WASHINGTON, April 28 -- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, chairwoman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, issued the following news release: NASA astronaut Michael Collins passed away at 90 years old after a battle with cancer. Collins had a distinguished career as an Air Force pilot and a NASA Astronaut, followed by other positions in public service. First setting an altitude record on Gemini 10, Collins is most remembered as pilot of the Apollo 11 command module. During th  more

WASHINGTON, May 4 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies issued the following testimony by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, as part of a virtual member's day hearing on energy, water and U.S. Army Corps of Engineer programs: * * * As a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary and on Homeland Security, let me offer my appreciation and thanks to Chairwoman Kaptur and Ranking Member Simpson for the difficult work and choices that mu  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release on May 5, 2021: This morning, under the leadership of Top Republican Leader Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA), the Ways & Means Committee passed H.R. 2954, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021. This legislation expands opportunities for Americans to increase their retirement savings, improves workers' long-term financial   more

FORT HOOD, Texas, May 8 -- Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-California, issued the following remarks on May 6, 2021: Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, spoke today at a press conference at Fort Hood, Texas, on the military's response to sexual assault, harassment, and other military personnel issues, including housing. The press conference followed a bipartisan congressional delegation trip to Fort Hood led by Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-14), Chair of th  more

DEER PARK, Texas, May 8 -- Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36) hosted a ceremony at Hardin-Jefferson High School (HJHS) in Sour Lake to recognize the participants and announce the winner of the 2021 Congressional Art Competition. This year's competition followed the theme of "TX-36 the Energy Capital of the World." First place was awarded to Josye Meteer, a junior at Hardin-Jefferson, for her artwork Oil Cars in the Early Morning, w  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following statement on May 7, 2021, on the April jobs report: * * * "This is a stunning economic setback, and unequivocal proof that President Biden is sabotaging our jobs recovery with promises of higher taxes and regulation on local businesses that discourage hiring and drive jobs overseas. "The White House is also in denial that many businesses - both small and large   more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following statement in response to the Biden administration's announcement that it will waive intellectual property protections at the World Trade Organization: * * * "The world needs COVID vaccines now, but it shouldn't be done by damaging the pathway to new vaccines and cures the world will need in the future. "Looking ahead to the next pandemic, it is dangerous for Am  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release on May 6, 2021: "There should be a battle royale," across the country on Democrats' job-killing tax hikes, warned House Ways and Means Republican Leader Kevin Brady (R-TX) on Fox News. "There's so much wasteful spending in this bill, and the tax increases that go with it, they're going to devastate our jobs and recovery." KEY TAKEAWAYS: Democrats'   more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release on May 5, 2021: Top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee Kevin Brady (R-TX) kicked off a committee markup on the Securing a Strong Retirement (SECURE) Act of 2021, a bipartisan bill that will further improve workers' long-term financial wellbeing. KEY TAKEWAYS * The Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021, introduced today helps more A  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release on May 5, 2021: Ways and Means Republicans authored key provisions in new bipartisan legislation to help more Americans take care of their families, help workers save for and manage their retirement, and help Main Street businesses, still suffering labor shortages, attract employees with better retirement benefits. * Congressman Kelly contributed se  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Representative John Carter (TX-31) introduced the Military Spouses Employment Act today, in recognition of Military Spouse Appreciation Day of 2021. "The Military Spouses Employment Act will incentivize employers to hire military spouses through an income tax credit," Representative Carter said. "Unfortunately, statistics show that military spouses tend to earn less than their civilian counterparts due to the u  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, ranking member of the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, issued the following news release on May 4, 2021: Economic and Consumer Policy Subcommittee Ranking Member Michael Cloud (R-Texas) opened today's bipartisan hearing on needed reforms in the organ transplant industry by commending patients waiting for a transplant and donors for sharing their stories with the subcommittee and called for more to be done   more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, issued the following news release on May 5, 2021: U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Jack Reed (D-RI), along with U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-35), today announced the introduction of a bill to stop business practices known as inversions - corporate deals that allow U.S. companies to shift their corporate citizenship from the United States to a low-tax foreign jurisdiction, while keeping their executives and headquarters in the Unit  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, issued the following joint statement: * * * Following a meeting this afternoon with United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients, this joint statement is issued by all the participating House Members - Congressmembers Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Jesus Garcia (D-IL), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), and Andy  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) joined Amigos de Parque Zaragoza and Austin City Council District 3 to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and kick off the 90th Anniversary of Parque Zaragoza. The year-long celebration kicked off with today's wreath laying ceremony at Parque Zaragoza to commemorate the victory of the Mexican Army and General Ignacio Zaragoza at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. In his speech, Rep. Do  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, issued the following news release on May 5, 2021: U.S. Congressman Pat Fallon (TX-04) led several of his Texas Republican colleagues in announcing a House Resolution condemning the entire Democratic Party of Texas for refusing to denounce racism. The measure comes after the Lamar County Democratic Party rejected the resignation of County Chair Gary O'Connor, who submitted his resignation after he posted a defamatory and racist remark against Senato  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) joined Ranking Member Kay Granger (TX-12) and his Republican colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee in sending a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris, insisting that funds appropriated for border security be properly used to address the border crisis. This letter comes in response to the staggering number of migrants that have been apprehended while illegally coming  more

MCALLEN, Texas, May 8 -- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, issued the following news release on May 7, 2021: Congressman Gonzalez announced that the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) will stop accepting registrations and applications for the February 2021 Texas Winter Storm Disaster Assistance Programs in two weeks. The deadline to register with FEMA and apply with the Small Business Administration (SBA) is Thursday, May 20, 2021. Texas residents and businesses recovering from u  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, issued the following news release on May 7, 2021: Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) announced a combined amount of $770,428 for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This funding will support the Head Start Program, Physician Assistant Training in Primary Care, and Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biological Chemistry Research. The Head Start Emergency Supplemental Grant provides $11  more

MCALLEN, Texas, May 3 -- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, issued the following news release: After extensive conversations with senior White House and Department of Homeland Security officials, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) announced that he successfully secured a commitment from the Biden administration to fix the levees in the Rio Grande Valley within days of sending a letter to President Biden. "I'm pleased that we've reached an agreement with the Biden administration to fix the broke  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, issued the following e-newsletter: Dear Friends, America is a strong nation because of the farmers, workers, and businesses that make up our agriculture industry. It's no surprise that our great state's farmers and ranchers play a Texas-sized role in producing the food, fiber, and fuel that carries our country. Texas is the top farming state in the nation, with over 250,000 farms covering the most farm acres in America. Whether you live in a rura  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, issued the following statement on May 4, 2021: * * * U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-Tenn.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, Migration and International Economic Policy, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, D  more

FORT HOOD, Texas, May 6 -- Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-California, issued the following news release on May 4, 2021: Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53) arrived in Fort Hood, Texas, today, joining a bipartisan congressional delegation led by Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-14), Chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. This three-day visit is part of the investigation into the Army's failed response to the murder of SPC Vanessa Guillen, the deaths of PV2 Gregory Wedel Moral  more

DALLAS, Texas, May 5 -- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, chairwoman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, issued the following statement on May 4, 2021: * * * NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) released a decadal update of new Climate Normals for the U.S. This update includes the latest information for 1991-2020, incorporating averages and statistics for temperature, precipitation, and other parameters that put our current weather into a context th  more

DALLAS, Texas, May 8 (TNSRep)-- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, chairwoman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, issued the following news release: Yesterday, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a Global Methane Assessment report outlining the benefits and costs of mitigating methane emissions. The report, launched by the Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), sets forth an agenda that could reduce human-caused methane emissions by 45 percent this decade  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Rep. Barbara Lee, D-California, issued the following joint statement with Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Illinois, Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, Jesus Garcia, D- Illinois, Adriano Espaillat, D-New York and Andy Levin, D-Michigan: * * * Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations released a joint statement alongside Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Lloyd Doggett (D  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Barbara Lee, D-California, issued the following joint statement with Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Illinois, Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, D-Illinois, Adriano Espaillat, D-New York, and Andy Levin, D-Michigan, on May 5, 2021: * * * After leading more than half of their Democratic colleagues in pushing for a WTO TRIPS waiver for COVID-19 vaccines, U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on May 4, 2021: On Thursday, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will testify before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science. Ahead of this hearing, House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul has released the following statement outlining his concerns over incomplete implementation of the Export Con  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on May 5, 2021, after the Biden administration's announcement it would increase the cap on refugees from 15,000 to 62,500: * * * "People who have legitimate claims of persecution should be able to apply for asylum through the proper channels. "But arbitrarily quadrupling the refugee cap for political purposes, while ignoring its deficiencies, und  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on May 5, 2021: Yesterday, India announced it would not be moving forward with any Chinese Communist Party-controlled companies as it develops its 5G networks. House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican and China Task Force Chairman Michael McCaul has released the following statement praising India this decision. "India's decision to exclu  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following joint statement on May 4, 2021, with Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, and Sens. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Marco Rubio, R-Florida: * * * House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX), U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), ranking member of the Senate Subcomm  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on May 4, 2021: House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX) has announced the following staff additions and changes to the committee's Republican staff since the start of the 117th Congress. "I am proud to welcome our new committee staff for the 117th Congress as we continue to advance America's interests around the wor  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) joined over 130 House Republicans in sending a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy opposing the Biden Administration's proposal to repeal stepped-up basis from the tax code and require payment of capital gains taxes at death. "President Biden's plan to eliminate stepped-up basis allowances and impose a death tax will deal a devastating b  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, issued the following statement: * * * On Tuesday, Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) praised the Texas House for passing SB 13, which would defund entities that attack Texas' oil and gas sector: The energy industry is the foundation of our great state's economy. It provides millions of Texans with good jobs and the rest of the country with a stable and secure source of American-made oil and gas. I applaud the Texas House for moving forward on SB 13, legislatio  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, issued the following news release: On Thursday, Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) sent a letter to leaders in the Texas legislature urging them to ignore the "woke, corporate mobs" and support election integrity measures that will fight voter fraud and restore Texans' faith in their elections. "As you consider measures to protect the integrity of Texas elections, please know you have many friends in Congress who will support you, and please know how important i  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, issued the following news release on May 5, 2021: Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Ranking Member Pete Sessions (R-Texas) opened today's hearing on pipelines and landowner rights by emphasizing America can lead in domestic energy production and the protection of private property rights. He underscored natural gas is critical to the health and sustainability of  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, issued the following news release on May 5, 2021: Yesterday, the co-chairs of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Caucus announced strong, bipartisan support for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. The co-chairs led an appropriations and authorization request urging continued support for the F-35 program in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. The letter emphasized the critical need to maintain course towards full rate production and an increased investment to ad  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressman Filemon Vela (TX-34) submitted a statement to the House Committee on Natural Resources for the Members' Day Hearing stressing the importance of HR. 268, a bill he introduced that would add the Fort Brown earthworks to the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park. The hearing is an opportunity for Members of the United States House of Representatives to highlight issues of importance to them and  more

KILLEEN, Texas, May 6 -- Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Representative Roger Williams (TX-25) issued the statement below following his Fort Hood Community Roundtable: "I had a productive discussion with local elected officials, military veterans, and law enforcement officers regarding issues important to the military and military communities," said Congressman Williams. "I'd like to thank all of the participants for their unique points of view. Their valuable  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release on May 4, 2021: House Ways and Means Committee Republican Leader Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statements congratulating Ms. Angela Ellard, Chief Trade Counsel for Ways and Means Republicans, for being selected as one of the new World Trade Organization's (WTO) Deputy Directors-General: "In the trade w  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release on May 5, 2021: Ways and Means Committee Republican Leader Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) reintroduced the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021, bipartisan legislation to help more Americans successfully save for a secure retirement. This legislation was first introduced in October 2020, and builds on the Setting Every Com  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on May 4, 2021: House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX), Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Global Counterterrorism Ranking Member Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation Ranking Member Steve Chabot (R-OH), sent a letter on Monday to Secretary of St  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, issued the following news release on May 4, 2021: On Tuesday, Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21), along with Rep. Mike Gallagher (WI-08) introduced legislation to amend the National Emergencies Act and reassert congressional authority over the president's broad, virtually unchecked powers to declare national emergencies. The Assuring that Robust, Thorough, and Informed Congressional Leadership is Exercised Over National Emergencies (ARTICLE ONE) Act amends the N  more

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 7 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news release on May 6, 2021: U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) yesterday urged leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee to prioritize continued support for the F-35 Lightning II program in forthcoming defense authorization and spending bills. Sen. Cornyn has long been an advocate for a robust fleet of F-35s, built in Fort Worth, Texas. He wrote: "The F-35 strengthe  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following joint statement with Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Mark Green, R-Tennessee: * * * U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jim Risch (R-ID) as well as Congressmen Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Mark Green (R-TN) released the following joint statement on the decision of El Salvador's National Assembly to dismiss five supreme court justices and the attorney general: "We are deeply concerned about the pro  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in sending a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting a detailed briefing on the reported U.S. Department of Justice's amnesty program, which would allow U.S. academics to disclose past f  more

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following joint statement on May 4, 2021, with Reps. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, and Michael McCaul, R-Texas and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida: * * * U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Hu  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Delaware, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, and Ranking Member John Cornyn (R-Texas), yesterday sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai calling for the U.S. to reassert trade leadership in the Asia-Pacific region by engaging again with allies to develop comprehensive, multilateral free-trade  more