This fiscal year the oil production tax is estimated to have grown by 91.8 percent, while the natural gas production tax is estimated to have grown by an eye-popping 266.8 percent. Further, Texas oil and natural gas activity has been a significant factor in the 23.6 percent increase in sales tax collections.

"Because of President Biden's open border policies, deadly fentanyl is flooding America – with enough lethal doses seized to kill almost every man, woman & child in the nation," said Gov. Abbott earlier today from the Dept. of Public Safety's (DPS) Region II Headquarters in Houston, highlighting Texas' efforts to try and stop the growing fentanyl crisis ravaging Texas and the nation.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar today revised the Certification Revenue Estimate (CRE) upward, increasing his November estimate of General Revenue-related (GR-R) funds available for certification by $13.75 billion.

“At a time of skyrocketing inflation and record gas prices, it's inexplicable that President Biden would allow oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to be exported to China. It's a threat to our National Security – he's drained SPRO to its lowest level since 1986 – and the Chinese Communists are stockpiling it for their own strategic use. The Biden White House is aiding their effort,” said Sen. Cruz.

“To ban a substance that's been used for decades – based on data that's both underdeveloped & obsolete – reflects a rush to judgment that we fear will have long-term consequences, not just on the economy but on the safety of Americans,” read the letter Texas Att. Gen. Ken Paxton led with a 12-state coalition challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest regulatory plan.

The $208,741 grant will help the school purchase and install medical equipment to initially train 250 students for careers in nursing and emergency medicine.

As inflation and the latest Consumer Price Index jumped by a 40 year record 9.1% during the past 12 months – and as the last half of the mid-term election year approaches – the federal government also announced American's wages have dropped 4.8% since Joe Biden took office. "Raising taxes while we face a recession is crazy – and will drive prices even higher," said House Ways & Means Committee member Kevin Brady.

"The sheer number of people coming across the border are keeping Border Patrol from their primary job. The crisis isn't getting better because the Biden White House simply isn't enforcing the law," said Sen. John Cornyn, announcing that he and Sen. Ted Cruz will be leading colleagues James Lankford (OK,) Joni Ernst (IA,) John Barrasso (WY,) and Ron Johnson (WI) on a Rio Grande Valley Tour this weekend to survey the current damage.

Texas' Attorney General Ken Paxton has joined a Montana-led coalition supporting the rehearing of 350 Montana vs. U.S. Dept. of Interior & Signal Peak, LLC – which has delayed expansion of Montana's Bull Mountain Coal Mine since 2013. Despite research showing the project would not cause adverse environmental impacts, a San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court panel disagreed.

"Small businesses – many of which are Restaurants & Bars – are the heartbeat of our state and our mighty economy," said Gov. Greg Abbott, commending the hard work and commitment of some of the state's most important small businesses and employees driving Texas' economic engine. Abbott highlighted their importance at the Texas Restaurant Association's Texas Restaurant Show in Dallas.

As of this month, my office has surpassed 1,100 Constituent Cases solved and some $1.2 million returned to the citizens of the district. My team works full-time on Constituent Services, recovering lost Social Security Checks, restoring your benefits, and providing assistance for veterans or cutting through bureaucratic red tape. But, its way past time for President Biden to come to the table to secure our U.S.-Mexican Border.​​​​​

Sen. Ted Cruz requested earlier this week that Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, call Att. Gen. Merrick Garland before the committee during this week's "A Post-Roe America: The Legal Consequences Of" hearing so Garland and Joe Biden's Dept. of Justice can be questioned as to why they're failing to enforce Federal Law that bans intimidation of Supreme Court Justices.

“At many facilities, hormones are provided on demand to children who say they're transgender – without any psychological assessment. Alabama’s legislation is a common sense response to this troubling surge in unnecessary intervention,” said Texas Att. Gen. Paxton, joining onto an Arkansas-led brief to prohibit the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgery to medical “transitions.” 

Early last week an illegal immigrant in Richmond, Virginia was arrested just before he was able to carry out a planned 4th of July Event shooting. And in Texas, a convicted rapist was detained after illegally crossing our Southern Border for the second time. And President Biden continues to ignore the Immigration Crisis. That's while more than five million barrels of our Strategic Petroleum Reserves were sold to a Chinese company.

During my lifetime, I've never known a world without Roe vs. Wade. For 10 years before I was born, the decision of Roe v. Wade ruled as the "law of the land." A historic and far-reaching Supreme Court decided in 1973 that a right not expressed in the Constitution would be "codified" by a court ruling. Neither Congress nor any State Legislature wrote, debated, or passed this law. So what's next for Texas?

"The cartels have become emboldened and enriched by President Biden's open border policies, smuggling in record numbers of people, weapons, and deadly drugs like fentanyl. I have authorized the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to begin returning illegal immigrants to the border to stop this criminal enterprise endangering our communities," said Gov. Greg Abbott yesterday.

"What an exciting couple of weeks for our great democracy! With the help of my friends and colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee, we passed the National Defense Authorization Act out of committee. In order to maintain America’s dominance on a world stage, we must stay up to date on the latest technology," said Texas Cong. Pat Fallon, ​​​​​​​highlighting a few items he made sure were in the bill.

Instead of encouraging U.S. Energy Production to provide high-paying jobs and relieve all the families hurt by record gas prices, it’s clear President Biden's now focused on placating the de facto leader of OPEC, Saudi Arabia. But, were he genuinely serious about getting inflation under control, he'd implement the following five action items to stop the bleeding and reverse the terrifying trajectory that's strangling millions of American families.

After a recent New York Times report implied that former FBI officials James Comey and Andrew McCabe had been selected for an I.R.S. audit – and after the targeting of conservative groups and the leaking of private tax returns under the Obama and Biden Administrations – Republican House Ways & Means Committee Leader Cong. Kevin Brady says he supports investigating all allegations of political targeting.

"While the Biden Administration's abandoned Border Communities, the State of Texas will support & help them respond to the disaster that President Biden has caused," said Gov. Greg Abbott earlier today, announcing that his Public Safety Office is providing an additional $30 million in "Operation Lone Star" grant funding for Texas Cities & Counties to enhance the state's Border Security Operations.