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3,221 rows where party = "Republican", state = "TX" and year = 2014 sorted by date descending

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  • House 3,221
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http://gohmert.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398170 Rep. Gohmert: Obama Admitted Democrats Were 'Party of No' 2014-12-30 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Louie Gohmert G000552 gohmert.house.gov     legacy President Barack Obama admitted it was Democrats, not Republicans, that had been the "party of no," Rep. Louie Gohmert told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." Gohmert said Obama made the admission during an NPR interview that aired Monday when he said he rarely had to veto bills, because legislation he objected to was "typically blocked in the Senate" with Nevada Democrat Sen. Harry Reid as majority leader. "Now the president has finally admitted they've been lying — Harry Reid, all those folks that have been saying Republicans were the party of no. He's basically admitted in this statement, 'yeah, we've been the party of no, but I've been able to rely on Harry Reid to say no so I didn't have to,' " the Texas Republican said Tuesday. "That's what I'm hearing in that statement." Gohmert, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, explained Republicans often tried to discuss ideas with Obama, but said even though the president communicated he wanted to work with GOP lawmakers, he would follow up by "going to the golf course and not talking to anybody." "He said, 'I have an open door, if you've got any ideas.' A bunch of us tried. They never had any indication that they would let us in. We kept asking, 'Hey, we've got some good ideas.' Never would hear from us. So, that was all for the camera, all for television, but not so much for reality," he said. With a majority in both houses of Congress, Republicans would now be able to move legislation to the president's desk, such as changes to healthcare, approving the Keystone XL pipeline, and defunding amnesty, Gohmert said, adding voters expected lawmakers to "follow through and do what we said we would do" when running for office. "This lets voters see who it is that's representing them," he said. "The best thing to do for an open government is get votes on bills." 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://culberson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398202 Culberson Stands With Texas in Fight Against Amnesty 2014-12-27 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Culberson C001048 culberson.house.gov     legacy Culberson Stands With Texas in Fight Against Amnesty f t # e Houston, TX, December 27, 2014 Culberson Stands With Texas in Fight Against Amnesty   Houston, TX—Congressman John Culberson (TX-07) joined an amicus brief supporting the State of Texas’s lawsuit against President Obama’s illegal executive actions on amnesty. Twenty-three other states have already joined the lawsuit, and more than sixty Members of Congress have signed onto the amicus brief filed by the American Center for Law and Justice.   "President Obama's overreach is unprecedented. From Obamacare to the IRS scandals to his executive amnesty, no president has shown less regard for the rule of law. This week, I signed onto an amicus brief led by the State of Texas challenging President Obama's unconstitutional amnesty. I'm proud to stand with Texas as we work to restore our Constitution and the rule of law.    “The structure and stability of our constitutional system depends on the President enforcing the laws Congress enacts—not ignoring or rewriting them. I applaud Governor-elect Abbott and the twenty-three other states for their efforts in holding the Obama administration accountable. Elected officials have a duty to defend the Constitution and represent their constituents, and this legal challenge does both. I'm proud that Texas is taking the lead, and I will support Governor-elect Abbott's efforts in every way possible.” f t # e 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2063 The Christmas Spirit is Alive in Texas 2014-12-23 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, released the following statement in advance of Christmas Day: “As Christmas approaches, we celebrate the most precious gift, that in the humblest of circumstances, Christ came to save the world. We pause to remember that night in Bethlehem, and to give thanks for the blessings the Lord continues to bestow upon each of us. “Across the Lone Star State, Texans are sharing the hope of the season. “From Waco’s Christmas Toy Store filling more than 2,700 kids’ trees with presents, to the Harlingen’s Salvation Army clothing 1,000 children; From Eveline Rivers Christmas Project delivering 12,000 books to families in the Panhandle, to Santa’s Workshop bringing gifts to 3,200 children at Fort Hood, these are just a few examples of the communities in our great state that have come together to care for those in need. “Their generosity, and that of millions of other Texans across the state, is a powerful example of Christ's faithfulness in times of need. It is also an important reminder, as Mark 10:45 says, that ‘even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ “I hope and pray your Christmas season is filled with joy and restful time with family and loved ones. May God bless you, may He continue to bless our great state of Texas and the United States of America.” ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://kaygranger.house.gov/good-news-about-your-taxes Good news about your taxes 2014-12-22 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Kay Granger G000377 kaygranger.house.gov     legacy Dear Friend, In January, I first wrote to you about an important tax deduction that would expire at the end of this year if Congress didn’t act. In Texas, since we don’t have a state income tax, we are able to deduct state and local sales taxes when filing federal income tax returns. This provides some parity with other states who can deduct their state and local income taxes when filing their returns. Over the past two weeks, the House and Senate both passed an extension of this deduction, and President Obama signed it into law on Friday. While this is not a permanent solution, it does prevent a tax increase on Texans. I believe that when the new Congress convenes in January comprehensive tax reform needs to be part of the agenda, including making this deduction permanent. By doing so, it will erase future uncertainty about whether or not Texans will face a tax increase. In addition to extending this tax deduction, Congress passed the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. This bill will help those with disabilities to save money for education, housing, and medical expenses to use at a future time. By allowing those with disabilities and their caretakers to set up a tax-free savings account, they will be able to better manage the cost of care. Sincerely, Kay Granger 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://kaygranger.house.gov/how-congress-could-stymie-obama%E2%80%99s-cuba-plan How Congress Could Stymie Obamas Cuba Plan 2014-12-22 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Kay Granger G000377 kaygranger.house.gov     legacy President Barack Obama’s plans to seek a normalization of relations with Cuba split lawmakers, and those on the opposing side vowed to use whatever means available to stand in the way of the policy shift. Mr. Obama said he looked forward to engaging with lawmakers on ways to further his policy aims, but top Republicans signaled they would have little appetite for a rapprochement. “Relations with the Castro regime should not be revisited, let alone normalized, until the Cuban people enjoy freedom – and not one second sooner,” House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio). For those hoping to halt, or at least slow, the president’s efforts, there are a handful of legislative paths that are could present themselves once lawmakers return to Washington. They fall in three general areas: * * * SPENDING BILLS: The most powerful tool available to Congress is its power of the purse: the ability to fund–or more importantly, defund–government programs, initiatives and other policies that lawmakers don’t like. The $1.1 trillion spending bill enacted last week, for example, contains Cuba-related provisions in its roughly 1,600 pages, including a prohibition against funds for U.S. agriculture programs from being used to directly finance or provide assistance to Cuba and a handful of other countries. Critics of Mr. Obama’s normalization plans have already signaled they plan to use the appropriations process to try to slow the process. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) tweeted on Wednesday that “I will do all in my power to block the use of funds to open an embassy in Cuba.” That’s no idle threat; Mr. Graham is slated to become chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee on state and foreign operations next year. That not only puts him in charge of a bill that included $49.3 billion in discretionary spending for  fiscal 2015, but also oversight of the State Department’s budget. Rep. Kay Granger (R., Texas), who chairs the state and foreign operations subcommittee on the other side of the Capitol, criticized the adm… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://kaygranger.house.gov/press-release/granger-announces-new-staff-hire Granger Announces New Staff Hire 2014-12-22 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Kay Granger G000377 kaygranger.house.gov     legacy Granger Announces New Staff Hire Dec 22, 2014 WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Kay Granger (TX-12) today announced the hiring of Randi Mitchell to serve as District Director. Randi will be based in Fort Worth and will oversee the daily operations of the district office of the 12th Congressional district.    “I am proud to have Randi join my office as district director,” said Granger. “Her strong background and connection to our community will be a great addition to our already great team. I place a high value on the constituent services we provide from our district office and Randi will build on our record of success.” “It’s great to be a part of such a dedicated team,” said Mitchell. “I have a passion for giving back to my community and I look forward to working alongside Congresswoman Granger to support the constituent services that are provided by our district office.” Randi brings with her over 15 years of experience with a specialty in marketing management. A lifelong resident of the Fort Worth area, Randi is active in the community and has been recognized for her achievements. In 2009, she was honored as a 40 Under 40 recipient by the Fort Worth Business Press as a woman who has helped shape the future of Tarrant County. Randi is a graduate of Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas and a 2012 Leadership Fort Worth graduate. She is an incoming board member of Camp Fire First Texas and serves as a Marketing Task Force member. Additionally, she is a member of The Ladder Alliance Marketing Committee and is a Breakfast Club member with Lena Pope. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sessions.house.gov/index.cfm/weekly-newsletters?ContentRecord_id=F56CDD2C-4230-4160-816B-360F22A4B660 The Hill Report: Week of December 15 - 19, 2014 2014-12-22 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Pete Sessions S000250 sessions.house.gov     legacy Yesterday Chairman Kevin Brady of the Ways and Means Committee introduced HR 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which represented the first public unveiling of legislation that could lead to tax reform this Congress.   According to the Wall Street Journal, this bill “is, on net, about a $1.5 trillion tax 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://samjohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397615 Sam Johnsons No Social Security for Nazis Bill Signed into Law 2014-12-19 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Sam Johnson J000174 samjohnson.house.gov     legacy Yesterday, U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson’s (R-TX) legislation, the No Social Security for Nazis Act, was signed into law.  In late October, an Associated Press investigative report uncovered the fact that Nazi persecutors are receiving Social Security benefits from American taxpayers due to a loophole in current law.  Johnson’s bill, which passed the House by a vote for 420 and the Senate by unanimous consent earlier this month, will terminate Social Security benefits for Nazis. “Social Security was never intended for those who participated in the horrific acts of the Holocaust," said Johnson.  "Unfortunately a loophole has allowed Nazis who came to America to get Social Security.  But now with my bill being signed into law, this loophole has been rightly closed.  I call on both the Department of Justice and the Social Security Administration to carry out this law without delay.” 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=2045 USA Today: Ted Cruz: Obama should help Cuban dissidents 2014-12-19 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy Sen. Ted Cruz says the Obama administration should do more to work with opposition leaders in Cuba as the U.S. tries to move toward restoring diplomatic relations with the Communist regime under President Raul Castro. In a column for TIME magazine, the Texas Republican and potential 2016 presidential candidate expanded on his criticism of President Obama’s plans announced earlier this week. Cruz cited Cuban dissidents Elizardo Sanchez and Guillermo Farinas as examples of “friends in Cuba” that the U.S. government should work with to end the Castro regime and help institute economic and legal changes that would improve life for Cubans. “The United States should demand that the political opposition to the Castros be included in any and all negotiations with Cuba, so their concerns will be fully heard and their priorities addressed,” Cruz wrote. “Otherwise there will be no incentive for the Castro regime to engage in necessary political reforms.” Read more 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2037 The News with Sen. Cruz - December 19, 2014 2014-12-19 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy As the 113th Congress concludes, it’s remarkable to think about the past two years, and all the incredible battles we have waged for liberty. It’s a privilege and an honor to represent each of you, and I am proud of all that we have accomplished. One recent victory I’m particularly proud of is Congress’ recent passage of a measure I introduced to ensure that the brave service members impacted by the 2009 Fort Hood terrorist attack are eligible to receive the Purple Heart. This recognition is long overdue and rightly honors those victimized. I hope you are able to enjoy time with loved ones this holiday season, and I wish you a merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, and a blessed New Year. Please keep reading for an update on the latest in the Senate. All the best, Ted Cruz Sen. Cruz’s Measure Granting Purple Heart Eligibility to Fort Hood Victims Heads to President’s Desk Last week, Sen. Cruz announced that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2015 includes legislation he sponsored to allow the victims of the 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood to receive the Purple Heart. Click to view video The legislation, supported by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, will expand eligibility for the Purple Heart to include members of the Armed Forces who have been killed or wounded in an attack inspired or motivated by a foreign terrorist organization. “It’s long past time to call the Fort Hood attack what it was: radical Islamic terrorism,” said Sen. Cruz. “And, this recognition for Fort Hood terrorist victims is overdue. The victims and their families deserve our prayers and support, and this legislation rightly honors them for defending our nation in the face of a heinous act of terror.” Read the full release here. Sen. Cruz Statement Opposing President Obama’s Changed Policy with Cuba On Wednesday, Sen. Cruz spoke with Wolf Blitzer on CNN and released the following statement about the President’s announcement to change U.S. policy with Cuba and lift economic embargos: Click to view video “We rejoice that Alan Gross’ wr… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2039 ICYMI: Sen. Cruz Op-Ed in TIME: Help the Cuban Opposition, Not the Castros 2014-12-19 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today released a video that highlights prominent Cuba dissidents' warnings against U.S. deal-making with the Castro regime. He also penned an op-ed for TIME.com sharing these dissidents' stories and his alternative to the President's recently announced plans to relax the United States' economic embargo on Cuba. Excerpts of the Senator's op-ed below. Full article may be viewed here. Help the Cuban Opposition, Not the Castros TIME.com By: Sen. Ted Cruz Dec. 18, 2014 Congress should reject President Obama's latest bad deal In July 2013, I had the opportunity to speak with two prominent Cuban dissidents, Elizardo Sanchez and Guillermo Farinas. Both men had been supporters of the Castros-Sanchez as an academic, Farinas as a soldier-but had come to realize the real brutal, authoritarian nature of their Communist regime. Farinas, for example, spoke of the moment of clarity he had the first time he read Animal Farm during the 1980s, in Russian because he was in the Soviet Union receiving specialized military training. Sanchez and Farinas painted a grim picture of life in Cuba, which they said had become "a big jail" since 1959. They described how the Castros have a comprehensive apparatus of oppression that exploits economic control, political repression, and propaganda to control each and every Cuban citizen. Growing up in Cuba, they said, meant choosing between becoming part of the repression, pretending to be mentally ill, abandoning your homeland, or confronting the regime, in which case you risked being killed, jailed, or beaten. My family knows this hard truth about Cuba all too well. My father was imprisoned and tortured by Batista, and my aunt was imprisoned and tortured by Castro. Both fled for America and for freedom. According to Sanchez and Farinas, Raul and Fidel Castro remain the implacable enemies of the United States. They are constantly thinking of ways to harm America-they are evil, and we cannot make a deal with an evil regime. The goal of the Castros,… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://poe.house.gov/press-releases?ID=794ABCF7-BB06-4C6D-AEC8-F73BF76EDE0E CONGRESSMAN POE STATEMENT ON THE EUROPEAN UNION REVERSING DESIGNATION OF HAMAS AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION 2014-12-18 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Poe P000592 poe.house.gov     legacy "Today, the European Union did an about-face of the worst kind, reversing their designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization. The General Court of the EU found that the original decision to include Hamas as a terrorist organization was made in haste based on news and media reports and not a concrete examination of their acts. This could not be further from the truth. Hamas is a terrorist organization. Recognizing its political legitimacy would be rewarding terrorists for being terrorists. A legitimate political actor does not use terrorism for political gain. Hamas has not disavowed terrorism; it has embraced it. A legitimate political actor does not call for the wiping out of an entire people. Hamas not only refuses to recognize the state of Israel, it publicly calls for its annihilation and the annihilation of all Jews around the world. Although this unfortunate decision by the EU may breathe new life into Hamas, an appeal must be made as soon as possible to ensure that the Gaza-based group remains on the terror list. The world must stand with Israel and strongly oppose EU actions to legitimize a terrorist group that is masquerading as a legitimate political organization." 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sessions.house.gov/index.cfm/resources?ContentRecord_id=2C2E4594-6B13-4BBB-A5F7-6BA455BE7D35 Information on 2015 Omnibus 2014-12-18 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Pete Sessions S000250 sessions.house.gov     legacy This Saturday, June 27th, I was pleased to hold a Town Hall Meeting in Garland and discuss important issues facing our nation, including the positive impact of trade in Texas, Republicans work to balance the budget and cut unnecessary spending, and my efforts to fight against the Obama Administration's continued abuse of executive authority. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2035 Appeasing Our Enemies Makes America Less Safe and the World More Dangerous 2014-12-18 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, yesterday evening spoke with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer regarding the release of Alan Gross and the President’s announcement to change U.S. policy with Cuba, specifically plans to lift the United States’ economic embargo on the communist nation.   Regarding the failure of the Obama-Clinton-Kerry foreign policy:   “This action today continues a long pattern. It is the latest manifestation of the failures of the Obama-Clinton-Kerry foreign policy. What we’ve seen for six years is we’ve consistently been abandoning our friends and allies and at the same time appeasing and coddling our enemies.  First it was Russia, then it was Iran, today its Cuba. That only makes America and the world more dangerous. This was a mistake. This is throwing an economic lifeline to the Castros at a moment when their regime was vulnerable and it was a serious mistake.”   Regarding the danger of appeasing Cuba and the Castro regime:   “The Castro regime is an avowed enemy of America. They are allies of North Korea, of Iran, of Venezuela. In fact they were just caught recently doing an arms deal with North Korea and the idea that we would strengthen a regime that is a state sponsor of terrorism that is exporting communism throughout Latin America, and is working to undermine America, that only undermines our national security interest.”   “The relationship with Cuba, the Castros have demonstrated, manifest hostility and antagonism to America and it was striking watching President Obama's remarks today. He talked about the Bay of Pigs invasion and yet he utterly omitted the Cuban Missile Crisis, one of the greatest threats to our national security in modern times that almost resulted in nuclear weapons right on our shore and watching President Obama and John Kerry, it was yet again blaming America first. The condition of the relationship between Cuba and America is the direct result of the oppressive communist dictatorship that has demonstrated manifest hostility to the United States.”   R… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://culberson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398199 Accurate Information on the CRomnibus 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Culberson C001048 culberson.house.gov     legacy Accurate Information on the CRomnibus f t # e Washington, December 17, 2014 My office has received a tremendous number of phone calls and emails from constituents who believe I should have voted against the 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill. However, there is a tremendous amount of misinformation about the bill, and I believe a yes vote was the right vote for both Texas and our nation. I am sending you accurate information in this email so you can decide for yourself. All Republican Members of Congress share the same goal – to totally defund and repeal President Obama’s illegal amnesty and to repeal and replace Obamacare. Our only difference is in the tactics we believe will work best. It is not true that the omnibus funds President Obama’s illegal amnesty. It is not true that the omnibus fully funds Obamacare. If the House had passed a short term Continuing Resolution, we would have almost certainly lost all of the good provisions that House conservatives won in this legislation. Plus a Continuing Resolution means the President can continue to do everything just as he has been. We need to stop President Obama as quickly as possible, and I do not want him to keep doing things the same way. Former Texas Senator Phil Gramm often said that liberals achieve so much because they’re satisfied with small incremental gains. He often told me that conservatives must advance our legislative agenda, even if it’s just two or three feet at a time. This bill does that. As a college football fan, I know it is always a bad idea to punt the ball and get nothing if you are in field goal range. Particularly since we will have a Republican Senate in less than three weeks and can immediately get… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://kaygranger.house.gov/press-release/granger-statement-us-cuban-policy-shift-release-alan-gross Granger Statement on U.S.-Cuban Policy Shift, Release of Alan Gross 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Kay Granger G000377 kaygranger.house.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Kay Granger (TX-12), chairwoman of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee, issued the following statement regarding the Obama Administration’s announcement to shift U.S.-Cuban diplomatic relations and the release of a U.S. humanitarian aid worker from Cuba.   “I am relieved that American aid worker Alan Gross is safely back in the U.S. after being unjustly imprisoned for years, but the policy changes announced today by the Obama Administration are deeply concerning. “The Cuban people remain under the iron grip of a regime that has for decades repressed their freedoms. The Cuban regime should not be rewarded until the Cuban people are given the freedoms they are seeking. The regime has had a sordid history of human rights abuses in addition to working with some of America’s worst enemies around the world. These actions cannot be erased overnight or forgotten as the Administration seeks to shift the U.S. relationship with the government of Cuba. “Changing the U.S. diplomatic relationship with Cuba should not be a unilateral decision made solely by this Administration. Congress has a vital role to play in our country’s foreign policy and how American taxpayer dollars are used.” 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://kaygranger.house.gov/ted-cruz-and-other-gop-texans-slam-obama%E2%80%99s-cuba-shift Ted Cruz and other GOP Texans slam Obamas Cuba shift 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Kay Granger G000377 kaygranger.house.gov     legacy WASHINGTON – Sen. Ted Cruz has joined the chorus of Republicans blasting the president’s shift in policy toward Cuba, a country from which the senator’s father fled as a teenager. “Fidel and Raul Castro have just received both international legitimacy and a badly-needed economic lifeline from President Obama,” Cruz said in a prepared statement issued 4 hours after the president’s announcement at the White House. “But they remain in control of a totalitarian police state modeled on their old state sponsor, the Soviet Union.” “This is one more very, very bad deal brokered by the Obama administration,” said Cruz. Like other critics weighing in this afternoon, the senator lauded the release of Alan Gross, the American aid worker imprisoned by Cuba for five years. But, he said, the deal Obama has struck won’t stop indefinite detention of others without legal process, “as the many political prisoners still languishing in the Castros’ prisons can attest.” Cruz echoed comments from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, another Cuban American Republican eyeing a 2016 presidential bid. He called it a mistake to ease tensions with a nation that retains ties with Russia, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela, and which supports terrorists groups – he cited FARC, Hezbollah and Hamas. Making nice with Cuba, Russia and Iran, he said, leaves American “influence diminished and our enemies emboldened. Now they are revisiting this same disastrous policy with the Castros, blind to the fact that they are being played by brutal dictators whose only goal is maintaining power.” Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, who chairs a subcommittee that controls billions in foreign aid, also criticized the moves, which include normalizing diplomatic relations, and easing restrictions on travel, banking and trade. These are “deeply concerning,” she said. “The Cuban people remain under the iron grip of a regime that has for decades repressed their freedoms. The Cuban regime should not be rewarded until the Cuban people are given the freedoms they are seeking. The… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://lamarsmith.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/smith-statement-on-changes-to-cuba-policy Smith Statement on Changes to Cuba Policy 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Lamar Smith S000583 lamarsmith.house.gov     legacy Congressman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) released the following statement today in response to President Obama’s announced policy changes regarding the U.S. and Cuba.     Congressman Smith:  “Alan Gross should never have been held prisoner by Cuba. I’m disappointed by the president’s announcement today. This continues a troubling trend of misguided foreign policy that does not make Americans safer, and that undermines our core values as an open and free democracy. The president’s policy rewards a dictator who has deprived the people of Cuba of their freedoms.” 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://poe.house.gov/press-releases?ID=38BCDA15-A608-468D-876D-2A2EB531B4E8 POE TO CONTINUE AS FOREIGN AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMAN 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Poe P000592 poe.house.gov     legacy I am honored to continue serving as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade for the 114th Congress. Faced with determined and bold enemies like ISIS and Al Qaeda, our nationhas yet to developa clearly defined strategy to combat these threats. At the same time,Iran marches towards a nuclear bomb. Now is not the time to ease sanctions or give concessions for a faux diplomatic victory. The possibility of concluding two regional free trade agreements in both the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership means that we have the opportunity to stop the spread of communist like economic principles and expand the free market system like never before, all while injecting billions of dollars into our economy. I look forward to the TNT Subcommittee continuing to lead on these issues and to provide oversight on the Administrations policies. I am grateful to Chairman Ed Royce for this opportunity and appreciate his leadership over the full committee. TNT Subcommittee Jurisdiction The subcommittee has oversight and legislative jurisdiction over U.S. efforts to manage and coordinate international programs to combat terrorism (as coordinated by the Department of State and other agencies), and efforts to bring international terrorists to justice. With the concurrence of the Chairman of the full Committee, it may conduct oversight of, and consider legislation pertaining to, nonproliferation matters involving nuclear, chemical, biological and other weapons of mass destruction, except for legislation involving the Foreign Assistance Act, the Arms Export Control Act, the Export Administration Act, and sanctions laws pertaining to individual countries and the provision of foreign assistance (which is reserved to the full Committee). The subcommittee may conduct oversight of matters relating to: international economic and trade policy; commerce with foreign countries; international investment policy; the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Trade and Deve… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://williams.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/rep-williams-reacts-to-potus-policy-shift-toward-cuba Rep. Williams reacts to POTUS policy shift toward Cuba 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Roger Williams W000816 williams.house.gov     legacy Congressman Roger Williams (TX-25) issued the following statement after President Obama announced his intentions to change U.S. policy toward Cuba upon the release of Alan Gross, an American hostage held in Cuba for the past five years: “President Obama’s negotiations with the communist regime in Cuba are inexcusable and unfathomable.  I remember the Cuban Missile crisis, the decades of human rights abuses, the withholding and covering up of information.  These atrocities directly threaten our national security, and Cuba’s leaders should continue to suffer consequences for their brutal actions.  President Obama continues to weaken our nation’s standing among our adversaries, and I’m afraid that this policy shift regarding Cuba signals an acceptance of one of the most oppressive and violent regimes in the world.”   # # # 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://conaway.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397894 Congressman Conaway Statement on the Deal with Cuba 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX K. Conaway C001062 conaway.house.gov     legacy Congressman Conaway Statement on the Deal with Cuba f t # e Washington, December 17, 2014 Congressman K. Michael Conaway (R-Texas) issued the followed statement on the deal with Cuba: The agreement announced today is a poorly negotiated deal for America and for the Cuban people. We have given up significant leverage in exchange for few tangible benefits for our country or the average Cuban. As far as I can see, this deal makes no significant gains on either democratization or increasing respect for human rights in a country where the government controls every single aspect of life. I have long been a supporter of relaxing agricultural trade restrictions with Cuba and providing humanitarian support for the Cuban people. However, the policies currently in place created advantages that the President has simply given away with this deal and will serve largely to enrich the leaders of Cuba. The original embargo imposed by President Kennedy and the Cuban Democracy Act was of 1992 was explicitly intended to maintain sanctions on Cuba until the government moved toward democratization and greater respect for human rights.' Neither of these goals has been achieved with this deal. The President has yet again damaged America's ability to use negotiations to make positive changes around the world. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://kevinbrady.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398710 Texans Breathe a Sigh of Relief 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Kevin Brady B000755 kevinbrady.house.gov     legacy Texans Breathe a Sigh of Relief Senators Vote to Join House in Preserving Texas Sales Tax Deduction f t # e Washington, December 17, 2014 Texas Congressman Kevin Brady issued the following statement after the Senate passed important tax extenders. share: f t "Texas families have kept more than $10 billion in their family budgets since we successfully fought to restore Texas' sales tax deduction a decade ago. While I'm pleased that the Senate has voted with the House to keep this tax fairness in place so Texas families don't have to send more of their hard-earned paychecks to Washington, DC, I will continue to fight to make this important deduction permanent." f t # e 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://mccaul.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/mccaul-statement-on-presidents-unilateral-changes-to-cuba-policy McCaul Statement on President's Unilateral Changes to Cuba Policy 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Michael McCaul M001157 mccaul.house.gov     legacy McCaul Statement on President's Unilateral Changes to Cuba Policy AUSTIN, TX Today following President Obama's announcement of changes to U.S. policy toward Cuba, Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, made the following statement: McCaul: "For decades, U.S. policy toward Havana has been designed to reduce hostilities and to support political freedom and human rights in Cuba. Once again, with the stroke of the pen, President Obama has upended this longstanding bipartisan policy toward one of the most oppressive regimes on the planet with very little to show in return. Like all Americans, I am glad Alan Gross is home with his family, but his release does not justify the political legitimization of the Castro regime. If the administration wants to change U.S. policy toward Cuba, it should come to Congress to seek support rather than act unilaterally. ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20150101034529/http://www.cruz.senate.gov:80/?p=video&id=2034 Sen. Ted Cruz on The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 web.archive.org     legacy Central TX (512) 916-5834 300 E 8th Suite 961 Austin, TX 78701 Email North TX (214) 599-8749 Lee Park Tower II Suite 410 3626 N. Hall St. Dallas, TX 75219 Email Southeast TX (713) 718-3057 808 Travis Street Suite 1420 Houston, TX 77002 Email South/Cen. TX (210) 340-2885 9901 IH-10W Suite 950 San Antonio, TX 78230 Email East TX (903) 593-5130305 S. Broadway Suite 501 Tyler, TX 75702 Email South TX (956) 686-7339 200 S. 10th St Suite 1603 McAllen, TX 78501 Email Washington, D.C. (202) 224-5922 185 Dirksen Washington, DC 20510 Email 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://weber.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=146 Weber Signs onto Uphold the OATH Resolution 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Randy Weber W000814 weber.house.gov     legacy Weber Signs onto Uphold the OATH Resolution f t # e Washington, DC, December 17, 2014 Representative Randy Weber (R-TX) signed onto Representative Tom Rice's (R-SC) Uphold the Oath Americans Trust and Honor (OATH) Resolution last week. The bill would authorize legal action against the President's recent executive order allowing amnesty for illegal immigrants. The OATH Resolution will allow the House of Representatives to bring legal action against the Obama Administration for their egregious, unilateral overreach on our current immigration laws. The President and his Administration have once again circumvented Congress and our Constitution. This resolution will force the hand of the President to work within his actual authority, and respect the democratic process. Read the text of the resolution here. ### f t # e 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://weber.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=147 Weber Issues Statement on Release of Alan Gross and U.S. - Cuba Relations 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Randy Weber W000814 weber.house.gov     legacy Weber Issues Statement on Release of Alan Gross and U.S. - Cuba Relations f t # e Washington, DC, December 17, 2014 Representative Randy Weber (R-Friendswood), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, made the following statement on the release of Alan Gross and policy changes toward Cuba: It is great to learn of the return of Alan Gross from Cuba, where he was wrongly held by the Castro Regime for five years. I am however, troubled with the lack of dialogue between Congress and the President's Administration. There was absolutely no communication regarding the prisoner swap and the numerous policy changes to current policy. A troubling trend is happening with the President in his willingness to negotiate with terrorist organizations and hostile government regimes without consulting Congress. The President needs to come to Congress moving forward with anymore policy changes that greatly affect this nation's economy and well-being. These policy changes will have a direct impact on Southeast Texas, including economic ones. I will stay active in the debate particularly through my role on the Foreign Affairs Committee to ensure that what's done is in the best interests of Texas District 14. f t # e 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=2040 Houston Chronicle: Texas Republicans rip Obama initiative on Cuba 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy President Obama’s move on Wednesday to normalize relations with Cuba got mixed reactions in Congress, with Sen. Ted Cruz and a number of other Texas Republicans accusing the administration of lending legitimacy to the authoritarian Castro regime. “Fidel and Raul Castro have just received both international legitimacy and a badly-needed economic lifeline from President Obama,” said Cruz, the son of a Cuban refugee.  “But they remain in control of a totalitarian police state modeled on their old state sponsor, the Soviet Union.” Cruz compared the move to Obama administration attempts at rapprochement with what he called “rogue regimes” like Russia and Iran. Democrats in the Texas delegation backed Obama’s contention that decades of sanctions have produced no positive changes in the communist island nation. Read more 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=2041 Real Clear Politics: Cruz on Cuba: 'This Is Another Manifestation Of The Failures Of The Obama/Clinton/Kerry Foreign Policy' 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy SEN. TED CRUZ: This is another manifestation of the failures of the Obama/Clinton/Kerry foreign policy. For six years we’ve followed the pattern of alienating and abandoning our friends and allies and at the same time coddling up to and appeasing those who are enemies to the country and it’s a consistent pattern. First it was Russia, then it was Iran and now it’s Cuba. This announcement today will be remembered as a tragic mistake. Cuba was struggling, it was gasping for air , it has been relying on Venezuela with oil prices cratering, Venezuela is hurting economically and just like the admin did with Iran, right when the administration was feeling maximum pain it throws them an economic lifeline and continues the brutal repression in a dictatorship of the Castro brothers... Read more 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=2043 Breitbart: Cruz on Cuba: Another Obama 'Very, Very Bad Deal' 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy While the release of U.S. aid worker Alan Gross is a welcome news, the Obama administration has made the underlying issues with the Castro regime in Cuba “worse,” according to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). “Fidel and Raul Castro have just received both international legitimacy and a badly-needed economic lifeline from President Obama,” Cruz — whose father immigrated to the United States from Cuba — said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. “But they remain in control of a totalitarian police state modeled on their old state sponsor, the Soviet Union. Their government can continue to detain individuals like Alan Gross indefinitely without process–as the many political prisoners still languishing in the Castros’ prisons can attest,” he continued, noting the regime has close ties with “hostile” nation including Russia, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela as well as support terrorist groups including FARC, Hezbollah and Hamas. Earlier in the day, in conjunction with Gross’ release, President Obama announced moves to begin normalizing relations with Cuba. According to Cruz, while Obama spoke of a “new era” for American and Cuban people the plan does “not bode well for either.” Read more 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=2047 Daily Caller: Ted Cruz: Normalization Of U.S./Cuban Relations 'A Tragic Mistake' 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy Following the return of Alan Gross to the U.S., Sen. Ted Cruz slammed the “Obama, Clinton, Kerry foreign policy,” saying the Castro brothers are “state sponsors of terrorism” and that President Barack Obama “does not understand the difference between our friends and our enemies.” Cruz, one of three Cuban American members of the upper chamber in Congress, also called the normalization of relations between the two nations “a tragic mistake” made the comments to Fox News’ Neil Cavuto Wednesday afternoon. TED CRUZ: “This is yet another manifestation of the failures of the Obama, Clinton, Kerry foreign policy. For six years we followed the pattern of alienating and abandoning our friends and allies, and at the same time coddling up to and appeasing to those who are enemies of this country. It’s a consistent pattern. First Russia, then Iran, now Cuba.” Read more 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=2048 Dallas Morning News: Ted Cruz and other GOP Texans fault Obama's Cuba shift 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy Sen. Ted Cruz has joined the chorus of Republicans blasting the president’s shift in policy toward Cuba, a country from which the senator’s father fled as a teenager. “Fidel and Raul Castro have just received both international legitimacy and a badly-needed economic lifeline from President Obama,” Cruz said in a prepared statement issued four hours after the president’s announcement at the White House. “But they remain in control of a totalitarian police state modeled on their old state sponsor, the Soviet Union.” “This is one more very, very bad deal brokered by the Obama administration,” said Cruz. Like other critics weighing in this afternoon, the senator lauded the release of Alan Gross, the American aid worker imprisoned by Cuba for five years. But, he said, the deal Obama has struck won’t stop indefinite detention of others without legal process, “as the many political prisoners still languishing in the Castros’ prisons can attest.” Read more 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=2049 National Review Online: Ted Cruz: Cuba Relations Thaw 'a Tragic Mistake' 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy Texas Republican senator Ted Cruz panned the Obama administration’s decision to open up relations with the communist Caribbean nation of Cuba, saying the move will be regarded as “a tragic mistake” by future generations. A Cuban-American whose father left the nation in the 1950s, Cruz seemed disgusted by the thaw in relations between the United States and Cuba. “This is yet another manifestation of the failures of the Obama-Clinton-Kerry foreign policy,” the senator said on Fox News Wednesday. “This announcement today will be remembered as a tragic mistake.” Cruz said Cuba had been “struggling, it was gasping for air” economically, relying on a weak Venezuelan government to help prop them up. “Just like the administration did with Iran, right when the administration was feeling the maximum pain it throws them an economic lifeline and continues the brutal repression and dictatorship of the Castro brothers,” the senator said. Read more 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=2050 Townhall: Cruz: Obama's Cuba Decision Will Be Remembered as a Tragic Mistake 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy Florida Senator Marco Rubio responded to President Obama's announcement earlier today to "normalize relations" with Cuba and now it's Texas Senator Ted Cruz' turn. "This announcement today will be remembered as a tragic mistake," Cruz, whose father Rafael Cruz escaped Castro's Cuba in 1957 after beatings and torture, said during an interview with Fox News Wednesday afternoon. "There is no doubt this is a unilateral president." During the interview, conducted by Neil Cavuto, Cruz reminded viewers that the Castro brothers are allies of North Korea, Russia and Venezuela. "Cuba is an avowed enemy of this country," Cruz said. "They are a leading state sponsor of terrorism." Read more 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=2051 National Journal: Ted Cruz: Obama's New Cuba Policy 'Will Be Remembered as a Tragic Mistake' 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy Hours after his Senate colleague and fellow Cuban-American Marco Rubio criticized President Obama's change in U.S. policy on Cuba, Ted Cruz broke his silence on the news with a bang, calling the decision "a tragic mistake." The Republican senator from Texas told Fox News' Neil Cavuto on Wednesday afternoon that because of the American embargo and diplomatic freeze-out, Cuba had been "gasping for air." Now, though, Obama's policy shift would have devastating effects. "Just like the administration did with Iran, right when the [Iranian] administration was feeling the maximum pain, [Obama] throws them an economic lifeline and continues the brutal repression and dictatorship of the Castro brothers," said Cruz, whose father emigrated from Cuba in 1957, four years before the U.S. imposed a strict trade embargo on the country. When Cavuto pointed out that more than five decades of the same policy hadn't been very effective, Cruz demurred. "What it has wrought is limiting the impact and harm of Cuba," he said. Read more 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=2052 The Hill: Cruz: Obama gave Castro 'economic lifeline' 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2016, assailed President Obama Wednesday for announcing steps toward normalized relations with Cuba. “Fidel and Raul Castro have just received both international legitimacy and a badly-needed economic lifeline from President Obama. But they remain in control of a totalitarian police state modeled on their old state sponsor, the Soviet Union,” Cruz said in a statement. Cruz joined other 2016 White House hopefuls, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), in criticizing the administration for moving toward loosening a 50-year trade embargo. He said the Communist regime in Cuba maintains close ties with America’s antagonists, Russia, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela and predicted it would give future support to terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Read more 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2030 Sen. Cruz Stands with Texas Against President Obama's Executive Amnesty 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, this week joined an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit brought by the State of Texas and joined by over 20 other states against President Obama’s illegal amnesty.   “President Obama is not only blatantly defying the Constitution by refusing to faithfully execute our nation’s immigration laws; his amnesty policy is harming millions of Texans and Americans,” Sen. Cruz said. “By unilaterally granting amnesty to nearly five million people, the President is inviting even more illegal immigration, which hurts working men and women who have entered the country legally and further strains state governments.   “The President has no authority to ignore or rewrite the law. In so doing, the President violates his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. I am proud to stand with the State of Texas in upholding the rule of law against President Obama’s brazen power grab. This is a critical step to restoring the Law of the Land and celebrating legal immigration.”   In its lawsuit challenging the President’s executive action, the State of Texas argues that President Obama’s executive amnesty violates federal immigration law and usurps Congress’ constitutional authority to set immigration policy.   The amicus brief, filed by the American Center for Law and Justice, makes clear that the President’s executive action “changes the law and sets a new policy, exceeding [the President’s] constitutional authority and disrupting the delicate balance of powers.”   Senators John Cornyn, R-TX, and Roy Blunt, R-MO, also joined the amicus brief, as did Representatives Bob Goodlatte, R-VA, Diane Black, R-TN, Dave Brat, R-VA, Jeff Duncan, R-SC, John Fleming, R-LA, Randy Forbes, R-VA, Virginia Foxx, R-NC, Trent Franks, R-AZ, Trey Gowdy, R-SC, H. Morgan Griffith, R-VA, Vicky Hartzler, R-MO, Tim Huelskamp, R-KS, Mike Kelly, R-PA, David McKinley, R-WV, Jeff Miller, R-FL, Alan Nunnelee, R-MS, Pete Olson, R-TX, Ted Poe, R-TX, Bill Posey, R-FL, Tom Price, R-GA, Phil Roe, R-TN, Ad… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2031 First Russia, then Iran, now Cuba: One More Very Bad Deal Brokered by the Obama Administration 2014-12-17 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today released the following statement regarding the President’s announcement to change U.S. policy with Cuba and lift economic embargos.   “We rejoice that Alan Gross’ wrongful imprisonment by the brutal Castro regime has finally come to an end, and that he will be able to spend the holidays with his loved ones. But make no mistake, although we are glad Alan is now free, the agreement the Obama Administration has entered into with the Castro regime has done nothing to resolve the underlying problem. Indeed, it has made it worse.   “Fidel and Raul Castro have just received both international legitimacy and a badly-needed economic lifeline from President Obama.  But they remain in control of a totalitarian police state modeled on their old state sponsor, the Soviet Union.  Their government can continue to detain individuals like Alan Gross indefinitely without process—as the many political prisoners still languishing in the Castros’ prisons can attest.  They retain their close, long-standing ties with hostile nations, notably Russia, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela.  They will continue their support for terrorist organizations from FARC to Hezbollah and Hamas.   “The President spoke today about a new era for relations between American and the Cuban people, but these circumstances do not bode well for either.  We have seen how previous Obama administration attempts at rapprochement with rogue regimes like Russia and Iran have worked out, with our influence diminished and our enemies emboldened.  Now they are revisiting this same disastrous policy with the Castros, blind to the fact that they are being played by brutal dictators whose only goal is maintaining power.  And if history be our guide, the Castros will exploit that power to undermine America and oppress the Cuban people. First Russia, then Iran, now Cuba – this is one more very, very bad deal brokered by the Obama Administration.” ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://gohmert.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398157 Gohmert Pleased to Announce Winners of 2015 Congressional Art Competition 2014-12-16 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Louie Gohmert G000552 gohmert.house.gov     legacy Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01) hosted a reception to honor the participants and announced the winners of the 2015 Congressional Art Competition on Saturday, in Marshall, Texas. He released the following statement regarding the outstanding art pieces submitted this year: “Throughout history, art and its expression have always been vital to our culture. Personally, with one of my daughters being an artist, it has played a significant role in my family’s life. The Congressional Art Competition is a fun way for gifted artists in the district to showcase their talent. It also gives our high school artists another quality competition for their resume and portfolio. It is truly exciting to see numerous art pieces, from various artists across east Texas, displayed at The Michelson Museum in Marshall, Texas. Congratulations to the winners this year.” 2015 Congressional Art Winners:  FIRST PLACE Madalyn Garrett Whitehouse H.S. Mixed Media, “WILD FLOWERS”   SECOND PLACE Josh Davis Lufkin H.S. Acrylic, “SAM HOUSTON”   THIRD PLACE Scierra Waldron Bishop T.K. Gorman H.S. Photography, “ARBOL DE LA MESA VERDE”   HONORABLE MENTION Nathan (Drew) Bienhoff, Jr. Spring Hill H.S. Mixed medium, “PASTURE SUNRISE”   HONORABLE MENTION Asyri Austin West Rusk H.S. Pencil, “MRS. VIOLA THOMPSON”   HONORABLE MENTION Shelby Hall Bullard H.S. Clayboard, “UP IN THE SKY”     HONORABLE MENTION Yamilex Robles Lufkin H.S.   Acrylic, “UNDER THE SEA” The annual competition is open to high school students across the district. The first place winner was awarded a scholarship and has their artwork displayed in the United States Capitol Building for a year, alongside winning art from Congressional Districts across the United States. # # # 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://kaygranger.house.gov/star-telegram-granger-dna-can-stem-trafficking Star-Telegram: Granger: DNA can stem trafficking 2014-12-16 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Kay Granger G000377 kaygranger.house.gov     legacy This past summer, tens of thousands of unaccompanied children from Central America were crossing the Texas-Mexico border. One of the challenges of this crisis is ensuring that when the children are sent back to Central America, that they are returned to an actual family member and not a human trafficker or other predator. I witnessed this challenge firsthand as I traveled to the border as the chairwoman of the House Working Group to address this crisis. One promising solution has emerged from a DNA expert in North Texas with decades of experience running a crime lab, identifying human remains and reuniting missing children with their parents. Arthur Eisenberg, who co-directs the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, has a two-part plan: to set up a DNA database from samples obtained from migrant children who have reached the Texas border and to establish a second database of samples from parents or family members with missing or abducted children. When a match occurs, authorities can have a reasonable level of confidence that these children are being reunited with family members. This plan for unaccompanied migrant children is an extension of Eisenberg’s already successful DNA Prokids program, which returned 13 Haitian children to their families after they were kidnapped and taken to Bolivia in the wake of Haiti’s devastating earthquake in 2010. He already has agreements in place with like-minded colleagues and government officials in Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and Guatemala to get DNA samples from relatives and to establish databases there. Innovative ideas such as these, which have law enforcement and humanitarian applications, are why I helped ensure that funding is available in the omnibus bill passed by Congress last week for DNA forensic technology programs. This can be used to reunite children with their family members in Central America and to continue the fight against human trafficking. In the new law, there is a provision to i… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://poe.house.gov/press-releases?ID=098C3D0F-C0C6-4535-A319-10812E79BA53 CHAIRMAN POE STATEMENT ON TERRORIST ATTACK IN PAKISTAN 2014-12-16 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Poe P000592 poe.house.gov     legacy Taliban gunmen stormed a military-run school in the Pakistani city of Peshawar on Tuesday, killing nearly 150 innocent civilians according to reports. The overwhelming majority of the victims were students at the schoolchildren and teenagers in grades 1-10. This cowardly act was carried out by the Pakistani Taliban or TTP. For years, the Pakistani military cut deals with the TTP to avoid long hard battles and messy political infighting. This is the reason why you cannot negotiate with terrorists. The TTP should have been wiped out years ago when it was in everyones interest to do so. The world should track down these child killers and eliminate them. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the grieving families who experienced loss in this terrible tragedy. Poe is Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-proliferation & Trade. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=TexasTimesWeeklyColumn&ContentRecord_id=33e7b050-1f57-4983-8259-909dd158cbdf Reflections on 2014 2014-12-16 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Cornyn C001056 www.cornyn.senate.gov     legacy Washington, DC Office 517 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 Main: 202-224-2934 Get Directions Southeast Texas: 5300 Memorial Drive Suite 980 Houston, TX 77007 Main: 713-572-3337 Fax: 713-572-3777 Get Directions South Texas: 222 East Van Buren Suite 404 Harlingen, TX 78550 Main: 956-423-0162 Fax: 956-423-0193 Get Directions West Texas: Wells Fargo Center 1500 Broadway, Suite 1230 Lubbock, TX 79401 Main: 806-472-7533 Fax: 806-472-7536 Get Directions South Central Texas: 600 Navarro Suite 210 San Antonio, TX 78205 Main: 210-224-7485 Fax: 210-224-8569 Get Directions … 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2027 Sen. Cruz: From Pakistan to Australia, Terrorism Knows No Borders 2014-12-16 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today issued the following statement in response to the brutal terrorist attacks in both Pakistan and Australia:   “Within days, the world has witnessed the savage hand of radical Islamic terrorism against innocents—in Peshawar, Pakistan and in Sydney, Australia. In both places, terrorists sought to exterminate civilians, of all ethnicities, ages, and beliefs, alike. In Pakistan, more than 100 children were massacred at their desks by Taliban terrorists who wanted to inflict the maximum pain on the civilian population. Café workers and customers in Sydney were held hostage for hours. Some were forced to raise the black flag of jihad and death. A man and a woman died in their brave attempt to stop the terrorist gunman. These attacks may be distant on a map, but should be at the forefront of our minds. Terrorism knows no borders. And, strong American resolve is needed to help our friends and allies around the world to stop it.” ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2029 ICYMI: Sen. Cruz: I'm Not Trying to Play the Washington Rules, I'm Trying to Change the Rules 2014-12-16 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today spoke with Fox News’ Bret Baier to discuss his constitutional point of order to defund President Obama’s illegal executive amnesty.   Regarding Sen. Cruz’s effort to secure a Senate vote to defund President Obama’s illegal executive amnesty:   “What the president did is unconstitutional. We’re facing a constitutional crisis and in my view it was critical. This Saturday after the fight we had, we had the very first vote on President Obama’s unconstitutional amnesty. That’s what I was pressing for, that’s what others were pressing for. And I think it mattered to honor our commitment to the voters, to force that vote.”   Regarding the $1.1 trillion spending bill just passed by Congress:   “You look at this omnibus that just passed Congress. It’s 1.1 trillion dollars of every payoff for special interest, for lobbyists, for K street, all of them got taken care of, it was the perfect example of Washington corruption. But you know the people who were not taken care of is the working men and women, the millions of conservatives, grassroots activists, who showed up and gave Republicans the majority.”   Regarding the divide between Washington and the American people, and Sen. Cruz’s efforts to fix it:   “Let me be very clear, Washington doesn’t like change. So I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with you when you speak about people in Washington. Listen, I’ve said a long time the biggest divide we’ve got in this country politically, is not between Democrats and Republicans, it is between career politicians in Washington in both parties and the American people. So yes it is not a surprise that Washington fights hard against anyone trying to change the culture in Washington. But I can tell you outside of Washington, people are frustrated, they’re frustrated with the corruption, they’re frustrated with politicians that say one thing and do another.”   “I am not trying to play the rules of Washington, because I think Washington's broken, I think it's profoundly b… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://carter.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=40&itemid=1957 Mr. President, Use Your "Pen" to Help the Victims of the Fort Hood Terrorist Attack 2014-12-15 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Carter C001051 carter.house.gov     legacy KILLEEN, T.X. – Congressman Carter (R-TX31) and Congressman Roger Williams (R-TX25), who represent Fort Hood, announced today the passage of a bill that would ensure victims of the 2009 terrorist attack on Fort Hood are eligible for being awarded the Purple Heart, along with its corresponding benefits.  As of December 12, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed both the House and Senate and is ready for the President to sign into law. The NDAA authorizes funding for the Department of Defense. Representatives Carter and Williams held a joint press conference on Monday morning to mark the Congressional passage of the landmark legislation. Reps. Carter and Williams were joined by victims’ family members and local supporters, who attended to urge the President to quickly sign the legislation and the Department of Defense to award the Purple Hearts as soon as possible. “This has been a long, tough battle. My heart has always been with the victims of this horrific terrorist attack. These brave men and women have struggled and suffered for years, all while political correctness took precedence. The President has the chance to make it right for those who have been struggling by signing the National Defense Authorization Act in to law. Keep your promise to support these victims, Mr. President,” said Congressman Carter. “The victims of the attack have suffered physically, mentally, and financially.  Shortly after the attack, President Obama made promises to those injured and the families of those killed that he would take care of them.  However, his negligence has caused many of them to suffer even more as they struggle to pay for treatment and make ends meet. The National Defense Authorization Act gives the Obama Administration yet another opportunity to honor his pledge to provide for these men and women who were victims of terror.  I urge President Obama to take this incredible opportunity to restore the proper care and recognition for these individuals,” said Congressman Williams. Alvin How… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sessions.house.gov/index.cfm/weekly-newsletters?ContentRecord_id=F115DBF1-DB86-4D4F-AF59-CD1018DE70EF The Hill Report: Week of December 8 - 12, 2014 2014-12-15 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Pete Sessions S000250 sessions.house.gov     legacy Yesterday Chairman Kevin Brady of the Ways and Means Committee introduced HR 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which represented the first public unveiling of legislation that could lead to tax reform this Congress.   According to the Wall Street Journal, this bill “is, on net, about a $1.5 trillion tax 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://carter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1109 Mr. President, Use Your "Pen" to Help the Victims of the Fort Hood Terrorist Attack 2014-12-15 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John R. Carter C001051 carter.house.gov carter https://carter.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 scraper KILLEEN, T.X. – Congressman Carter (R-TX31) and Congressman Roger Williams (R-TX25), who represent Fort Hood, announced today the passage of a bill that would ensure victims of the 2009 terrorist attack on Fort Hood are eligible for being awarded the Purple Heart, along with its corresponding benefits. As of December 12, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed both the House and Senate and is ready for the President to sign into law. The NDAA authorizes funding for the Department of Defense. Representatives Carter and Williams held a joint press conference on Monday morning to mark the Congressional passage of the landmark legislation. Reps. Carter and Williams were joined by victims’ family members and local supporters, who attended to urge the President to quickly sign the legislation and the Department of Defense to award the Purple Hearts as soon as possible. “This has been a long, tough battle. My heart has always been with the victims of this horrific terrorist attack. These brave men and women have struggled and suffered for years, all while political correctness took precedence. The President has the chance to make it right for those who have been struggling by signing the National Defense Authorization Act in to law. Keep your promise to support these victims, Mr. President,” said Congressman Carter. “The victims of the attack have suffered physically, mentally, and financially. Shortly after the attack, President Obama made promises to those injured and the families of those killed that he would take care of them. However, his negligence has caused many of them to suffer even more as they struggle to pay for treatment and make ends meet. The National Defense Authorization Act gives the Obama Administration yet another opportunity to honor his pledge to provide for these men and women who were victims of terror. I urge President Obama to take this incredible opportunity to restore the proper care and recognition for these individuals,” said Congressman Williams. Alvin Howard, a victim of… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-06-27T22:44:12Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2022 Why the Purple Heart Matters for Fort Hood Terror Victims 2014-12-15 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today released a video in support of the 2009 Fort Hood terror victims, who will now be eligible to receive the Purple Heart and associated benefits thanks to legislation sponsored by Sen. Cruz in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act heading to the President’s desk.   “It was abundantly clear, this was an act of radical Islamic terrorism,” said Sen. Cruz. “And the only explanation for the Administration’s persistent denial of that is politics.   “We owe it to the victims of Fort Hood to speak the truth, to recognize that they died protecting this nation and to honor and acknowledge them for their sacrifice.”   More information about the work done to secure passage of this legislation can be found here: ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2026 ICYMI: Sen Cruz: Stand up for the Principles We Keep Promising the Voters We Believe 2014-12-15 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today called into the Sean Hannity Radio Show to discuss his Constitutional Point of Order to defund President Obama’s illegal executive amnesty, that happened in the Senate on Friday.   Highlights are included below and you may listen to the full interview below: “It’s interesting the Washington lexicon that it’s somehow treated as being unpleasant or being a trouble maker to try to honor the commitments you have made to your constituents, and to urge your colleagues to do the same.”   “What’s considered unpleasant in the Senate is not lack of civility – you can insult the heck out of each other although I don’t engage in that. What’s considered unpardonable is actually speaking the truth and doing what you said you would do and even worse making clear, shining the light on the fact that there are a whole lot of other people willing to do exactly the opposite of what they said they would do. That’s treated as the unpardonable sin, how dare you be so selfish – and it’s funny they use the term selfish – as to actually honor the commitments to your constituents. That’s not playing the rules of the game. Well, you know what the rules of the game have resulted in bankrupting our kids and grandkids and seeing our constitutional liberties eroded.  Enough is enough." ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2013 Sen. Cruz Measure Granting Purple Heart Eligibility to Fort Hood Victims Heads to President's Desk 2014-12-13 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today announced that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2015 includes legislation he sponsored to allow the victims of the 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood to receive the Purple Heart.   The legislation, supported by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, will expand eligibility for the Purple Heart to include members of the Armed Forces who have been killed or wounded in an attack inspired or motivated by a foreign terrorist organization.   “It’s long past time to call the Fort Hood attack what it was: radical Islamic terrorism,” said Sen. Cruz. “And, this recognition for Fort Hood terrorist victims is overdue. The victims and their families deserve our prayers and support, and this legislation rightly honors them for defending our nation in the face of a heinous act of terror.”   On Friday the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed written by Dorothy Rabinowitz recognizing the importance of this legislation. Rabinowitz wrote: “There has finally been a significant upturn in the case of the 2009 Fort Hood terror attack in Texas that took the lives of 13 Americans—a saga drenched, since its inception, in official lies and evasions. Not to mention the Defense Department’s studious indifference to the fate of the more than two-dozen survivors, many suffering serious wounds, but who discovered themselves ineligible for the Purple Heart and medical benefits given to military personnel injured in combat. Thanks to strong bipartisan support, the House agreed last week to an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2015 that would provide such benefits for Fort Hood’s and other military victims of terror attacks on American soil.” This legislation was sponsored in the House by Reps. John Carter, R-Texas, and Roger Williams, R-Texas. The NDAA passed the House on December 4. ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2015 Sen. Cruz Statement on Anticipated Vote to Defund Executive Amnesty 2014-12-13 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today released the following statement in anticipation of the Senate vote on his Constitutional Point of Order to defund President Obama’s illegal executive amnesty:   “Forcing a vote on the constitutionality of Obama's amnesty is important for two reasons. First, since President Obama enacted his unilateral amnesty after the elections, Democrats have never been made to answer for it. Tonight, they will and they will show America whether they stand with a lawless President, who is defying the will of the voters or the millions of Americans who want a safe and legal immigration system.   “Second, it allows Republicans to also show they are committed to ending Obama's amnesty once and for all in the next Congress. If we agree it is indeed unconstitutional, we have no business funding it when the GOP controls Congress next year.   “The Constitution matters, and we must defend it. That is why we have fought so hard to ensure this vote.” ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://culberson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398167 Understanding the Omnibus 2014-12-12 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Culberson C001048 culberson.house.gov     legacy There is a tremendous amount of confusion about what tonight's bill did and didn't do. I want to clear that up and tell you why I supported it:1. It does NOT fund Obama’s illegal amnesty. 2. Deportations are processed by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and that agency is 100 percent funded by the fees they collect from visa and other applications. The money is paid straight into the Treasury and back to USCIS, bypassing the Appropriations Committee. We will fix this in January when we have a Republican Senate that will join us in putting all the fees under the control of the Appropriations Committee where we can restrict and cut the money off so it can’t be used to implement Obama’s illegal amnesty. 3. Tonight’s bill funds the Department of Homeland Security with a short-term continuing resolution (CR) that expires February 27 so the new Republican Senate can help us defund and block Obama’s illegal amnesty and ensure our existing immigration laws are fully enforced. 4. Obamacare is primarily funded with money straight from the Treasury that bypasses the Appropriations Committee. Any Obamacare funding that we could target in this bill, we have. We cut $10 million in funding from the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) death panels and stop the taxpayer bailout of insurance companies. In this bill, we flat-funded the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) which is the primary agency responsible for promulgating new Obamacare regulations. We slash funding for the IRS -- reducing their funding level to below where it was before Obamacare was signed into law. I supported this bill because I knew that the information being published about the bill was inaccurate. Nancy Pelosi and Sheila Jackson Lee and other liberal democrats opposed the bill because conservatives won so many concessions.  We won concessions like: 1. Cutting the EPA back to 1989 staffing levels severely hindering their ability to enforce burdensome regulations. 2. Eliminating funding for the U.N. Arms Treaty.… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://olson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/olson-opposes-omnibus-spending-bill OLSON OPPOSES OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL 2014-12-12 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Pete Olson O000168 olson.house.gov     legacy Washington, DC Congressman Pete Olson (R-TX) tonight voted against the end-of-year appropriations bill that was passed on the House floor. The $1.1 trillion discretionary spending measure contains full spending bills for 11 of the 12 annual appropriations measures but only funds the Homeland Security Department via Continuing Resolution through late February. "President Obama blatantly disregarded our Constitution when he issued an Executive Order that ignores current federal law by providing a path to legal status for up to five million undocumented immigrants,"Rep. Pete Olson said. "This action showed dangerous disregard for the rule of law in America and must be stopped. While I appreciate the difficult situation the president has put Congress in, I cannot in good conscience support a bill that does not immediately stop this illegal amnesty effort." ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://thornberry.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397910 House passes annual government spending bill 2014-12-12 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX William Thornberry T000238 thornberry.house.gov     legacy The U.S. House of Representatives passed a spending bill yesterday that provides funding for nearly all of the government's operations through the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2015. The exception is the Department of Homeland Security, which will receive funding for less than 90 days, expiring on February 27, 2015. Under the agreement, overall discretionary spending has been reduced by $165 billion since Fiscal Year 2010. The legislation passed with a bipartisan vote of 219 to 206. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) voted in favor of the bill. This bill fulfills our constitutional responsibility to fund the government, while also reining in spending and executive and other federal overreach, said Rep. Thornberry. We have been able to reduce spending by $165 billion since 2010. We plan to build on this progress with additional meaningful cuts and changes when Congress returns in January with Republican majorities in the House and the Senate. The bill funds important Department of Defense programs and projects, offers a pay raise for troops, and provides resources to help prepare for current and future threats. The defense portion of the bill also includes funding for local national security facilities, including missions at Sheppard Air Force base in Wichita Falls. In addition, it contains nearly $2.8 billion for Bell Helicopter's V-22 and other aircraft programs, much of which is done in Amarillo. It also increases funding for nuclear weapons activitiesmuch of which is performed at Pantexto $8.2 billion. To help address the backlog of deferred maintenance on physical infrastructure in the nuclear weapons facilities, the agreement provides $37.4 million specifically for recapitalization projects at Pantex. The BLM Red River land dispute issue is addressed in the funding bill as well. It includes language to help ensure that the Bureau of Land Management defers any final decision-making regarding land use plans along the Red River in Texas until appropriate surveys have been con… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20141217200838/http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=2a568841-6b8a-46a4-a35f-95b48c14cdb2 Senate Approves Cornyn Measure Making 2009 Fort Hood Victims Eligible for Purple Hearts 2014-12-12 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Cornyn C001056 web.archive.org     legacy U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) issued the following statement after the Senate passed the FY2015 Defense Authorization bill, including a provision based on legislation he authored making victims of the November 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood eligible to receive the Purple Heart: “Fort Hood has long been a source of pride for all Texans, and though long overdue this is welcome news for the wounded, the families of the fallen, and the entire community who all continue to heal from this unspeakable tragedy. “The men and women who put themselves in harm’s way on that fateful day deserve nothing less than this high honor for their sacrifices, and I urge the President to sign this bill into law as soon as possible so we can grant these heroes the recognition they’ve earned.” Existing criteria for the Purple Heart provide for the medal to be awarded to service members killed or wounded “as the result of an international terrorist attack against the United States.” The provision in the FY2015 Defense Authorization bill would update the definition of “international terrorist attack” to include a terrorist attack that was inspired or motivated by al Qaeda or another U.S. State Department-designated foreign terrorist organization, and one prior to which the attacker was in communication with the terrorist group. The provision would be retroactively effective as of September 11, 2001, and would require fresh reviews of the 2009 Ft. Hood attack and other attacks since 9/11. For the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heart—the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom—the measure would require a determination of whether it should be awarded to any civilians who were killed or wounded in the 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood. Sen. Cornyn and Reps. Carter and Williams previously introduced similar legislation, the Fort Hood Victims and Families Benefits Protection Act, in both 2009 and 2011, and the Honoring the Fort Hood Heroes Act, in 2013. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/content/senate-approves-cornyn-measure-making-2009-fort-hood-victims-eligible-purple-hearts Senate Approves Cornyn Measure Making 2009 Fort Hood Victims Eligible for Purple Hearts 2014-12-12 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Cornyn C001056 www.cornyn.senate.gov     legacy U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) issued the following statement after the Senate passed the FY2015 Defense Authorization bill, including a provision based on legislation he authored making victims of the November 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood eligible to receive the Purple Heart:Fort Hood has long been a source of pride for all Texans, and though long overdue this is welcome news for the wounded, the families of the fallen, and the entire community who all continue to heal from this unspeakable tragedy.The men and women who put themselves in harm's way on that fateful day deserve nothing less than this high honor for their sacrifices, and I urge the President to sign this bill into law as soon as possible so we can grant these heroes the recognition they've earned.Existing criteria for the Purple Heart provide for the medal to be awarded to service members killed or wounded as the result of an international terrorist attack against the United States. The provision in the FY2015 Defense Authorization bill would update the definition of international terrorist attack to include a terrorist attack that was inspired or motivated by al Qaeda or another U.S. State Department-designated foreign terrorist organization, and one prior to which the attacker was in communication with the terrorist group. The provision would be retroactively effective as of September 11, 2001, and would require fresh reviews of the 2009 Ft. Hood attack and other attacks since 9/11. For the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heartthe Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedomthe measure would require a determination of whether it should be awarded to any civilians who were killed or wounded in the 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood. Sen. Cornyn and Reps. Carter and Williams previously introduced similar legislation,the Fort Hood Victims and Families Benefits Protection Act, in both 2009 and 2011, andthe Honoring the Fort Hood Heroes Act, in 2013. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2012 Sen. Cruz: NDAA Does Not Protect Our Vital National Security Interest 2014-12-12 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today voted against the National Defense Authorization Act citing several concerns, including an extreme land grab provision and ongoing assistance to Syrian rebels.   “The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act includes a number of problematic provisions, including an extension through 2016 of the program to arm Syrian rebels and an extreme land grab that restricts more than a half-million new acres of property from productive use,” said Sen. Cruz. “This is yet another example of Majority Leader Reid’s legacy of obstruction by not allowing any amendments to be called on this bill.   “Although this legislation contains a number of individual provisions I support, it is fundamentally flawed in that it neither protects our most basic rights as American citizens, nor safeguards the vital national security interests of the United States. Congress should reject this attempt to exploit our Armed Forces by self-serving politicians. The NDAA should serve to strengthen our national security and it is imperative that Congress respects and upholds this vital function. The men and women of our military deserve no less.”   Areas of concern in the bill include: No prohibition on indefinite detention of citizens and lawful permanent residents. No prohibition on funds used to transfer Guantanamo detainees to Yemen. Extended authorization through 2016 to train and equip Syrian rebels. Public land package which would increase the deficit by $82 million and restrict more than a half million new acres of land.   ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://gohmert.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398154 Gohmert Joins Texas Delegation in Support of Texas Lawsuit Against Executive Amnesty Action 2014-12-11 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Louie Gohmert G000552 gohmert.house.gov     legacy Gohmert Joins Texas Delegation in Support of Texas’ Lawsuit Against Executive Amnesty Action f t # e Washington, December 11, 2014 Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01), along with Republican Members of the Texas Delegation, sent a letter of support to Governor Rick Perry and Governor Elect Greg Abbott regarding Texas’ lawsuit against Obama’s executive action amnesty. “President Obama adamantly stated at least 22 times over the past six years that he could not create his own immigration law. However, the week before Thanksgiving, our Commander- in- Chief issued what amounts to a royal decree, which pretends to legalize approximately 5 million people who entered the United States unlawfully,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert. “Now is not the time to surrender. Texas has been and still is on the front lines in the battle of combating illegal immigration, and the federal government has done little to help the massive influx of unlawful crossings and chaos on the southern border. It is more than encouraging seeing the state of Texas take a stand against this unconstitutional monarchical order from President Obama.” # # # Click the links to view the letters sent to Governor Rick Perry and Governor Elect Greg Abbott. f t # e 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://lamarsmith.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/smith-statement-on-omnibus-appropriations-bill Smith Statement on Omnibus Appropriations Bill 2014-12-11 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Lamar Smith S000583 lamarsmith.house.gov     legacy Washington, D.C.  – Congressman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) released the following statement today after voting against passage of a $1 trillion omnibus appropriations bill. Congressman Smith: “Like many of my colleagues, I would have preferred a bill that reduces spending, blocks the president’s unconstitutional executive orders granting amnesty, and increases border security. “Unfortunately, the bill before the House today did not meet these criteria and therefore I could not support it. “In the last election, the American people rejected the policies of this administration and the Democratic lock-down in the Senate. I look forward to the new Congress when we will be able to work on legislation that expands our economy, gets rid of the red tape that burdens American families, and secures our borders. I will continue working to put a stop to the president’s amnesty that punishes American workers and undermines our rule of law.” ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://poe.house.gov/press-releases?ID=95649CC6-781F-4729-BC50-F94C8F2B9E71 POE VOTES AGAINST CROMNIBUS, OPPOSES FUNDING PRESIDENTS UNCONSTITUTIONAL IMMIGRATION ACTION 2014-12-11 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Poe P000592 poe.house.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, D.C.Today, Congressman Ted Poe (TX-02) issued the following statement on the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (the so-called CRomnibus).Today the House voted on a continuing resolution to fund the government through September. While there are many important provisions that were included in this appropriations package, such as cutting the IRSs budget and supporting our ally, Israel, I could not support a bill that included funding for the Presidents illegal and unconstitutional action: granting legal status to millions of people without the consent of Congress. This bill gave the President the rubber stamp he needed to fund his executive amnesty, and I could never support that. Before each vote Congress takes, there is always a procedural vote to establish the rules for debate for both sides. Today, I voted yes on the rule for this appropriations bill. Why? Because a vote against the rule would have been a vote to block debate on this legislation. I believe this bill needed to be debated out in the open for the American people to see and for the American people to know where their representatives stood. Hiding behind a procedural vote is an easy way for politicians to not let people know where they really stand. I have been opposed to this bill from the start and welcomed the chance to debate it and vote against it. ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://samjohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397614 Sam Johnson Opposes "Cromnibus" 2014-12-11 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Sam Johnson J000174 samjohnson.house.gov     legacy Sam Johnson Opposes "Cromnibus" Vows to Continue Fighting Executive Amnesty f t # e Washington, December 11, 2014 Washington, D.C. – On behalf of Collin County constituents and in keeping with his conservative voting record, U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson voted against H.R. 83, The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 – also known as the “Cromnibus.” The bill passed 219-206. “Today I voted against the so-called ‘Cromnibus’ because it spends too much and does nothing to stop the President’s executive action that grants amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants,” said Johnson. “The good folks of Collin County, as well as the majority of Americans, have spoken loud and clear – stop Obama’s amnesty for illegals.” “Despite the fact that this bill passed, my constituents can rest assured knowing that I will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them in fighting against the President’s lawless amnesty.” f t # e 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sessions.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=4339BF76-7F72-4439-B571-3C1C127DCABF Sessions: House Passes Government Funding Bill 2014-12-11 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Pete Sessions S000250 sessions.house.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S Congressman Pete Sessions, Chairman of the House Committee on Rules, joined Co-Chairs of the Job Corps Caucus Congressman Lou Barletta and Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., in addition to 118 Members of Congress in sending a letter to the Department of Labor requesting a reevaluation of their proposed cuts to the Job Corps Program. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://williams.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/williams-votes-to-prevent-funding-presidents-amnesty-orders Williams votes to prevent funding President's amnesty orders 2014-12-11 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Roger Williams W000816 williams.house.gov     legacy Congressman Roger Williams (TX-25) issued the following statement after the House voted to pass the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015.   “Two weeks ago, I pledged to do everything in my power to prevent President Obama’s unlawful actions that would grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants in the United States.  Today’s bill not only does nothing to thwart the President’s unilateral actions, it provides full funding for them. My constituents are outraged by the Administration’s neglect of our border and disregard for enforcing our current laws. While there are many good provisions in this bill, I cannot allow President Obama to receive funding to usurp Congress and implement his amnesty-driven agenda.   Fully securing our border needs to be a top priority, and we can’t afford to take this huge step backwards.”   # # # 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://conaway.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397893 Congressman Conaways Statement on His Vote Against the Fiscal Year 2015 Spending Bill 2014-12-11 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX K. Conaway C001062 conaway.house.gov     legacy Congressman Conaway's Statement on His Vote Against the Fiscal Year 2015 Spending Bill f t # e Washington, December 11, 2014 Congressman K. Michael Conaway (R-Texas) issued the following statement regarding his vote against the Fiscal Year 2015 Spending Bill: This was a flawed bill which I opposed for a multitude of reasons including the fact that it did not include restrictive language that would have hindered the President's amnesty plan. I look forward to continuing the House's fight against the plan. I have a commitment from our Republican leadership that this process will begin in mid-January. By that time, we will have a Republican controlled Senate. It will still be a challenge to reverse the President's executive order, but my Republican colleagues and I will not give up this fight. There were a lot of good things in the bill such as cutting millions of dollars from the EPA and IRS budgets and cutting EPA staffing back to 1989 levels, but unfortunately the problems with the bill outweighed the good. These fiscally conservative provisions are indicative of the work we will do in the 114th Congress. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://kevinbrady.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398683 House Slashes IRS & EPA Funding, Fully Funds Troops During Wartime 2014-12-11 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Kevin Brady B000755 kevinbrady.house.gov     legacy This is all about a unified Republican Congress challenging the President s immigration amnesty early next year on our turf, under our rules. This gives us a much better shot at ending it, share: f t Washington, DC In an effort to stop the Presidents executive actions granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, House Republicans today passed legislation which provides only three months of funding for the Department of Homeland Security, setting up a fight with President Obama over his controversial immigration amnesty for early next year. This is all about a unified Republican Congress challenging the President s immigration amnesty early next year on our turf, under our rules. This gives us a much better shot at ending it, said Texas Republican Kevin Brady. The House has already passed two laws stopping the President from offering executive amnesty but the Democratic-led Senate refuses to take them up. Separating Homeland Security funding sidesteps the Presidents government shutdown trap next year. The bill strongly opposed by liberal lawmakers like Nancy Pelosi and Elizabeth Warren - shrinks the operating budget of the federal government to 2009 levels and maintains most of the sequester cuts while restoring necessary funding to Americas military men and women in the ongoing war on terror. Nine stable months of funding for our military during wartime is essential, while a short-term funding bill would be harmful to our troops and make it more difficult to stop the Presidents executive amnesty, continued Brady. Were slashing the EPA staffing levels to the smallest in 25 years and cutting the IRS budget to protect Americans from their political agendas and economic damage. The bill blocks funding for the Presidents Affordable Care Act, as well as ObamaCare taxpayer bailout for the insurance companies. Were giving our hardworking troops a much-needed pay raise and making sure they have the resources to face the ever-growing terrorist threat of I… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://marchant.house.gov/2014/12/11/marchant-opposes-1-1t-cromnibus-spending-bill/ Marchant Opposes $1.1T Cromnibus Spending Bill 2014-12-11 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Kenny Marchant M001158 marchant.house.gov     legacy Marchant Opposes $1.1T “Cromnibus” Spending Bill U.S. Congressman Kenny Marchant (TX-24) issued the following statement after voting in opposition to the $1.1 trillion “cromnibus” spending package: “I voted against the $1.1 trillion ‘cromnibus’ spending bill because it is a continuation of the same business as usual in Washington that Americans have so clearly rejected. The bill fails to strip the president of the funding needed to move forward with his unilateral amnesty. It also lets the same Senate the American people just voted out cement their misguided spending priorities into the budget for another year. “Like the people of my district, I believe the House should have passed a short-term continuing resolution that defunded the president’s amnesty and allowed the new, Republican-led Congress to start with a clean slate in January. Unfortunately, this is not what we got. I will continue fighting for Congress to stop the budget gimmicks and start using its power of the purse to restore fiscal accountability and rein in the president’s overreach. Such a powerful tool must be used far more responsibly.” ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20141228101125/http://www.cornyn.senate.gov:80/public/index.cfm?p=NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=2239d335-3f4e-453c-be5e-1b911afb4e09 Cornyn: One Step Closer to Justice for Fort Hood Victims 2014-12-11 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Cornyn C001056 web.archive.org     legacy WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) spoke on the Senate floor today on a provision in the FY2015 Defense Authorization bill making victims of the November 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood eligible to receive the Purple Heart. Sen. Cornyn’s full speech can be seen here, and excerpts are below.  “Shortly after the attack, it became clear that Hasan was motivated by the same poisonous ideology that spurred the attacks on September the 11, 2001.  In other words, this was an act of domestic terrorism. Yet, due to the narrow and outdated definition of quote ‘international terrorism,’ the Fort Hood victims have not been awarded the same medals and recognition as other military victims of terrorism. “When our men and women in uniform come under hostile fire from a terrorist, they and their families should receive the full honors and the full recognition and the benefits that accompany such courageous service.  That's why I've authored legislation here in the Senate making these victims of the November 2009 attack at Fort Hood eligible to receive the Purple Heart or the civilian equivalent. “Let me just say the close-knit community at Fort Hood has endured great loss in recent years and I'm pleased we're now just one step closer to delivering this important piece of justice to the victims and their families, and it's my hope that once the Defense Authorization bill clears this chamber that the President will act quickly in signing this legislation into law because any further delay is a continuing injustice to all of the victims from that day and indeed all of the good people at Fort Hood.” 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://weber.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=145 Weber Votes Against Funding the President's Executive Amnesty 2014-12-11 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Randy Weber W000814 weber.house.gov     legacy Weber Votes Against Funding the President's Executive Amnesty f t # e Washington, DC, December 11, 2014 Today, the House of Representatives voted on the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act. The legislation passed by a vote of 219 to 206 and now goes to the Senate for a vote. Representative Randy Weber (R-Friendswood) made the following statement: If I had voted for thisCromnibus, it would have been a vote to fund the President's executive amnesty. I could not in good conscious vote for a bill that would allow this President to act unilaterally and give him another chance to circumvent Congress and our Constitution. ### f t # e 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/content/cornyn-one-step-closer-justice-fort-hood-victims Cornyn: One Step Closer to Justice for Fort Hood Victims 2014-12-11 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Cornyn C001056 www.cornyn.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTONU.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) spoke on the Senate floor today on a provision in the FY2015 Defense Authorization bill making victims of the November 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood eligible to receive the Purple Heart. Sen. Cornyn's full speech can be seenhere, and excerpts are below.Shortly after the attack, it became clear that Hasan was motivated by the same poisonous ideology that spurred the attacks on September the 11, 2001. In other words, this was an act of domestic terrorism. Yet, due to the narrow and outdated definition of quote international terrorism,' the Fort Hood victims have not been awarded the same medals and recognition as other military victims of terrorism.When our men and women in uniform come under hostile fire from a terrorist, they and their families should receive the full honors and the full recognition and the benefits that accompany such courageous service. That's why I've authored legislation here in the Senate making these victims of the November 2009 attack at Fort Hood eligible to receive the Purple Heart or the civilian equivalent.Let me just say the close-knit community at Fort Hood has endured great loss in recent years and I'm pleased we're now just one step closer to delivering this important piece of justice to the victims and their families, and it's my hope that once the Defense Authorization bill clears this chamber that the President will act quickly in signing this legislation into law because any further delay is a continuing injustice to all of the victims from that day and indeed all of the good people at Fort Hood. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=2011 Sen. Cruz: Congress Stands with Israel Against Hamas 2014-12-11 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Senate resolution co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, to condemn the use of civilians as human shields by the terrorist group, Hamas.   “This week Republicans and Democrats from both the House and Senate have sent an unequivocal message to the world: we uphold Israel’s right to self-defense and condemn Hamas’ barbaric use of civilians as human shields. It is unconscionable that Israel, which goes to extraordinary lengths to prevent civilian casualties, is singled out for condemnation by the United Nations while Hamas’ vicious, cruel actions are ignored,” said Sen. Cruz.   “I thank my colleagues in both chambers for their support of Israel, and I hope that leaders around the world will unite with Congress and denounce Hamas’ acts of terror.”   Sen. Cruz's resolution: Strongly condemns the use of innocent civilians as human shields; Calls on the international community to recognize and condemn Hamas’ use of human shields; Places responsibility for the rocket attacks against Israel on Hamas and other terrorist organizations, such as Palestine Islamic Jihad; Supports the sovereign right of the Government of Israel to defend its territory and its citizens from Hamas’ rocket attacks, kidnapping attempts and the use of tunnels and other means to carry out attacks against Israel; Expresses condolences to the families of the innocent victims on both sides of the conflict; Supports Palestinian civilians who reject Hamas and all forms of terrorism and violence, desiring to live in peace with their Israeli neighbors; Supports efforts to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, removing Hamas’ means to target Israel, including its use of tunnels, rockets, and other means; and Condemns the United Nations Human Rights Council’s biased resolution establishing a commission of inquiry into Israel’s Gaza operations.   ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sessions.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=6DAFB3B3-4D5F-46A3-AC08-4391DBDF4F00 Pete Sessions Applauds Passage of TRIA 2014-12-10 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Pete Sessions S000250 sessions.house.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S Congressman Pete Sessions, Chairman of the House Committee on Rules, joined Co-Chairs of the Job Corps Caucus Congressman Lou Barletta and Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., in addition to 118 Members of Congress in sending a letter to the Department of Labor requesting a reevaluation of their proposed cuts to the Job Corps Program. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sessions.house.gov/index.cfm/resources?ContentRecord_id=FF4C24C7-7394-4129-82A7-E1692B8F2166 Congressional Research Service Report on the President's Executive Action 2014-12-10 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Pete Sessions S000250 sessions.house.gov     legacy This Saturday, June 27th, I was pleased to hold a Town Hall Meeting in Garland and discuss important issues facing our nation, including the positive impact of trade in Texas, Republicans work to balance the budget and cut unnecessary spending, and my efforts to fight against the Obama Administration's continued abuse of executive authority. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=ab5a0349-3857-4fce-a00d-df0fad0dc3d3 Senate Approves Cornyn-Flores Bill To Name Waco VA Medical Center After WWII Hero Doris Miller 2014-12-10 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Cornyn C001056 www.cornyn.senate.gov     legacy Washington, DC Office 517 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 Main: 202-224-2934 Get Directions Southeast Texas: 5300 Memorial Drive Suite 980 Houston, TX 77007 Main: 713-572-3337 Fax: 713-572-3777 Get Directions South Texas: 222 East Van Buren Suite 404 Harlingen, TX 78550 Main: 956-423-0162 Fax: 956-423-0193 Get Directions West Texas: Wells Fargo Center 1500 Broadway, Suite 1230 Lubbock, TX 79401 Main: 806-472-7533 Fax: 806-472-7536 Get Directions South Central Texas: 600 Navarro Suite 210 San Antonio, TX 78205 Main: 210-224-7485 Fax: 210-224-8569 Get Directions … 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://mccaul.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/mccaul-introduces-bill-to-shield-texans-from-tax-on-christmas-trees McCaul Introduces Bill to Shield Texans from Tax on Christmas Trees 2014-12-10 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Michael McCaul M001157 mccaul.house.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX) introduced the Christmas Tree Tax Exclusion Act, which would exclude choose and cut Christmas tree producers, like the Elgin CHRISTmas Tree Farm in Texas' 10th congressional district, from a new Obama Administration tax on Christmas trees. McCaul: The Christmas tree tax should have never been implemented in the first place, said McCaul. Small producers, like Marc Nash of the Elgin CHRISTmas Tree Farm in my district, shouldn't be forced to tax their customers to pay for big agribusiness producers to market their products. While I support a full repeal of this misguided tax, I hope Congress can at least agree to exempt small choose and cut producers who sell directly to the final consumer. The Christmas tree tax was first concocted by the Obama Administration in November 2010, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a regulation establishing a program for large-size Christmas tree producers to tax consumer for the purpose of marketing their trees. The Administration suspended the implementation of the regulation after a public backlash, only to see the regulation quietly revived in the 2014 Farm Bill. An amendment offered in the House of Representatives by Representative Jackie Walorski (R-IN), and supported by Representative McCaul, would have blocked the tax from going into effect, but it was narrowly defeated. No similar vote was taken in the Senate. ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/content/senate-approves-cornyn-flores-bill-name-waco-va-medical-center-after-wwii-hero-doris-miller Senate Approves Cornyn-Flores Bill To Name Waco VA Medical Center After WWII Hero Doris Miller 2014-12-10 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Cornyn C001056 www.cornyn.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTONThe U.S. Senate has unanimously approved legislation sponsored in the Senate by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and in the House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Bill Flores, R-Waco, that would rename theWaco Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center after local World War II hero, Petty Officer Doris Miller.Petty Officer Miller distinguished himself with his bravery aboard theWest Virginiaduring the attack on Pearl Harbor. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Miller was collecting laundry when the first bombs attacked the West Virginia. Miller went to the main deck and began carrying wounded fellow sailors to greater safety. Though African American sailors were not given the gunnery training received by white sailors, Miller began manning an unattended .50 caliber Browning anti-aircraft machine gun until he ran out of ammunition and was ordered to abandon ship.He later recalled, It wasn't hard. I just pulled the trigger and she worked fine. I had watched the others with these guns. I guess I fired her for about fifteen minutes. Two years later Miller made the ultimate sacrifice aboard theLiscome Bayduring the Battle of Makin Island.He was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross. Naming the Waco VA Medical Center after Doris Miller is a fitting tribute to Waco's native son and one of the first African American heroes of World War II. Petty Officer Miller broke past racial barriers to answer the call of duty and demonstrate tremendous bravery on a day that would change the course of American history forever. He is a true Texas hero, and it is my pleasure to join Congressman Flores in this worthy effort, Sen. Cornyn said.Doris Miller is a great American hero and a distinguished Central Texan who went beyond the call of duty for both his country and fellow man. It is symbolic that the Senate has passed our bill to honor him within a few days of the 73rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. I look forward to finalizing this tribute to honor the heroism that Doris Miller showed during the day t… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=1991 Newsmax: Ted Cruz: School Choice Is 'Most Compelling Civil Rights Issue' 2014-12-10 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy School choice is "the most compelling civil rights issue of the 21st century," said Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz. The potential 2016 presidential candidate spoke out about the issue during a Senate hearing on community policing that had been scheduled following the protests surrounding the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, CNN reported. "When it comes to civil rights, I think there is no civil right more important than the right of every child to access a quality education," Cruz said, according to CNN. "And in my view, the most compelling civil rights issue of the 21st century is the need to expand school choice and educational options so that every child, regardless of race...has a fair opportunity to receive an excellent education." Cruz said he will focus on the issue when he takes up the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on the Constitution. Read More 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=1989 Senate Unites to Denounce Hamas and Support Israel 2014-12-10 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC -- A resolution co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia unanimously passed the Senate yesterday to condemn the use of civilians as human shields by the terrorist group, Hamas. "The Senate has sent a united signal that we denounce Hamas' barbaric tactics and unequivocally support Israel's right to self-defense," said Sen. Cruz. "Even though Republicans and Democrats may be divided on many issues, there should be no daylight between us when it comes to standing up to radical Islamic terrorists including Hamas. I hope the international community will join America in condemning their deplorable use of human shields, which is a war crime. I thank my colleagues for their affirmation of our unshakable bond with the nation of Israel. We look forward to the passage of this resolution in the House or Representatives, where it has been led by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Florida and Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Florida and has 102 co-sponsors." Sen. Cruz's resolution: Strongly condemns the use of innocent civilians as human shields; Calls on the international community to recognize and condemn Hamas' use of human shields; Places responsibility for the rocket attacks against Israel on Hamas and other terrorist organizations, such as Palestine Islamic Jihad; Supports the sovereign right of the Government of Israel to defend its territory and its citizens from Hamas' rocket attacks, kidnapping attempts and the use of tunnels and other means to carry out attacks against Israel; Expresses condolences to the families of the innocent victims on both sides of the conflict; Supports Palestinian civilians who reject Hamas and all forms of terrorism and violence, desiring to live in peace with their Israeli neighbors; Supports efforts to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, removing Hamas' means to target Israel, including its use of tunnels, rockets, and other means; and Condemns the United Nations Human Rights Council's biased resolution establishing a com… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=video&id=2018 Sen. Ted Cruz Q&A in Judiciary Committee on President Obama's Amnesty 2014-12-10 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy Central TX (512) 916-5834 300 E 8th Suite 961 Austin, TX 78701 Email North TX (214) 599-8749 Lee Park Tower II 3626 N. Hall St. Suite 410 Dallas, TX 75219 Email Southeast TX (713) 718-3057 808 Travis Street Suite 1420 Houston, TX 77002 Email South/Cen. TX (210) 340-2885 9901 IH-10W Suite 950 San Antonio, TX 78230 Email East TX (903) 593-5130305 S. Broadway Suite 501 Tyler, TX 75702 Email South TX (956) 686-7339 200 S. 10th St Suite 1603 McAllen, TX 78501 Email Washington, D.C. (202) 224-5922 404 Russell Washington, DC 20510 Contact 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://poe.house.gov/press-releases?ID=AF8EDC11-31DD-40CC-8D76-D868E9265D61 CHAIRMAN POE STATEMENT ON THE SENATE DEMOCRAT CIA REPORT 2014-12-09 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Poe P000592 poe.house.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, D.C.--Every day the intelligence community goes to work to protect Americans. They risk their lives on covert battlefields all around the world to prevent another attack on America. Thanks in part to their efforts, there has not been another attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. Today our enemies are as strong as they have ever been, and we continue to rely on the CIA and the intelligence community to keep us safe. Unfortunately, in their final days in power, Senate Democrats are suddenly releasing a report that criticizes the CIA and focuses exclusively on Bush-era interrogation methods six years after President Bush left office.Why now? There is no question that the release of this report is politically-motivated, self-serving and legacy-driven. The release of todays report will not make Americans safer. What it will do is almost certainly put our citizens and service-members around the world in even greater danger. The terrorists will use this report as justification for murdering Americans and as enticement to recruit more terrorists. The enemies that we face behead our citizens abroad and are determined to attack us at home. Now more than ever, we must support, not weaken, the people who have kept us safe for 13 years. Congressman Poe is Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-proliferation & Trade. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20141217200842/http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=e6d959f2-ada4-4c0e-b56b-ee02b03689c3 Cornyn: Democrats Should Thank, Not Vilify, Intelligence Community 2014-12-09 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Cornyn C001056 web.archive.org     legacy WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) issued the following statement today after Democrats on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released their report on enhanced interrogation techniques employed by the nation’s intelligence community: “Today's report is troubling for a variety of reasons, most of which are not found in its pages. Enhanced interrogation techniques employed by members of our intelligence community saved American lives, and Senate Democrats should thank these brave men and women who worked to protect us – not vilify them. “I cannot think of a greater disservice to our men and women serving in the military and in our intelligence field than to hand terror groups like ISIL another recruiting tool and excuse to target them. Due to the political calculations of some, the American people and our allies across the globe are less safe today than they were before.” 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/content/cornyn-democrats-should-thank-not-vilify-intelligence-community Cornyn: Democrats Should Thank, Not Vilify, Intelligence Community 2014-12-09 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Cornyn C001056 www.cornyn.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) issued the following statement today after Democrats on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released their report on enhanced interrogation techniques employed by the nation's intelligence community:Today's report is troubling for a variety of reasons, most of which are not found in its pages. Enhanced interrogation techniques employed by members of our intelligence community saved American lives, and Senate Democrats should thank these brave men and women who worked to protect us not vilify them.I cannot think of a greater disservice to our men and women serving in the military and in our intelligence field than to hand terror groups like ISIL another recruiting tool and excuse to target them. Due to the political calculations of some, the American people and our allies across the globe are less safe today than they were before. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=2001 CNN: Cruz: School choice is 'most compelling civil rights issue' of the century 2014-12-09 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called school choice "the most compelling civil rights issue of the 21st century" and suggested it will be a significant focus of the Senate Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on the Constitution, civil rights and human rights when he becomes chairman in the new Congress. The potential GOP presidential contender made the remarks during a Senate hearing on community policing, scheduled in the wake of racial protests sparked by the deaths of two unarmed African-American men at the hands of white police officers. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, both African-American, and Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who is Latino, offered testimony during the hearing on the ways in which an uneven application of the law has impacted their respective racial communities. Each Democrat punctuated their testimony with stories of their own encounters with discrimination. But Cruz, in opening remarks before those three panelists spoke, highlighted school choice - a phrase typically used by conservatives to connote the expansion of charter school programs - as a key civil rights issue. "When it comes to civil rights, I think there is no civil right more important than the right of every child to access a quality education," Cruz said. Read More 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=1988 Sen. Cruz: Democrats Scoring Political Points Instead of Keeping America Safe 2014-12-09 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, DC --  U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today issued the following statement regarding the release of a report by Democrats on the U.S. Senate Select Committee for Intelligence:   “Within 48 hours, President Obama has set Guantanamo Bay detainees free, and Senate Democrats have endangered Americans all over the world by releasing classified tactics, which have since rightly been outlawed, used by the intelligence community in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Democrats’ foreign policy – defined by a series of actions designed to appease our enemies and diminish the capability and morale of our military men and women – is profoundly dangerous.   “Every civilized nation agrees that torture is wrong. But today’s partisan report will endanger lives, drive away our allies – who have never been more needed than now – and undermine the ability of our intelligence officers and soldiers to protect our national security. After six years, enough with saying ‘everything is George W. Bush's fault.’ It’s sad that, with all the threats we face across the globe, Senate Democrats are still more interested in scoring political points against the Bush Administration than in working together to keep America safe and our military strong.”  ### 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://carter.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=40&itemid=1956 Soldiers fighting Ebola should be given combat benefits 2014-12-08 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Carter C001051 carter.house.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, D.C. – Texas Congressional members are working to ensure soldiers deployed to Africa will not have to pay taxes while working to stop the spread of Ebola. Operation United Assistance Tax Exclusion Act of 2014(H.R. 5804), a bi-partisan bill, would give tax benefits to Armed Forces battling the spread of Ebola in West Africa. Those benefits would be similar to benefits awarded to soldiers in combat zones. “Our soldiers who are at war fighting to eradicate Ebola are faced with an enemy unlike any other. Instead of bullets, our soldiers are fighting against a deadly invisible disease. This is a dangerous situation for them. I pray each day for their safety and health as they fight this new battle,”said Congressman John Carter.“If the President is going to put our sons and daughters in the middle of this war, then they need the full support of the nation. This bill will ensure our soldiers are taken care of back at home and are provided with the same benefits any combat soldier is afforded.” The bill was written by Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX16) and co-sponsored by Rep. John Carter (R-TX31) and Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX25). Texas Senators, John Cornyn (R-TX)  and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have also written a companion Senate bill. Rep. O’Rourke represents soldiers stationed at Fort Bliss and says, “I propose this bipartisan bill as a way to support Service Members, like those from Fort Bliss, who are taking on the difficult and life-saving assignment to stem the Ebola epidemic in West Africa." “There’s no reason our troops serving in West Africa shouldn’t be granted the same tax benefits as those in active duty combat, and I’m pleased to team up with Sen. Cruz and my colleagues in the House on this important bipartisan effort for Texas military families,” said Senator John Cornyn (R-TX). “Once our armed forces are placed in harm’s way, Congress, and the Commander-in-Chief have a responsibility to support them and to provide security for the families who remain behind while they face danger. The morb… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://poe.house.gov/press-releases?ID=E17D0778-E974-4939-BB8F-4BC26FFC7AE9 Poe, Blumenauer hail House passage of the Water for the World Act 2014-12-08 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Poe P000592 poe.house.gov     legacy Washington, DC Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2901, the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act authored by Congressmen Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Ted Poe (R-TX). The Senate is expected to take action quickly on the bill, sending it to the Presidents desk. Once made law, the Water for the World Act will strengthen and refine the implementation of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act to ensure that water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programming is not only elevated in a way that helps leverage the impact of other development assistance, but that it is targeted to help the worlds poorest, and is more effective, with long-term, sustainable impacts. It is unacceptable that in the year 2014 there are women who are still forced to walk miles to fetch water from polluted rivers infected with waste, parasites and other insects,said Poe.This ought not to be. Water is key to just about every kind of development. If we dont get water right, it doesnt matter how many schools we build or vaccines we pass out. I commend my colleagues in the House on both sides of the aisle for passing this bipartisan bill that will make U.S. water aid more efficient and effective. We have it within our power to fix this and make water a priority in any development discussion- like it should be. Today Congress took one step further towards doing so. Its been almost a decade since we passed the Water for the Poor Act, which has helped millions of people around the world access clean water and sanitation,said Blumenauer.Since then, we have worked nonstop in a purely bipartisan fashion to expand and improve international water aid. Working with my friend, Ted Poe, and dedicated advocates, we have shown that politics stops at water and that Congress can come together to pass meaningful, substantive bills when put aside our differences for the good of the country and the world. The global safe drinking water and sanitation challenge is 100% solvable, saidJohn Oldfield, CEO of WASH Advocates.This pivotal piece of le… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sessions.house.gov/index.cfm/weekly-newsletters?ContentRecord_id=BA655A70-E63A-4B8C-95D1-62A38246363C The Hill Report: Week of December 1 - 5, 2014 2014-12-08 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Pete Sessions S000250 sessions.house.gov     legacy Yesterday Chairman Kevin Brady of the Ways and Means Committee introduced HR 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which represented the first public unveiling of legislation that could lead to tax reform this Congress.   According to the Wall Street Journal, this bill “is, on net, about a $1.5 trillion tax 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://carter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1108 Soldiers fighting Ebola should be given combat benefits 2014-12-08 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John R. Carter C001051 carter.house.gov carter https://carter.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27 scraper Texas Congressional members are working to ensure soldiers deployed to Africa will not have to pay taxes while working to stop the spread of Ebola. Operation United Assistance Tax Exclusion Act of 2014(H.R. 5804), a bi-partisan bill, would give tax benefits to Armed Forces battling the spread of Ebola in West Africa. Those benefits would be similar to benefits awarded to soldiers in combat zones. “Our soldiers who are at war fighting to eradicate Ebola are faced with an enemy unlike any other. Instead of bullets, our soldiers are fighting against a deadly invisible disease. This is a dangerous situation for them. I pray each day for their safety and health as they fight this new battle,”said Congressman John Carter.“If the President is going to put our sons and daughters in the middle of this war, then they need the full support of the nation. This bill will ensure our soldiers are taken care of back at home and are provided with the same benefits any combat soldier is afforded.” The bill was written by Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX16) and co-sponsored by Rep. John Carter (R-TX31) and Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX25). Texas Senators, John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have also written a companion Senate bill. Rep. O’Rourke represents soldiers stationed at Fort Bliss and says, “I propose this bipartisan bill as a way to support Service Members, like those from Fort Bliss, who are taking on the difficult and life-saving assignment to stem the Ebola epidemic in West Africa." “There’s no reason our troops serving in West Africa shouldn’t be granted the same tax benefits as those in active duty combat, and I’m pleased to team up with Sen. Cruz and my colleagues in the House on this important bipartisan effort for Texas military families,” said Senator John Cornyn (R-TX). “Once our armed forces are placed in harm’s way, Congress, and the Commander-in-Chief have a responsibility to support them and to provide security for the families who remain behind while they face danger. The morbidity rate of Ebola poses a substan… 1 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z 2026-06-27T22:44:12Z
https://mccaul.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/mccaul-introduces-bill-to-improve-access-to-potentially-lifesaving-drugs McCaul Introduces Bill to Improve Access to Potentially Lifesaving Drugs for Sick Patients 2014-12-08 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Michael McCaul M001157 mccaul.house.gov     legacy McCaul Introduces Bill to Improve Access to Potentially Lifesaving Drugs for Sick PatientsThe Andrea Sloan CURE Act will reform Compassionate Use laws WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX) introducedH.R. 5805, theAndrea Sloan Compassionate Use Reform and Enhancement (CURE) Act, which would make important reforms to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) expanded access ("compassionate use") program, by ensuring seriously ill patients have the right to know the compassionate use policies of pharmaceutical companies. The bill is named after Andrea Sloan, an Austin resident who died on New Year's Day after being denied access to a potentially lifesaving drugs to treat her seven-year battle with ovarian cancer. The FDA permits patients, on a case-by-case basis, to access treatments still in the development process and outside of the clinical trial setting when certain criteria are met. Recent high profile cases, such as Andrea Sloanand seven-year-old pediatric cancer patient Josh Hardy's requests for access to experimental drugs, and the recent passage of Right to Try laws in several states,cry out for a federal response to reform and enhance the compassionate use program. Upon introduction of the bill, RepresentativeMcCaulsaid, Across the United States, patients with life-threatening conditions are desperate for treatments that hold the potential to save and prolong their lives. In some extreme cases, experimental drugs or devices may be a patient's only hope when FDA-approved treatments are not available and when patients are unable to enroll in a clinical trial. TheAndrea Sloan CURE Actwill give patients and doctors up front information about how to access experimental treatments and provide drug companies more certainty about the compassionate use program. TheAndrea Sloan CURE Actwould: Ensure that pharmaceutical companies have publicly accessible compassionate use policies for drugs treating serious or life-threatening conditions; Dignify patients with an ex… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://olson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/olson-condemns-possible-sanctions-on-close-ally-israel OLSON CONDEMNS POSSIBLE SANCTIONS ON CLOSE ALLY ISRAEL 2014-12-08 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Pete Olson O000168 olson.house.gov     legacy Washington, DC Congressman Pete Olson (R-TX) today strongly condemned reports that President Obama is considering sanctions on America's close friend and ally Israel. "Reports that President Obama is considering sanctions against America's close friend and ally, Israel, have not been denied by the White House,"Rep. Olson said. "This flies in the face of 67 years as staunch allies, and is deeply troubling at a time when President Obama is urging an easing of sanctions against a hostile Iran with nuclear aspirations. It is unfathomable that we would turn our back on such a close ally under constant attack like Israel. I strongly oppose any such action and demand President Obama to reconsider and renew our nation's strong support for our friend and the only existing democracy in the Middle East - Israel." Olson joined Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) and 46 other House colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama demanding clarification on recent reports indicating the Administration is considering imposing sanctions against Israel for constructing homes in East Jerusalem. Text of the letter is below: Dear President Obama: Recent reports suggest that your Administration has held classified meetings over the past several weeks to discuss the possibility of imposing sanctions against Israel for its decision to construct homes in East Jerusalem. We urge you and your Administration to clarify these reports immediately. Israel is one of our strongest allies, and the mere notion that the Administration would unilaterally impose sanctions against Israel is not only unwise, but is extremely worrisome. Such reports send a clear message to our friends and enemies alike that such alliances with the United States government can no longer be unquestionably trusted. Further, at no point in time has Congress given the Administration the authority to sanction Israel. In fact, Congress has continued to show its unwavering support for Israel and has recently taken steps to increase our economic and military cooperation. At a time… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://web.archive.org/web/20141209153516/http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=9f397884-093c-41e1-b95b-0278a691bd7d Senate Passes Cornyn, Leahy FOIA Improvement Act 2014-12-08 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Cornyn C001056 web.archive.org     legacy U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) hailed the Senate’s passage Monday of historic legislation that strengthens the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the nation’s premier open government law. The FOIA Improvement Act of 2014, which was approved unanimously by the Judiciary Committee last month, requires Federal agencies to operate under a “presumption of openness” when considering the release of government information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  This is the same language the President laid out in his historic memorandum in 2009, and which is already being followed by government agencies.  The Leahy-Cornyn bill would make this presumption a permanent fixture in FOIA.  The legislation would not require the disclosure of information that is prohibited from being released, such as classified information. “Maintaining an open government is fundamental to our democracy. The FOIA Improvement Act will help open the government to all Americans by placing an emphasis on openness and transparency, rather than allowing agencies simply to hide behind exemptions,” Leahy and Cornyn said in a joint statement. The Senators added: “With the Senate’s action today, it is critical the House take up and pass the FOIA Improvement Act this week so it can be enacted this year.” The FOIA Improvement Act is supported by more than 70 groups that advocate for government transparency, as well as the Sunshine in Government Initiative.  An outline of the FOIA Improvement Act can be found here, and text of legislation can be found online. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://weber.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=144 Weber Supports Abbott's Decision to Sue Obama 2014-12-08 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Randy Weber W000814 weber.house.gov     legacy Weber Supports Abbott's Decision to Sue Obama f t # e Washington, DC, December 8, 2014 In a letter to current Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the Texas Congressional Delegation showed their support for his decision to challenge President Obama's executive action on amnesty in court. Representative Randy Weber (R-Friendswood) made the following statement: The President has made it clear that he will act unilaterally to further push his liberal agenda. I support the efforts of Governor-Elect Greg Abbott to ensure that Texas and the Constitution are protected against President Obama's dictatorial actions. To read the letter in full, click here. ### f t # e 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/content/senate-passes-cornyn-leahy-foia-improvement-act Senate Passes Cornyn, Leahy FOIA Improvement Act 2014-12-08 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX John Cornyn C001056 www.cornyn.senate.gov     legacy U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) hailed the Senate's passage Monday of historic legislation that strengthens the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the nation's premier open government law.The FOIA Improvement Act of 2014, which wasapproved unanimouslyby the Judiciary Committee last month, requires Federal agencies to operate under a presumption of openness when considering the release of government information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This is the same language the President laid out in his historicmemorandumin 2009, and which is already beingfollowedby government agencies. The Leahy-Cornyn bill would make this presumption a permanent fixture in FOIA. The legislation would not require the disclosure of information that is prohibited from being released, such as classified information.Maintaining an open government is fundamental to our democracy. The FOIA Improvement Act will help open the government to all Americans by placing an emphasis on openness and transparency, rather than allowing agencies simply to hide behind exemptions,Leahy and Cornyn said in a joint statement.The Senators added:With the Senate's action today, it is critical the House take up and pass the FOIA Improvement Act this week so it can be enacted this year.The FOIA Improvement Act is supported by more than70 groupsthat advocate for government transparency, as well as theSunshine in Government Initiative. An outline of the FOIA Improvement Act can be foundhere, and text of legislation can be foundonline. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=2002 Houston Chronicle: Texas Republicans rally around Abbott lawsuit on immmigration 2014-12-08 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy As congressional Republicans look for ways to block President Obama's executive order delaying deportations for millions of undocumented immigrants, Texas' GOP delegation has issued a letter supporting Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's lawsuit challenging the administration move. A letter released Monday carries the signatures of both Texas U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, as well as those of all current Texas Republicans in the House save Mac Thornberry (no word back yet from his office on that). The letter, like the lawsuit filed the the Texas governor-elect, alleges that Obama's unilateral decision "has created an undue burden on the people of the state of Texas." Abbott, who attended a governors' meeting with Obama at the White House on Friday, has tallied the costs at about $100 million. The White House maintains that the people being protected from immediate deportation and allowed to work would be in the country anyways, given the impossibility of deporting all of the estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally. Read More 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=news&id=2003 Houston Chronicle: Texans would give combat tax breaks to soldiers who fight Ebola 2014-12-08 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy A bipartisan group of Texas lawmakers in Washington is introducing legislation that would extend combat tax benefits to troops performing humanitarian services to combat the spread of Ebola in West Africa. The Operation United Assistance Tax Exclusion Act was introduced in the House by El Paso Democrat Beto O'Rourke, along with Texas Republicans John Carter and Roger Williams. Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz filed companion legislation in the Senate, with fellow Texan John Cornyn signing on as a co-sponsor. "The morbidity rate of Ebola poses a substantial danger to those who have been sent to combat it and, for the first time, this risk extends beyond the battlefield and directly threatens the safety of their families," Cruz said. "Congress should give these service members the appropriate recognition and respect for their service in times of grave danger." The bills would compensate members of the armed services who are deployed to fight Ebola, like those from Fort Bliss in El Paso, as if they were sent to any other combat zone. The benefit would be limited to those who are required to undergo a 21-day quarantine. Read More 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=1985 Sen. Cruz Bill to Aid Military Heroes Fighting Ebola Introduced in the House 2014-12-08 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today announced that the Operation United Assistance Tax Exclusion Act, which provides that members of the Armed Forces performing hazardous humanitarian services to combat the spread of Ebola in West Africa shall be entitled to appropriate tax benefits, has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, filed the bipartisan companion legislation, H.R. 5804, in the House and it is co-sponsored by Texas Republican Reps. John Carter and Roger Williams. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has signed on as a co-sponsor of Cruz's Senate bill, S. 2965. "Once our Armed Forces are placed in harm's way, Congress, and the Commander-in-Chief have a responsibility to support them and to provide security for the families who remain behind while they face danger," said Sen. Cruz. "The morbidity rate of Ebola poses a substantial danger to those who have been sent to combat it and, for the first time, this risk extends beyond the battlefield and directly threatens the safety of their families. Congress should give these service members the appropriate recognition and respect for their service in times of grave danger, and I am honored to work with Sen. Cornyn and Reps. O'Rourke, Carter and Williams on this legislation." "There's no reason our troops serving in West Africa shouldn't be granted the same tax benefits as those in active duty combat," said Sen. Cornyn. "I'm pleased to team up with Sen. Cruz and my colleagues in the House on this important bipartisan effort for Texas military families." "I have proposed this bipartisan bill as a way to support Service Members, like those from Fort Bliss, who are taking on the difficult and life-saving assignment to stem the Ebola epidemic in West Africa," said Rep. O'Rourke. "Our soldiers who are at war fighting to eradicate Ebola are faced with an enemy unlike any other. Instead of bullets, our soldiers are fighting against a deadly invisible disease," said Rep. Carter. "This is a dangerous situation for them.… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
https://www.cruz.senate.gov?p=video&id=1986 Stop Obamacare's Incentive to Hire Illegal Immigrants 2014-12-08 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Ted Cruz C001098 www.cruz.senate.gov     legacy Central TX (512) 916-5834 300 E 8th Suite 961 Austin, TX 78701 Email North TX (214) 599-8749 Lee Park Tower II 3626 N. Hall St. Suite 410 Dallas, TX 75219 Email Southeast TX (713) 718-3057 808 Travis Street Suite 1420 Houston, TX 77002 Email South/Cen. TX (210) 340-2885 9901 IH-10W Suite 950 San Antonio, TX 78230 Email East TX (903) 593-5130305 S. Broadway Suite 501 Tyler, TX 75702 Email South TX (956) 686-7339 200 S. 10th St Suite 1603 McAllen, TX 78501 Email Washington, D.C. (202) 224-5922 404 Russell Washington, DC 20510 Contact 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://gohmert.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398152 GOHMERT: Congress must use power of the purse to counter Obama 2014-12-07 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Louie Gohmert G000552 gohmert.house.gov     legacy President Obama adamantly stated at least 22 times over the past six years that he could not create his own immigration law. However, the week before Thanksgiving, our Commander- in- Chief issued what amounts to a royal decree, which pretends to legalize approximately 5 million people who entered the United States unlawfully.Currently, minorities are suffering massive unemployment. So as the gap grows wider between the super rich and the working poor and as middle class wages continue stagnant, this President illegally and unconstitutionally adds another 5 million unauthorized aliens to compete for the sparse jobs which also cause wages to fall further. More than 92 million people of working age have given up even trying to find a job, so they are not counted in the unemployment rates. That ties the all time high record set by President Jimmy Carter. Add 5 million more to that and this President will stand alone by millions in the numbers he caused to hopelessly give up even looking for work. This President’s actions are single-handedly creating a constitutional crisis and hurting the citizens he took an oath to protect and defend. In fact, midterm election exit polling showed that 75 percent of Americans opposed a sweeping executive action and 80 percent rejected giving American jobs to foreign workers. By a large majority, Americans want to see the border secured before any other reforms are done. A majority of Hispanics agree as well. Congress will be able to compromise on many important and needed immigration reforms. But until the border is secured, it is illogical to pass reforms which will require many amnesties in the future while the border remains open. The argument that both Presidents Reagan and Bush issued an executive order regarding amnesty is disingenuous. In fact, their orders were done to carry out a newly passed law of Congress, not to create a new law itself. According to The Migration Policy Institute, Texas has the second most illegal immigrants eligible for Obama’s executive amnesty (743,00… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://gohmert.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398150 Louie Gohmert says GOP leaders abused House procedures to quickly pass flawed defense, immigration bills 2014-12-05 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Louie Gohmert G000552 gohmert.house.gov     legacy Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) on Thursday charged his own Republican leadership with abusing House procedures this week in order to quickly pass a defense bill that no one had time to read, and an immigration bill that was watered down in a way that favors President Barack Obama. Gohmert ran unsuccessfully to be the chair of the House Republican Study Committee, a group that reflects the views of more conservative Republican members. But he said perhaps his loss was fortunate, since it frees him up to criticize GOP leaders when necessary. “Maybe it’s fortunate,” Gohmert said on the House floor. “I’m not the RSC chair, so I’m here to complain about the abuses when they happen by our own leadership.” The huge defense bill authorizes a total of $557.1 billion in spending for fiscal year 2015. As they so often do, this bill passed easily in a bipartisan 300-119 vote on Thursday, and the Senate is expected to take it up next week. But Gohmert said that while he thinks there are many good things in the huge bill, it was only cleared by the House Rules Committee Wednesday night, which meant no one had time to read and understand the bill. “We didn’t have the three days that were originally promised by Republicans,” he said. “I voted no against a process that takes something as important as our national defense, and said, ‘here you go, here’s the whole thing, trust us, vote for it.’ ” “You can’t push a bill this important on us,” he added. “I couldn’t in good conscious vote yes.” In the final vote, 32 Republicans voted against the bill. During the week, many Republicans complained about language in the defense bill that designates hundreds of thousands of acres of land as protected wilderness areas, and creates new national parks. Send. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) have both criticized the House bill for those reasons. The immigration bill that the House passed yesterday would nullify Obama’s executive action on immigration, but it was criticized by many Republicans because it’s a bill the Senate do… 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://gohmert.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398151 GOHMERT: American College Liberals Should Learn from their British Counterparts 2014-12-05 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Louie Gohmert G000552 gohmert.house.gov     legacy As universities in the United States are increasingly discriminating against conservatives and even cancelling invitations to speak, the highest levels of British learning extended invitations to me last week to speak at both Cambridge and Oxford. Speaking engagements at Cambridge, Oxford, and one the most elite female high schools in the U.K. actually followed an invitation to address a joint group from both the House of Lords and the House of Commons in Parliament. Other speaking engagements there included such groups as the Federalist and Henry Jackson Societies. After hearing of even Condoleezza Rice and other conservatives being dis-invited to speak on college campuses, I anticipated that chances were slim in the even more liberal United Kingdom of being allowed an audience. Yet, sure enough, they welcomed me with elegant grace. That does not mean there weren’t some very pointed questions, which I welcomed, and lively debate, but they wanted to discuss and explore rather than persecute the one with whom they disagreed. There was no question that people who extended invitations would hear protestations from people who had read statements taken out of context, distortions or misquotes attributed to me by media that seeks to silence those with whom they disagree. I learned of one specific objection. Yet, all of the invitations for me to speak were very graciously honored and defended as appropriate by allowing different viewpoints. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the left in the U.S. felt the same way?   I was so pleasantly surprised to find intellectual liberals who wanted to collaborate on solutions to the world’s most pressing dilemmas. It was also a bit intriguing to be at Oxford’s ‘New College,’ which is called ‘New’ because it was established in the 1379 making it nearly a couple hundred years newer than the earliest teaching at Oxford. Meeting and speaking at Oxford’s Christ Church College was also amazing where scenes from Harry Potter were filmed and the novel Alice in Wonderland was inspired. … 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://lamarsmith.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/chairman-smith-statement-on-launch-of-orion-spacecraft Chairman Smith Statement on Launch of Orion Spacecraft 2014-12-05 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Lamar Smith S000583 lamarsmith.house.gov     legacy House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today released a statement following the launch of the Orion spacecraft from Cape Canaveral: Chairman Smith: “The Orion launch is a major milestone for U.S. space exploration and our efforts to travel further into our solar system than ever before. That is why I place the highest priority on ensuring NASA remains on budget and on schedule with the Space Launch System (SLS). “I’m extremely committed to the success of NASA’s Orion vehicle and SLS. The Science Committee will once more review the progress of these crucial systems at a hearing next week as part of ongoing oversight responsibilities.” 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z
http://sessions.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=46647B41-D650-47DC-AF23-BF27E8F5EEA9 Pete Sessions Statement on the November Jobs Report 2014-12-05 2014 2014-12 Republican House TX Pete Sessions S000250 sessions.house.gov     legacy WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S Congressman Pete Sessions, Chairman of the House Committee on Rules, joined Co-Chairs of the Job Corps Caucus Congressman Lou Barletta and Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., in addition to 118 Members of Congress in sending a letter to the Department of Labor requesting a reevaluation of their proposed cuts to the Job Corps Program. 1 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z

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   [date_source] TEXT,
   [text] TEXT,
   [has_text] INTEGER,
   [collected_at] TEXT,
   [updated_at] TEXT
);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_date]
    ON [releases] ([date]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_year]
    ON [releases] ([year]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_party]
    ON [releases] ([party]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_chamber]
    ON [releases] ([chamber]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_state]
    ON [releases] ([state]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_bioguide_id]
    ON [releases] ([bioguide_id]);
CREATE INDEX [idx_releases_has_text]
    ON [releases] ([has_text]);
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