The U.S. State Department has sent letters to Americans rescued abroad during the pandemic asking for repayment for the repatriation flights and threatening to withhold tax refunds or social security payments if the debt goes unpaid for months.
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.
A handful of battleground races in Texas remain unsettled days after Election Day
Candidates have not yet conceded in at least three contests for state House, saying they want to see more ballots come in.
What to expect as Texas heads to the U.S. Supreme Court in bid to overturn the Affordable Care Act
On Tuesday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a Texas-led challenge to the landmark health law.
Texas 2020 elections: 815 Texas mail-in ballots recovered and sent to counties in USPS sweep
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan earlier Wednesday ordered the agency to conduct two sweeps of processing facilities in the state for returned mail-in ballots that were postmarked by Tuesday.
Texas Republicans fighting off Democrats in battleground congressional races
Several Republican wins in U.S. House races came near the end of an election cycle in which Texas was the centerpiece of a Democratic offensive.
Texas Republicans decline to condemn President Trump’s premature declaration of victory while votes are still being counted
Texas’ top Republican congressional leaders are mostly staying silent after President Donald Trump prematurely and falsely declared victory early Wednesday morning as votes continue to be counted in multiple battleground states, including Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
President Donald Trump wins Texas, Republican John Cornyn wins another Senate term
Texans were poised to set a record for voter turnout with Tuesday’s election. Voters cast ballots in a litany of races, from president and U.S. Senate to seats in the Texas House.
John Cornyn defeats MJ Hegar to retain U.S. Senate seat
Hegar called Cornyn and conceded within minutes of the race being called, according to both campaigns. Cornyn gave a victory speech shortly after 9 p.m.
At the center of many Texas congressional battles: Who will protect preexisting conditions rules?
Many members of both parties say they want to preserve protections for people with preexisting conditions, though Democrats say Republicans are being disingenuous about the issue.
Chip Roy and Wendy Davis go down to the wire in a tight TX-21 race that has Texas’ full attention
Roy, the Republican incumbent, and Davis, the Democratic challenger, share very little in common politically, but they each have a passionate following and an ardent group of opponents.

