WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 -- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following news release: SAN ANTONIO -- After a fifth San Antonio police officer was shot in less than two weeks, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement slamming Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Republican legislature for their failure to prevent gun violence: "Over the last eight years, Governor Abbott and Texas Republicans have weakened public safety laws and flooded our streets with guns. The resul  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 -- Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, issued the following news release on Sept. 7, 2023: This week, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35) introduced an amendment to the FY2024 U.S. Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill to prohibit federal homeland security funding from being used for Texas's failed Operation Lone Star. "Greg Abbott's abusive, wasteful, and inhumane Operation Lone Star is a disgrace to our state," said Congressman Greg C  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following news release: SAN ANTONIO -- This week, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35) introduced an amendment to the FY2024 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill to prohibit federal homeland security funding from being used for Operation Lone Star. "Since 2021, Governor Abbott has stolen more than a billion dollars in federal COVID-19 aid and diverted hundreds of millions in state ta  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Lawmakers call on Secretary Gina Raimondo to publish updated data on Commerce approvals of assault weapons export licenses and respond to September 2022 Congressional inquiry WASHINGTON - This week, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35) and Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, seeking an  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 -- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Lawmakers call on Secretary Gina Raimondo to publish updated data on Commerce approvals of assault weapons export licenses and respond to September 2022 Congressional inquiry Text of Letter (PDF) WASHINGTON - This week, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35) and Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gi  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 -- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, issued the following news release: EDINBURG, TEXAS - Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) announced grants totaling over $1 million to the cities of Edinburg and McAllen as part of two grant programs administered by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to bolster fire department staffing and safety. "Our firefighters and first responders are critical to ensuring public safety during natural disasters," said Congres  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 -- Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Sept. 5, 2023: Today, Congressman Keith Self introduced a resolution to designate September 22 of each year as National Military and Veterans Suicide Awareness Day. "September is recognized as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and I believe it is important to bring additional awareness to the fact that we are losing as many as 22 veterans a day to suicide," said Congressman Keith Self. "It is our job as Ame  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following statement on Sept. 5, 2023: * * * U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today introduced a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act with 16 of his Senate Republican colleagues to strike down President Biden's reckless Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) rule, which will incentivize students to take on college loan debt, hurt Texas families, and cost taxpayers as much as $559 billion: "The Biden administration  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news on Sept. 7, 2023: Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) called out the hypocrisy of the Biden administration's recent attack against House Republicans on the fentanyl crisis and highlighted the President's continued mishandling of the border, including the record number of migrant families who crossed the border illegally last month. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn's remarks are below. "This week, the White House  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news on Sept. 5, 2023: U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) led a letter today with 17 of his Senate colleagues urging U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to implement the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act as Congress intended and restore federal funding for educational activities like hunting and archery: They wrote: "This pivotal piece of legislation provided resources for local, state, and federal agencies to  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. - Today , U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) reintroduced legislation to help airports, bus stations, and other transit hubs identify signs of human trafficking, engage in public awareness campaigns, and provide support to victims and survivors through the U.S. Department of Transportation. This legislation is modeled on successful human trafficki  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Rep. Monica de la Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz recently signed onto a letter urging the Biden Adminstration to stop reported plea deal negotiations with terrorists tied to the 9/11 terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people more than 20 years ago. "According to reports, these agreements would remove the possibility of the death penalty," the letter reads. "If true, this would be a grave miscarriage of justice, espe  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) led a bicameral letter with U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) urging U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to implement the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act as Congress intended and restore federal funding for educational activities like hunting and archery: The lawmakers wrote: "This pivotal piece of  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul returned from a congressional delegation (CODEL) he led to Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands. The bipartisan delegation included House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Reps. Thomas Kean (R-NJ), chair of the Subcommittee on Europe, Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Ann Wagner (  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on Sept. 8, 2023: * * * Last week, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul requested transcribed interviews of key State Department officials involved in the planning and execution of the Biden administration's deadly and chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal. Chairman McCaul released the following statement regarding the department's response. "The   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 -- Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 7, 2023: House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Pat Fallon (R-Texas) today are furthering the Committee's oversight of the Biden Administration's efforts to overregulate gas appliances and products out of existence. In a letter   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Rep. Pete Sessions , R-Texas, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce, issued the following news release: Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) will hold a hearing titled "Oversight of Federal Agencies' Post-Pandemic Telework Policies." The hearing will examine the Biden Administration's post-pandemic telework and remote work policies for f  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: AUSTIN, Texas - U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) wrote an op-ed that appeared in Friday's edition of the Austin American-Statesman. The article can be read here or below. "This weekend, Texas football teams will begin their seasons with legitimate playoff aspirations. That's because college sports, like everything else, are bigger in Texas. "Tens of thousands of faithful fans from  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 -- Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, issued the following news release: On Biden's cancelation of oil leases in Alaska: "He [President Biden] does not have the ability to just wave his hand and disrupt that legislation. This is the existing current law. I think they'll be successful in their lawsuit. It's obviously an unconstitutional, illegal taking."  On sky-high energy prices: "Why does he [President Biden] hate the middle class in America so badly that he wants to saddle   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 -- Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) sent a letter to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams urging the Director to hold a public hearing in the Permian Basin to fully understand the consequences that the Biden Administration's decision to list the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard as an endangered species will have on local communities as well as energy and national security. In the letter, Rep. Pfluger   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Bipartisan bill would replace Social Security's formula, known as the Windfall Elimination Provision, that unfairly fails to compensate public servants for work they did in the private sector over the course of their career. WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Jodey Arrington (TX-19) introduced the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act, bipartisan legislation to ensure public servants subject to the Windfall E  more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Sept. 7 -- Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, issued the following news release on Sept. 6, 2023: Today, U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28) announced $9,226,700 in federal funding for Barrio Comprehensive Family Health Care Center (CommuniCare). The funds will enhance the clinic's capabilities to provide accessible healthcare for over 13,000 patients in San Antonio. Specifically, the funding was provided by three separate awards: $7,813,926 from the Health Center Clust  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Sept. 8, 2023: Today, Congressman Keith Self introduced a bill to eliminate the HUD Equity Action Plan of the Department of Housing and Urban Development--a new set of regulations enacted by the Biden administration. "This is a gross overstep of the powers of the federal government and will end up impeding the abilities of state and local governments to properly govern," said Congressman Keith Self. "HUD has   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 -- Rep. Adam B. Schiff, D-California, issued the following news release: Washington, DC -- Today, Representatives Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Joquin Castro (D-Texas), and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) led a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel A. Cardona and Office for Civil Rights Assistant Secretary Catherine Lhamon regarding concerns over Baylor University's request for a Title IX exemption that may shield them from Title IX's regulations of prohibitin  more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Sept. 6 -- Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Sept. 5, 2023: Today, Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) introduced the Curbing Offenses on Policing Services (COPS) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. The COPS Act increases penalties for individuals who assault first responders and law enforcement officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon. "Crime is on the rise in our country. Just last week, five San Antonio police officers were shot at i  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after the Biden administration announced they have refused the plea deal offered by Khalid Sheikh Muhammed and four other 9/11 defendants. Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the Department of Defense last month urging the Biden administration to pursue the ul  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, issued the following statement on Sept. 7, 2023: * * * U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released the following statement following President Biden's announcement that he would nominate Mike Whitaker to serve as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). "The Biden administration has repeatedly nominated to key positions un  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 -- The Senate Judiciary Committee issued the following information for a hearing entitled "Book Bans: Examining How Censorship Limits Liberty and Literature" at 10 a.m. on Sept. 12, 2023, at 216 Hart Senate Office Building: Witnesses * Max Eden, Research Fellow, American Enterprise Institute, Arlington, VA * Nicole Neily, President, Parents Defending Education, Arlington, VA * Cameron Samuels, Student, Brandeis University, Co-Founder, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas,   more

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, Sept. 5 -- The Senate Special Committee on Aging issued the following testimony by Wesley Snyder, a franchise business owner of Fastsigns International, Pirtek and My Salon Suites, involving at a field hearing on August 22, 2023, entitled "Economic Challenges and Opportunities for Older Americans": * * * Good afternoon Ranking Member Braun. My name is Wesley Snyder, and I am a franchise business owner of FASTSIGNS International, Pirtek, and My Salon Suites. I mostly own   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 8, 2023: The House Foreign Affairs Committee announced the Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations will convene a hearing entitled, "Children are not for Sale - Global Efforts to Address Child Trafficking" on Thursday, September 14th. What: Hearing - "Children are not for Sale - Global Efforts to Address   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 -- Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: The House Foreign Affairs Committee announced the Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia will convene a hearing entitled, "Iran's Escalating Threats: Assessing U.S. Policy Toward Iran's Malign Activities" on Thursday, September 14th. What: Hearing - "Iran's Escalating Threats: Assessing U.S. Policy Toward Iran's Malign Activities"   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: Warren, Castro, Torres, Goldman Call on Commerce Department to Address Troubling Increase of Assault Weapons Exports Approvals Lawmakers Call on Secretary Gina Raimondo to Publish Updated Data on Approvals of Assault Weapons Export Licenses, Respond to Their September 2022 Questions Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and U.S. Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Norma  more