WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- 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) and U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Continuing of Useful Resources to States (COURTS) Act to reauthorize the State Court Improvement Program (CIP), which provides formula grants to state courts to help them improve their handling of child welfare cases. The  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The House Science, Space and Technology Committee issued the following statement by Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, at a hearing entitled "Understanding, Forecasting, and Communicating Extreme Weather in a Changing Climate": "Good morning and welcome to today's hearing on extreme weather. This is a topic that I think is universally relevant, as many of my colleagues and our constituents have dealt with extreme weather events recently. "In fact, NOAA's Nationa  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman, Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following statement on the passage of the Homeland Security Improvement Act (H.R. 2203), which was authored by Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas: "I would like to thank Congresswoman Veronica Escobar for her leadership and work to increase oversight and accountability of the Department of Homeland Security. "For years, we've witnessed the Trump Administration drive this department to the brink,  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman, Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following statement in response to the State Department's report to Congress lowering the refugee admissions for 2020 to 18,000: "In the last months, we have heard troubling reports of the Trump Administration's plans to lower the refugee cap to unprecedentedly low levels. "Today, that reprehensible and cruel policy change became a reality. "This 18,000 cap will decide the fate of hundreds   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman, Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following statement in response to a ruling by Judge Dolly Gee to reject the Trump administration's efforts to strip protections guaranteed to immigrant children under the Flores settlement agreement: "I am pleased that our justice system has stopped the Trump Administration plans to indefinitely detain families in prison-like conditions. "This victory gives us hope and is a reminder to us a  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 -- The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman, Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, issued the following statement on the two year anniversary of Hurricane Maria striking Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands: "For the last two years, many families in Puerto Rico have been living without roofs over their heads, access to clean water, roads in their communities, and the basic health infrastructure to keep them healthy. "Children waited months for electricity to be restored to their   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- The Congressional Western Caucus issued the following news release: This week, Members of the Western Caucus and stakeholders held a roundtable discussion and unveiled a draft legislative package currently comprised of 19 bills to modernize the Endangered Species Act. The following are excerpts from yesterday's event: Western Caucus Chairman Paul Gosar (AZ-04): "Our ESA roundtable with real people impacted by ESA listings was a huge success! Participants with a seat at  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, yesterday introduced the Continuing of Useful Resources to States (COURTS) Act to reauthorize the State Court Improvement Program (CIP), which provides formula grants to state courts to help them improve their handling of child welfare cases. The bill reauthorizes CIP for five years. "We must do   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) today introduced the Continuing of Useful Resources to States (COURTS) Act to reauthorize the State Court Improvement Program (CIP), which provides formula grants to state courts to help them improve their handling of child welfare cases. The bill reauthorizes CIP for five years and was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Kevin Brady (  more

NEW YORK, Sept. 27 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today appeared in studio on Fox News' 'America's Newsroom' where he urged congressional Democrats to get over their anger at the American people for electing President Trump and do their jobs. When asked about the impeachment inquiry, Sen. Cruz said congressional Democrats are only interested in attacking President Trump: "At the end of the day, congressional Democrats are angry. They  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on the National Nuclear Security Administration's use of support service contracts. The report (GAO-19-608) is titled "Support Service Contracts: NNSA Could Better Manage Potential Risks of Contractors Performing Inherently Governmental Functions". 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  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Florida, issued the following news release: On Wednesday, the U.S. House Science, Space and Technology Committee unanimously passed a bill by Reps. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) to improve STEM participation and opportunities for students at minority-serving institutions. H.R. 4372, the MSI STEM Achievement Act, would increase capacity for students in STEM curricula, encourage partnerships with industry and federal labo  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- The House Judiciary Committee issued the following testimony by Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas, at a member day hearing: "Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to discuss priorities and issues of importance to the constituents I represent in the fourteenth district of Texas. I sincerely hope my testimony will resonate with each of you sitting here today. "On November 5, 2017, a gunman opened fired on a group of churchgoers at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, T  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The House Judiciary Committee issued the following hearing information: Protecting America from assault weapons at 2141 Rayburn House Office Building at 10 a.m. on Sept. 25: Witnesses * Nan Whaley, Mayor, Dayton, OH * Alejandro Rios-Tovar, Resident Physician, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso * RaShall Brackney, Chief of Police, Charlottesville Police Department * Kristen Rand, Legislative Director, Violence Policy Center * Amy Swearer, Senior Le  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Van Taylor, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, bipartisan legislation introduced by United States Congressman Van Taylor (TX-03) to provide more certainty to parents traveling with baby supplies such as breast milk and formula was passed by the United States House of Representatives. Earlier this year, after hearing from constituents at his Coffee with your Congressman Event, Congressman Van Taylor introduced H.R. 3246, the Traveling Parents Screeni  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- The House Science, Space and Technology Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 116-202) on legislation (H.R. 335) to require the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia to develop a plan for reducing, mitigating, and controlling harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in South Florida. The report was advanced by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, on Sept. 11. Excerpts of the report follow: II. Purpose of the Bill H.R. 335, sponsored by Rep. Mast, amends the H  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release: Today, Republican Members of the House Ways and Means Committee released the following statement stating their commitment to protect Americans by putting an end to surprise medical bills: "We are confident Congress can work together to ban surprise medical bills. House Ways and Means Republicans have developed these priorities: "Ban Surprise M  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Sen. James M. Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, issued the following news release: Today, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), joined Sen. Braun (R-Ind.), Sen. Young (R-Ind.), Sen. Daines (R-Mont.), Sen. Cornyn (R-Texas), Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to introduce a bill to enforce guidelines for the dignified handling of abo  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Pensions and Labor Committee, authored an op-ed in Modern Healthcare on the Republican sabotage of the American health care system and the potentially devastating consequences of the Texas v. United States lawsuit if it prevails. Last year, 18 Republican state attorneys general, led by Texas, sued the federal gove  more

HARTFORD, Connecticut, Sept. 27 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: With the Affordable Care Act under attack by the Trump administration's continued sabotage efforts, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, on Friday held a press conference with health care professionals, community advocates and people with pre-existing conditions to talk about what's at stake for the over  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the release of the whistleblower complaint against President Trump to public: "I take my oath of office very seriously, and with it the responsibility to defend the Constitution and to preserve our democratic institutions. "The House and Senate voted in a strong bipartisan way this week to urge the Administration to release the whistleblower complaint and I am   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on a whistleblower complaint involving President Trump that was being withheld from Congress: "I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and to uphold our nation's laws. A whistleblower within the Intelligence Community has alleged that a gross abuse of power has occurred involving the use of American foreign policy against a domes  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) congratulated the Trump Administration on reaching a trade agreement with Japan that will deliver a major victory to farmers and ranchers in West Texas and across the United States. Specifically, the agreement provides increased market access for American agriculture producers by significantly reducing or completely eliminating tariffs on $7.2 billion worth of U.S  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following opening statement at the Subcommittee on Oversight hearing on the public health consequences and costs of gun violence: "This is a critically important topic. The rising costs of health care remain a top concern of workers and families across the country. "And keeping our places of worship, our schools, and our communities safe from violence is something we a  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, issued the following statement after Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, announced an impeachment inquiry of President Trump: "Democrats have a simple message for the American people: You don't matter. "Our hatred for the President crushes your desire for Congress to work together to solve real problems. "Congressman Al Green of Houston sadly spilled the truth when he said, 'I'm concerned if we don't impeach this president, he will get re-el  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following statement after the U.S. and Japan announced that the two countries have reached an agreement on a trade deal: "This announcement is great news and I applaud President Trump and his team for their diligent work as the Administration further opens the Asia-Pacific market for U.S. farmers and ranchers and removes barriers to digital trade. "I look forward to in  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, issued the following news release: The top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee Kevin Brady (R-TX) and U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Continuing of Useful Resources to States (COURTS) Act to reauthorize the State Court Improvement Program (CIP), which provides formula grants to state courts to help them improve their handling of child welfare cases. The bill reauthorizes CIP for five years. "Children who have faced   more

ORANGE, Texas, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36) has relocated his Southeastern district office from the Port of Orange to the new Orange City Hall located at 812 N. 16th Street, Orange, Texas to better serve constituents in the region. The new office, located in downtown Orange, has better accessibility from Interstate 10 and will provide additional parking to accommodate constituents. "One of the great privileges   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, chair of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Health, issued the following opening remarks at a hearing on drug pricing: "Thank you, Madame Chair. We are convened here today to discuss the important topic of drug pricing. Every one of us has heard passionate, personal stories from our constituents about the ever-increasing cost of prescription drugs. I am committed to addressing this issue and lowering out-of-pocket costs for patie  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, vice chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on impeachment against President Trump: "The House of Representatives cannot sit on their hands over this abuse of power any longer. We cannot allow this President to intimidate any foreign president into opening an investigation to dig up dirt on his political rival. "The Speaker has put down the gauntlet, and if the DNI does not hand over the whistleblowe  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, 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, issued the following statement after the House voted to pass the second re-introduction of a resolution to terminate President Trump's emergency declaration at the U.S.-Mexico border: "Today, my colleagues in the House of Representatives voted to once again terminate th  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement after President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a trade agreement increasing market access for U.S. agricultural producers in Japan: "Today's deal announced by President Trump and Prime Minister Abe substantially improves U.S. access to Japan's agricultural markets. "I commend President Trump and the U.S. Trade Representat  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, issued the following statement in response to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's announcement that the House will launch a formal impeach inquiry into President Trump: "The Democrats' true intentions have always been impeaching the President. It's been a core piece of their agenda since 2016 and today they were finally honest about it. "Opening an impeachment inquiry without having all the information is irresponsible. It's the result of a political part  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Representative Dan Crenshaw will host a Human Trafficking Symposium in Houston on October 8, 2019, from 3:00 - 5:00pm at the Junior League of Houston. The symposium will educate attendees on how to identify and prevent human trafficking as well as how to help victims of human trafficking. Speakers include members of the Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, the Department of  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, issued the following statement after reports on the declassified whistleblower complaint and the memorandum of the telephone conversation with President Trump and Ukraine President Volodymr Zelensky: "Let me be clear, I am concerned about the current allegations against the President of the United States. "I agree with Speaker Pelosi that the respective committees in Congress must continue their investigations to see if these allegations are  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, issued the following statement: Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), who has long supported an impeachment investigation, released the following statement on the heightened urgency of beginning impeachment hearings: "Like his Republican accomplices, who have enabled President Trump to trample our democracy, further Democratic delay would only embolden Trump in continuing to believe that he can get away with most anything. "We sh  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, issued the following statement after the House passed the Homeland Security Improvement Act (H.R. 2203): H.R. 2203, the Homeland Security Improvement Act, introduced by Congresswoman Escobar, is a critical bill to address our nation's immigration challenges at the southwest border in a responsible and humane manner by ensuring accountability, transparency, and oversight: "El Paso, our nation's modern-day Ellis Island, has been the epicent  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas, issued the following statement on the impeachment against President Trump: "Over the past few days, we have learned that the President of the United States used the powers of the presidency to request a foreign government to investigate a potential political opponent, while withholding taxpayer-funded aid. "At the same time, we have learned that, during this period, a whistleblower filed a credible complaint of urgent concern related to ou  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas, issued the following statement on the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate detailing the effects of climate change on the world's oceans and ice: "The health of Earth's oceans and ice is vital to the existence of plant and animal species, the infrastructure along our coasts, and humankind. "The IPCC report laid out critical data showing warming, acidif  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, issued the following speech, which was published in the Congressional Record on Sept. 20, honoring Tunisia President Mohamed Beji Caid Essebsi: I rise today to honor Mohamed Beji Caid Essebsi, the first democratically elected president of Tunisia, who passed away on July 25, 2019. President Caid Essebsi was born November 29, 1926, in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia. In 1950 he went to study law in Paris, France, and when he returned, he joined the inde  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, issued the following statement regarding Speaker Nancy Pelosi's announcement of a formal impeachment inquiry: "Speaker Pelosi's latest impeachment action is yet another step in the House Democrats' obsession with taking down a lawfully elected president. They have been using every opportunity to find any justification possible to impeach the president since the day President Trump was elected. "Their circus continued today by launching an impe  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 -- Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, issued the following statement regarding Speaker Nancy Pelosi's proposal on drug pricing and the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act (H.R. 1423): Congressman Flores also paid a special tribute to four exceptional residents of the 17th Congressional District on the House floor. Pelosi said: "Addressing prescription drug prices can and should be done in a bipartisan manner, particularly under divided government. We have proven, real-world s  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, issued the following statements regarding the Homeland Security Improvement Act (H.R. 2203), U.S. Border Patrol Medical Screening Standards Act (H.R. 3525) and the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Health hearing on the prescription drug plan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California: H.R. 2203 and H.R. 3525 "This week, the House considered two partisan political messaging bills as House Democrats double down on their open border age  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, issued the following statement in support of an impeachment inquiry: "I am deeply disturbed by the documents disclosed by the White House today. The documents detail the President of the United States seeking political and personal gain through an investigation by foreign powers. "The context in which these statements were made is as telling as the statements themselves. The law is clear: the Acting Director of National Intelligence must  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressman Lance Gooden (R-TX) introduced a resolution to end the rogue witch-hunt taking place against President Donald Trump in the House Judiciary Committee. The resolution would formally recognize the illegality of impeachment proceedings overseen by Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and remove him as chair of the committee. The Judiciary Committee must receive authorization to begin impeachment pr  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, issued the following statement: On Monday, September 23, 2019, Congressman Al Green attended By the People's Mock Impeachment Hearing, "The People vs. Donald Trump." At the event, he made the following statement: "Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to By the People for focusing our attention on the impeachable atrocities committed by President Trump. Not only should he be impeached, he should have been impeached some time ago. "And while the P  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Sept. 21 -- Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, issued the following statement announcing his intended absence from the 'Howdy Modi' event: "I love my country. I salute the flag and pledge allegiance to justice for all. I believe that no one is above the law. This is why I will continue with the impeachment of President Trump. "This is also why, although I will work with this administration on meaningful legislation and substantive issues, I will not foster the false impr  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, issued the following statement in response to the announcement of an impeachment inquiry against President Trump: "On behalf of people of goodwill, I thank the First 58 who voted to move articles of impeachment on December 6, 2017, the Historic 66 who voted to move articles of impeachment on January 19, 2018, and the Noble 95 who voted to move articles of impeachment on July  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Joshua Harder, D-California, issued the following news release: * * * - California Medical Association Estimates Bill Could Attract and Retain 10,000 Doctors over Ten Years * * * Representatives Josh Harder (CA-10), Paul Cook (CA-08), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), and Karen Bass (CA-37) today introduced the bipartisan Stopping Doctor Shortages Act, to close a loophole in federal regulations that prevents doctors in California and Texas from qualif  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, issued the following speech, which was published in the Congressional Record on Sept. 24, recognizing the 50th anniversary of the El Paso Community College: I rise today in recognition of the 50-year anniversary of the El Paso Community College in El Paso, Texas. Since opening in 1969, El Paso Community College has provided students with quality and affordable education. With 28 students graduating in 1971, the ELCC has since graduated over 80,0  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The House Science, Space and Technology subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight issued the following statement by full committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, at a hearing entitled "Online Imposters and Disinformation": "I'm glad we're holding this hearing today. It's worth acknowledging just how deeply the phenomenon of online disinformation affects most of our lives these days. As long as there's been news, there's been fake news. But the American peo  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, issued the following statement on the impeachment proceedings against President Trump: Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) today released the following statement: "I am undoubtedly troubled by the recent reports of the President's conversation with a foreign leader, in which he requested damaging information on a fellow American for personal political gain, in light of the withholding of congressionally-approved military aid.   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, issued the following statement: Earlier today, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. This is the third special report to be released out of the IPCC's Sixth Assessment and is the first report to focus exclusively on the impacts of climate change on the world's oceans  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, issued the following speech, which was published in the Congressional Record on Sept. 25, on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: In July, the Trump administration published a proposed change to the broad-based categorical eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This change is a bad idea and would severely hurt working families and children in my district and across this country. North Texas has a maj  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, issued the following speech, which was published in the Congressional Record on Sept. 20, paying tribute to the life and legacy of Emily England Clyburn: I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to the life and legacy of a transformative leader and my personal friend, Dr. Emily England Clyburn. A native South Carolinian, Dr. Clyburn graduated from Berkeley Training High School in Moncks Corner before attending South Carolina State U  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- 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 Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson's (D-TX) legislation H.R. 2528, the "STEM Opportunities Act" under suspension of the rules. This bill addresses the underrepresentation of women and racial and ethnic minority groups in research careers at institutions of higher education and at Fe  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * - Entire Texas Democratic Delegation Send Letter Asking Texas Secretary of State What Texas is Doing to Address Vulnerabilities in Election Infrastructure * * * On the heels of National Voter Registration Day, Congressman Veasey today led a letter with the entire Texas Democratic Delegation in demanding information about the state of Texas' efforts to address any vulnerabilities in the state's electio  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after the Trump administration determined the Assad regime carried out a chemical weapons attack on May 19, 2019: "I am disturbed, but sadly not surprised, that the Assad regime has once again violated international law by using chemical weapons. "Assad's barbarism has no limits. "It is vital that nations do not normalize their relationships wi  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration's announcement restricting entry into the U.S. for senior Iranian government officials and their families: "The Iranian regime is responsible for taking hundreds of American lives, holding our citizens hostage, enabling terrorism around the world, assassinations in Europe, and attacking our allies. "The Ir  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, announced the Democrats' intention to impeach President Trump over details of a phone call with the Ukrainian President: "The most serious matter the House can consider is Articles of Impeachment against the President. "Unfortunately, House Democrats are moving forward to impeach President Trump ba  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Pete Olson, R-Texas, issued the following statement in response to news that the Trump administration determined the Assad regime in Syria carried out a chemical weapons attack on May 19: "Time and again, Bashar al-Assad has shown himself to be a brutal dictator who looks to rule by fear, attacking his own people in ways that are not only barbaric, but also flagrant violations of human rights laws. "I stand with Secretary Pompeo and the Trump Administration's commi  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Pete Olson, R-Texas, issued the following statement in response to the announcement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that she supports initiating an impeachment inquiry against President Trump regarding a phone conversation he had with the President of Ukraine: "In their tireless zeal to reverse the outcome of the 2016 election, Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats have renewed their chorus of calls to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Trump. "With their   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, issued the following statement on the release of the declassified, unredacted transcript of President Trump's telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from July 25: "The special counsel wrongfully flipped the legal burden of proof to require President Trump to conclusively determine his innocence. Now Democrats have done the same thing to our national security. The transcript conclusively determines, despite Democra  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Tropical storm Imelda wreaked havoc on Houston and greater Harris County after dumping as much as 43 inches of rain in 72 hours in parts of Harris County. So far, five people have been reported dead, and several others injured as a result of the storm. Imelda also caused significant damage to hundreds of buildings and homes, county infrastructure, and the largest USPS Processing and Distribution Center (  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following news release: An approaching deadline of October 1 will help signal whether the Department of Defense is serious about reducing inefficiency in defense agencies known as the Fourth Estate. Reforms mandated by Congress in the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act require DOD to achieve 25% savings from civilian management, logistics management, services co  more

PLANO, Texas, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Van Taylor, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, United States Congressman Van Taylor (TX-03) announced participants in his 2019 - 2020 Congressional Youth Advisory Council program. Each year, the Congressional Youth Advisory Council (CYAC) offers students a unique opportunity to learn about the federal government, discuss public policy and local Collin County issues, and interact with their federal representative and congressional staff while servi  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Van Taylor, R-Texas, issued the following news release: This week, U.S. Congressman Van Taylor (TX-03) recognized Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital-Plano on the Floor of the House of Representatives for being named the Physician Hospital of the Year by Physician Hospitals of America. Congressman Taylor said, "Located in my hometown of Plano, Texas, The Heart Hospital ranks as one of the top performing cardiac surgical programs in the entire country and provid  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, issued the following statement regarding the impeachment investigation in the House: "I am extremely troubled by the news that President Donald Trump admitted that he openly welcomed help from a foreign leader to get damaging information on a political opponent. "The President's recent action is only one part of a greater pattern of reckless and lawless behavior that undercuts our national and electoral security and will damage our Democracy f  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Filemon Vela (D-TX) announced that the Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas will receive $1,645,000 in funds from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for rehabilitation and construction projects. These federal funds will be used to replace Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting safety proximity suits to maintain required safety requirements. Funds will also allow support rehab  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Filemon Vela (D-TX) announced that the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) and the City of Brownsville will receive $900,000 in funds from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for infrastructure renovations to the Casa del Nylon Building. These federal funds will be used to create the eBridge: Center for Business and Commercialization in a designated Opportunity Z  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, as part of Suicide Prevention Month, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released a public service announcement (PSA) spreading awareness about the important topic of veteran suicide prevention and encouraging El Pasoans to Be There for veterans. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PSA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aqFj-9Mfx0&feature=youtu.be) The PSA is available for download to interested television  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas, issued the following statement on Speaker Nancy Pelosi launching an impeachment inquiry into President Trump: "Speaker Pelosi's impeachment inquiry announcement is just another attempt by Democrats to delegitimize the President in an attempt to overturn the will of the people as stated in the 2016 election. "Instead of fighting this Administration at every turn, Democrats should remember what the American people sent us here to do - come toget  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressmen Henry Cuellar (TX-28) and Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), as well as the San Diego Congressional Delegation secured the passage of H.R. 132, the North American Development Bank Improvement and Pollution Solution Act of 2019, in U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. The bill provides an authorization to double the bank's recapitalization, so that the Bank can support more projects   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Reps. Eliot Engel, D-New York, and Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following joint statement on the ongoing protests in Egypt and reports of arbitrary detention of protestors and journalists: "The United States places the highest value on freedom of expression and freedom of the press. "We recognize and affirm that Egyptians have the right to protest peacefully and to exercise that right without fe  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-New York, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following joint statement with Ranking Member Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, on protests in Egypt and reports of detention of protestors and journalists: "The United States places the highest value on freedom of expression and freedom of the press. "We recognize and affirm that Egyptians have the right to protest peacefully and to exercise that right without fear of retribution. "  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, Congressmen Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) and Filemon Vela (TX-34) announced that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded $850,000 in federal funding to construct two new hangars and extend the runway at the Weslaco Mid-Valley Airport. As part of the expansion, the airport will add aviation capacity and aim to make the Lower Rio Grande Valley more resilient and marketable to expanding  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) introduced bipartisan legislation cracking down on deceptive advertising practices in the short-term lodging industry. H.R. 4489, the Hotel Advertising Transparency Act of 2019, would ensure that consumers are shown the full pre-tax price of a hotel room while searching and comparing lodging options for their ne  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following joint statement with Chairman Eliot L. Engel, D-New York, on protests in Egypt and reports of detention of protestors and journalists: "The United States places the highest value on freedom of expression and freedom of the press. "We recognize and affirm that Egyptians have the right to protest peacefully and to exercise that right without fear of retribu  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nevada, issued the following news release: U.S. Reps. Susie Lee (Nev.-03) and Katie Porter (Calif.-45) sent a letter, dated Sept. 26, to House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (N.Y.-17), Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (Ala.), House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Kay Granger (Texas-12), and Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (Vt.) requesting support for increased investment in Gradu  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, Congressmen Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) and Filemon Vela (TX-34) announced that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded $850,000 in federal funding to construct two new hangars and extend the runway at the Weslaco Mid-Valley Airport. As part of the expansion, the airport will add aviation capacity and aim to make the Lower Rio Grande Valley more resilient and marketable to expanding bus  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Sept. 24, honoring India Prime Minister Narendra Modi: On Sunday I had the great honor of joining President Trump in welcoming Prime Minister Modi to the Lone Star State in an event that was appropriately named "Howdy, Modi." When his trip was announced, people on the west coast and the east coast wondered, "Why Texas?" They thought, maybe, he would go to Silico  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following excerpts of his floor remarks on the Hispanic Heritage Month: "September the 15th through October the 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month, and a time to especially celebrate the traditions and contributions of tens of millions of Hispanic and Latino Americans across our country. Texas is home to more than 11 million Hispanic Americans, some who've lived here for generations and others who've contributed to the recent rapid grow  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following excerpts of his floor remarks about the historic visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Houston: "On Sunday, I had the great honor of joining President Trump in welcoming Prime Minister Modi to the Lone Star State in an event that was appropriately named 'Howdy Modi.'" "Houston is the energy capital of the world and it's providing literal fuel for our growing relationship with the nation of India... India needs ac  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following excerpts of his floor remarks regarding House Democrats' decision to begin impeachment proceedings: "House Democrats began this process of impeaching the President based on a so-called whistleblower complaint that they hadn't even read, which detailed a call that they hadn't seen a transcript of." "This is a continuation of the election in 2016 where our Democratic friends can't believe that Hillary Clinton lost the electi  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following excerpts of his floor remarks on Tropical Storm Imelda's devastation on southeast Texas: "Tropical Storm Imelda made landfall in Southeast Texas last week and dropped a massive amount of rain all across the region." "Imelda was the fifth wettest tropical cyclone in the continental United States, with some areas receiving more than three and a half feet of rain in a very short period of time. But as we've learned before, t  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) was an honored guest at the Texas India Forum's "Howdy Modi" event in Texas this weekend, where he met with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss his priorities and spent time with President Trump and other elected officials. The Prime Minister offered his appreciation for the Senator's attendance and his commitment towards strong ties between the two co  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * - Congratulates Upcoming Retirement and 26 Years of Service in the Senate * * * U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today delivered remarks on the Senate floor honoring Shea Woodard Hall for her 26 years of service in the U.S. Senate and to congratulate her on her upcoming retirement. Shea has been a member of Sen. Cruz's staff for seven years, serving as the West Texas Regional Director for Sen. Cruz, and will  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following statement on congressional Democrats' calls for impeachment: "Since the day President Trump was elected, congressional Democrats have been working to find any reason under the sun to impeach the president and undo the results of the last election. First, it was Mueller, then the Mueller report found no collusion. Now it's Ukraine. Next month, it will be something else. "Despite the wild speculations from the media, career int  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following statement: * * * - Calls grow for use of the U.N. snapback mechanism, including new WSJ editorial and analysis by top national security experts * * * This week ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, Britain, France, and Germany released a statement blaming Iran for the recent attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. The acknowledgment came despite a campaign of denial aimed at preserving the catastrophic Obama-Iran   more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after Britain, France and Germany said that Iran was responsible for the attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia: "This announcement by our European partners confirms what those of us who had directly seen the evidence always knew: Iran committed an act of war aimed at harming our economy and thwarting President Trump's maximum pressure campaign against its regime.  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in response to reports that Kiribati is switching recognition from Taiwan in favor of China: "Kiribati's decision to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China should deeply trouble every country in the Pacific, as another example of how the Chinese Communist Party is systematically using its economic and military coercion to advance its agenda at the expen  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following statement applauding the trade agreement by the U.S. and Japan: "This is good news for hardworking farmers and ranchers in Texas and across the country who will be able to sell their homegrown products to even more consumers around the world. "The U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement is another important step in growing our agriculture industry and the U.S. economy, and will help strengthen economic and diplomatic ties to an important  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on the nomination of Lawrence VanDyke to the Ninth Circuit: "I am very pleased President Trump has nominated Lawrence VanDyke to the Ninth Circuit. "He has rightfully earned a reputation as a principled constitutionalist who will remain faithful to the law, a welcome change to the Ninth Circuit, which has traditionally sought to undermine the Constitution in its efforts t  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: As leaders from around the world attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) this week, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on President Trump and his administration to apply maximum pressure to Iran by invoking the snapback provision in U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231. As Sen. Cruz wrote in his op-ed in The New York Post: "Without action, UNSCR 223  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Sept. 22 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today joined local leaders, members of Congress, and President Donald Trump in welcoming Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Texas - home to one of the fastest growing Indian-American communities in the U.S. with a population of more than 500,000 - to honor the relationship between the U.S. and India - the two largest democracies in the world. At the historic event today, "How  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * - Delivers introductory remarks as chairman of hearing to examine modernizing the Air Traffic Control System * * * U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, today is chairing a hearing on "Improving Air Traffic Control for the American People: Examining the Current System." Today's hearing is the first in a series of hearings Sen. Cruz will be chairing to examine t  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: * * * - JSC set to manage spacecraft production for Orion program * * * U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today applauded NASA's announcement that Lockheed Martin has been awarded the Orion Production and Operations Contract (OPOC), for which NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, will be responsible for overseeing. Spacecraft production for the Orion program will focus on reusability and building a sustainable pr  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: This week is National Clean Energy Week, an opportunity to recognize the vital role abundant natural gas has played in creating good-paying jobs, boosting our economy, and providing cleaner, more affordable, and more reliable energy that powers communities here and around the world. Under President Trump's leadership, Texas has become the leading natural gas producer and the United States has become a net export  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee issued the following testimony by Robert Chesney, director of the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas Law School, at a hearing entitled "Countering Domestic Terrorism: Examining the Evolving Threat": "Domestic terrorism is not a new phenomenon. In various guises, it has been with us throughout our history. At certain times it has loomed especially large. Rac  more

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee on Aviation and Space issued the following testimony by Mark Baker, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, at a hearing entitled "Improving Air Traffic Control for the American People: Examining the Current System": "Thank you for the opportunity to provide the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's (AOPA) perspectives on the United States National Air Traffic Control system. AOPA represents  more