The latest Congress news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives have raised more than $9 million in the first quarter of this year in advance of the 2012 federal elections. This interactive map visualizes campaign finances by congressional district during the first quarter of 2011. Full Story
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While television and conservative talk radio continue to marginalize his presidential candidacy, unrest and anxiety over the nation’s economic woes festers, and a passionate and energized base of young people supporting him grows. It's long past time to take him seriously. Full Story
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On the day he announced his intention to form a 2012 presidential exploratory committee, Texas congressman Ron Paul, R-Surfside, sparred with Stephen Colbert about the Fed, the debt ceiling and whether he and his sons are the "Libertarian Kennedys." Full Story
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Three years ago I interviewed the apparent 2012 Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate — then a retired lieutenant general hawking a memoir — for Texas Monthly. You can read the nearly 2,700-word Q&A here. Full Story
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At this morning's TribLive conversation, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, was unwilling to distance himself from controversial remarks about Planned Parenthood by his colleague, U.S. Jon Kyl, R-Arizona. Full Story
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To avoid government shutdown, congressional Democrats agreed to repeal an amendment that would have prohibited Texas from using federal funds to replace, rather than supplement, state funding of schools. Full Story
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Not much, unless you're one of the state's 130,000 civilian federal employees — or you’re scrambling to get your taxes done. Full Story
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Texas has the largest GOP delegation in Congress, and those members have high seniority, spots on key committees and seats at the leadership table — evidence, observers say, of the state’s sway inside the Capitol. Full Story
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These maps visualize the number of years members of the U.S. House of Representatives have served, with darker shades representing longer seniority. Full Story
The U.S. Department of State on Tuesday said U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual has agreed to stay in Mexico City to help the two governments organize a transition. Full Story
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A Houston attorney and radio commentator is floating the idea on a Facebook page and a website. No other Democrat can win, he says. Full Story
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Last night, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, appeared on the PBS NewsHour to discuss a controversial hearing over the perceived radicalization of Islamic youth. Full Story
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Exiting Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert has released a lengthy (as in, more than three minutes) video on YouTube explaining why the Republican is running for U.S. Senate. Full Story
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U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Reps. Randy Neugebauer and Sam Johnson are among the most conservative members of Congress, according to National Journal's annual ranking of votes. Full Story
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Not even two months into his first term, U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, is the subject of an ad campaign from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Full Story
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In the latest round of the political feud over $830 million in federal funding, House Republicans, led by U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, passed a bill Saturday that attempts to block the enforcement of the Texas-specific Education Jobs amendment. Full Story
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Surfside, gave a rollicking speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington — one peppered with cheers and jeers. His target? The "bipartisanship" that leads to foreign and financial policies he argues curb the country's liberty. Full Story
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For our latest TribLive conversation, I sat down with the soon-to-be-ex railroad commissioner and declared 2012 U.S. Senate candidate to talk about why he's running, what he thinks of his potential primary opponents and how his campaign will or won't be impacted by his race. Full Story
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The 2012 U.S. Senate candidate on whether he believes climate change exists. Full Story
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The 2012 U.S. Senate candidate discusses whether his race will be a factor in the primary campaign. Full Story
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