The latest Congress news from The Texas Tribune.
The family separations crisis quickly emerged as the top issue at the state Democratic biennial convention, fueling anger and enthusiasm as the minority party charges into a general election season determined to push back against Trump and his GOP allies in Texas. Full Story
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The state's Republican senators reaffirmed their commitment to keeping kids with their parents after they cross the border — so long as future immigration policy better deters people from entering the country illegally. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway, who chairs the House Agriculture Committee, has been laying the groundwork for passing the massive piece of legislation known as the farm bill for over a year. Full Story
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As expected, the U.S. House rejected a hard-line immigration measure Thursday afternoon – setting the stage for a vote on a more moderate immigration bill as early as Friday. Full Story
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President Donald Trump has signed an executive order he says will "keep the families together" when they're apprehended illegally crossing the border. But that does little for families who have already been split apart. Full Story
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Republicans in Congress appear closer to reaching a compromise on immigration — and ending family separations at the Texas-Mexico border — after a closed-door meeting with President Donald Trump Tuesday evening. Full Story
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See where statewide elected officials and members of the Texas congressional delegation come down on the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration enforcement policy that separates immigrant kids from their parents. Full Story
"Our government should not be in the business of warehousing children in converted box stores or making plans to place them in tent cities in the desert outside of El Paso," former first lady Laura Bush wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post. Full Story
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Churches, especially in deep-red Texas, often sit out partisan squabbles. But the issue of family separations is not a political one, some faith leaders say — it's a humanitarian and moral crisis. Full Story
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Days after a tent city went up near El Paso, demonstrators near the facility took aim at the Trump administration's policy of separating immigrant children from parents seeking asylum. Full Story
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, defeated late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel in a one-on-one basketball game that tested the patience of both players and spectators. The final score was 11-9. Full Story
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During this week's state Republican Party convention, various speakers took turns praising President Donald Trump. But the bitter race for state party chair and a debate over censures illustrated divisions among Texas Republicans. Full Story
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A center for unaccompanied immigrant minors is up and running in West Texas, just one day after federal officials announced the location, state Rep. César Blanco confirmed to The Texas Tribune on Friday. Full Story
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Republican congressmen from Texas facing tough re-election fights are betting on very different strategies to win over key voters. Full Story
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The late U.S. Rep. Lera Thomas can't be found in the Texas State History Museum. And she's missing from most Texas history textbooks. Her tenure was short — but not without action. Full Story
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Ryan said a draft of a compromise immigration bill that circulated on Capitol Hill late Thursday would end the practice of dividing families detained at the border. Full Story
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The high court's ruling on a Minnesota state law is likely to reverberate in Texas, which has a similar law on the books. Neither state allows voters to wear political garments or accessories in their polling places. Full Story
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Launched in March, the party bills itself as a movement aimed at toppling the two-party system controlling state politics, but it's a for-profit company that got millions in start-up dollars from investors. Will its founder-turned-candidate get enough signatures to get on the ballot with Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke? Full Story
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In a severe blow to moderates’ hopes of forcing action on an issue that has long bedeviled the GOP, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers fell two signatures short of completing a petition that would set up debate on legislation to shield young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Full Story
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Castro said he plans to file legislation after U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley on Sunday was denied access to a Brownsville facility that is housing unaccompanied immigrant children. Full Story
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