The outgoing president described the groundbreaking legislation as “a disgrace” and suggested he would not immediately sign off on aid for millions of Americans.
Congress
Read the latest Texas Tribune coverage of Congress, from the state’s lawmakers in Washington to key legislation and political debates shaping Texas and the nation.
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Criminal Justice
Trump commutes remaining prison term of former Texas GOP congressman Steve Stockman, who was convicted of misusing charitable funds
President Donald Trump also pardoned former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who were convicted of shooting an unarmed drug smuggler and covering it up in 2006.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Those $600 relief checks could soon be on their way to many Americans
The relief bill, passed Monday night, will reinstate supplemental unemployment benefits of $300 per week and extend eviction protections through the end of January. The legislation also allocates another $284 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas unemployment rate rises to 8.1% in November
The latest unemployment rate will be a crucial data point for the Texas Legislature, which will convene in January.
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Demographics
Beth Van Duyne could be the GOP’s antidote to high-profile progressives when she joins Congress
The former Housing and Urban Development official will be part of the largest group of House Republican women ever elected to Congress in the same year. Van Duyne’s supporters expect she’ll bring her brand of outspoken conservative fire with her to the Capitol.
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Politics
Texas politicians flock to Georgia to aid in fight for U.S. Senate majority
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz; Texas GOP Chairman Allen West; U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston; and former presidential candidate Julián Castro have all traveled to the state — or plan to soon — to campaign in the Jan. 5 runoffs.
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Politics
Defense spending bill named after Texas congressman passes in U.S. House despite Trump’s veto threat
The legislation is named in honor of retiring U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, who is the top Republican of the House Armed Services Committee.
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Criminal Justice
Fourteen U.S. Army leaders fired or suspended at Fort Hood
The shake-ups come in response to an independent review of the base’s command climate and are an effort to correct a yearslong culture of sexual assault and a pattern of violence at the base.
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Texas 2020 Elections
Republicans kept their grip on Texas government in 2020. In 2021, they’ll be able to tighten it.
Because Republicans in the state House and Senate held onto their 20-year majority, they are positioned to further entrench their power until the next redistricting rolls around in 2031.
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Demographics
U.S. Supreme Court leery of Trump’s bid to exclude undocumented immigrants from congressional reapportionment
Outgoing President Donald Trump’s administration wants to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count that determines how many congressional seats each state gets. Texas could lose at least one congressional district under the plan, according to a study.