Ted Cruz says he will vote against bill to codify same-sex marriage protections
On an episode of his podcast Tuesday, the U.S. senator said the bill would be an attack on religious liberties. Full Story
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![U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, R-TX, leaves a U.S. Senate classified briefing on the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, at Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 3, 2022.]()
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T-Squared: Liz Cheney will close #TribFest22
The Wyoming congresswoman and vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee is the grand finale of this year’s Texas Tribune Festival. With a critical election looming and another one just over the rise, she’ll talk about the state of our democracy in the final conversation of our jam-packed ideas conference. Full Story
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As his district gets redder, Uvalde’s Republican congressman faces heat for votes on guns and gay marriage
Gonzales broke with his party to support sweeping gun safety legislation that passed after the city’s tragedy. He drew backlash from GOP activists again after he voted to protect same-sex marriage. Full Story
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![District 23 Rep. Tony Gonzales speaks with a reporter at a Starbucks in San Antonio on Aug. 24, 2022.]()
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In Texas’ most competitive congressional race, neither candidate is running toward the center
Progressive Democrat Michelle Vallejo and conservative Republican Monica De La Cruz face off in a South Texas district long represented by moderate Democrats. Full Story
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![From left: Monica De La Cruz, District 15 Republican Candidate and Michelle Vallejo, Democratic nominee for Congressional District 15.]()
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Congressional candidate Monica De La Cruz disparaged COVID-19 aid despite taking thousands of dollars for her businesses
Monica De La Cruz runs on a campaign against runaway spending and “socialist” policies, blasting Democratic measures to expand federal assistance amid the pandemic. Full Story
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![Monica De La Cruz, the GOP candidate for Texas CD-15, takes a photo with a supporter in McAllen on July 9, 2022.]()
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U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez and his wife defied property tax law for eight years by claiming two homestead exemptions
In Texas, married couples generally can claim only one such exemption, meant to provide some tax relief on properties considered “principal residences.” Homestead exemptions cannot typically be claimed on commercial properties, second homes or income properties. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, waves to the crowd during the July 4th parade in McAllen in 2017.]()
Credit: Douglas Young for The Texas Tribune -
Louie Gohmert leaves Congress having passed one law and spread countless falsehoods
Gohmert was a precursor to former President Donald Trump’s brand of populist, establishment-bucking conservatism that delights in offending progressives and makes no apologies for spreading misinformation. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, and Republican candidate for Attorney General of the primary elections, talks to a videographer outside of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Dallas on March 1, 2022.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
AP, Texas Tribune and other newsrooms ask court to unseal Henry Cuellar search warrant
The Tribune and a host of news organizations are seeking records related to a January raid on U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar’s Laredo home. Full Story
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![Henry Cuellar GOTV Rally San Antonio, TX May 4th 2022]()
Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Dems uniformly vote for Biden’s cornerstone climate and health care legislation
The bill would invest billions into issues acutely impacting Texas, including climate change and health care, and is the result of months of intraparty fighting between moderates and progressives. Full Story
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![From left: U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin; Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston; and Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.]()
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False allegations of voter fraud in 2020 led to increased threats against Texas election workers
A Texas elections administrator from Tarrant County told a U.S. House committee there was a social media call for his violent death, and election workers nationwide have reported more than 1,000 “hostile contacts” over the past year. Full Story
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![Elections Administrator Heider Garcia pulls up the security cam footage of an election integrity group recounting the votes from the 2020 GOP primary elections at the Tarrant County Elections Administration building in Fort Worth, TX on July 22, 2022. Ballots become public records after 22 months, granting this group access to review the votes from this election, and eventually, the general.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
How a Texas couple led a long crusade and won protections for veterans exposed to toxic fumes
Le Roy and Rosie Torres founded the Burn Pits 360 group that advocated for years for Congress to help veterans suffering from injuries caused by the massive disposal sites on overseas bases. Le Roy came home from Iraq suffering from breathing problems. Full Story
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![Le Roy Torres of Robstown, Texas, pictured on Capitol Hill in June 2022, began developing respiratory problems in 2008 linked to the burn pits at his Army base in Iraq. He and his wife, Rosie, founded the advocacy group Burn Pits 360 and fought for years for legislation that would guarantee veterans suffering from those toxic fumes would have their illnesses covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.]()
Credit: Michael McAuliff for KHN -
Texas Democrats in Congress balance climate concerns and fossil fuel constituencies as they consider landmark bill
The handful of Texas Democrats who have a penchant for defending the state’s oil and gas industry includes members of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee and representatives from some of the top oil producing, refining and transporting regions of the state. Full Story
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After fierce criticism for delaying landmark veterans bill, Ted Cruz votes to pass it
Cruz drew ire last week for fist bumping another senator who also voted against advancing the bill that will help provide care for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. On Tuesday, he joined Senators in passing the legislation. Full Story
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Bucking other Texas Democrats, Cuellar and Gonzalez vote against U.S. House bill that would ban semi-automatic weapons
The chamber’s attempt to ban semi-automatic weapons after a series of mass shootings appears destined to fail in the Senate. Full Story
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![A Springfield Saint Victor AR-15 rifle is displayed during the National Rifle Association annual convention in Houston on May 27, 2022.]()
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U.S. Senate approves bill containing Texas’ “Ike Dike” coastal protection project
The U.S. Senate voted to authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning for a massive coastal barrier project in Galveston Bay meant to protect against hurricanes’ storm surge. Funding is not yet secured. Full Story
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![MacKenzie Edmundson walks along the shore of Galveston's coast on April 12, 2021.]()
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Dallas landlord made record profits while evading eviction moratoriums, U.S. House committee says
Four corporate landlords, including Dallas-based Invitation Homes, tried to evict thousands of tenants during a federal ban on evictions, according to an investigation by a congressional subcommittee. Full Story
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![An aerial view of the Kelly Village housing complex in Houston on Sept. 16, 2019.]()
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Semiconductor subsidies bill backed by top Texas Republicans passes in U.S. House and heads to Biden for final approval
In spite of strong support among Texas GOP leaders, nearly all Texas House Republicans voted against the bill intended to boost the state’s semiconductor industry. Full Story
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![Workers inside the clean room of U.S. semiconductor manufacturer SkyWater Technology, where computer chips are made, in Bloomington, Minnesota in April, 2022.]()
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Texas Republicans in Congress vote against bill to protect right to contraception
The House passed the measure, but it will have a harder time getting through the evenly divided Senate. Full Story
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![Emergency contraceptives.]()
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Only one Texas Republican in Congress voted to protect marriage equality
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales was the only Texas Republican to vote for a bill seeking to codify the right to same-sex marriage. The measure passed the House, but its fate in the Senate is uncertain. Full Story
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![A protestor waves a pride flag during a protest outside of the G. Brint Ryan College of Business at the University of North Texas in Denton on March 23, 2022.]()
Credit: Emil Lippe for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar arrested outside Supreme Court during protest over Roe reversal
Escobar was part of a demonstration with several other Democratic congresswomen, including high-profile Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.; Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass; all of whom were also arrested. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, votes no on the first article of impeachment against President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 13, 2019.]()
Credit: Patrick Semansky/Pool via REUTERS
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