Saturday night, during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, there was an attempted shooting in the vicinity, including shots fired, prompting an immediate and coordinated response from the U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement. One law enforcement officer was injured in the incident. We are grateful for the swift and courageous action that brought the situation under control and protected those in the area.
Governor Greg Abbott announced that a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF) grant of $4,830,000 has been extended to Avant Technology, Inc. for an expansion of their manufacturing facility in Pharr. The facility is expected to create 250 jobs and represents more than $20 million in capital investment. Headquartered in Pflugerville, Avant Technology specializes in the design and advanced manufacturing of semiconductor assemblies known as solid-state drives (SSDs) and memory modules.
Representative Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, and I took the stage to discuss how we work across the aisle to get good things done for the American people — from border security to counternarcotics efforts. Just this year, we led a group of congress members on a trip to Mexico, where we secured an agreement from the Mexican Senate to allow U.S. Marines to enter Mexico and conduct a joint training exercise with the Mexican Navy and Marines that would help interdict illegal fentanyl shipments long before they reach the United States.
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) joins in celebrating National Apprenticeship Week from April 26 to May 2. The nationwide event highlights the significant growth of apprenticeship programs over recent years and showcases how they are developing a highly skilled workforce to strengthen our economy. Governor Greg Abbott proclaimed this week Apprenticeship Week in Texas, emphasizing the importance of apprenticeship programs for economic growth.
The Commonwealth initially resisted the genius of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The republican gentry were not keen on swapping a tyrannical king for a tyrannical federal government. Virginia became the main battleground for the American Civil War. Virginia served as a major heartbeat for the United States of America, since many of the politicians serving in Congress have their second homes in the Old Dominion.
"Every community in Texas deserves a health system that works as hard as them," said Governor Greg Abbott earlier today, announcing that the Texas Health & Human Services Commission (HHSC) is making $60 million in initial federal funding available to Rural Hospital Districts to create or improve community-based prevention, wellness, and nutrition programs. Its part of the Rural Texas Strong plan, the “Make Rural Texans Healthy Again” initiative supporting Rural Hospital Districts.
Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are a cornerstone of that continuum. Across Texas, SNFs provide critical post-acute care that helps patients transition safely from the hospital back to their homes or communities. These facilities deliver intensive medical services, rehabilitation, and ongoing monitoring that reduce complications, prevent unnecessary hospital readmissions, and ultimately lower overall healthcare costs.
The man who spent over two decades at the top of American journalism – first as the editor of the Boston Globe and then as editor of the Washington Post from 2013 to 2021 – now admits the media went easy on Ol' Joe Biden. Baron gave the keynote address to a major journalism ethics conference, and in answering his own question during the speech, dropped a bomb on the media's failure to cover the Biden White House. The Washington Post's slogan? "Democracy Dies In Darkness."
As a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard and a top prosecutor in the State of Georgia, I was thrilled to welcome Congressman Clay Fuller (GA-14) to the House Republican Conference before he was officially sworn in to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives last week. Clay will bring much-needed leadership and grit to Washington. Welcome to the fight Lt. Colonel, and let's get to work!
In our federalist republic, states are often referred to as the “laboratories of democracy.” Policy ideas implemented in an individual state or multiple states can, depending on the results, inform and inspire other states and even our federal government to enact sound policy for the nation. This current state legislative season, the “experiment” in Kansas should be replicated in other laboratories across the nation and in our capital.
Like it or not, we've gotten a little too used to all sorts of legal wrangling and interference in politics. That's on Democrats, of course. They can't beat President Trump in elections, so they're relentless in trying to ruin him personally and thwart his agenda via Lawsuits, Judges & Prosecutors. Nobody wants to live in a permanently litigious society, but sometimes you have to get down in the mud to fight those who're trying to drag us down there. President Trump is teaching Republicans how to fight.
In a meeting with U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler earlier today, Gov. Greg Abbott touted Texas as the best business ecosystem in the nation, being named the Best State for Business for 21 consecutive years, being #1 for Economic Development for 14 years, and being the national leader in Jobs Creation thanks to our business-friendly climate and favorable regulatory environment. All provide the groundwork small businesses & entrepreneurs need to succeed.
More than 42,600 students will receive award notices this week, including all students in the program’s top priority tier — those with qualifying disabilities in households at or below 500 percent of the federal poverty level — and their siblings. This initial round of award notifications were distributed in batches, beginning April 22, and continuing through April 24. Parents may appeal funding determinations within 30 days of receiving their notice.
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham is proud to share the success of the 40th Annual Adopt-A-Beach Spring Cleanup, which took place across the Texas Coast on Saturday. On the 40th Anniversary of this incredible program, 4,659 volunteers cleared 48,952 pounds of trash from beaches stretching from Sea Rim State Park to Boca Chica – and since the first cleanup in 1986, over 600,000 Texas volunteers have collected over 10,000 tons of trash from Texas beaches.
The United States was built on a distrust of concentrated power. It is this fundamental distrust of big government that shaped federalism, defined the separation of powers, and limited each branch to a distinct role. During periods of rapid social change, however, governmental restraint weakens. Reform movements—whether in civil rights, economic regulation, or cultural policy—have not only produced legislation but also expanded judicial authority.
“School choice funds pave the way for Texas to become the #1 State for Education... and will give parents the freedom to choose the best learning environment for their children regardless of income or location," said Gov. Abbott, announcing that the Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) Program will begin notifying students in the program's top priority tier — those with qualifying disabilities in households at or below 500% of the Federal Poverty Level — and their siblings this week.
During a House Energy Committee hearing with Energy Sect. Chris Wright this week, I highlighted the cutting-edge research at Abilene Christian University that represents a next-generation approach to help scale affordable, dispatchable nuclear power – and supports water desalination in drought-prone areas like West Texas. On a negative note, I'm incredibly disappointed 200+ of my Democrat colleagues voted against tax policies that support working American Families.
As we celebrate the Nation's 250th birthday, many speeches will be delivered this year about the Declaration of Independence. However, I think the greatest was just delivered by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on April 15th at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas, Austin. The force of Thomas' words does not just result from his deep understanding of what the United States is about, and how the Declaration of Independence defines it.
