Gohmert, 66, said in a televised interview that he wonders if he may have caught the virus from wearing his mask. Medical experts, however, overwhelmingly recommend masks as a means of preventing the virus.
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.
Posted in
Higher Education
Trump administration says it will reject new DACA applications while weighing future of the program
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf said that in response to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, officials are considering whether to fully rescind the program.
Posted in
Demographics
Analysis: A Republican president wants to use the census to dilute the power of Texas, the biggest Republican state
The Trump administration wants to exclude undocumented immigrants from the population counts used to determine seats in Congress, an idea that would cut into the strength of the Texas delegation to Washington, D.C.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
As Congress feuds over unemployment payments, more than 1.6 million jobless Texans are about to lose a $600 weekly benefit
The CARES Act’s $600 weekly unemployment benefit expires in Texas on Saturday, leaving out-of-work Texans in a period of uncertainty as Congress debates what to put in new federal relief legislation.
Posted in
Politics
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accuses U.S. Rep. Roger Williams of joining in on harassment
Williams, an Austin Republican, says he didn’t hear or participate in a heated exchange involving Ocasio-Cortez and a Republican colleague.
Posted in
Demographics
Trump pushes to exclude undocumented immigrants when congressional seats are divvied up next year
If it withstands legal challenges, the memo signed Tuesday by the president could cost Texas several seats in Congress. But it’s unclear what data would be used to parse undocumented immigrants from the overall population counts.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Julián and Joaquin Castro criticize Gov. Greg Abbott for reopening Texas too soon
Julián Castro said Abbott made three consequential mistakes: reopening the state too early, not pushing hard enough to get adequate testing or contact tracing, and banning local officials from requiring masks in the earlier months of the pandemic.
Posted in
Politics
Joaquin Castro to challenge party elders for chair of House Foreign Affairs Committee amid reckoning on foreign policy
The move will pit Castro, a four-term House member and chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, against more senior colleagues in contention for the gavel: Rep. Brad Sherman of California and Rep. Gregory W. Meeks of New York.
Posted in
Texas 2020 Elections
Donald Trump, Ted Cruz back opposing candidates in competitive GOP runoff to replace U.S. Rep. Will Hurd
As early voting got underway, Cruz shook up the TX-23 runoff by endorsing conservative underdog Raul Reyes. Three days later, Trump backed national GOP favorite Tony Gonzales.
Posted in
Politics
China sanctions U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, other officials in retaliation for U.S. sanctions
The move comes after the Trump administration sanctioned Chinese officials last week over alleged human rights abuse against ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.
