intended Recipient: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Galveston District
The Corpus Christi Ship Channel (CCSC) is the largest infrastructure project in District 27. The CCSC is the primary hub for oil and gas exports, supporting $65 billion in capital investments in the area and generating over 95,000 industry related jobs in TX. As one of the deepest ship channels in the Gulf, it provides nearly $40 billion annually in additional goods value exports. Over $148 million in annual transportation savings are passed on to the users of the ship channel as a result of the modern depth. Operations and maintenance on the Corpus Christi Ship Channel (CCSC) is needed annually to ensure safe and efficient transit of vessels on the channel. Funds are provided annually by the US Army Corps of Engineers and carried out by private dredging contractors. The beneficiaries are those entities operating along the CCSC.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Hurricane Safety Room
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Intended Recipient: Texas Division of Emergency Management
This request is for an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) build-out and regional emergency management capability enhancement within a FEMA P-361-compliant hurricane safe room facility currently in development under HMGP DR-4485. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) project is constructing a near-absolute structure intended to provide protection from a multitude of hazards including hurricane-force winds and serve as a multi-purpose facility for responders staging in the jurisdiction for life-safety response and recovery operations before, during, and after a hurricane. The facility will be located adjacent to the Victoria Regional Airport in close proximity to major highways and thoroughfares such as the I-69 corridor (US HWY 59) as well as air accessibility for local, state, and federal resources and responders. This capability will support incident management (on-scene) operations across multiple functional disciplines and jurisdictions, including coordination for in-bound local, state, and federal responders and partner agencies during hurricanes and other critical incidents.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Phase 3 Port of Victoria Rail Infrastructure Project
Amount Requested: $8,650,000
Intended Recipient: Victoria County Navigation District
Currently, Phases 1 and 2 of the rail expansion are under construction at the Port of Victoria. Over the’ past two years, the Port has invested more than $30 million in these initial phases to strengthen its rail infrastructure and support long-term growth. Phase 3 will add an additional 300 to 400 railcar spots of storage and operational capacity-critical infrastructure needed to support the expanding project pipeline, representing the potential for more than $20 billion in capital investment. Advancing Phase 3 ensures the Port’s rail network keeps pace with demand, protects the significant capital already deployed, and positions the region to fully capture these transformative economic opportunities.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Texas A&M – Victoria Veterans Success Center
Amount Requested: $4,050,000
Intended Recipient: Texas A&M University Victoria Campus
This initiative seeks funding to create a centralized, modern support hub for veteran and military-connected students in the Coastal Bend region, an area with a long-standing military tradition and a substantial veteran population. Within approximately a 100-mile radius of Victoria, there are more than 47,000 veterans, based on recent U.S. Census estimates across surrounding counties including Victoria, Aransas, Bee, Caldwell, Calhoun, DeWitt, Goliad, Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca, Nueces, Refugio, and San Patricio. This number increases to more than 70,000 when including nearby San Antonio corridor counties. Despite this concentration of veterans, A&M Victoria currently lacks a dedicated, centralized veteran resource center comparable to peer regional public universities in Texas.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Victoria Regional Airport (VCT) – Passenger Terminal Construction Project
Amount Requested: $10,000,000
Intended Recipient: Victoria Regional Airport (VCT) – Passenger Terminal Construction Project
The Passenger Terminal at Victoria Regional Airport (VCT) was built in the early 1990s, more than 30 years ago, and was designed for 34-seat aircraft and to meet pre-9/11 requirements. This old, outdated Terminal does not meet the current passenger needs nor the greater space requirements of the larger 50-seat aircraft used by SkyWest. Since the Passenger Terminal is so small, TSA operations occupy more than half of the Terminal’s available space, resulting in severe congestion in the TSA queuing area, substantial overcrowding in the gate area, and reduced functional capacity for passengers, airline staff, and airport staff. The TSA also does not have a separate area for screening checked baggage, resulting in checked baggage having to go through the screening device at the passenger checkpoint. The Victoria community needs a new, larger, and updated Passenger Terminal that meets current operational requirements for the passengers, the TSA, the airlines, and the airport staff and can accommodate the ongoing growth in passenger traffic.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
TXDoT/Nueces County – I-69 Development
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
Intended Recipient: Texas Department of Transportation
The requested funding is to conduct the environmental clearance and develop schematics for the SH 44/1-69 E interchange which is critical to supporting expansion of container terminal capacity for freight movement between the inland Port of Laredo and the Port of Corpus Christi. SH 44 is part of the congressionally authorized Future Interstate Corridor. As part of the 1-69 System, it will connect I-69E near Robstown to Future I-69W at Freer in Duval County and to 1-37 and seaport facilities at Corpus Christi. The current operational conditions of street level SH 44 through Robstown impede mobility of freight between these two port destinations. Freeway connectivity is vital to efficient and safe freight operations at this location.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Fiscal Year 2026
Naval Air Station Corpus Christi Child Development Center
Amount of Request: $1,000,000
Intended Recipient: Naval Air Station Corpus Christi
This funding request is for the planning and design of a new child development center on the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The project has a federal nexus because the funding provided is for purposes authorized by 10 U.S.C. §2807.
The funding would be used for planning and design. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it follows suit of the FY26 NDAA to expand childcare opportunities for servicemembers, which supports them and their families.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Naval Air Station Corpus Christi Quality-of-Life Projects
Amount of Request: $9,000,000
Intended Recipient: Naval Air Station Corpus Christi
The funding would be used for an unspecified MILCON project, including a quality-of-life project related to improving base infrastructure in the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas
The project has a federal nexus because the funding provided is for purposes authorized by 10 U.S.C. §2805.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it follows suit of the FY26 NDAA to improve quality of life of servicemembers.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Victoria Regional Airport
Amount of Request: $10 million
Intended Recipient: Victoria Regional Airport
This funding request is for a new passenger terminal at the Victoria Regional Airport.
The project has a federal nexus because the funding provided is for purposes authorized by 49 U.S.C. 47100 et seq.
The funding would be used for to go towards a new passenger terminal at the Victoria Regional Airport, which is a good use of taxpayer money because it would bring the airport in line with TSA security requirements and provide additional space for airlines.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority
Amount of Request: $1.943 million
Intended Recipient: Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority
This funding request is for a new maintenance facility for the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority.
The project has a federal nexus because the funding provided is for purposes authorized by chapter 53 of title 49 of the United States Code.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it supports essential pre-construction work for critical public transportation infrastructure that plays a key role in hurricane preparedness, emergency response, and day-to-day transit operations for working families across Nueces County and surrounding communities.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Port of Corpus Christi – Corpus Christi Ship Channel
Amount of Request: $9.619 million
Intended Recipient: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Port of Corpus Christi
This funding request would be used to perform ongoing operations and maintenance of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel.
The project has a federal nexus because the funding provided is for purposes authorized by section 1001, Water Resources Development Act of 2007, as modified by Section 401, Water Resources Development Act of 2020.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because maintenance dredging of Port of Corpus Christi ship channels and waterways is critical to maintaining safe navigation and efficient movement of commodities. With the expanded footprint of the deeper and wider channel, significant increases in shoaling rates have been observed in Port of Corpus Christi waterways. As one of the deepest ship channels in the Gulf, it provides nearly $40 billion annually in additional goods value exports.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.
Calhoun Port Authority – Matagorda Ship Channel Improvement Plan
Amount of Request: $6.755 million
Intended Recipient: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Calhoun Port Authority
This funding request would be used to perform ongoing operations and maintenance of the Matagorda Ship Channel.
The project has a federal nexus because the funding provided is for purposes authorized by section 401 (1) 8, Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2020 (P.L. 116-260).
This project is a good use of taxpayer dollars because the Matagorda Ship Channel is one of the most dangerous ports in the nation, and is a national asset that that serves as a gateway to world markets. Public and private marine terminals on the Matagorda Ship Channel generate more than 48,000 jobs nationwide and the port helps generate annual business revenues of nearly $13 billion.
View Rep. Cloud’s signed certification letter stating there is no financial interest in the project and describing the federal nexus of the project here.