WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) voted to advance the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) out of the House Ways and Means Committee to the full House of Representatives for passage this week. Before the full Committee vote, Congressman Arrington spoke about the impact of the new agreement on establishing more fair and free trade deals for the United States with our partners around the globe: "I   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on Veterans Affairs health care. The report (GAO-20-83) is titled "Opportunities Exist for VA to Better Identify and Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities". The report was sent to Sen. John Boozman, R-Arkansas, chairman, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, ranking member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Florida, chair  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on tax administration. The report (GAO-20-71) is titled "Taxpayer Input Could Strengthen IRS's Online Services". The report was sent to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee on Dec. 19, 2019. Here are excerpts of summaries associated with the report. What GAO Found: "The Internal Revenue Service's   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, issued the following statement: Today, Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, joining colleagues from both parties in opposing the Articles of Impeachment against President Donald J. Trump. "Today, many of my Democrat colleagues will be making history, unfortunately, for supporting the first-ever, completely partisan impeachment of a President of the United States," said Arrington. "Mr  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, issued the following statement after the House voted in favor of ratifying the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to modernize free trade in North America: "I want to thank the ranking member, my dear friend Kevin Brady for his leadership on this very important trade deal that strengthens our largest and most important relationship of all of our trading relationships. I also want to thank our chairman, Richard Neal, for keeping this deal on track  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) announced the winners of the 2019 Congressional App Challenge: Parkland Middle School students D'Andre Ramirez and Daniel Avalos, who won with the submission of LunchWeek. "Congratulations to D'Andre and Daniel from Parkland Middle School. Their winning app to pre-order school meals with just a few taps allows students to get their lunch quicker and helps schools wit  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, issued the following statement regarding the news that the Commerce Foreign-Trade Zones Board has approved an application from Lufkin, Texas to establish a foreign-trade zone: "Despite some of the toxicity in Washington, D.C., this is a great day for the First District of Texas, the City of Lufkin, and the future of east Texas. We are grateful to our friend, Secretary Wilbur Ross, for his personal interest in getting this done. There were some  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 -- Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, issued the following e-newsletter: Dear Friends, Getting a driver's license is an exciting time for the teenage driver. Statistics show it may also lead to some very grown up life lessons. Texas teens are involved in more than 200,000 accidents every year and younger drivers are also more likely to be cited for poor driving. Thanks to a program I recently learned about, teens can now turn a traffic ticket into an opportunity to give back to ou  more

DALLAS, Texas, Dec. 24 -- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Johnson announced that the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has awarded a grant totaling $1,397,132 to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Clinic. "I am proud to announce that the Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Clinic has received this critical funding that will continue to help support thousands of Dallas-Fort Worth families with various health services and programs,"  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, issued the following statement: Congressman Michael McCaul (TX-10), Lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, made the following statement after the passage of the bipartisan 2020 Appropriations Package, which included increased funding to defeat childhood cancer, funding to improve community safety and the repeal of taxes that will help lower health care costs. In addition, multiple Foreign Affairs priorities such as the Glo  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Rep. Pete Olson, R-Texas, issued the following statement: Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22) rallied support within the local community to invite Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan to the ribbon-cutting for the new Fort Bend ISD elementary school named in her honor. An impressive 24 elected officials signed the letter in support of Olson's initiative, demonstrating strong support for her presence at the opening. "Malala is an inspiration to students and young   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following statement in advance of Christmas Day: "Christmas is a joyous and hopeful season, where we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and the promise of his salvation. The Prince of Peace, born in Bethlehem, came so that we may know Him and his enduring love, joy, and redemption. "As we read in 1 John: 'This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.' "Heidi and   more

HOUSTON, Texas, Dec. 22 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following statement on the start of Hanukkah: "This evening, the Jewish people will gather together to celebrate the Festival of Lights. This holiday is a time to remember and celebrate the heroic revolt and triumph of the Maccabees, who liberated the historic land of Judea, rededicated the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and restored the right to worship freely. "During this time, we are grateful for our close ally Israel, who stands   more