Congress

Nearly one week into the federal government shutdown, we begin our weekly 10-song playlist inspired by the latest political news with "Shut Down" by the Beach Boys.

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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is entering his third week on the road in Texas promoting his plan to defund federal health reform. But while the message resonates with his grassroots supporters, it's getting little traction in Congress. 

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With major components of the Affordable Care Act set to take effect in the coming months, Texas' U.S. senators have remained vocal in their calls to defund or dismantle the law.

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Republican voters in Texas still have immigration and border security atop their lists of most important problems facing the state, and their sway over members of the Texas delegation will be noted by political colleagues and potential opponents alike.

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Fixing our immigration system and uniting families is the right thing to do. Sacrificing our border communities and economy by creating one of the most militarized borders in the world — as the U.S. Senate's immigration bill calls for — is not.

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In the wake of a Texas congressman's resignation from the group, the remaining members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus said they have not endorsed a controversial border-enforcement provision of the Senate's immigration overhaul bill. 

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Texas politicians and institutions are getting much better marks from the state’s voters than the president and Congress, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.

 

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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza talked about the rationale for comprehensive immigration reform and the prospects for passage.

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In a rousing closing keynote at the three-day Conservative Political Action Conference, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, warned that "liberty is under assault from every direction.”

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Texas voters remain concerned about the economy and immigration, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. And three out of five Texas voters said the U.S. is on the wrong track.

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With the sequester triggered, now comes the waiting. 

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Your evening reading: two Texas Republicans vote for Violence Against Women Act; state Senate panel approves $1.5 billion for public education; legislators protest security policy at Governor's Mansion

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Ted Cruz has only been Texas’ junior U.S. senator for two months, but he has wasted no time propelling himself into national headlines. On Tuesday, the Tribune sat down with Cruz in Washington to talk about the early days of his new gig.  

 

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Hey, Texplainer: All anyone is talking about right now is sequestration and the harm it might do to our government. How would Texas fare? 

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A proposed federal immigration reform poses a test for Texas Republicans: Their leaders, compared to politicians from other states, tend to be more moderate. But those leaders stand at the front of a GOP that is hostile to some of the proposal's key points.

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UPDATED: The fiscal cliff bill has passed the U.S. House with the support of four Texas Republicans: U.S. Reps. Pete Sessions, Kevin Brady, Mac Thornberry and Lamar Smith. Rep. Ron Paul was the lone member of the Texas delegation who did not vote.

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Some are arguing Sen. John Cornyn is now vulnerable in his race to become the second in command in the US Senate, given the number of key Republican seats lost Tuesday night. Others cite outside factors for the unexpected outcomes. 

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It took the pulse of Texas voters and showed where they rate government and social issues and what they think of Washington and their local representatives. The University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll out last week revealed a few surprises.  

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News flash: Texans aren't big fans of the state government in Austin, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. But if you really want to get their dander up, ask about the government in Washington.

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Democrat Paul Sadler is trying to persuade Texans that it's possible for a long shot to win a general election in Texas. Long shots win sometimes — just look at who Sadler is running against.

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