As Chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism & Intelligence, I participated in a full committee hearing this week to recognize and thank the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents who continued to serve unpaid during the Democrat-caused longest government shutdown in history. I encourage everyone to especially thank our TSA agents serving across Texas, and our district in San Angelo, Midland, and Killeen.

The UK is in a deep economic slump, so now the elites in Europe and London are blaming Brexit and the British voters. But that's a laughable misreading of history. When the Brits wisely ditched the EU, the hope was that the UK would adopt the U.S. Economic Freedom Model and elect power-to-the-people leaders like Donald Trump while cleaning its hands of the socialists in Germany and France and the heavy-handed  bureaucrats in Brussels. Funny how that "Socialism" stuff works.

President Biden's administration projected weakness on the world stage — beginning with the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan — which emboldened our adversaries around the globe. As I always say, weakness invites aggression, while strength and deterrence lead to peace. This week, I joined the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to discuss how our nation can bolster deterrence and ultimately peace around the world.

Senators Ted Cruz & Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and 23 others are requesting that President Trump and his administration work with the United Nations to dismantle the United Nations Relief & Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The USAID's Inspector General (OIG) has identified multiple UNRWA employees who participated in the October 7th terrorist attack, as well as 14 others affiliated with Hamas.

Governor Greg Abbott today announced that he directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to request officials from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) join state and local partners in conducting preliminary damage assessments in Panhandle communities affected by recent wildfire activity and South Texas communities impacted by April severe storms.

Texas oil and gas regulator Wayne Christian today applauded the reported $4 billion federal oil and gas lease sale in Texas and New Mexico, the largest onshore federal oil and gas lease sale in U.S. history. Christian emphasized that the record-setting sale reflects the results of the streamlined, cooperative federal regulatory environment under the Trump administration, which has facilitated increased leasing activity and market participation.

​​​​​​​“Memorial Day Weekend carries profound meaning for the Families & Communities whose loved ones made the Ultimate Sacrifice. It's a true honor to ensure Texans have beautifully maintained State Veterans Cemeteries where they can hold close the memories of the brave souls we remember," said Land Commissioner & Veterans Land Board Chair Dawn Buckingham, announcing the headstones of servicemembers Killed or MIA will be illuminated at Texas' four VLB Cemeteries in Killeen, Abilene, Mission & Corpus Christi, and the grounds will be open 24 hours a day Friday through Monday for night viewing.

Texas reached a total of 14,394,300 nonfarm jobs in April. Over the year, the state added 82,400 jobs for an Annual Nonfarm Growth Rate of 0.6%, outpacing the national growth rate by 0.4 percentage points. Texas’ overall civilian labor force registered at 15,894,800 people. The Professional & Business Services Industry had the largest private sector over-the-month, and the Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had the lowest unemployment rate, followed by the Abilene, Bryan-College Station, and the San Angelo MSAs.

The bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

At the early stages of the Shale Oil & Gas Revolution a decade ago, many of us were sharply criticized for saying that a revolutionary new technology called "fracking" was the energy policy equivalent to curing cancer. Back then, critics warned that fracking would cause earthquakes, toxic drinking water, and floods from rising oceans. But now a blockbuster University of California at Berkeley – hardly a a right-wing source – has released a paper saying how much fracking and horizontal drilling has saved U.S. natural gas consumers.

According to the National Weather Service, a storm system moving through the state is expected to bring daily risks of severe thunderstorms through the later part of this week across large portions of the state. Threats include large hail, damaging wind gusts, possible tornadoes, heavy rainfall, and possible tornadoes. Flash flooding concerns caused by repeated rounds of heavy rainfall remains a threat through the weekend.

Jim Wright, Chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC), was elected to serve as the Second Vice Chair of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) during the organization’s annual business meeting in Oklahoma City on May 20. The IOGCC is a multi-state government entity comprised of the governors of oil and gas producing states, including 31 member states and seven affiliate states, along with affiliates from select federal agencies and seven Canadian provinces.

Senator Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Judiciary's Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action & Federal Rights Subcommittee, delivered remarks as the Senate Judiciary Committee voted yesterday to pass the Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program Expansion Act of 2026. Sen. Cruz introduced and is leading the bipartisan legislation along with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).

Now THIS is a story of real philanthropy – and an initiative that really is "For the Children." Janine Yass and her husband had followed Philadelphia's controversial process for closing 17 City Schools and felt compelled to create a pathway for vulnerable families. “No child should be trapped in a school that's unsafe, underperforming, or unable to meet basic academic standards," said Yass. Now the couple will provide scholarships for students to leave the Philadelphia School District for private schools.

Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a request from the State of Texas for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) for the Stinky Fire in Potter County, which has threatened homes, damaged property, impacted infrastructure, and prompted local evacuations in the Texas Panhandle.

Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock is reminding families and businesses that they can save on the purchase of certain products during the state’s Water-Efficient Products and ENERGY STAR® sales tax holidays. Created by the Texas Legislature, both holidays take place Saturday, May 23, through Monday, May 25. The Texas Comptroller's office estimates shoppers will save $15.7 million in state and local sales tax during these holidays.

"America is envied by millions, perhaps billions of people around the world... but it’s also true many countries don't share our values. They impose authoritarian rules on their citizens. We can't shrink from the principles of liberty and freedom by allowing certain individuals to advocate or embrace Sharia Law, nor can we allow advocates for Sharia to actively work to undermine our Constitution,” said Sen. Cornyn, calling for a bar on aliens who support Sharia Law from entering or remaining in the U.S.

Governor Greg Abbott today directed the TDEM to activate state emergency response resources as storm activity is forecast to trigger severe thunderstorms across vast portions of Texas, starting later today and persisting through the middle of the week. The National Weather Service warns a cold front moving through state is expected to create potentially hazardous conditions across large areas of North, Central, West, Northwest, Northeast, and South-Central Texas as the system shifts.

I’m proud to write legislation that fully funds veterans’ healthcare and benefits while investing in military housing, childcare centers, and infrastructure improvements that support our servicemembers and their families. This bill also prioritizes critical mental health resources and programs aimed at addressing veteran homelessness because taking care of those who have served our country is one of our nation’s most important responsibilities.

I was pleased to welcome Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to this week's Republican Study Committee (RSC) member meeting. The Department of Justice's newly formed Fraud Division is critical to rooting out waste and recovering taxpayer dollars, while the DOJ's enforcement on immigration and narcotics trafficking is protecting American communities.