It's no secret the U.S. is in the worst border crisis in the nation's history, with more than 11 million illegal encounters on our Southern Border – five times as many as under Donald Trump. But the threats to U.S. national security go well beyond our borders mow. Earlie this month, a suspected ISIS Terrorist was arrested in Oklahoma after planning to stage an attack on American voters this Election Day. Why was such an individual even here? The suspected terrorist was one of 76,000 refugees that were brought to the U.S. after Afghanistan collapsed.

Starr County is part of the Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector. This border sector has recorded thousands upon thousands of migrant encounters and asylum-seekers crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into South Texas since January 2020. Fronton Island, a 170 acre located in Starr County, was declared Texas land last year by Commissioner Buckingham. Since being fortified by DPS and the Texas Military Department, crime on this border hotspot has dropped to nothing.

"I'm proud our state is home to more than 1.3 million women business owners, making Texas a top state for women-owned businesses," said Texas' 1st Lady Cecilia Abbott today, touting the Lone Star State's "Small Business Summit—New Braunfels" that aims to help women-owned small businesses and aspiring female entrepreneurs reach new heights in their business journey.  The Summit brings together Local, State & Federal resource partners to provide key insights on critical business topics – and actionable advice on a multitude of small business topics.

According to some Democrats on the ground, Kamala Harris may be fumbling her chance to win the crucial Swing State of Pennsylvania – and many are already second-guessing the campaign even as the race is in progress. “Pennsylvania is such a mess, and it’s incredibly frustrating,” said one, who would identify themselves to Politico on Wednesday only as a “state Democrat elected official.” Another Pennsylvania Democrat strategist said Harris's campaign “empowers a culture” that leaves local officials feeling neglected. Latino leaders are particularly worried.

Fentanyl is the No. 1 killer of Americans ages 18-45. Knowing how to recognize the signs of fentanyl poisoning and having open conversations about the drug's dangers can help save a life. Texas’ comprehensive ‘One Pill Kills’ campaign is raising awareness about fentanyl's deadly consequences, and helps educate Texans on how to prevent, recognize, and reverse fentanyl poisonings to protect a family member, friend or neighbor. "These Angel Moms – all of you – are making a difference. It takes extraordinary strength," said Gov. Abbott.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller officially kicked off the state's celebration of National School Lunch Week, set for October 14-18, 2024. This year's theme, "School Lunch Pirates: Find Your Treasure," adds excitement to students’ journey toward healthy lifestyles and good nutrition at school. The Texas Department of Agriculture is proudly partnering with more than 8,000 schools across the Lone Star State to serve 3 million lunches daily and provides resources to help schools promote "National School Lunch Week."

Because the Harris-Biden White House is refusing to provide Texas with critical information to determine if non-citizens could be influencing the 2024 Election, last week I led a group of Texas Republican Congressmen in writing to the Director of the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services urging her to comply with Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson's request to help verify that non-citizens are not being registered to vote. Federal law prohibits non-citizens from voting, so why won’t they respond to Texas' request to help keep our voter roles clean?

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) continued its strong track record of surpassing high standards set by the Texas Legislature to help protect public safety and the environment. The annual goals the agency exceeded ranged from the number of orphaned wells plugged with state funds, to the number of individuals certified who store and transport propane gas across Texas. “The performance numbers are a reflection of our staff’s dedication to serve Texas,” said RRC Deputy Executive Director Danny Sorrells.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) joined Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.-5), and several of their Republican House and Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland raising their concerns about the Department of Justice’s failure to address non-citizens registered to vote in American elections. This letter comes after Attorney General Garland ignored a prior request for information as state officials revealed more examples of non-citizens being registered to vote.

"Over the last two weeks, I – along with the rest of the country – watched in horror as Hurricanes Helene & Milton wreaked havoc on communities across the southeast. I am extremely proud of Gov. Abbott and the State of Texas for sending emergency teams – including Texas A&M University’s Task Force 1 – to the frontlines of this crisis, and will continue to pray for all those impacted, as well as our first responders from across the country who have answered the call to help save lives and assist their fellow Americans in time of need."

“Election workers have an obligation under State Criminal Law not to facilitate illegal voting by non-citizens. When an individual attempts to vote by presenting a Temporary or Limited-Term Driver’s License (which federal regulations say must be issued only to non-citizens who are lawfully present in this country,) election workers must require that the individual produce a Naturalization Card or Naturalization Certificate demonstrating U.S. Citizenship to receive a regular ballot,” says the new advisory to Local Election Officials from Texas' Secretary of State, Jane Nelson.

Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 521,100 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 47,400 criminal arrests, with more than 41,000 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 544 million lethal doses of fentanyl—enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States and Mexico combined during this border mission.

After World War I, laws limited women to the role of nurses during war. The Navy Women’s Reserve Act, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in July 1942, reversed this law and established WAVES, allowing women to volunteer in support of war efforts. Women were then recruited to perform military assignments, including training thousands of aspiring male naval aviators, gunners, and navigators.

"Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug crisis our state — and our nation — has ever encountered," said Governor Greg Abbott today, announceing that Texas' "One Pill Kills" multimedia awareness campaign garnered over 1.5 billion impressions since September 2023 through advertising on social media, podcasts, digital displays, billboards, and other media — nearly double the projected amount. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will continue this successful campaign through August 2025.  

On Tuesday evening, I had the honor of participating in the dedication of a new plaque at the Limestone County Courthouse. This plaque features the text of Col. William B. Travis’s renowned “Victory or Death” letter penned during the Siege of the Alamo in 1836 and was generously provided by the Alamo Letter Society. I read aloud a copy of the letter delivered to the dedication ceremony by horseback.

Harmony Public Schools is thrilled to announce that all three of its high schools have been named to the 2024 AP School Honor Roll! Schools can earn the Honor Roll recognition annually based on criteria that reflect a commitment to increasing their college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximizing college readiness. The AP School Honor Roll offers four levels of distinction: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

In case you missed it, last week, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sent a letter to the Hormel Institute regarding its partnership with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and financial resources secured for the Hormel Institute by Governor Tim Walz. The WIV has been credibly implicated as the point of origin of COVID-19 and conducts its activities under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party.

Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D. is pleased to announce a signed agreement between the Texas General Land Office (GLO) and ExxonMobil to lease approximately 271,068 acres of submerged state land located offshore in Jefferson, Chambers, and Galveston Counties. This agreement is not only the most extensive Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) transportation and storage lease in state history; it’s also the largest lease in the United States.

“Deloitte, the contractor hired to administer the Texas Energy Fund, allowed for a falsified application to move forward in the process. When questioned at today's hearing, Deloitte had no believable explanation for the many troubling details they failed to uncover during their vetting process. These details could have been revealed to them by a quick Google search. Their senior partner did not even know the value of their contract with the state of Texas for this project."

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released the following statement commemorating the one-year anniversary of October 7th, the worst one-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. He also released a video calling for the United States to stand unequivocally with Israel as it eradicates the genocidal terrorist groups threatening its existence, for as long as it takes.