I’ve worked to bring together a bipartisan group and the south Texas congressional delegation to push for federal approval of four cross-border bridges between Texas and Mexico that have been stalled by the Biden administration. Two weeks ago, I got a measure into the National Defense Authorization Act that would require the Biden administration to expedite the permitting decisions for these cross-border bridges.

Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) will host a roundtable alongside Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, San Antonio Police Department Chief of Police William McManus, the National Association of School Resource Officers, and regional school district leadership to discuss initiatives to keep classrooms safe as children return to school on Monday, August 14.

The Texas foster care system is infamous for failing its wards. The system is so flawed that in 2015 it was found in violation of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees the right for people to be free from an unreasonable risk of harm while in government custody. The reason: Kids entering the Texas system came out in worse shape than when they entered. Many kids go in because of physical abuse at home, so how bad is the system?

"The signing of this Texas-sized tax cut, the biggest property tax cut in history, is a massive victory for all 5.7 million Texas homeowners," said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. "It’s a fabulous $18 billion tax reduction bill, and every Texan will see huge savings on their tax bill. It was a great joy to work with the Governor, Lt. Governor, the Speaker, the House, and State Reps Meyer and Metcalf," said Sen. Paul Bettencourt, the primary author of the initiative.

Can you be fired for teaching basic biology? That seems to be the case with Professor Johnson Varkey, who was fired for “teaching standard principles about human biology and reproduction.” The professor has taught Human Anatomy & Physiology to more than 1,500 students since 2003 – and has always received positive student feedback.

“As the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, I’m focused on building the Texas & American Economies – and supporting policies that help the Lone Star State grow. That’s why I’m leading a bi-partisan effort to build and expand International Bridges on the Texas-Mexico Border, and to facilitate greater trade by leading efforts to turn Ports-to-Plains into Interstate 27," said Cruz earlier today while touring the Inland Port.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced today he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts $1.2 billion in local sales tax allocations for August, a 2.8% increase over the same period in August 2022.

Eaton Corporation will expand their manufacturing facility for voltage regulators, Cooper Power Systems LLC, in Nacogdoches. Cooper Power Systems is a subsidiary of Eaton Corporation PLC (Eaton), a global technology leader in electrical components, systems, and services for power quality, distribution, and control. The project is expected to create over 200 new jobs and more than $100 million in capital investment.

Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) awarded more than $2.3 million in grants for Youth Robotics programs, allowing more than 10,000 Texas high school students to participate in various events that lead to the world championship. This year, four applicants received awards: FIRST in Texas, Urban STEM, Collegiate Edu-nation, and BEST of Texas Robotics.  

“By signing the Save Women’s Sports Act, Governor Abbott sends a powerful message to Texans – and to all Americans that we must protect the female category of sport if we want women and girls to have the equal athletic opportunities that are required by law,” said former NCAA athlete and Independent Women's Voice spokeswomen Riley Gaines, as she and others celebrated Gov. Abbott's signing the bill into law that protects women's sports in Texas.

In just the first 7 months of this year, our country's faced the failure of three large U.S. Banks, threats to our financial systems from the Chinese Communists, economic mismanagement by the Biden White House, and more. Nonetheless, House Republicans passed bills to address border security, lowering energy costs, protecting women & girls, and countless others. We have five months left in the year, and many more issues to address. 

"It’s time to remove the middleman, and allow Americans to make decisions about how and when they get care for themselves," said Sen. Ted Cruz, as he and Senators Mike Braun & James Risch introduced the "Personalized Care Act" to make Americans' health care more portable, accessible, and tailored to meet their unique needs by dramatically expanding Heath Savings Accounts – a pre-tax savings tool millions of Americans already use to cover the costs of their health care.

Many outside of Texas enjoy mocking Texans with “I know, I know, everything’s bigger in Texas,” but the reality is that Texas is really pretty darn big. The US Census reports that as of 2021 Texas has more than 30 million people, living in more than 12 million households spread out across more than 261,000 square miles. As of the census, 87% have broadband at home.

Sen. Ted Cruz, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on The Constitution Ranking Member, sent a letter to the Dept. of Justice demanding details about Asst. U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf, and about Wolf’s relationship with Biden loyalist Alexander Mackler. Emails recovered from Hunter Biden’s laptop reveal affectionate correspondence between the Bidens and Mackler that raise serious questions about the department's objectivity in the Hunter Biden probe.

Since being launched by Gov. Greg Abbott, Operation Lone Star has apprehended some 402,000 Illegal Immigrants and made more than 32,400 Criminal Arrests – with over 29,600 Felony Charges reported. And in the fight against fentanyl, Texas Law Enforcement has seized over 422 million lethal doses during this border mission. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas National Guard are working to secure the border.

Comptroller Glenn Hegar today said State Sales Tax Revenue totaled $3.99 billion in July, 2.7% more than in July 2022. Total sales tax revenue for the three months ending in July 2023 was up 4.5% compared to the same period a year ago. Sales taxes represent the largest source of state funding for the state budget, accounting for 56% of all tax collections, and are often seen as a measuring stick of the state's economic activity.

Allegations that Joe Biden & Hunter Biden accepted millions of dollars in bribes from foreign nations or corporations are worth “a real investigation,” Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a significant campaign shift. “These revelations about a notoriously corrupt company that paid out, apparently, $10 million to Hunter and his dad – if that’s true, then it's really troubling. We need a real investigation of what happened.”

​​​​​​​“I'm proud to support this year’s the National Defense Authorization Act, which will equip our service members with the resources they need to defend our nation here at home & abroad. I was honored to push across the finish line six provisions, including a measure to require the Biden Admin to expedite permitting for four Cross-Border Bridge Projects in South Texas. Expanding bridge capacity will attract much-needed economic development," said Sen. Ted Cruz.

Since launching his campaign for Texas House District 80 less than two weeks ago, now-former Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin has raised over $100,000 to help fund his campaign. As the first candidate in the race to raise over $100,000 the former mayor’s impressive fundraising capabilities demonstrate an ability to win, and may define him as the frontrunner in one of the most competitive 2024 primary & general elections in Texas.

The non-profit veteran's group "Expedition Orange" will hold its Annual Horseback Benefit Ride in Texas this weekend, noted Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chair & Land Comm. Dawn Buckingham earlier today, highlighting the importance of supporting Veterans who were exposed to "Agent Orange" while serving in the Vietnam War. Concluding in Amarillo, 100% of all donations made to Expedition Orange in July will support Vietnam Vets living in each of Texas' 9 State Veterans Homes.