Weakness invites aggression – and we had better believe that our adversaries see it. It all began with the catastrophic fall of Afghanistan – when Joe Biden's White House failed to establish any form of deterrence to counter the threat of the CCP, the Chinese Communist Party. And as a result today, the United States is on the brink of total destabilization in the Middle East, Israel is fighting for its very existence from the terrorist threat of Hamas, Hezbollah & Iran, and its time we return to the Reagan Doctrine of "Peace Through Strength."

"Our country remains the greatest Force for Freedom the world has ever known, and that freedom has been preserved, protected & defended by the mightiest military in the history of the world," said Gov. Abbott, delivering the keynote address and reminding Texans to honor and remember those who've served in the U.S. Armed Forces to safeguard American Liberties – not just on Memorial Day, but every day. The Governor also called for a renewed dedication to caring for military families and increasing veteran career resources in Texas.

Harmony Charter Schools is expanding, and plans to open two additional campuses for the 2025-2026 school year by beginning to serve students in Grades PK-6. The district will add a new grade level each year, and plans to build a second building at each location to accept students in Grades PK-12. Harmony Science-Leander, and Harmony Science-Georgetown, will make the 8th and 9th grade campuses, and applications begin for the 2025-2026 school year on November 1st, 2024.

As then-Governor Ronald Reagan wisely said at his 1967 gubernatorial inaugural address, “Freedom is a fragile thing – and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; It must be fought for, and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people.” First observed as "Decoration Day" in 1868 to pay tribute to the Union & Confederate soldiers who died during the Civil War, it's a day to honor the 1 million-plus Americans who've laid down their lives in combat since the founding of our nation.

“Yet again the Biden White House is trying to circumvent the democratic process by issuing sweeping mandates from the desks of bureaucrats that would fundamentally reshape American law,” said Attorney General Paxton, announcing that Texas has sued the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, and other officials in the Biden Administration to stop an unlawful attempt to redefine federal law through agency "guidance."

“It's our tradition, and is always special to have an Active-Duty individual present to talk about the meaning of Memorial Day, especially someone with General Rainey’s extensive experience and present service as the Commanding General of the Army’s Futures Command,” said Gen. Mike Hagee, USMC (Ret.), President & CEO of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation, announcing that Gen. James E. Rainey, Commanding General (CG,) Army Futures Command will provide the keynote address at the Nimitz Foundation's National Museum on May 27th from 10:30 to 11:35.  

Texans are invited to drive through the following four Texas State Veterans Cemeteries that will be open 24 hours a day from Friday, May 24th through Memorial Day, Monday, May 27th. The “Avenue of Flags” will be lit throughout each night, as will as the headstones of those killed or Missing In Action who are interred at the cemetery. Help honor those who gave their lives, as we express our profound gratitude to the fallen men & women who bravely served in America’s Armed Forces and made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

“After serving for 20 years in the U.S. Navy, I now have the honor of serving our nation in the U.S. Congress. South and West Texas contain vital Military Installations & VA Facilities, and is home to many veterans and military families. So I’m proud to announce that this 2025 Military Construction & Veterans Funding Bill contains incredible wins for the communities I represent,” said Cong. Gonzales, after he successfully advanced a number of critical funding priorities for military installations, servicemembers, and veterans across the 23rd District and Texas.

After a recent summit between new partners China and Russia, General Secretary Xi Jinping and Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin issued an odd one-sentence communique: "There can be no winners in a nuclear war and it should never be fought." No one would disagree, even though several officials of both hypocritical governments have previously threatened their neighbors with nuclear attacks.

On Friday, May 24th, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) will hold a press conference to highlight the FAA Reauthorization Act becoming law and how it will connect San Antonio International Airport (SAT) with a nonstop flight into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, along with aviation and community leaders, will join Sen. Cruz to discuss the benefits of this legislation for the residents of Military City, USA, and outline the next steps for bringing a direct flight from Washington, D.C. to San Antonio.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement after the Senate voted in a bipartisan manner to pass a resolution he authored disapproving of a Department of Energy rule on gas furnace efficiency standards. The rule would effectively ban non-condensing gas furnace models, dramatically increasing costs for American families.

Governor Greg Abbott today announced that he has added Calhoun, Delta, Jones, and Lamar Counties to the state’s Disaster Declaration for counties impacted by severe storms and flooding that began on April 26th. Additional counties may be added as damage assessments are completed. Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved an additional portion of the Governor’s request for FEMA Individual Assistance programs.

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is now accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) as a result of the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding that began on April 26. Governor Greg Abbott requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration on May 15, 2024, which included a request for DUA benefits in seven counties. Under the May 17, 2024, Presidential Disaster Declaration, workers and self-employed individuals in Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Walker Counties who have been unable to work due to damage sustained from the severe weather may be eligible for DUA benefits.

Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) today announced over $44 million in Fund for Veterans’ Assistance (FVA) grants that will be distributed among 181 organizations across the state. Approved by TVC Commissioners at their meeting last week, FVA grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations and local government agencies throughout Texas that provide direct services to veterans and their families. This is the largest amount of grant funding awarded in the history of the TVC and is anticipated to serve more than 41,000 veterans and their families.

“The Texas Gulf Coast is home to millions of people, countless homes and jobs, and numerous refineries. It's imperative we get the Coastal Texas Project completed as soon as possible, and this is a great step in the right direction,” said U.S. Rep. Randy Weber, announcing the allocation of federal funding to advance the Coastal Texas Project, also known locally as the "Ike Dike" or the Coastal Spine along the Bolivar Peninsula and West Bay Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Shoreline.  

"As Land Commissioner – and a Texan who lived on our coast for over a decade – I'm committed to preserving and protecting Texas beaches, and a vital part of this mission is monitoring water quality for the safety of beachgoers, coastal communities, and marine habitats," said Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, inviting Texans to utilize the Texas General Land Office's "Texas Beach Watch Resource" during the 2024 Beach Season. The Beach Watch Program provides weekly updates on beach water quality.

President Biden backtracked on his ironclad commitment to Israel on May 8th – announcing he would withhold all offensive weapons to Israel if they entered Rafah to destroy Hamas terrorists. This decision was made without notifying Congress, in fact Congress wasn't even notified and instead, we learned about it on CNN. These weapons were approved & authorized by Congress. This week I introduced the "Ironclad Act" to prevent such pauses to Israel unless Congress is notified 15 days before.

“President Biden is a weak leader, and a dishonest broker – he knew he'd withhold the security aid for Israel once he got money for Ukraine, and now he's sabotaged Israel and its fundamental right of self-defense. The damage he’s doing to our country – and America’s leadership in the world – is hard to quantify," said Congressman & House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s arrest.

“I encourage Texans to continue reporting damages to their homes & businesses through the iSTAT Damage Survey, and with these additional counties added, more Texans that sustained damages will have the financial assistance they need to rebuild and recover," said Gov. Greg Abbott, as he directed additional damage assessment reviews and requested the addition of eight counties to become eligible for FEMA Individual Assistance Programs. Those additional counties are listed below.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a lizard, a chicken, a whale or a unicorn. This doesn’t have a thing to do with ‘saving lizards’ – it’s about shutting down U.S. oil & gas production to score political brownie points, which will only increase inflation,” said Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian after the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced it would be listing the Dune Sagebrush Lizard as an endangered species under the Endanger Species Act. “Radical environmentalists won’t ever be satisfied," said Christian.