The West Texas-based 11th Congressional District I have the honor of representing, includes the cities of Midland and Odessa, among others, and much of the United States' top oil & gas producing region – West Texas' Permian Basin. I am thrilled that the U.S. House passed my legislation, "The Protecting American Energy Production Act," to protect the Permian Basin from the federal government, and in addition, the House has also passed legislation to protect our communities from deadly fentanyl.
In response to an expedited opinion request from Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, Attorney General Ken Paxton explained that students competing in athletic competitions may not take steroids — including testosterone — unless there is a “valid medical purpose” under the Texas Education Code. Additionally, claims of undergoing a “gender transition” in no way fall under medical exception. “In America, we recognize there are only two unchangeable genders — male and female," said Paxton.
“The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is meant to protect the U.S. – not supply our adversaries. Under President Biden, part of this reserve was sold to benefit China’s strategic interests, and there's strong bipartisan consensus to prevent such a sale from being repeated," said Sen. Ted Cruz, as he and Democrat Senators John Fetterman & Elissa Slotkin introduced the "Banning SPR Oil Exports to Foreign Adversaries Act" to prohibit the sale of oil to China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and others.
Europe acts as if it is recovering from World War II, so it can hit up a supposedly limitless rich American patron with asymmetrical tariffs. Consider the various Trump "tariffs" leveled by an exasperated, and now $36 trillion-indebted, America. Almost none of them meet the traditional definitions of an industry-protecting tariff. Instead, they are the last-gasp tools of American leverage used only when decades of bipartisan diplomacy, summits, entreaties, and empty threats have all failed.
SB 2, by Sen. Brandon Creighton, establishes an education savings account (ESA) program that gives parents a broader choice to direct their child’s school funding. The program will be administered by the comptroller and its capacity is 100,000 students. Eligibility is universal, with 80% of funds going to families with special needs children or those earning under $161,000 per year.
In 2023, Governor Abbott signed the Save Women’s Sports Act into law to protect the integrity of fair competition and women’s sports by prohibiting biological men from competing against female athletes at Texas colleges and universities. In 2021, the Governor signed a similar law to protect girls’ sports in Texas public schools.
“For too long, HUD has been run by appointees more focused on advocating for pet political projects than the agency’s primary missions of improving housing affordability and helping communities recover from disasters. Texan Scott Turner, as the 19th Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Affairs, will bring the Lone Star spirit of commonsense, accountability and efficiency," said Land Comm. Dawn Buckingham, whose agency helps distribute federal disaster funds from HUD.
The mandate the American people handed Republicans in November is clear: it’s time to reverse the deeply harmful policies of the last four years and restore the values that have made our nation strong. Last week, I had the privilege of joining President Trump and Vice President Vance in Miami, where I’ve been working closely with my House Republican colleagues to lay out a bold blueprint for getting America back on track.
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said state sales tax revenue totaled $4.3 billion in January, 6.8 percent more than in January 2024. The majority of January sales tax revenue is based on sales made in December and remitted to the agency in January. For an extensive history of tax policy developments and fees since 1972, visit the agency’s recently updated Sources of Revenue publication.
Last Wednesday, I had the honor of attending President Trump’s signing of the Laken Riley Act — a law that will help keep our communities safe. This bill is named after Laken Riley, a young nursing student who was tragically killed by an illegal immigrant with a criminal record. Her death was heartbreaking, and while we can’t bring her back, this law will help prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The project was implemented by the GLO’s Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act (CEPRA) project managers who oversee various coastal restoration projects and studies, including beach nourishment, habitat restoration, shoreline protection, and debris removal. The project’s engineer of record was HDR Engineering, Inc. with dredging and beach work constructed by Weeks Marine, Inc and planting work completed by RES, LLC.
Sen. Ted Cruz, member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.-05) have introduced the "Stop Illegal Reentry Act" – also known as "Kate’s Law" and named for Kate Steinle, a 32-year-old woman tragically shot and killed by an illegal alien who had several felony convictions and had been deported from the United States five times – to require a 5 year Mandatory Minimum Sentence for illegal aliens convicted of an aggravated felony.
"Purchasing a home is part of the American Dream, and being able to help our Veterans fulfill their dreams of homeownership – while building strong families and reinforcing bonds with the communities they have so courageously served – is just part of our mission," said Texas Land Commissioner, and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, announcing that the Texas VLB has approved an increase for the VLB Home Loan amount.
HB 2311 would legislatively codify part of Gov. Abbott’s Executive Order GA 55 which prohibits DEI in public university “curricula” by removing exemptions in SB 17 (88R), which allow for DEI indoctrination in university courses and classrooms. It also removes other exemptions from the more general prohibition on DEI, and, when passed, will finally end the scourge of DEI in Texas’s great public universities.
“The State of Texas recognizes only two sexes – male and female – and sex discrimination is treating a member of one sex less favorably than the other. As CEO of the State, I direct you to follow State & Federal Law. All Texas agencies must ensure that agency rules, policies, employment practices, and other actions comply with the biological reality that there are only two sexes – male and female,” said Gov. Greg Abbott earlier today, adding that includes adherence to President Trump’s executive order.
January has been jam-packed with meaningful work – and as we move into February, Cong. Morgan Luttrell's focus will continue to be: Strengthening National Security; Bolstering Border Security; Advocating for responsible fiscal policies; and Supporting our Veterans. Here are some key highlights from the first month of Congress – and right out of the gate, President Trump is taking action to clean up our streets, strengthen our border security, and Drain the Swamp.
The Texas Hill Country is one of the fastest growing geographical areas of Texas. The beauty of the region and the amazing people not only draw tourists – but also inspire many to make it their home. This takes responsible development to ensure that Texas can properly accommodate the families moving into the Lone Star State. “By filing these bills, I hope to protect our precious way of life and natural resources, while affording responsible growth,” said State Rep. Isaac.
As we move forward into the 119th Congress, we are more focused than ever on delivering results that will strengthen our economy, secure our borders, reduce government overreach, and uphold American values. This weekend, I'll be in Pflugerville to celebrate two of our U.S. Military Service Academy appointees – and would be remiss not to acknowledge the tragic incident at Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday. My heart goes out to the families of the victims.
Once enacted, Senate Bill 2 would establish the largest day-one launch of a school choice program in the nation. The program is designed to serve 100,000 Texas students, with priority given to Low-Income and Special Needs students. The bill also includes strong safeguards to prevent fraud and protect Texas taxpayers, ensuring that funds are used responsibly while maximizing opportunities for students.
“For four years the Biden-Harris White House orchestrated a whole-of-government assault on American energy , enacting burdensome taxes and regulations against the Oil & Gas Sector at a time of skyrocketing energy demand,” said House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington as he introduced the "Abundant American Resources Act" to require an economic valuation of areas withdrawn by the Biden Administration which could return America to energy dominance.