As the world grows more dangerous, we must ensure every dollar of American foreign assistance is used effectively to advance our national interests. During last week’s House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, I called for urgent reforms at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to refocus it on its core mission: countering our adversaries and stabilizing fragile nations that breed terrorism.
Through Operation Lone Star, Governor Abbott has led the charge to uphold immigration laws and protect our communities, investing over $11 BILLION to do what Joe Biden refused to. I met with Governor Abbott to discuss how we can continue to support these efforts. Now, the Texas delegation is united in demanding that Washington reimburse our state for the infrastructure and resources spent securing the border.
Governor Greg Abbott provided an update during a press conference on Texas' response to wildfire threats in West Texas, potential flash flooding in East Texas, and severe winter weather impacting large portions of the state following a briefing with state officials at the State Operations Center in Austin. Last Friday, Governor Abbott directed TDEM to activate state emergency response resources ahead of increased severe weather threats this weekend.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) reintroduced the Chemical Tax Repeal Act today. The bill eliminates the Superfund excise tax imposed by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021. That law re-imposed taxes on 42 different chemicals, critical minerals, and metallic elements used in common household items such as plastics, rubber, concrete, soap, lightbulbs, and electronics.
New York is already getting sued by the Trump administration for prioritizing illegal aliens over the safety of Americans. Get ready for New York City to be slammed with similar suits. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul blusters that the legal action is a "worthless, publicity-driven lawsuit" that will "be a total failure." Hochul insists "New York is not backing not down." She's dead wrong about the merits of the lawsuit. It's a slam dunk.
Sen. Ted Cruz has reintroduced the "Officer John Barnes Act" to eliminate delays in the distribution of benefits officers and their families experience from the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program (PSOB) and require the Dept. of Justice to process-decide benefits claims within 270 days of submission. Cruz's bill is named in honor of Officer John Barnes, who demonstrated exceptional bravery during the Santa Fe, Texas shooting tragedy, suffering a disabling shotgun blast in the process.
As Chairman of the House Republican Study Committee, I was honored to host U.S. Energy Sect. Chris Wright at the RSC's latest lunch meeting to lay out an aggressive path forward for jump-starting America's Energy Production. Wright is a successful entrepreneur who's worked in the nuclear, solar, geothermal and oil & gas areas of the energy industry. He has a deep and firsthand understanding of what Energy Independence should look like for our nation's National Security & Economic Prosperity.
"We will end this session ensuring Texas public schools are better than ever, and get back to the basics of learning to achieve academic excellence," Gov. Greg Abbott told a crowd of 600+ parents & supporters, while thanking Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows and House Education Committee Chair Brad Buckley for pledging to file school choice legislation this week. "We're on a mission this session, and we want school choice where every parent can choose," said Abbott.
"I'm proud to fight for the 2nd Amendment, and will always oppose any legislation that aims to restrict that right,” said Texas State Representative Carrie Isaac, reaffirming her unwavering commitment to the 2nd Amendment and emphasizing, “This is why I am proud to introduce a 2nd Amendment Package that eliminates unconstitutional restrictions placed on the right to bear arms. The right of Texans to protect themselves and carry firearms is essential to preserving both freedom, and safety in Texas."
The left and their comrades in the MSM are whining about Donald Trump renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America – but notice they only bring up objections, avoiding mention of the favorable reasons. The most obvious is that “America” includes Mexico and the Lower Continents too – which I haven’t read in a single fake news article. The left rails against conservatives who refuse to call transgenders by their newly chosen opposite gender names, but yet seems to have no problem renaming landmarks.
Believe it or not, it was actually – literally – Barack Obama who founded DOGE. On Nov. 9th, 2011, then-President Obama signed an Executive Order to create "The U.S. Digital Service" to bring in his tech bros — kids from Google — as "Presidential Innovation Fellows" and deployed them, in his words, to Government Agencies as SWAT Teams to innovate and cut spending. Yes, this is Barack Obama's idea – yet surprise-surprise, not a single Democrat ever claimed it was causing a "Constitutional Crisis."
Let’s get straight what Elon Musk is trying to do – and dispel Democrat's mis-truths right from the start. He’s going through the Federal Government and finding unbelievable Waste & Fraud, and more. He has Executive & Statutory Authority, and is not a "freelancer" – he was appointed by the president of the United States who created the Dept. of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Mr. Musk has the same powers as the National Security Adviser – and as for impounding funds, Joe Biden set the precedent.
“In 2015 when I became Lt. Governor, the Homestead Exemption was $15,000. Today its $100,000 – and $110,000 for seniors. In 2023, the $100,000 Homestead Exemption was codified into the Texas Constitution after voters passed Prop 4 with 83% of the vote. This makes the $100,000 Homestead Exemption permanent, and homeowners receive tax relief every single year – forever. This passage of SB 4 would increase the Homestead Exemption to $140,000, and $150,000 for seniors."
“Texas is the most powerful economy in the nation, and now with the launch of the New York Stock Exchange of Texas, we will become the financial capital of America,” said Gov. Greg Abbott, after Intercontinental Stock Exchange, Inc. – owners of the New York Stock Exchange of Chicago – announced the company will move its NYSE Chicago operations to Dallas, will reincorporate the company there and, pending regulatory approval, will rename the NYSE of Chicago as NYSE Texas.
"This is just the first steps – we now need to undergo the hard work of ensuring these tax cuts aren't eaten up by rising appraisal values," said South Texas State Sen. Adam Hinojosa, a freshman Republican who won election as part of the massive move in South Texas to the Republican Party. "I am proud to stand alongside Lt. Gov. Patrick and Sen. Paul Bettencourt... it shows our dedication to providing real savings to Texas homeowners," Hinojosa said, celebrating the first step toward another possible historic win for Texas.
On December 7, 2022, Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez, Jr. died in the line of duty after his ATV crashed while pursuing illegal aliens who were fleeing capture. Agent Gonzalez honorably served our nation for over a decade. The "Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act" would: Permanently prohibit any illegal alien who flees Border Patrol from ever receiving legal U.S. immigration status; Increase sentencing ranges to 5 to 20 years if someone is injured during pursuit; and if death results from the pursuit, the defendant could face up to life in prison.
Here are some of the untruths being told about Elon Musk and DOGE: "No one elected Musk. Musk has no right to cut USAID." Well, Elon Musk and his team are NOT cutting any Federal Programs. They are auditors given legal authority under no less than a Presidential Executive Order creating the Dept. of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Its mandate is to identify waste, abuse, fraud, and irrelevance in the federal budget at a time when the U.S. is $37 trillion in debt. The agency will expire on July 4th, 2026.
“Texas is where the chip was born, its where the semiconductor industry is building, and thanks to companies like Dongjin Semichem Texas we will continue to be #1 for semiconductors,” said Gov. Greg Abbott, adding, “DST's $110 million investment in their specialty chemicals & materials facility in Killeen will help secure the U.S. supply chain – produced in Texas for the first time." In 2023 Abbott established the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium, and the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund.
