The latest Congress news from The Texas Tribune.
"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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Cruz called O'Rourke a hypocrite for supporting taxing businesses for sales across state lines, pointing to a furniture store owned by O'Rourke's mother that was found guilty in 2010 of tax law violations. Full Story
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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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The state law that defines residency requirements is hard to enforce. Full Story
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The new poll comes about a month after the same firm called the race "too close to call." Full Story
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In the high-profile Senate race between incumbent Ted Cruz and challenger Beto O'Rourke, there are numerous ways in which their unique relationships with the Hispanic community have already intersected. Full Story
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This year's surge in women candidates could result in a record high percentage of female representation in Texas’ congressional delegation and the state legislature. But regardless of the outcome in November, Texas women will still fall short of equal representation in their government. Full Story
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Though her primary fight against fellow Democrat Laura Moser drew national attention, Lizzie Fletcher's general election race against U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, is poised to create plenty of buzz as well. Full Story
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