The latest Congress news from The Texas Tribune.
To avoid government shutdown, congressional Democrats agreed to repeal an amendment that would have prohibited Texas from using federal funds to replace, rather than supplement, state funding of schools. Full Story
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Not much, unless you're one of the state's 130,000 civilian federal employees — or you’re scrambling to get your taxes done. Full Story
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Texas has the largest GOP delegation in Congress, and those members have high seniority, spots on key committees and seats at the leadership table — evidence, observers say, of the state’s sway inside the Capitol. Full Story
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These maps visualize the number of years members of the U.S. House of Representatives have served, with darker shades representing longer seniority. Full Story
The U.S. Department of State on Tuesday said U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual has agreed to stay in Mexico City to help the two governments organize a transition. Full Story
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A Houston attorney and radio commentator is floating the idea on a Facebook page and a website. No other Democrat can win, he says. Full Story
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Last night, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, appeared on the PBS NewsHour to discuss a controversial hearing over the perceived radicalization of Islamic youth. Full Story
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Exiting Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert has released a lengthy (as in, more than three minutes) video on YouTube explaining why the Republican is running for U.S. Senate. Full Story
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U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Reps. Randy Neugebauer and Sam Johnson are among the most conservative members of Congress, according to National Journal's annual ranking of votes. Full Story
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Not even two months into his first term, U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, is the subject of an ad campaign from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Full Story
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In the latest round of the political feud over $830 million in federal funding, House Republicans, led by U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, passed a bill Saturday that attempts to block the enforcement of the Texas-specific Education Jobs amendment. Full Story
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Surfside, gave a rollicking speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington — one peppered with cheers and jeers. His target? The "bipartisanship" that leads to foreign and financial policies he argues curb the country's liberty. Full Story
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The 2012 U.S. Senate candidate discusses whether his race will be a factor in the primary campaign. Full Story
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For our latest TribLive conversation, I sat down with the soon-to-be-ex railroad commissioner and declared 2012 U.S. Senate candidate to talk about why he's running, what he thinks of his potential primary opponents and how his campaign will or won't be impacted by his race. Full Story
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The 2012 U.S. Senate candidate explains the reason he's entered the race — and addresses the question of whether Kay Bailey Hutchison is a consistent conservative. Full Story
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The 2012 U.S. Senate candidate on whether he believes climate change exists. Full Story
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After officially announcing his candidacy for U.S. Senate at our TribLive conversation this morning, Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams took issue with the presumed frontrunner status of his potential GOP primary opponent, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Full Story
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If the race to succeed Kay Bailey Hutchison is over before it begins — if the lieutenant governor and his vast personal wealth have this locked up — why are so many credible candidates saying they'll run? Because they see an opportunity. Full Story
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Republican Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones will officially begin — or revive, rather — her campaign to replace U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison on Tuesday. Full Story
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What happens if Gov. Rick Perry or Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst decide to run for federal office and win, creating a vacancy — or two — in Texas? That sound you hear is a herd of GOP pols rushing to update their resumes. Full Story
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