“Just weeks ago, an ISIS terrorist – who this administration failed to properly vet and welcomed into our country – was caught planning an Election Day attack. While Israel is suffering weekly rocket bombardments from terrorists in Lebanon, the Biden-Harris Administration has not only foolishly decided to hamstring our ability to deport Lebanese aliens, but is also offering them immigration benefits and work authorization,” said Cong. Brian Babin, condemning the recent announcement that Lebanese nationals currently in the U.S. will be eligible for "Temporary Protected Status" and work authorization due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Beginning Monday, Oct. 21st, Harmony Charter Schools announced it will pay each Exempt (Salaried) employee’s annual salary a bonus stipend in the amount of 6%. The stipend is the latest in several similar compensation boosts the school has offered employees in recent years. Most recently, Harmony paid employees a similar 5% bonus in November 2023, and teachers can also earn a variety of stipends each year for sponsoring school clubs, teaching in hard-to-staff locations or high-priority subjects, or even just taking professional development courses.

"Texas law enforcement has already begun making arrests of known and suspected Tren de Aragua members. They’re notorious for brutal violence, kidnapping, and extortion and bribery, which is why I ordered the Texas Dept. of Public Safety last month to launch a Statewide Operation to directly target, deter, and disrupt their criminal operations," said Gov. Abbott last night, highlighting Texas’ unprecedented Border Security Mission at the South Texas Property Rights Association’s (STPRA) annual meeting in Corpus Christi.

“Prison isn’t a taxpayer-funded hotel. Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati was murdered for doing his job and enforcing rules against contraband. I’m proud to work with Sens. Ossoff (D-GA) and Grassley (R-IA) on bipartisan legislation to place stricter penalties on criminals who violate prison rules, and to protect Security Guards like Lt. Albarati,” said Sen. Ted Cruz following Senate passage of the "Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act" to crack down on smuggling of contraband cellphones into Federal Prisons.

“Our investigation into ActBlue has uncovered facts indicating that bad actors can illegally interfere in American Elections by disguising political donations. I am calling on the Federal Election Commission to immediately begin rulemaking to secure our elections from any criminal actors exploiting these vulnerabilities,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, sending details to the Commission illustrating how suspicious actors appear to be using ActBlue’s political fundraising platform to make a large number of straw political donations.

"We demand answers on how much of the $20 billion Congress provided FEMA for Disaster Assistance still remains. Rather than keeping FEMA focused on disaster assistance, the Biden-Harris White House used millions to fund a separate FEMA 'Shelter & Service Program,' which forces taxpayers to shoulder costs associated with illegal immigrants. Also, President Biden & Vice President Harris have touted 'lower crime' rates, which we now know the FBI's statistics prove to be false. In reality, robberies, rapes & murders were all on the rise."

"Since I've been Governor, Texas has added over 2.4 million new jobs – more Texans are working now than ever before in the history of our great state, and we'll continue to expand that job growth," said Gov. Greg Abbott, celebrating the unrivaled strength of the Texas economy after September's Employment Data showed Texas again outpacing the nation in Annual Job Growth – with 327,400 nonfarm jobs added the past 12 months. Texas also set new record highs for total jobs, the number of Texans working, and the size of the Texas Labor Force.

"This facility is transformative – not only for the Uvalde Community, which has endured so much suffering, but for the entire State of Texas. The new Behavioral Health Campus will connect 32 Texas Counties with 24/7 access to professional mental health services,” said Cong. Tony Gonzales (TX-23) as he participated as a guest speaker at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Uvalde Regional Behavioral Health Campus. Gonzales secured $2 million for the construction of the campus through his role on the House Appropriations Committee. 

“Texas continues to outpace the nation in year-over-year nonfarm growth, with more than 327,000 jobs added since September 2023,” said Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Bryan Daniel, after Texas’ latest labor market figures set a new record in September for actual job count, and number of people in the civilian labor force. Texas’ seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment increased to 14,289,900 after 29,200 jobs were added over the month. Texas added 327,400 jobs from September 2023 to September 2024.

Current U.S. immigration laws do not allow illegal immigrants who overstay their visas to reenter the United States for up to 10 years if they leave, and those who illegally enter the U.S. are not allowed to reenter at all. The law also requires that temporary visa applicants interview abroad at a U.S. consulate before they can receive their visas, so illegal immigrants are not eligible to regularize their status using the temporary visa programs.

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."