Castro, Joaquin

Joaquin Castro represents Texas's 20th congressional district and serves as Ranking Member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. As ranking member of the minority party, he leads Democratic oversight efforts on this subcommittee, which examines the operations and accountability of U.S. intelligence agencies including the CIA and NSA. He also holds membership on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, where he serves as Ranking Member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, positioning him as a key voice on Latin American and Caribbean policy.

Castro brings substantial legal and legislative experience to these roles. He earned his law degree from Harvard Law School and practiced at the prominent firm Akin Gump before co-founding his own law firm in 2005. Before his election to Congress in 2012, he spent a decade in the Texas House of Representatives, where he served on committees addressing higher education, judiciary matters, and border affairs. His background in law and prior legislative service on education and judicial issues inform his current work on intelligence oversight and foreign policy.

In the 119th Congress, Castro was recognized by the Center for Effective Lawmaking as the most effective House Democrat, reflecting his legislative productivity and influence. He has sponsored legislation addressing supply chain security, international development, and war powers, demonstrating engagement across foreign policy and national security matters. His work as ranking member places him in a position to scrutinize intelligence agency operations, demand accountability, and shape the minority party's response to administration intelligence policies and practices.