U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, whose seat is targeted by Republicans in 2022, says he will not seek reelection
Vela was first elected in 2012 and represents much of the South Texas Gulf Coast. Full Story
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![Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith moderates a discussion with U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, on Monday, Feb. 13, 2017.
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Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
National Republicans say they'll target five U.S. House seats held by Texas Democrats in 2022
The National Republican Congressional Committee announced Wednesday that its initial list of targets includes three representatives from South Texas: Henry Cuellar of Laredo, Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen and Filemon Vela of Brownsville. Full Story
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![The U.S. Capitol. Democratic members of the House prepare articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump in Washingt…]()
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Texas Congressional Democrats urge Gov. Greg Abbott to let Planned Parenthood stay on Medicaid
Their plea comes just days after a state district judge temporarily stopped the state from excluding Planned Parenthood from Medicaid, a government health insurance program for the poor. A hearing is scheduled for later this month. Full Story
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![Information and diagrams inside a medical room at a Planned Parenthood in south Austin on Jan. 14, 2020.]()
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Some Texans in Congress vote through proxies for the first time in American history
Republicans have fought the allowance of proxy voting tooth and nail. They argue that such a move upends the Constitution, and they promise a protracted legal fight. Full Story
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![The U.S. Capitol looms in the background as a woman walks among flags at the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. on May 2…]()
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U.S. Rep Filemon Vela gains reputation in DC as an outspoken lawmaker
Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela called a fellow Texan in Congress a "chicken-shit" in what became his latest clash with another politician. Full Story
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![Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith moderates a discussion with U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, on Monday, Feb. 13, 2017.
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Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
In fight over agriculture funding, U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela calls GOP Texan "a racist Christian pretender"
Vela, a Brownsville Democrat, was firing back after U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Midland, accused Democrats of attempting to "score political points on the back of rural America." Full Story
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![From left, U.S Rep. Mike Conaway, R-TX, and U.S Rep. Filomen Vela, D-TX.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera and Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
"They should respect our opinions": U.S. reps along the Texas-Mexico border serve as ambassadors for their homes
With the focus of Washington on the border, five Texas members of Congress have served as guides for their colleagues and advocates for their constituents. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, is one of the keynote speakers at "Standing Against Fear" hosted by El Paso Interreli…]()
Credit: Briana Sanchez/El Paso Times/USA TODAY NETWORK via REUTERS -
U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela signs letter opposing Nancy Pelosi as House speaker
The Texan joined 15 other members and members-elect in signing the letter, which has complicated Pelosi's bid to return as House speaker. Full Story
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![U.S. Reps. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, and Nancy Pelosi, D-California.]()
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Pelosi's fate up in the air as band of Democrats – including a Texan – push for new speaker
U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela of Brownsville is one of more than a dozen Democrats who claim they have the votes to deprive Nancy Pelosi of another term as House Speaker. They might be right. Full Story
![U.S. Reps. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, and Nancy Pelosi, D-California.]()
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Texas farmers on edge as $430 billion farm bill runs up against deadline
Funding for crucial safety net programs for thousands of Texas farmers expires Sept. 30. Congress has four working days to act. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Midland, and other members of the House Committee on Agriculture visit a wool processing fiber mil…]()
Credit: Austin Price / The Texas Tribune -
With help of two Texas holdouts, lawmakers on cusp of bypassing Paul Ryan and forcing vote on “Dreamers”
The two Texas border Democrats initially withheld their support from a bipartisan effort to force a vote on major immigration legislation. Another Texan, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, remains the lone holdout among House Democrats. Full Story
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Analysis: In Texas elections, there’s power in small numbers
If you think Texas has lousy election turnout, you're right. But if you think the regular numbers are small, just wait and see what happens in the coming runoffs and special elections. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi.]()
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U.S. House committee approves Texan's bill to put $10 billion toward border wall
A congressional committee voted Wednesday to send to the full U.S. House a bill appropriating $10 billion toward building a border wall, but not before some Texas Democrats found ways to mock the proposal. Full Story
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![Ordered under the George W. Bush administration, a controversial and incomplete border wall along the Rio Grande River in So…]()
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Vela on the ICE raids, the border wall, and Beto vs. Joaquin (video)
Full video of Evan Smith's 2/13 conversation with U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela will back Joaquin Castro if he runs for Senate
U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela says he will back U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, should the San Antonio Democrat challenge U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, in Austin for a discussion with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith, on Monday, Feb. 13, 201…]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
At homeland security hearing, McCaul calls Trump's travel ban rollout "problematic"
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, the top House Republican on homeland security issues, strongly criticized the Trump administration Monday for the chaotic rollout last month of a travel ban of mostly Muslim countries. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul at TTEvents discusses presidential candidate Donald Trump on Oct. 25, 2016.]()
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Six of 11 Texas Democrats in Congress skipping Trump inauguration
U.S. Reps. Filemon Vela, Vicente Gonzalez and Sheila Jackson-Lee announced Thursday they were not attending Friday's inauguration. Vela said 40 migrant students from his district were subject to racial slurs from inauguration attendees. Full Story
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![US Congressman Filemon Vela during evening speech at the Texas Democratic Convention on June 17, 2016]()
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The 10 days that defined 2016 for the Texas congressional delegation
From U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's Republican National Convention speech to U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela's letter to Trump, 10 days in 2016 stand out for how they disrupted, empowered or otherwise messed with members of the Texas delegation. Full Story
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Scenes From the Texas Democratic Convention
Scenes from the Texas Democratic Party's convention in San Antonio. Full Story
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![A Democratic convention attendee holds up signs during remarks by U.S. Congressman and convention chair Joaquin Castro, D-Sa…]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Against Backdrop of Trump Rallies, Texas Democrats to Gather
As Donald Trump hosts rallies Thursday and Friday in Dallas and Houston, as many as 10,000 staunch anti-Trump Democrats are expected to gather in San Antonio for the state party's three-day convention. Full Story
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Credit: Jacob Villanueva