As Congress prepares to begin a new term, most of the Texans returning to the U.S. House will by adjusting to a new reality – either as a member of the majority or the minority for the first time.
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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Politics
Amid standoff over border wall funding, federal government to partly shutter at midnight
Members from both chambers left the U.S. Capitol Friday evening, kicking the negotiations into the weekend. Dozens of agencies will be impacted by the shut down, potentially leaving border patrol agents to work without pay.
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Politics
Report: Feds investigating Southwest Key, migrant shelter operator for thousands of kids in Texas
The Austin-based non-profit has received $1.1 billion in federal funds since the start of 2016 and currently houses 3,644 migrant children at shelters across the state.
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Criminal Justice
Criminal justice overhaul passes U.S. House, heads to Trump for signature
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, pushed the bill, which was inspired in part by reforms made in the Lone Star State.
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Families Divided
U.S. House Democrats call for congressional investigation into Guatemalan child’s death
Lawmakers said they had more questions than answers after touring Border Patrol facilities in New Mexico where a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl was held before her death.
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Congress
U.S. House passes farm bill to relief of Texas farmers, SNAP proponents
Republican Texans in Congress were disappointed the $867 billion package didn’t include stricter work requirements for SNAP recipients. But they cheered passage because the bill provides financial certainty for the state’s farmers.
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Congress
Texas border-area officials could get a funding boost to help ID human remains
The Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act of 2018 would allow border counties to apply for federal grants to help identify bodies of undocumented immigrants.
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Politics
Analysis: These Texas candidates are about to find out what they’ve really won!
The campaigns were long and hard, and now we know the winners. Let’s look at what they’re in for once they take office in 2019.
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Politics
U.S. Rep. Kay Granger tapped to be top Republican member of powerful Appropriations Committee
An influential GOP group voted Thursday to select Granger, the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Texas, to be the party’s ranking member on the budget-writing panel once Democrats take over control of the chamber.
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Politics
With Democrats taking over U.S. House, GOP-heavy Texas delegation could see more retirements
Some close watchers of the Texas congressional delegation expect a rash of retirements ahead of the 2020 elections, in part due to GOP members unhappy with their new minority status in the chamber.
