The latest U.S. House of Representatives news from The Texas Tribune.
All Texas Republicans in the U.S. House voted for Louisiana’s Mike Johnson to be speaker, ending a stalemate that has left the chamber leaderless for three weeks. Johnson is a deeply religious conservative who won the support of the party’s disparate factions. Full Story
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Sessions dropped out of the race after a first round of voting within the Republican conference. Williams entered the race after the apparent front-runner, Tom Emmer of Minnesota, failed to reach the 217-vote threshold, but later on Tuesday evening and the Texas lawmaker was also out. Full Story
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Only one Texan, Rep. Pete Sessions, remains in the race for House Speaker. Republicans will hear from the candidates Monday night as they try to fill the job following U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan’s failure to win a majority. Full Story
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Reps. Kay Granger, Tony Gonzales and Jake Ellzey were firm in their opposition to Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan. Full Story
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Arrington and Williams expressed their interest after the House Republican Conference voted in a closed door meeting to drop Jim Jordan as their nominee for speaker. Sessions announced his run shortly after. Full Story
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The move would let the House act on legislation amid the Israel-Hamas war and other priorities, but several Texans recoiled at the idea, saying it would hand power to Democrats and break trust with supporters. Full Story
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A handful of Texas Republicans back the Ohio Republican’s speaker bid after initially backing the former frontrunner, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise Full Story
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The members are sick of the leverage the rule has had over the conference, saying it pushed leadership into the hands of the most extreme right-wing members. Full Story
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Trump has shown some signs of humoring the idea. He posted a picture of himself with the speaker’s gavel on social media and is reportedly considering visiting the Capitol next week. Full Story
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Texas has by far the largest Republican delegation in the House, and gaining their support would be a major boost for any candidate as the conference meets to pick new leaders next week. Full Story
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Lawmakers avoided closing the government for now, but funding for Ukraine — and Kevin McCarthy’s speakership — face further hurdles. Full Story
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The funding bill was a long shot, but far-right U.S. representatives said it didn’t go far enough in promoting their priorities, including border security and defunding investigations into Donald Trump. Full Story
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Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced his plans Tuesday to launch an impeachment inquiry, saying it was the “logical next step” after months of probing by House Republicans into the Biden family. The investigations have so far yet to turn up evidence that the president violated the law. Full Story
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Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz and Democrats like Rep. Colin Allred — opponents in the 2024 election — propose streamlining environmental reviews to promote investment and expansion by chipmakers. Full Story
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The moderate Democrat from Laredo announced endorsements from top Democrats in the U.S. House, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Full Story
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The Amarillo Republican, a doctor, was trying to help somebody experiencing a medical emergency in a chaotic situation, his office said. The sheriff is reviewing the incident. Full Story
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Offices also will open in Milwaukee and Boston “due to the increased threat environment,” the police chief says. Full Story
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With help from two other ultraconservatives, the Texas Republican’s seat on the Rules Committee has let him press for red-meat priorities, even in traditionally bipartisan legislation. Full Story
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There are no federal or state requirements that people who work outside receive paid water breaks. Casar, an Austin Democrat, wants to change that. Full Story
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Republicans recently announced Mayra Flores’ comeback effort with great fanfare, but Democrats argue that a redrawn district — and Flores’ voting record — are hurdles the GOP can’t clear. Full Story
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