WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 -- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following news release: This week, following pressure from Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), the Department of Education released a temporary workaround to help students from mixed-status families apply for financial aid for the 2024-2025 school year. On February 16, Congressman Castro and nearly 100 of his colleagues wrote a letter pressuring the Department of Education to work quickly to solve ongoing challenges with the Free   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 -- Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressman Colin Allred (TX-32) led an effort with 8 members of the Texas Democratic delegation asking the State of Texas and Governor Abbott to detail how it plans to improve the foster care system and protect abused and neglected children. This effort comes after a decade of documented problems and court cases, which the state is fighting to this day. The State of Texas has been held in contemptmultiple tim  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 -- Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, issued the following statement on Feb. 21, 2024: * * * U.S. Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36) issued the following statement regarding his letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about the mail issues occurring in the Greater Houston area. "Recently, my attention was brought to the multitude of mail-related issues occurring in the Greater Houston area. The situation is entirely unacceptable," said Babin. "With ever-changing timelines for p  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 -- Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release: On Thursday, Senator Cassidy spoke to the Rotary Club of Metairie, where he gave attendees an update on the improvements his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is delivering to southeast Louisiana. He also discussed his work to reauthorize and reform the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and his recent trip to the southern border near Laredo, Texas. "These are people who care about our co  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11116) on Feb. 20, 2024, by legislative attorney Valerie C. Brannon: * * * State Social Media Laws at the Supreme Court On February 26, 2024, the Supreme Court is to hear oral argument over the constitutionality of Florida and Texas laws that restrict online platforms' ability to moderate user content. The U.S. Courts of Appeals opinions in these cases present two different views o  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 -- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following news release: On Friday, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27) led a bipartisan group of 17 members of the House of Representatives in a letter urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand benefits and services for veterans who developed cancer and other health conditions after exposure to toxic herbicide during service in the Panama Canal Zone (PCZ). "As the Department   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 -- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following news release: SAN ANTONIO - Yesterday, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) visited Luther Burbank High School to announce a $4.5 million grant award from the U.S. Department of Education to support college and career readiness programs at Burbank High School and six other high schools in San Antonio Independent School District. During the visit, Congressman Castro met with students enrolled in a Theory of Knowledge cours  more

MCALLEN, Texas, Feb. 23 -- Rep. Monica de la Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following statement on Feb. 22, 2024: * * * Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) issued the following statement in response to the announced closure of Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, Inc.: "I am outraged to hear about the closure of Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, the Lone Star State's last sugar operation," De La Cruz said. "It's devastating for the 500 full-time and seasonal workers who are out of work and equally   more

HOUSTON, Texas, Feb. 23 -- Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas, issued the following news release on Feb. 22, 2024: Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) broke ground on the Meyergrove Detention Basin along with Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Dr. Tina Petersen, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis (Precinct 1) Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin (District C), and City of Houston Chief Recovery Officer Stephen Costello. The Meyergrove Detention Basin is a stormwa  more

KINGWOOD, Texas, Feb. 24 -- Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Feb. 23, 2024: Today, Congressman Dan Crenshaw joined representatives from Humble Independent School District, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to highlight the completion of the flood mitigation project that was 90% federally funded. Through this federal assistance, FEMA, Humble ISD and the TDEM were able to complete this project that prov  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 -- Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30) announced that Lancaster resident Carla Gates, widow of the late USPS mail carrier Eugene Gates, would be accompanying her as a guest to President Biden's State of the Union speech to Congress on March 7, 2024. Carla Gates has been a passionate advocate for federal action and improved worker protections at USPS in response to the death of her husband, who passed away   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 -- Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Administration Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 21, 2024: Last week, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) joined Josh Findlay, Director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation's national Election Protection Project to discuss keeping our elections safe and secure. Josh Findlay: "What would you say to people that say you know the ACE Act looks like a federal takeover of elect  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, chairman of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement on Feb. 20, 2024: * * * Today, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) issued the following statement in response to the Biden Administration's Department of Education (ED) unveiling plans last week for its next widespread student loan bailout scheme: "The Biden administration is at it again. Despite the decision by the Supreme Court declaring their previ  more

EAGLE PASS, Texas, Feb. 20 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations and Foreign Relations Committees, today joined Mornings With Maria on Fox Business from the southern border to discuss his observations during his visit to the southern border with Tennessee sheriffs, mayors, and local officials, as well as his opposition to the Senate Foreign Aid package, and the impeachment of Departm  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Houston, Texas - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote an op-ed that appeared over the weekend in the Houston Chronicle. The article can be read here or below. "Over the past decade, I've made many trips to our southern border, often bringing my colleagues in the Senate down with me. On a recent trip, we had a conversation with a girl who was only 10 years old. This girl wa  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 -- Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, issued the following news release: On Thursday, Representative Chip Roy (TX-21) penned an op-ed in the Washington Examiner urging Republicans to push for spending cuts. Some key quotes are below: "Argentinian President Javier Milei has done something truly astounding -- something American politicians have universally failed to do. He delivered on a campaign promise to cut deficits." "But it doesn't have to be this way. We can still deliver on ou  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: HOUSTON, Texas - The Wall Street Journal last week published an opinion by Eugene Kontorovich, a professor at George Mason University Scalia Law School and a scholar at the Jerusalem-based Kohelet Policy Forum, calling for Congress to create a terrorism exception in laws governing immunity for international organizations. The article noted that Sen. Cruz is currently circulating such a bill. The bill is Sen. Cruz  more

TOLEDO, Ohio, Feb. 20 -- Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, issued the following statement on Feb. 19, 2024: * * * Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Ranking Member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development released the following statement regarding the transfer of the former FirstEnergy/Energy Harbor nuclear assets to Vistra Energy Corporation of Irving, Texas: "Today, our region begins its transition to a new, advanced nuclear energy future. We are extremely hopeful  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 -- Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22) and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) led 14 members of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate in sending a letter to the United States President, Joe Biden, urging him to delete his TikTok account and prioritize our nation's national security. The letter, signed by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Josh Hawle  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 -- Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Feb. 21, 2024: Yesterday, Congressman Jackson introduced a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to oppose the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) Importation of Fresh Beef From Paraguay final rule. On November 14, 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) made the decision to begin allowing the import of fresh Paraguayan beef using risk assessmen  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 -- Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressman Keith Self is leading the fight to end the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) practice of housing illegal aliens at airport facilities. Congressman Self sent a letter, along with 36 other House Republicans, to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker demanding answers regarding this dangerous practice. The letter underscores the importance of the FAA remaining focused on its mission "to provide the s  more

MISSOURI CITY, Texas, Feb. 23 -- Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Feb. 22, 2024: Today, Chairman Pete Sessions (TX-17) of the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce led a bipartisan briefing with Congressman Al Green (TX-9), Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), and officials from the United States Postal Service (USPS) to confront persistent mail delays in the Houston area and the broader East Texas region. The discussion aimed to determ  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 -- Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON - On Friday, U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) visited the southern border in Eagle Pass, Texas. They met with officials from U.S. Border Patrol Del Rio Sector, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Laredo Field Office, and Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio, and toured the Del Rio Sector soft-sided facility and the Eagle Pass Port of   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 -- Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Kent Bacus, Executive Director of Government Affairs of National Cattlemen's Beef Association said: "Paraguay's history of foot-and-mouth disease is not something we take lightly and importing beef from Paraguay is just too risky. The United States has some of the highest food safety and animal health standards in the world, and any country that wishes to trade with the United States must demonstrate that the  more