Texas Border Business
By David A. Díaz / Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, Texas — A federal bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Mónica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg, seeks to establish something Rio Grande Valley veterans have sought for years: a full-service U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in South Texas.
De La Cruz introduced H.R. 6004, the Sgt. Alfredo “Freddy” González Memorial Veterans Hospital Act, on Nov. 10, 2025. The House referred the measure to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
The legislation would authorize the secretary of Veterans Affairs, subject to available congressional appropriations, to construct a VA hospital in the Rio Grande Valley. If built, the facility would officially be named the Sgt. Alfredo “Freddy” González Memorial Veterans Hospital.
“I am honored to introduce the Sgt. Alfredo ‘Freddy’ González Memorial Veterans Hospital Act, a major milestone for Veterans in the Rio Grande Valley,” De La Cruz said when announcing the legislation. “This bill honors a hero and ensures our Veterans in South Texas receive the care they have earned and deserve.”
The proposed hospital would honor González, an Edinburg native and U.S. Marine who was killed at age 21 during the Tet Offensive in Hue City, Vietnam. González was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions defending his platoon. In 1996, the U.S. Navy also honored him by naming the USS Gonzalez after him.
The legislation is particularly significant because the Rio Grande Valley does not currently have a full-service VA medical center. Veterans have access to facilities including the McAllen VA Clinic and Harlingen VA Health Care Center, but those facilities do not provide the full inpatient hospital services or dedicated VA emergency-room capabilities of a VA medical center.
For veterans requiring complex inpatient treatment through a major VA medical center, travel to San Antonio can be necessary. The Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital is approximately 240 miles one way from McAllen and 284 miles from Brownsville, according to the report.
De La Cruz’s proposal has also received support from the League of United Latin American Citizens. LULAC National President Román Palomares said South Texas veterans deserve world-class medical care close to home and called González a symbol of the sacrifices Hispanic Americans made in defense of the country.
Nearly a year after De La Cruz introduced H.R. 6004, the legislation remains pending in Congress and has yet to advance beyond the House committee process.
If ultimately approved and funded, the measure could bring the Rio Grande Valley its first full-service VA hospital while permanently linking the facility to the legacy of one of the region’s most decorated military heroes.
If ultimately approved and funded, the measure could bring the Rio Grande Valley its first full-service VA hospital while permanently linking the facility to the legacy of one of the region’s most decorated military heroes.
