Under President Donald Trump’s directive, the federal government may only have enough money to pay the enhanced $300 weekly benefits for about five weeks. The extra federal benefit was previously $600 a week.
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
Texas 2020 Elections
In a rare move, Texas Republicans tell President Trump “no” after he calls for delaying the election — something he’s not legally allowed to do
The president does not have the legal authority to move Election Day; that power resides with Congress.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Colleagues feared U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert would catch COVID-19. Sure enough, he did.
Gohmert’s colleagues were afraid the mask-avoiding congressman from Northeast Texas might get infected with the coronavirus. On Wednesday, their fears came true.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, a mask skeptic, tests positive for coronavirus
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.
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.
