Just this week, my bill — the Give Kids a Chance Act, which also includes my Creating Hope Reauthorization Act — was passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee with unanimous support.
Report: AUSTIN, Texas – (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death in America's children. In 2009, I founded the Childhood Cancer Caucus to give children with this disease a voice on Capitol Hill. This week, I hosted the 15th annual Childhood Cancer Summit, which was a celebration of their lives, a testament to their strength and courage, and a reminder of all the things we have accomplished over the past 15 years.
Working to protect these beautiful children from the number one killer — cancer — has been the highlight of my career. It is an honor to partner with so many advocates, my caucus co-chairs, and these courageous children as we work to make cancer history.
While great strides have been made, there is still more to be done. Just this week, my bill — the Give Kids a Chance Act, which also includes my Creating Hope Reauthorization Act — was passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee with unanimous support. This bipartisan support underscores the bill’s importance and reminds us there is nothing partisan about our fight to defeat cancer once and for all. I authored this legislation to require more pediatric cancer research and extend the pediatric priority review voucher program to ensure kids with rare pediatric diseases have the same access to treatments as adults. I am optimistic that these bills will advance cutting-edge treatments for children until we've eliminated cancer as a threat to all children.
- Read more here.
After a second assassination attempt, I am thankful that President Trump is safe. Even in the face of these attacks, he remains resilient and firm in his fight for our great nation. Presidential candidates should never have to experience political violence – especially something as vile as attempted murder – in the United States of America.
This week, I was proud to vote for the Enhanced Presidential Security Act of 2024. This critical piece of legislation requires the U.S. Secret Service to apply equal standards when determining the number of agents assigned to protect sitting presidents and major candidates for president and vice president.
I am going to continue working to get to the bottom of the security failures that allowed two would-be assassins to get so close to the former president. In the meantime, the Senate must pass this bill to help protect President Trump from future threats and preserve our democratic process.
Ending Federal Bailout for Sanctuary Cities
As states like Texas work tirelessly to undo the damage of the Biden-Harris administration’s border policies, Democrat sanctuary cities, like New York City, are incentivizing and exacerbating the border crisis. This week, I voted for the No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act to remove federal support for cities and states that chose not to enforce our nation’s laws.
Texans already bear the brunt of the administration’s dangerous border policies, and it’s time the government stopped bailing out blue cities and started holding them accountable instead.
The Chinese Communist Party Continues to Threaten U.S. National Security
This week, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell testified before my committee on the great power competition with China in the Indo-Pacific. The CCP is not a future threat or an isolated problem – it poses an immediate threat to the national security interests of the United States and our allies.
I have seen their aggression firsthand on my trips to the region. In the South China Sea, they are conducting aggressive military drills around Taiwan, and they are ramming their ships into the Philippine Coast Guard. China’s attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific will only expand to the rest of the globe if we do not continue working alongside our allies and partners.
The Biden-Harris administration continues to lead from behind and demonstrate weakness in the face of these threats. Countering the CCP must remain one of our top priorities.
Investigating the Biden-Harris Administration's Failure to Address Classified Information Abuse
For over a year, I have been investigating allegations that the Biden-Harris administration’s former Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley abused classified information — endangering U.S. national security. Rather than being forthright about this failure, the administration intentionally misled Congress. This week, the State Department Office of Inspector General released a scathing report detailing how the State Department grossly mishandled the suspension of Mr. Malley’s — one of the architects of the Obama administration’s disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal — security clearance. I have requested that the State Department Inspector General testify next week on this recent report.
- Read my joint statement with Senate Foreign Relations Ranking Member Jim Risch here.
