The Republican attorney general is starting a tour next week to promote the plan, which would create new housing and healthcare tax write-offs.
Gabby Birenbaum
Gabby Birenbaum is the Washington Correspondent for the Texas Tribune. She covers the Texas congressional delegation and the impact of federal policy on Texas. Gabby previously covered Washington for The Nevada Independent, where she wrote the weekly D.C. Download newsletter and covered the 2024 presidential election and competitive Senate race. Prior to The Nevada Independent, Gabby worked at The Washington Monthly and Vox. Gabby graduated from Northwestern University, where she studied journalism and political science. She is a native of Arlington, Virginia and is based in Washington, DC. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, watching movies and being a long-suffering fan of DC sports teams. Her work is supported by a partnership with Report for America.
Posted in
Congress
John Cornyn’s unmet demands imperil Trump’s U.S. attorney general nomination
Texas’ outgoing senator has insisted on written assurance that President Trump’s “anti-weaponization fund” is dead as a condition for voting to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Ken Paxton’s campaign says he will debate James Talarico in Texas’ U.S. Senate race
Paxton’s campaign said he plans to debate after Talarico challenged him to do so, though it did not commit to a specific host.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Talarico leads Paxton by 5 points in new poll of Texas’ U.S. Senate race
The poll found the Austin Democrat with a commanding lead among independents and a surprising edge with non-college-educated voters, who have consistently favored Republicans.
Posted in
Congress
U.S. House Ethics Committee is investigating GOP Rep. Lance Gooden
The panel did not say why it was looking into the Terrell Republican, noting only that the matter was referred last month by the Office of Congressional Conduct.
Posted in
Congress
Texas Republicans unite behind Iran war funding as U.S. House passes $95 billion spending package
With support from Democrats Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar, the House also passed a bill Wednesday that would ban members of Congress from trading stocks and implement new voter ID requirements.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Millionaires could dominate Texas’ crop of new Congress members
A Texas Tribune analysis found Texas’ incoming U.S. House delegation stands to get wealthier, with a $3.34 million median net worth among the crop of potential new members.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Paxton and Talarico open battle for South Texas with dueling rallies, diverging pitches
Paxton rallied in McAllen while Talarico toured the border this week, offering an early look at how each will vie in the coming months for the Latino voters who swung to Trump in 2024.
Posted in
Houston ICE Shooting
Reports: ICE halting some vehicle stops in wake of Texas, Maine shootings
U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee of Houston said the reported pause was not enough: “A temporary training won’t solve a deeply ingrained problem.”
Posted in
Congress
North Texas Rep. Pat Fallon running to lead GOP on influential House Oversight Committee
Separately, Amarillo Rep. Ronny Jackson is considering a bid for the top Republican spot on the House Armed Services Committee in the next Congress.
