Presidential candidate Ted Cruz will head back to the U.S. Senate next week. With his return comes anxiety that he could instigate yet another government shutdown, this time over federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
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
Politics
Showdowns Loom in Congress, and Texans Will Have Starring Roles
When Congress reconvenes next week after its August recess, there are a couple of things you can count on: impassioned debate on domestic and foreign policy, and Texans having major parts in those debates.
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Politics
Among Texas Democrats, No Clear Consensus on Iran Deal
When Texas Democratic House members return to the nation’s capital next week, they will be hit with a firestorm of a debate: the Iran deal.
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Politics
Texans in Congress Again Target Oil Export Ban
The nation’s capital is bracing for a frenetic fall. At best, Congress can expect a four-month legislative slog through everything from Iran to abortion; at worst, the government could shut down. It’s anyone’s guess what that will mean for a renewed push to end the country’s crude oil export ban.
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Politics
Cruz and Cornyn Clash on Senate Floor
In the span of 10 minutes on Sunday afternoon, Texas’ two senators engaged in what was — by Senate standards — a tough exchange on the chamber’s floor.
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Politics
Cruz Calls Senate Majority Leader McConnell a Liar
There are few places in modern life where strict decorum remains like the halls and the floor of the United States Senate. And on Friday morning, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz shattered one of the surest unwritten rules of the upper chamber.
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Politics
Texas Congressional Delegation’s Members Build, Share War Chests
Newly filed federal campaign finance reports telegraph which federal House members are worried about re-election, which are eager to ingratiate themselves to colleagues in Washington and who might be in legal trouble.
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Politics
Ghost of Export-Import Bank Haunts Highway Bill
Two weeks after it was supposedly killed, the federal Export-Import Bank may soon be resuscitated by tagging its future to a massive highway funding bill. The congressional gamesmanship has conservatives vowing to kill the bank for good.
Posted in
Energy
Texas Members of Congress Spar Over Crude Oil Export Ban
Texas Congressmen Gene Green and Joe Barton went head-to-head Thursday on a bill that would lift a 40-year-old ban on crude oil exports.
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Politics
Hitting “Washington Cartel,” Cruz Conjures New Foil
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is opening a new front in his war of words against Washington, D.C., decrying a “Washington cartel” replete with corruption and cronyism.