Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker Dustin Burrows today announced the formation of Senate and House Select Committees on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education. These select committees will meet jointly to study and issue reports on bias, discourse, and freedom of speech across Texas college campuses. The State of Texas has a responsibility to ensure its publicly funded institutions foster open dialogue and do not discriminate against students, faculty, or staff based on their beliefs.
I was horrified and deeply saddened to learn about Charlie Kirk's assassination. This kind of sickening political violence has no place in our nation and must be fully condemned by leaders across the political spectrum. I'm extremely grateful the Trump administration worked around the clock to bring the suspect into custody, and I look forward to justice being served in his case. Charlie's death is a horrific loss.
Last week, we were confronted with images almost too horrific to bear. First came the haunting video of a young, defenseless woman’s murder at the hands of a savage career criminal. Then came the shocking murder of Charlie Kirk, gunned down in cold blood, execution style, on an American college campus, targeted for his sincerely held conservative, Christian beliefs.
This week has been one of profound sorrow for our nation. We remember the attacks of September 11, 2001, and we also mourn the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk. Politically motivated violence has no place in America, and terrorism has no place in our world. Such actions can never be justified. I am deeply shocked and horrified by the violence in Utah as well as Colorado this week.
While I can’t say I was good friends with Charlie Kirk, there was very little daylight on policies between him, me and millions upon millions of Americans who mostly want to be lef alone by the vacuous left. But the nature of “progressivism” is to not leave anyone alone – it demands obedience, not only of actions but of thought. We refuse to obey, we refuse to conform, and they killed Charlie for it.
On January 17th, 2025, Joe Biden issued 2,490 commutations – more in a single day than any President had in an entire presidency. The controversial move is being investigated by Members of Congress and the U.S. Dept. of Justice, and in his role as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Federal Courts, Oversight & Agency Actions Subcommittee, Sen. Ted Cruz vowed to provide Attorney General Pam Bondi all the resources necessary.
Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) has introduced legislation to codify and enforce President Trump's Executive Order requiring commonsense rules of the road for American truck drivers. H.R. 5177 – Requires that all weigh stations along interstate highways review the Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDLs) of truckers for irregularities and verify the English language proficiency of truckers.
Charlie Kirk was a man of faith – with a deep love for Family & Country. For now, we mourn, we cry, we support his family and friends, and we take care of the country he loved. Some will call for us all to come together, to be more united – but I don't think that matches the man. He would want us to strongly express our opinions, defend them, and risk sharing our thoughts with conviction and clarity in dialogue.
Gov. Abbott directed all State Government Buildings to lower the United States & Texas flags to half-staff, in accordance with President Trump's proclamation honoring the memory of Charlie Kirk. "Charlie was a close friend. We first met when he was just 18," said Sen. Ted Cruz. Texas is standing with the rest of the nation in mourning & honoring his enduring legacy, and flags can be returned to full-staff at sunset Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025.
Twenty-four years later, the images of brave first responders rushing toward danger, the strength of families who endured unimaginable loss, and the unity of a nation that stood tall in the face of evil remain etched in our minds. In Texas, we honor those who perished and pay tribute to the men and women who have served and sacrificed to keep our country safe in the years since. Their courage and devotion remind us that freedom is never free.
The ripples from Charlie Kirk will go on in our politics and culture for decades. His work helped bring Donald Trump back into the White House. Countless young people got into the movement through Turning Point USA, just like countless folks got their start in this movement through Andrew Breitbart. There’s going to be a Turning Point USA president somewhere down the road, someone who got his start at one of Charlie’s conventions, listening to a podcast, or attending a campus visit.
We should thank God that so many survived that awful September morning terrorist attack. But we must never forget those who perished, including the brave passengers of United 93, who fought their hardest to subdue the terrorists who hijacked their plane to destroy the White House. They died, but America survived. Bush was the right man for the job that day. Many of them conceded that they were glad Bush had won in 2000.
The City of Charlotte's Mayor – Vi Lyles, a Democrat – initially urged “media partners” and others not to repost the shocking video of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska's brutal murder. A Ukrainian-born pizza store worker who was innocently riding a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina when she was attacked and murdered from behind, "Sadly... couldn’t survive the Democrats’ criminal justice system,” said one critic.
Governor Greg Abbott announced today that The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has received federal approval to extend the deadline for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) applications relating to severe flooding that occurred over 4th of July Weekend. Individuals who may be eligible for DUA now have an additional 25 days — until September 29, 2025 — to apply for assistance.
“Democrats abandoned Texas at the behest of financial backers who promised them money for fleeing the state, abdicating their responsibilities. Texas is not for sale, and Beto must face justice for his illegal bribery scheme,” said Attorney General Ken Paxton, securing the extension of restraining orders against Robert Francis O’Rourke and his "Powered by People" organization, preventing distribution of payoffs to Texas Democrats who broke quorum.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is Congress’ annual opportunity to set the direction of our armed forces, and this year it carries more weight than ever. After years of progressive ideological agendas under the Biden administration, the Pentagon has strayed dangerously far from its constitutional mission. If Congress fails to act decisively now, the readiness of the United States military will continue to erode — and with it, our national security.
After four years of the Biden Administration hamstringing American energy, stifling our economy, and ceding national security ground to our adversaries, House Republicans and the Trump White House are getting the country back on track. Last week I joined my Republican colleagues to pass the 2026 Energy & Water Appropriations Act – which secures a decisive victory for Texans, AND for all Americans who want to see this nation prosper,
Last week, President Trump made a historic move to restore strength and clarity to our nation’s military. On Friday, he announced that the Department of Defense will return to its original name: the Department of War. For nearly 200 years, America operated proudly under the banner of the Department of War — an unapologetic reminder that our U.S. Armed Forces exist to win and defend this nation.
