“Nine million veterans rely on the VA to protect their Medical Records. Given the high-stakes political climate, this breach raises the possibility that VA personnel accessed these records for political purposes. Regardless of their motives, the employees’ flagrant violation of veterans’ medical privacy calls into question whether veterans can trust the VA to protect their confidential information, ” said Sen. Ted Cruz and his fellow Senators, raising their concerns to the Sect. of the Dept. Veterans Affairs, Denis McDonough.

​​​​​​​"As an Agency, we will continue to lead the way in helping our Veterans find meaningful careers after their military service while being an advocate for other Texas businesses to do the same," said Texas Land Commissioner & Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham. "It's an honor to hire the men and women who have served our country proudly throughout the world, helping them continue their service," Buckingham said while encouraging Texas businesses to participate in the "We Hire Vets" Program.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced today that – based on businesses sales made in the month of September – he will send the state's Cities, Counties, Transit Systems, and Special Purpose Districts $1.2 billion in Local Sales Tax Allocations for November, which represents an increase of 1.1% more than in November 2023.

“Every legislative session, the Texas Senate and Texas House take turns introducing the State Budget. This session, it's the Senate’s turn. Accordingly, Senate Bill 1 will be the State Budget, and to underscore its importance, Senate Bill 2 will be the Senate’s school choice legislation – 32 States, both Republican & Democrat, have enacted some form of School Choice, and there's absolutely no reason why Texas children and parents should be left behind," said Lt. Gov. Patrick of Texas' 1,200 School Districts, and 8,000+ campuses.

After Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security announced it would permit 1.3 million aliens – more than 200,000 of whom live in Texas – to apply for Permanent Residency without returning first to their home countries, on August 23rd Att. Gen. Paxton led a 16-State Coalition to sue DHS over a new policy granting so-called “parole in place” to 100s of 1,000s of illegal aliens which would allow them to gain permanent residency status, and eventual U.S. citizenship while remaining in the United States. 

Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 525,800 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 48,500 criminal arrests, with more than 41,800 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 552 million lethal doses of fentanyl. Texas has decreased illegal crossings into the state by over 86% due to our historic border security mission.

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is proud to celebrate Texas veterans for their service and dedication, especially on Veteran’s Day. TWC provides veterans with the tools for success through employment, education, and training opportunities. TWC launched the 13th annual Hiring Red, White & You! statewide hiring event on Nov. 1. This event connects veterans and their families with employers across Texas.

As Veterans Day approaches on Monday, I’m filled with gratitude for the brave men and women who’ve proudly worn our nation’s uniform. As a Combat Veteran myself, I know the sacrifices made, the courage shown – and the dedication it takes to serve. For veterans like me, this day is not just about looking back on our service, but about honoring our brothers and sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice. That’s why I’m pushing innovative treatments, emerging therapies, and game changing programs to help them truly recover.

Which races will be audited? What polling locations will be audited? And when will the audits happen? “This year’s audit will be the largest conducted in the state, and underscore Texas' commitment to transparency," said Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, announcing that the audits will check the results of "designated races through a hand-count process count" – and will be much larger and more expansive than previous efforts. They will also include multiple offices, and additional polling places for investigation. 

Governor Greg Abbott announced the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Task Force (SASTF) issued its third Biennial Report to the Texas Legislature. The report includes policy recommendations for the 89th Legislative Session and summarizes task force activities since the last report, including the launch of a Forensic Nursing Coaching Pilot Program with the Texas A&M Health Center of Excellence in Forensic Nursing, a quarterly SASTF Webinar Series, and new trauma-informed trainings for law enforcement and hospital emergency room staff.

During World War I, Texas General Land Office Commissioner J.T. Robison suggested that Veterans returning from war could be supported with land. His idea did not come to fruition however, until after World War II. History notes that 70 GLO employees left to serve in WWII, and two made the ultimate sacrifice. Commissioner J. Bascom Giles recognized these brave Veterans, and supported a Constitutional Amendment to create a fund to purchase land for resale to Veterans at very low interest rates, with generous repayment schedules.

"School choice is wanted by all demographic groups in Texas. Hispanics and African Americans across the state of Texas, they strongly support school choice – those parents want an option. They know their child better than any government employee does, and they want to put their child on the pathway toward success," said Gov. Greg Abbott earlier today, touting the growing support for parents to have school choice and the freedom to choose the best school for their children while in Tyler, Texas. 

"It's my honor to work on behalf of all Texans and bring solutions to the table to benefit our great state," said Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, announcing that the Red River Boundary Commission – with the help of the General Land Office’s (GLO) Surveying Team – has redrawn the Texas-Oklahoma Boundary under North Texas' Lake Texoma to ensure that the security and availability of around 30% of the drinking water supply for more than 2 million people in the area continues.

“Another family’s worst nightmare has come to pass, and it’s directly because of Biden & Harris’s reckless, open-border policies," said Cong. Michael Cloud, as he, Sen. Ted Cruz and Texas State Rep. Stan Gerdes condemned the White House after yet another Texan was killed by an illegal drunk driver. The suspect had previously been deported twice, once by the Obama administration, and again by the Trump administration – but was able to illegally re-enter the country under the Biden-Harris Administration.

Texas law does not permit federal “monitors” inside a polling place or central counting station. So after Att. Gen. Paxton said, “Texans run Texas elections, and we will not be bullied by the Department of Justice," the U.S. Dept. of Justice agreed to not to enter Texas Polling & Central Count Locations just hours after Paxton sued the DOJ over its announcement that it would send federal agents to "monitor" Texas elections. "The DOJ knows it has no authority to monitor Texas elections, and backed down when Texas stood up."

“Texas again leads all states with the Top Business Climate in America for the second year in a row,” said Governor Greg. Abbott. “As the 8th Largest Economy in the world, Texas is the No. 1 destination for businesses to come here, succeed here, and create more good-paying jobs here for hardworking Texans. Texas offers advantages no other state can claim: a business-friendly climate — with no corporate or personal income tax."

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced an initial award of about $18.5 million in grant funding benefiting 17 counties across the state as part of the Texas Broadband Pole Replacement Program. This initial funding will support the deployment of broadband to rural, unserved areas by partially reimbursing grant awardees who’ve replaced more than 11,000 poles that support retail broadband services. 

"My #1 priority in the U.S. Senate is jobs. There are 7,000 jobs and billions in investment in the Rio Grande Valley at stake. This decision and the current environmental process threaten the economic and energy security of Texas and America, and would cede America’s energy dominance to adversaries and rivals such as Russia, which advance their own interests through gas exports," said U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, as he and Cong. Dan Crenshaw co-led the effort to reverse an unprecedented decision that injects massive uncertainty into future energy investments.

Despite the challenges facing our nation, I thank God that Americans retain the fundamental right to vote. In far too many dictatorial regimes around the world, citizens are silenced and even tortured for voicing their beliefs. May we never take our voting rights and responsibilities for granted. The polls are closed to participate in early voting in Texas, but the polls will open back up on Tuesday – so please be sure to stop by your polling location and make your voice heard!

Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard continue to work together to secure the border; stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas; and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal activity between ports of entry. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 552 million lethal doses of fentanyl—