We are now in the second full week of the Democrats' reckless Government Shutdown. Senate Democrats have voted seven times to keep the government closed, all to appease their radical base. If their theatrics continue, American service members, Border Patrol Agents, air traffic controllers, and hundreds of other federal employees will not receive a paycheck. Once again, Democrats are putting their own woke political interests ahead of the American people.

This week the government shutdown has continued as government funding lapsed on Wednesday, October 1st, resulting in the shutdown of some federal government services. I remain committed to working on finding a path forward. Our offices in Addison and Washington, D.C. will continue to remain open and available to help you or answer any questions you may have. 

Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), in partnership with other organizations, will host the 2025 White Cane Day celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. This event is held to educate the world about blindness and how the blind and visually impaired can live and work independently while giving back to their communities. TWC also participates in the White Cane Day March which starts at 9 a.m. at various locations.

When America looks back at the COVID era, history will not be kind to Randi Weingarten and the American Federation of Teachers. At a time when our nation’s children needed leadership, compassion, and courage, Weingarten delivered none of it. Instead, she manipulated the crisis of school closures to expand her own political influence, sacrificing the futures of millions of kids and betraying the trust of parents across this country.

So just how strong are President Trump's "Favorability" or "Approval" ratings doing as the nation moves into the final quarter of 2025? Well, according to one recent poll for early October, there are some fascinating differences within a couple demographic subgroups – yet given the degree of political polarization in the U.S. the past month, Trump’s scores have remained surprisingly solid – and imperturbable.

"Today I directed the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to ensure Texas counties and cities remove any and all political ideologies from our streets. To keep Texans moving safely and free from distraction, any city that refuses to comply with the Federal Road Standards will face consequences,including the withholding or denial of State & Federal road funding and suspension of agreements with TxDOT,” said Governor Greg Abbott.

The Wall Street Journal is calling it the real-life Emerald City. Bellevue, Washington may be the fastest growing city in a Blue State – and if trends continue, it may be home to more tech jobs than neighboring Seattle.  When Seattle & Portland went woke, Bellevue went smart – and like a magnet, pulled jobs out of both cities at a breathtaking pace. What was once a cow town 50 years ago, is now a thriving metropolis.

Van Jones – the CNN Host & Commentator – recently complained that neither the Global Left nor the Mainstream Media are covering the horrific violence against Nigerian civilians by Islamic Terrorists. True, they are not reporting the slaughter – and truer still, they should be. Jones, however, went completely off the rails when he blamed "The Jews" – or as he put it, "No Jews, No News"... a stereotyped statement as antisemitic as it is untrue.

“Since October 7th, our Israeli allies have fought with incredible bravery and commitment to destroy Iran's genocidal terror groups and infrastructure across the Middle East, which threaten their existence and our own national security. President Trump provided Israel with unprecedented support in their campaign, and in recent weeks he established the contours of a peace plan that will now — thankfully — bring an end to the war and the release of the hostages Hamas seized."

Thanks to Senate Democrat's stonewalling to try and stop President Trump from putting has team in place to Make America Great Again, it only took EIGHT months to confirm Ned Mamula to run the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) –  the agency overseeing ALL mining & mapping activities throughout the U.S. Its estimates we have $12 trillion of recoverable minerals buried in our own backyard, including 100s of billions of dollars in Critical & Rare Earth Minerals.

Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23), Chairman of the Republican Congressional Hispanic Conference, has initiated and led a letter to the U.S. Department of Education requesting that the agency reverse a decision to cease $350 million in grant funding for Hispanic Serving-Institutions (HSIs) that encompass colleges and universities with at least a 25% enrollment rate of Hispanic students. 

“With a second case nearing the Texas-Mexico border, time is of the essence. The time is now for our state and federal partners to get on board with the deployment of pesticide bait. When utilized right, alongside TDA Swormlure, this is a proven method for eradication. This isn’t just a livestock issue, it’s about protecting Texas jobs, rural communities, and our agricultural lifeblood."

Most shutdowns in Washington are about numbers on a spreadsheet or spending caps. This one is different. The current shutdown, now entering its second week, comes down to a single question: should American taxpayers be forced to pay for Medicaid benefits for illegal immigrants? Democrats have answered yes. Republicans have answered no. At the center of the fight is a provision of the Big Beautiful Bill, passed earlier this year, which closed one of Medicaid’s most expensive and abused loopholes.

“The Left’s progressive base & allies in the media have conjured up an ignorant illusion that they can force Republicans to accept their demands in exchange for keeping the lights on, but that could not be further from the truth,” said Sen. Cornyn after Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, once again voted against a government funding bill passed by the House, ensuring that the Federal Government will remain shut down.

If anything good has come out of the Schumer Government Shutdown, it's the revelation that Obamacare is, was, and always will be a financial sham. That's ironic, because Obama and his supporters say the health law was his "greatest achievement." The "Affordable Care Act" was supposed to expand health coverage and lower costs – but its doing just the opposite. Obamacare was always a racket, and The Left's known it all along.

Governor Greg Abbott today directed the Texas DPS to toughen enforcement action against vape and smoke shops that are not in compliance with state laws and regulations. Last month, Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order, directing the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and DPS to take immediate action to protect Texas children from hemp-derived products.

Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock today announced the formal name for Texas’ School Choice Program — Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) — and the selection of Odyssey as the Certified Educational Assistance Organization that will help launch the program. The announcement marks two major steps toward rolling out the largest school choice initiative in the nation, set to begin in the 2026-27 school year.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson went to court Monday to stop President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops to the Windy City, calling mob violence against immigration officials a "flimsy pretext." The Illinois lawsuit claims that Trump is sending the Guard to Chicago to "fight crime," not just protect federal buildings and personnel. Horrors! What's wrong with fighting crime?