Texas Politics

The Department of Homeland Security is putting a spotlight on a series of ICE arrests across Texas, highlighting individuals the agency says include a suspected terrorist, murder fugitives, convicted child sex offenders, and drug traffickers, while accusing Texas democrats of attacking immigration enforcement.

House Budget Chairman and Representative Jodey Arrington (R-TX) is calling for Congress to balance the federal budget even while home in Texas, warning the growing national deficit will undermine America’s economic strength, national security and global leadership. Rep. Arrington has continued to call on lawmakers on both ends of the aisle to address the nation’s soaring debt, with his latest efforts coming during a House Budget Committee hearing in Dallas, Texas, this week.

Rep. Veronica Escobar (D) is asking the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General to investigate what she and other Texas Democrats describe as sharply increasing wait times for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) applications. Rep. Escobar led the Democratic Texas Delegation in requesting an investigation into SSDI processing times in Texas.

Governor Greg Abbott (R) has directed Texas environmental regulators to halt permits sought by data center projects until ERCOT completes an audit examining their impact on the state's electric grid and water resources. Gov. Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to halt data center permit approvals while the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) completes its audit.

One in six Texas voters is both unaffiliated with a political party and undecided about the November election, according to a new statewide poll that also finds broad voter support for candidates focused on education, affordability, and infrastructure. The Texas 2036 poll, conducted August 22-26 by Baselice & Associates, found that 16.7% of voters fall into the organization's "Unaffiliated and Undecided" category.

Sen. Ted Cruz: "Tax-exempt groups should not be able to fund proxy organizations through fiscal sponsorships and then avoid liability when those projects break the law." Rep. Ronny Jackson: "TEXAS TAXPAYERS stepped up when Joe Biden REFUSED to secure our southern border, even though our state should NEVER have been forced to foot the bill for the federal government’s FAILURES.

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D) introduced the Empower Energy Exporting Communities Act, legislation that would establish a trust fund for infrastructure and public services in communities near major oil and gas export ports. The proposed Oil & Gas Community Trust Fund would be financed through 3% of corporate income tax revenues received from oil and gas companies. Gonzalez's office said the measure would not create a new tax, instead directing existing federal revenue toward eligible communities.

Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) secured a settlement requiring Sprouts Farmers Market to stop using ProduceMaxx on produce nationwide, including synthetic antimicrobial treatments on organic produce. Sprouts has agreed to stop spraying ProduceMaxx on all produce, including conventional and non-organic produce, across its stores nationwide. The company will also stop using ProduceMaxx or other synthetic antimicrobial pesticides on organic produce through misting or other treatments.

Representatives Christian Menefee (D), Troy A. Carter (D-LA), LaMonica Mclver (D-NJ), and Raul Ruiz (D-CA) reintroduced legislation creating a National Science Foundation grant program to strengthen research capacity at under-resourced colleges and universities. The Equity in Research Act would establish a dedicated NSF grant program for institutions that have historically faced barriers to accessing federal research resources.

Representative Chip Roy (R) highlighted the Department of Homeland Security's confirmation of a $7.5 billion reimbursement to Texas for border security costs, saying the funding follows efforts by Texas lawmakers to secure federal compensation. "When the Biden-Harris Administration unleashed the worst border crisis in recent history, the state of Texas stepped up to fulfill what should have been the federal government's most basic duty," said Roy.