Last week we wrapped up our August 2023 Town Hall Tour with the final stop at Grayson College. Let me first say that it was an absolute pleasure to speak with the folks who I represent along the way. I know for a fact that folks across the country are saying the same thing you are: Congress must demand accountability from the Biden family, and Joe Biden's White House.

“Americans are demanding a secure border. I am a NO on any 'Continuing Resolution' that only kicks the can down the road. Lock Congress in a room until we pass a conservative budget void of excess financial waste,” said South Texas Cong. Tony Gonzales, who stepped to the front of the line this week voicing his opposition. Texas' 23rd District includes a whopping 42% of the entire U.S.-Mexico Border.

U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today sent letters to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Lina Khan and the head of the European Union’s San Francisco office, demanding answers regarding the degree of coordination between the FTC and the EU to enforce the EU’s Digital Services Act (“DSA”) and Digital Markets Act (“DMA”) on U.S. soil.

"The Texas House & Senate worked together, I was able to sign Property Tax Cuts of $18 billion into law – and this is a game changer, not just for homeowners but for businesses across our great state,” said Gov. Greg Abbott, as he received the "2023 Economic Trailblazer Award" from the Texas Association of Business (TAB) for his ongoing efforts on behalf of Texas' citizens.

The National Agricultural Crisis Hotline Act would help provide emotional support, information, suicide crisis intervention, mental health, and substance use disorder support services, as well as agricultural-related referral services. Unfortunately, the current rate of suicide among farmers is three and a half times higher than the general population.

​​​​​​​Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., and the School Land Board (SLB) awarded six carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) leases that will generate over $130 million in signing bonus payments for the Permanent School Fund (PSF), a constitutionally created fund that helps support public education. Over the course of the 30-year term of these CCS leases, the PSF is estimated to receive over $10 billion. 

"There's a reason the U.N. named the U.S.-Mexico Border the deadliest land border in the world. President Biden is responsible for that deadly border, and we're not going to stand idly by – these Governors are deploying Military & Law Enforcement Officers to help," said Gov. Greg Abbott. "This country needs to realize – our President breaks the law and ignores the law. Thank Gov. Abbott for all he's done to fight this fight," said one Governor.

"The deletion of documents responsive to a Congressional inquiry underscores the OIG’s conclusion in 2022 that 'the FTC has not prioritized records management, nor embedded it as a value in the agency’s culture.' Moreover, it suggests the agency is not committed to complying with the law," said Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz, House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, and House Oversight Chair James Comer earlier this week while seeking explanation of why records were improperly destroyed .

Natural gas is the world's Wonder Fuel: It's cheap, abundant, made in America, reliable, AND clean burning. So why are Joe Biden, his White House and environmental groups against it? There's really no good answer – but what makes The Left's war against natural gas inexplicable is, the single biggest factor in reducing carbon emissions has been the increased reliance on natural gas for electric power generation as we move away from coal.

As statewide economic growth continued in July, Texas now has more jobs, more people employed, and more people willing and able to work than ever before. Total employment increased by 26,300 over the month to reach a 22nd consecutive high of 13,969,100 jobs – after 29 consecutive months of growth. State employment has increased by 441,700 positions since July 2022, leading the nation in number of jobs added.

“Texas again outpaces the nation in annual jobs growth – thanks to strong business investments and the best workforce in America,” said Gov. Greg Abbott earlier today, celebrating the unrivaled strength of Texas’ jobs economy following the release of July's employment data showing that the Lone Star State is again leading the nation for jobs added over the last 12 months. Texas also reached a new record high for total jobs – for the 22nd month in a row.

All Americans can agree that we need clean air & water, but Democrat's and Sen. Bernie Sanders’ exclusively anti-fossil fuels positions oversimplify a complex issue and threatens the supply of energy for Americans. We must embrace all of America's energy resources to simultaneously lower harmful emissions, strengthen U.S. security and economic prowess, lift impoverished communities, and bolster democratic values.

Sen. Ted Cruz today met with leaders from the Deep East Texas Council of Governments & Economic Development District (DETCOG,) a voluntary association of local governments in the 11 County Region encompassing all of Angelina, Houston, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity and Tyler counties. Their objective was to provide more jobs and economic opportunity to people in rural East Texas.

“For a state that continues to grow massively, we're at the height of our production during the day and we generate more power than California and New York combined – but we need more dispatchable power generation," said Governor Greg Abbott earlier today, highlighting the important role of nuclear technology and energy in Texas’ thriving economy during an energy summit held at The University of Texas (UT) at Austin.

“Today's report again confirms that Joe Biden and Biden White House officials are pathologically obsessed with undermining Israel. They made a day one decision to pour hundreds of millions of American taxpayer dollars into areas controlled by Palestinian terrorists, despite knowing that such actions would benefit terrorist groups that have the blood of Americans and Israelis on their hands," said Sen. Ted Cruz after news reports revealed the State Department secretly sought exemptions from U.S. anti-terrorism laws to restart aid to Palestinian-controlled territories.

In the past two decades, destructive Crested Caracaras birds of prey – tropical black & white falcons that behave like vultures – have taken up residence throughout Texas. Despite being a predatory invasive species, the Caracara is currently a "protected species", which prohibits the taking of – including killing, capturing, selling, trading & transport – the migratory birds without prior authorization by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

“From funding his ‘green’ energy fantasies with the passage of the largest climate bill in history, to an unrelenting barrage of bureaucratic rules from his agencies, Joe Biden's next ploy of taxpayer subsidized boondoggles will have far-reaching implications – and our nation’s middle class is worse off for it,” said Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian, voicing his opposition to the installation of offshore wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico.

"I have one metric by which we at the General Land Office take action and judge our success: serve the people you are supposed to serve – and do it well," said Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, announcing a historic undertaking to transform the Hobby State Office Building in Austin into substantial Workforce Housing Development. She was joined by Austin Mayor Kirk Watson as she presented the GLO's Project Solicitation for the momentous endeavor.

In response to widespread wildfire activity throughout the state, Gov. Greg Abbott announced he has issued a Disaster Declaration for 191 of Texas' 254 counties – with additional counties to be added as conditions warrant. According to Texas A&M's Forest Service, wildfire activity is expected to continue, and at the Governor’s direction, the following State Firefighting Resources remain deployed by the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

“The EPA continues to undermine the needs of Americans,” said Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Christi Craddick. “The latest proposed rule is unrealistic, and potentially dangerous," Craddick said, as the Texas Railroad Commission and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality sent joint comments criticizing and opposing the Biden EPA’s proposed rule to add onerous regulations to electricity generating plants across the nation..