WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressman Colin Allred (TX-32) today applauded the University of Texas at Dallas for earning a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The grant will be used to develop technology around offshore wind turbine systems. "This is exactly the kind of work Texans have been leading on, and with this grant we can help ensure that North Texans will c  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * - Bill Ends Widely Used Practice That Prevents Consumers, Workers, Victims from Receiving Justice * * * Congressman Colin Allred (TX-32) today voted for the bipartisan Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act (FAIR). This bill prohibits the enforcement of mandatory, pre-dispute arbitration, also known as forced arbitration, which are provisions in contracts involving consumers, employment, antitrust a  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following statement after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, released a proposal on drug pricing: "While I'm confident Congress can work together to lower out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors and modernize the popular Medicare prescription drug program, this so-called government negotiation idea is more accurately a 'dictate or destroy' price control power that w  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and a member of the House Intelligence and Education and Labor Committees, and Congressman Kenny Marchant (TX-24), Ranking Member of the House Ethics Committee, and member of the Ways and Means Committee, today introduced The Transparency for Transfer Students Act, legisla  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- The House Science, Space and Technology Committee issued the following statement by Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, at a hearing entitled "Science and Technology at the Environmental Protection Agency": "Good morning. I would like to welcome Administrator Wheeler to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology for the first time. The Members of this Committee look forward to your testimony today as we all understand and value the important role the EPA play  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman, Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following statement opposing Sen. Lamar Alexander's block of the Unanimous Consent of the FUTURE Act, which would extend funding of Minority Serving Institutions, including Hispanic-serving Institutions that serve 6 million undergraduate students: "It's reprehensible that Senator Alexander is intentionally denying critical education funding to over 6 million students of color. "By the end of  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) applauded Aisin AW on its plans to invest $400 million and bring 900 new jobs to a future factory in Cibolo, Texas. The announcement came as part of broader commitment from Toyota to invest $13 billion in its U.S. operations over five years through 2021. Aisin AW is a supplier to Toyota Texas and Toyota. "Aisin AW's investment in Cibolo is a testament to the st  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * - Designates 'National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week' * * * At the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced a Senate resolution recognizing the work, goals, and achievements of 523 non-profit Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) throughout the nation by designating the week of September 16-22 as "National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week." "Hispanic-Serving   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: One topic that has been noticeably absent from Democrats is the economy. Perhaps this is why "most Americans remain confident about the U.S. economy and in their own financial situation," crediting many of the policies President Trump and the Republican-led Congress have championed, as a recent CBS News poll found. In Congress, Republicans have achieved enormous wins for the American people. By rolling back burde  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- The U.S. Senate received the nomination of eight individuals for positions in the Trump Administration on Sept. 19: Mitchell A. Silk, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. Robert Joseph Kruckemeyer, of Texas, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2022. Robert Anthony Dixon, of the District of Columbia, to be United States Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fo  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a decision denying a bid protest filed by Semper Valens Solutions of Canyon Lake, Texas. According to the GAO, Semper Valens Solutions "protests the award of a contract to NavQSys, LLC, of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, under request for proposals (RFP) No. W56KGY-17-R-0020, issued by the Department of the Army, Army Materiel Command, for systems engineering and technical assistance (SETA) support services. SVS argues t  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on active-duty commissioned officers' participation in the tuition assistance program. The report (GAO-19-699R) is titled "DOD Education Benefits: Data on Officer Participation in and Views on Proposed Changes to the Tuition Assistance Program". The report was sent to Sen. James M. Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, chairman, Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Rep. Adam Smith, D  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 -- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, issued the following news release: Leaders of the Energy and Commerce and Science, Space, and Technology Committees sent a letter (https://science.house.gov/download/letter-to-epa-on-naaqs) to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler today demanding answers for the Agency's ongoing attempts to undermine and discredit the role of science. In O  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- The House Homeland Security subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery issued the following hearing information: Engaging the Community: Perspectives on School Security at 310 Cannon House Office Building at 10 a.m. on Sept. 26: Witnesses * Jared Maples, Director, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness * Kathy Martinez-Prather, Director, Texas School Safety Center, Texas State University * Lauren Hogg, Co-Founder, March for Our Live  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, issued the following news release: Yesterday, Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) along with Congressman Michael Waltz (R-FL) introduced H.R. 4372, the "MSI STEM Achievement Act." H.R. 4372 directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support research to better understand the challenges minority serving institutions (MSIs) face, their contributions to the STEM work  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, issued the following statement in response to the rain and flooding that Tropical Depression Imelda is bringing to the regions of Texas 36th Congressional District: "As Tropical Depression Imelda continues to pour down on areas in our district, I urge everyone to take the upmost precautions. "If you are able, local officials are advising everyone to shelter in place and stay off of roads and highways - as many of them are flooded or on their w  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release: The top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee Kevin Brady (R-TX) announced today that Anne DeCesaro, Republican staff director for the Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support, is leaving the Committee staff. Upon announcement of her departure, Rep. Brady released the following statement: "Anne's life has been dedicated to the Ameri  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, issued the following statement after the House passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through Nov. 21: "While I wish we were passing the final FY20 appropriations bills, I support this Continuing Resolution to keep critical functions of our government running past the end of September. "I never like governing with repeated short-term solutions, but this CR will ensure that veterans services continue, our men and women in uniform  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following statement: Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, member of the House Intelligence and Education and Labor Committees, and author of the resolution to terminate the President's emergency declaration in February, today re-introduced the same resolution to once again protect the Constitution against the onslaught of attacks fr  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement concerning legislation released to keep the government open and requiring that Agriculture Department's Commodity Credit Corporation be replenished, just as Republicans and Democrats demanded: "It's ironic that as news was released about the budget deal some are implying that House Democratic leadership is somehow to be thanked, apparently for fa  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Rep. K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement concerning House Democrats' attempts to deny Agriculture Department the funds to make Market Facilitation Program and Farm Bill payments to farmers and ranchers via the Commodity Credit Corp.: "House Democratic leaders are not listening to their own rank and file members and continue to hold vital aid for our farmers and ranchers hostage by bloc  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, chair of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on Health, issued the following statement regarding the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3): "This legislation is stronger because of progressive involvement, but more is required, including addressing negotiation scope, sky-high launch prices, and price-spike protection for all patients. "My goal remains delivering the most relief possible for the most patients and preventing Big Pharma from dodg  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 -- Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, issued the following op-ed on choosing unity amidst adversity, which was provided to the San Marcos Daily Record: In this time of great division, we are stronger when we remember what binds us. We draw inspiration from the way our Nation--all of us, as citizens and neighbors--came together after the tragedy on 9/11. At 9:51 am on September 11, 2001, I was working in Washington when the fire alarm sounded and Capitol police instructed us to e  more

EL PASO, Texas, Sept. 16 -- Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, issued the following statement on celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month: "This month, we celebrate the incredible contributions of generations of Latinos to our country and of the cultures and traditions woven into the rich fabric of American society. "But as we recognize the vibrancy and strength of our community, we must also acknowledge that our fight against racism, hate, and divisive political rhetoric is far from over. "After   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas, issued the following news: Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted in favor of H.R. 1423, the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act, legislation she cosponsored, which passed the House with bipartisan support, 225 to 186, and which included her amendment to the bill that passed unanimously. The FAIR Act prohibits the enforcement of mandatory, pre-dispute arbitration provisions--"forced arbitration"--in contracts involvi  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 -- Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, issued the following statement on celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month: "Hispanic Heritage Month is time to share the stories of Latinos and immigrants across the country. We celebrate the important contributions we have made to the United States. We are lawyers, entrepreneurs, teachers, doctors, and even members of Congress. "While we celebrate our comunidad, we must also recommit ourselves to getting involved in the political process. We  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, issued the following statement on the passage of the North America Development Bank Improvement Act (H.R. 132) from the House Financial Services Committee: "The North American Development Bank has long worked to finance environmentally sound infrastructure that enhances the quality of life for people living in communities on both sides of U.S. - Mexico border, including in the 15th District of Texas. "Investment by the NADB has transform  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) announced $79,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the city of La Villa, Texas' police department to replace its patrol vehicles. The purchase of these new vehicles will help public safety officials keep residents safe and allow for officers to patrol the city more effectively. The police department currently has patrol vehicles with high   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 -- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) announced $409,000 in funding for the city of McAllen to hire new firefighters. The funding is part of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Fiscal Year 2018 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Program which is designed to strengthen the nation's ability to respond to fire and fire-related hazards and improve the nation's preparedness  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following remarks on a continuing resolution (H.R. 4378) that continues funding for military and civilian government programs through November 21: "Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4378 - a continuing resolution that will fund the government through November 21st. "It is unfortunate that we are in this situation and have to pass this CR to keep the governme  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * - Bipartisan Bill to Fund STEM Programs at MSIs Passes House Unanimously * * * Today, U.S. Representative Will Hurd (TX-23) continued his efforts to make sure Texans of all backgrounds have access to educational opportunities by supporting the bipartisan Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act (H.R. 2486). This bill, which passed the House unanimously, renews fun  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson was selected by Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a conferee on the House-Senate Conference Committee for the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. Congresswoman Johnson will actively participate in negotiating the bicameral differences in the bill in order to accurately reflect the country's defense priorities. "I am honored to have the opportunity   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The House Science, Space and Technology subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics issued the following statement by full committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, at a hearing entitled "Developing Core Capabilities for Deep Space Exploration: An Update on NASA's SLS, Orion, and Exploration Ground Systems": "Good morning and welcome to our witnesses. I want to thank for holding today's hearing on NASA's Space Launch System, Orion crew vehicle, and Exploration Groun  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The House Science, Space and Technology subcommittee on Energy issued the following statement by full committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, at a hearing entitled "Next Mile: Technology Pathways to Accelerate Sustainability within the Transportation Sector": "Good afternoon and thank you for holding this timely hearing on how we can best accelerate the sustainability of our nation's transportation sector. I also would like to join you in welcoming this dist  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, issued the following news release: Today, the House of Representatives considered and passed under suspension of the rules H.R. 1396, the "Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act." This bill, cosponsored by 314 Members of Congress, awards the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress's highest civilian honor, to Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, Christine Dard  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after his appointment by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, to serve as an outside conferee on the bipartisan House-Senate Conference Committee to resolve differences in the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act: "I am honored to be named a conferee for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). As Lead Republican on  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement regarding the attack on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure: "The recent attack on Saudi Aramco, the world's second largest producer of oil, was a damaging assault on our strategic partner, Saudi Arabia, and deliberate attempt to disrupt the global economy. "We all know that Iran is the most likely culprit, but the United States and other responsi  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on President Trump's confirmation that an al Qaeda member, Hamza bin Laden, was killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation: "The announcement by the White House that al Qaeda leader Hamza bin Laden, son of Osama bin Laden, was killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation is a significant event in America's unrelenting war on terrorism. "While th  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement about the Trump administration's sanctions on Iran's Central Bank, National Development Fund and Etemad Tejarat Pars: "I applaud President Trump for continuing his maximum pressure campaign against Iran. These latest sanctions will have a serious impact on the heart and soul of the regime's financial center of gravity. "This will help stop their  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, issued the following statement on a continuing resolution (H.R. 4378) to fund the federal government: "Today, we passed a short-term CR designed to time out right before Thanksgiving to maximize pressure to rack up more debt. "I wish I could say I am surprised, but this is Washington, where members of Congress have made it a habit to shirk their responsibility to balance the budget and put our nation on a path towards fiscal sanity. Congress doe  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, issued the following op-ed on why Congress should clarify the U.S. mission in the Middle East, which was provided to The Hill: It is time our nation's leaders clarify our mission in the Middle East and define victory for a new generation of warriors. 18 years ago today, the 107th Congress passed, and President Bush signed into law, an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in response to the terrorist attacks on 9/11. The American people   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) was joined by her colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass her bill, the PCAOB Whistleblower Protection Act of 2019. This is Congresswoman Garcia's first bill to pass the House of Representatives, and it would establish a whistleblower protection program at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), like a program at the Securities and Exchang  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) joined her colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass the bipartisan FAIR Act, which would end the use of forced arbitration in consumer, worker, civil rights, and antitrust disputes. Currently more than 60 million workers are unable to sue their employer in public court if they have been terminated or faced unlawful harassment. Forced arbitration has permitted em  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The House Homeland Security subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism issued the following statement by full committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson, D-Mississippi, at a joint hearing with the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and International Terrorism entitled "Meeting the Challenge of White Nationalist Terrorism at Home and Abroad": "I thank both Chairman Deutch and Chairman Rose for convening this important joint hearing today  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement on the proposed continuing resolution to fund the military through November: "The budget deal we reached earlier this year was intended to give our military stable and predictable funding. While the deal did not provide all the funding I believe our military needs, it made up for it with the promise of stability and predictability. "A protracted   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, issued the following statement on a continuing resolution passed by the House and Senate Armed Services committees and entered into a conference committee on the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act: "I believe that the first job of the federal government is to protect the country, and that includes fully funding our military on time. "This year we have faced challenges, but I am hopeful that we can come together to provide our se  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following news release: * * * - DOD Highlights Thee Dangerous Delays Because Of Stopgap Spending Measure * * * A recent CRS report found that "DOD has started the fiscal year under a CR for 13 of the past 18 years and every year since FY2010 excluding FY2019. The amount of time DOD has operated under CR authorities during the fiscal year has tended to increase in   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following news release: Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, congratulates the following Republican members of the Committee who have been named by House Leadership to serve on the House-Senate Conference Committee to resolve the differences in the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. The following Republi  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Rep. Filemon Vela (TX-34) , Chairman of the House Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, and 19 other Democratic members have sent a letter to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee expressing support for the inclusion of language in the continuing resolution (CR) which would allow U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to move forward with the recently announced Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments.  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Filemon Vela (TX-34) has been appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve on the conference committee tasked with producing a final Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Congressman Vela joined the Armed Services Committee when the 116th Congress convened in January and participated in the drafting and House passage of the NDAA, annual legislation which sets mil  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Reps. Brian Babin, R-Texas, and Randy Weber, R-Texas, issued the following statements after sending a letter to President Trump requesting for an immediate federal disaster declaration to the regions of southeast Texas impacted by Tropical Storm Imelda: "Ensuring that the residents of Texas's 36th Congressional District are safe and have access to the resources they need during and after this storm is my top priority at this time," said Babin. "Tropical Storm Imelda gave  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Reps. K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Agriculture Committee, Glenn Thompson, R-Pennsylvania, ranking Republican member of the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, and David Rouzer, R-North Carolina, ranking Republican member of the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture, issued the following remarks after a joint hearing: Today, the House Agriculture Subcommittees on General Farm Commodities and Risk  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Representatives Dan Crenshaw and Pete Olson hosted Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) and the City of Houston in the nation's capital yesterday for a briefing. Members of the Houston delegation received an update on Hurricane Harvey recovery projects, including San Jacinto River dredging and the status of the Addicks and Barker study. The meeting also addressed potential projects the city and county  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressman Kenny Marchant (TX-24), Ranking Member of the House Ethics Committee, member of the Ways & Means Committee, and member of the Joint Economic Committee, and Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and a member of the House Intelligence and Education and Labor Committees, today introduced The Transpare  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Reps. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, chairman of the House Agriculture subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, and Jim Costa, D-California, chairman of the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture, issued the following remarks at a joint hearing to review the implementation and capacity of key programs at the Agriculture Department designed to aid farmers, ranchers and rural communities: From Chairman Vela, as prepared for delivery: "Thank you and  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Florida, issued the following news release: On Wednesday, U.S. Reps. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) and U.S. House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) introduced a bill to improve participation in STEM at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) by increasing capacity for students in STEM curricula, encouraging partnerships with industry and federal laboratories and establishing a liaison for MSIs within the federa  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) discussed Democrats' renewed campaign against and calls for impeaching Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn's floor remarks are below, and video can be found here (https://youtu.be/ieamISOwozo). "Justice Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed almost a year ago, but that hadn't stopped the partisans on the Left from carrying out their fact-de  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, today announced a series of hearings on modernizing the Air Traffic Control System. "There is widespread agreement the Air Traffic Control system we have today is not working for the American people," Sen. Cruz said. "Air travel is costlier than it needs to be, routes are less efficient, and the technology we need to keep people sa  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Sept. 16 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * - Highlights Republicans' remarkable economic results achieved for the American people * * * U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today appeared on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos, where he called on Congress to pass his bipartisan Grassley-Cruz bill, which strengthens background checks by targeting felons, fugitives, and people with dangerous mental illnesses. Sen. Cruz also highlighted the inc  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following statement: * * * - Calls on U.S. to ensure Chinese Communist Party's efforts to isolate Taiwanese allies are not successful * * * U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement in response to reports that the Solomon Islands is cutting ties with Taiwan in favor of China: "I am deeply concerned and disappointed by the Solomon Islands' decision to sever   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement urging the Trump administration to increase pressure on Iran, following Iran's attack on Saudi Arabia: "This weekend's devastating attacks on Saudi Arabia were designed to try to pressure President Trump into reducing his administration's pressure campaign against the Iranian regime. "The Ayatollah's attacks, in turn, were enabled by the catastrophic Obama-Iran nu  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following statement following President Trump's announcement naming Robert C. O'Brien his national security advisor: "I'm very pleased to see President Trump has named Robert as his next National Security Advisor. "Robert is exceptionally qualified, having served in several national security and foreign policy posts across multiple Republican administrations, most recently as the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs.   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today appeared on Fox & Friends urging Congress and President Trump to reject Democrats' gun control agenda and instead take up and pass Grassley-Cruz, bipartisan legislation to prevent mass shootings and protect people's lives as well as their constitutional and God-given right to self-defense. Reinforcing the need for legislation that targets criminals, not law-abiding citizens, Se  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today participated in a full committee hearing to consider nominations. There, he questioned Marshall Billingslea, nominee to be Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights at the Department of State. Sen. Cruz emphasized the unhelpful role Britain, France, Germany, and the European Union have been tak  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * - Demands answers from Twitter on their biased censorship of conservatives * * * U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today participated in a hearing focused on Big Tech's accountability for "Mass Violence, Extremism, and Digital Responsibility," featuring witnesses from Facebook, Twitter, and Google. At the hearing, Sen. Cruz asked Twitt  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Democrats continued their crusade this weekend against the Supreme Court, relying on a now-discredited New York Times article to slander Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's character and invent a reason for his impeachment. This latest attempt to undermine the our judicial system follows an amicus brief filed by Senate Democrats last month that threatened the Supreme Court with restructuring if it does not re  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, will convene a hearing titled, "Improving Air Traffic Control for the American People: Examining the Current System," at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 24, 2019. The hearing will examine the current state of the United States' air traffic control (ATC)   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee issued the following hearing information: Countering Domestic Terrorism: Examining the Evolving Threat at 342 Senate Dirksen Building at 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 25: Witnesses * William Braniff, Director, National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism and Professor of the Practice, University of Maryland * Clinton Watts, Distinguished Research Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following statements after President Trump announced his intention to nominate T. Michael O'Connor as U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Texas: Cornyn said: "Sheriff O'Connor's successful law enforcement career in Victoria County has prepared him well to serve as a U.S. Marshal. "I commend the Trump Administration for nominating a service-oriented Texan and will work to ensure his swift confirmation b  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following statements after President Trump announced his intention to nominate T. Michael O'Connor as U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Texas: "T. Michael O'Connor has served the people of Victoria County with distinction and professionalism for 14 years, and I urge his swift confirmation," Sen. Cruz said. "I'm grateful President Trump has nominated him to be the U.S. Marshal for the Southern District,  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) this week sent a bipartisan letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney expressing strong opposition to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) proposed rulemaking for their use of reservoir projects for domestic, municipal, and industrial water supply. They were joined by Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), James Risch (R-Idaho), S  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chair of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee and House Budget Committee Member, joined Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Ranking Member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) to introduce the Stop the Wait Act. After waiting months to qualify for coverage through Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), indiv  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- The U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of two individuals for positions in the Trump Administration on Sept. 17: John Rakolta, Jr., of Michigan, to be Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. Kenneth A. Howery, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden.  more