The latest Texas congressional delegation news from The Texas Tribune.
There's no way that conservative Republicans in Texas could forge strong friendships with New York Democrats, right? Think again. Several members of the Texas delegation share some unexpected across-the-aisle friendships on Capitol Hill. Full Story
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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. Full Story
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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. Full Story
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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. Full Story
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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. Full Story
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Federal judges are deciding two major Texas election law cases. One in particular — over the political maps for state House and congressional districts — has officials thinking about 2012, when the courts delayed the primary elections. Full Story
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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. Full Story
Texas Republicans who grouse that the federal government doesn’t enforce immigration laws might soon have Congress to thank for beefing up enforcement at the state and local levels. Full Story
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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. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, the dean of the Texas congressional contingent, has become the first in the delegation to endorse former Gov. Rick Perry's presidential bid. Full Story
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Middle ground is arguably the most dangerous turf for a Texas lawmaker to occupy these days, and new research shows that none are doing it. The gap between moderate Republican and Democratic lawmakers is growing. Full Story
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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. Full Story
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz indicated Wednesday that he was prepared to filibuster one of Congress’ largest pieces of legislation if his colleagues attached a reauthorization for the Export-Import Bank to it. Full Story
Former U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego raised $224,000 in his first three months as a 2016 House candidate, according to his campaign. He's well behind U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, who raised $458,000 in the same period. Full Story
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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. Full Story
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Chaos engulfed the U.S. Capitol on Thursday as House Republicans and Democrats clashed over where the Confederate battle flag can and cannot be displayed. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-San Antonio, had a healthy second-quarter campaign fundraising haul, reporting a total of $458,000 raised from April to June. Full Story
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Not all of the pieces are in place as the new political season begins. For starters, the maps used to elect people to the Texas House and to the state's congressional delegation are still tangled up in federal litigation. Full Story
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The GOP's Tea Party wing has made serious inroads into Texas state offices, but the movement has come up short when it comes to congressional elections, failing to field candidates with serious chances of ousting incumbent U.S. House members. Full Story
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Despite Sen. Ted Cruz’s eleventh-hour change of heart on the biggest vote since he became a presidential candidate, the U.S. Senate cleared a major procedural hurdle Tuesday that will likely give President Obama the authority to negotiate the largest trade deal in American history. Full Story
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