Congress

Joining her home state Republican colleague, John Cornyn, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will oppose Elena Kagan's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.

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... is Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio — or at least that's what the big spenders at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee seem to think.

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Federal and military officials say Texans needn't worry about 17 Afghan military trainees who disappeared from Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Many of the Afghans, who were studying English, have been located — and they say none of them pose the national security threat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and other lawmakers fear.

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U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, isn't the only Texas congressman making headlines in Washington. Citing a "retired F.B.I. agent" as his source, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, said on the floor of Congress last week that terror cells are plotting to breed future terrorists inside the United States.

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Congressional Republicans — led by members of the Texas delegation — are poised to file a bill lifting Barack Obama’s moratorium on offshore drilling. Ben Philpott filed this report for KUT News and the Tribune.

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On Tuesday, the Federal Election Commission for the first time released detailed records for all congressional candidates' campaign spending. These records tell us who the candidates hire for advertising, consulting, etc., and can often be more interesting to politics junkies than lists of campaign donations. We've made spending by the Texas delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives searchable.

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It's not only rich people and lobbyists and interest group activists who make political contributions. Texas congressional candidates gave at least $1.3 million to other campaigns and causes over the last 15 months, according to itemized records of campaign expenditures released for the first time by the Federal Election Commission. Topping the list of big spenders in the Texas delegation were U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Surfside, who contributed at least $240,000 — the highest dollar amount — and Charlie Gonzalez, D-San Antonio, who gave more than 60 contributions — the highest number. Search our database to see who gave what to whom.

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President Obama and the U.S. Senate haven't yet installed U.S. Attorneys in any of Texas' four federal court districts. As our national map shows, more than half of the country is in the same situation.

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The Port of Houston Authority is poised to make the Lone Star State the top U.S. trade partner with communist Cuba after gaining permission for its container vessels to sail there.

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FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell on why people who use more bandwith should pay more, what he thinks of the recent court decision preventing restrictions on "information service" providers, and more.

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Cut through the routine Republican primary rhetoric about government spending and job creation and a narrative about the new and old guard emerges in the April 13 runoff in Texas' 23rd congressional district.

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A midterm Congressional report released today by the National Latino Congreso asserts Texas’ U.S. House delegation votes against progressive immigration reform proposals 63 percent of the time.

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Is U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison about to break her silence regarding her future?

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U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, produced an upbeat video mea culpa after he yelled "baby killer" on the floor of the U.S. House Sunday night. Check it out.

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Did you miss your Texas lawmaker's floor speech on health care reform yesterday? No fear. C-SPAN's new video library (still in beta) has the video for you.

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Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus sent a firmly-worded letter to members of Congress today, urging them to vote against health care reform in Washington, or, as they dub it, "the federal government's takeover of health care." A vote is expected on Sunday.

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She's their nominee for Congress in Tom DeLay's old district, but Kesha Rogers — who considers health care reform "fascist" and wants Barack Obama impeached — has few friends in the Democratic Party.

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Numbers early Wednesday morning show Will Hurd and Francisco "Quico" Canseco will be competing in an April runoff for the Republican nod in Congressional District 23.

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Ramsey on Flintstone truthers, Thevenot on the explosion of "dual-credit" enrollees and the potential sacking of teachers when student test scores don't measure up, Ramshaw on government-subsidized child care providers with troubled track records, Stiles's enhanced state employee salary app and new dangerous day care app, Aguilar on our commie trading partner and the cost of being undercounted in the next census, Philpott on the legal wrangling over gay divorce and how social media fanned the flames of Debra Medina's 9/11 flap, and our roundup of powderkeg party primaries: Hu in HD-20, M. Smith in CD-23, Ramsey in HD-98, Hamilton in HD-127, Grissom HD-76 and HD-78, and Rapoport in SBOE 5. The best of our best from February 15 to 19, 2010.

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Two lawyers, two doctors and an ex-CIA officer are hoping that discontent with the federal government and anxiety about the economy will propel them to victory against incumbent U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio. But first, they have to win a crowded Republican primary.

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