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.

“I am immensely proud that our bipartisan FAA Reauthorization – which received overwhelming support from lawmakers in both parties – is now law. This legislation delivers significant wins for Texas, and the 100s of 1,000s of Texans who work in aerospace," said Sen. Ted Cruz, who as the Ranking Member of the Senate's Commerce Committee played a key & integral part in passage of the "FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024" – which Sen. Cruz authored along with Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)

“DPS Officers are the Thin Blue Line that protects our society from danger. Whether it’s their work at the border, in the 254 counties throughout Texas, or securing our college campuses, they represent the best and brightest of our Law Enforcement Community," said Gov. Greg Abbott, dedicating the Texas Dept. of Public Safety’s (DPS) new Memorial during their annual Peace Officers Memorial Service in Austin. A list of fallen DPS officers since 1823, when the agency first began as the Texas Rangers, can be found here.

The Bullock Texas State History Museum is proud to join museums nationwide in participating in "Blue Star Museums," a program that provides free admission to the nation's active-duty military personnel and their families during the summer. Free exhibition admission for military families will be available from Armed Forces Day on Saturday, May 18th, through Labor Day, September 2nd, 2024.

“No responsible and self-respecting President would allow such brazen disrespect for our laws and our sovereignty, and our country cannot survive another 4 years of this administration," said House Budget Committee Chair, and Texas Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) after it was discovered a total of more than 1.6 million "gotaways" have crossed the border illegally and escaped into the United States since President Biden took office – more than the total number of gotaways in the previous 10 years.

Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham today announced the “I Saved Texas History” fundraising campaign, which is conducted at the Texas General Land Office by the Save Texas History Program. Created in 2004, “I Saved Texas History” is a statewide initiative to rally public support – and private funding – for preserving and promoting the historic maps and documents housed in the GLO Archives. Everyone donating $30 or more receives a limited-edition T-shirt featuring custom Texas-themed artwork.

“If you've lived through a Texas summer, you know triple-digit temperatures, outdated water systems, and inefficient appliances put a strain on our water supplies and power grids. By taking advantage of the Sales Tax Holidays, Texans can help alleviate those pressures and lower their utility bills — while saving money on State & Local Sales Taxes,” said Comptroller Glenn Hegar, reminding families & businesses to save during the Saturday, May 25 - Monday, May 27 Sales Tax Holidays.

The world witnessed a coordinated effort between Joe Biden’s State Dept. & the Dept. of Defense last week to withhold key munitions from our ally Israel. Biden’s White House made the decision unilaterally, and without any notification to other stakeholders – specifically the American people and their elected representatives in Congress.  They did this to “send a political message” to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Mr. Biden is once again ruling by decree, and it isn’t just bad policy – it's a pattern.

Governor Greg Abbott today held a meeting at the Governor’s Mansion in Austin with the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström and a delegation of other Swedish leaders to discuss bolstering the international economic partnership between Texas and Sweden. This is the Minister’s first official visit to Texas and his first meeting with Governor Abbott. During the meeting, Governor Abbott and Minister Billström discussed the shared economic interests between Texas and Sweden, including advancing in the aerospace, energy, and advanced manufacturing industries.

Senator Ted Cruz has been given high marks by his Senate colleagues, critics, and political analysts in several media outlets for his recent role in leading the passage of the bipartisan FAA-Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill that delivers some substantial victories for the people of Texas – including an expansion of flight service from San Antonio to Washington, D.C. “The Texas Republican held together the bipartisan coalition necessary to usher through a must-pass measure, which has broad impact for travelers and the aviation industry,” said Bloomberg News Service.

RRC voted today to refer a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) greenhouse gas emissions rule to the Office of the Attorney General to file a lawsuit to challenge the rule in federal court. The EPA rule adds regulations to existing and future electricity power plants fueled by coal and natural gas to decrease carbon dioxide emissions. However, the rule imposes strict but untested standards in what will likely result in unreasonable infrastructure costs, which could force coal plants to shut down and reduce the ability of natural gas-fired power plant to operate at full capacity.

Governor Greg Abbott today called out 39 Texas House Democrats for voting against Representative Brad Buckley’s comprehensive education package that would have provided $6 billion for additional public school funding, teacher pay raises, and school safety measures. The bill also included a provision that expands school choice for every Texas family.