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☆ Texas congressman who broke with GOP is censured
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

That independent streak includes opposing a sweeping House GOP immigration proposal over the U.S.-Mexico border, which includes a large portion of his South Texas district. Gonzales was defiant before the vote and did not attend the meeting of Texas GOP leaders and activists in Austin. "The Republican Party of Texas would be wise to follow his lead and do some actual work." Last year, former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West stepped down from the job to mount a faint primary challenge against Republican Gov. The state party in 2018 also censured a former moderate Texas House speaker who opposed bathroom restrictions for transgender people.

☆ Ted Cruz shouts over Merrick Garland about the DOJ's response to protests outside Supreme Court justices' homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Ted Cruz pressed AG Merrick Garland over the DOJ's response to protests outside Supreme Court justices' homes. Cruz accused Garland and the DOJ of being politically biased. The Texas Republican condemned the protestors as rioters and extremists organizing harassment campaigns against the justices and accused Garland of inaction. Other Republicans on the committee, including Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, similarly raised concerns about DOJ's handling of the protests outside Supreme Court justices' homes last year. "It's very clear that they're trying to influence in one way or another those serving on the United States Supreme Court," Lee said.

☆ Florida bill would ban gender studies majors, diversity programs at universities
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would gain more influence in the state's public university system, and majors involving gender studies or critical race theory would be eliminated if a bill filed this week wins support from the Republican-controlled legislature. The wide-reaching legislation represents a new front in the Republican war against the "woke" agenda many conservatives believe liberals are trying to push on public education across the country. Earlier this month, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott told state agencies and public universities that such practices violated labor laws. The Florida bill would also prohibit spending on programs or campus activities that promote DEI and what it calls "Critical Race Theory rhetoric." Critical race theory is an academic concept that asserts that racism is woven into the U.S. legal system and ingrained in its primary institutions.

☆ Why South Texas Hispanics Are Going GOP
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Karl Rove | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

For decades, Texas Republicans have worked to improve their party’s standing in South Texas, a heavily Hispanic region where voters—despite being religious, patriotic, entrepreneurial and pro-family—routinely come out by big margins for Democrats. The GOP theory is that every additional Republican vote there is worth two because it takes away a reliably Democratic one. Though the GOP has been generally satisfied with its labors, the party has often remained deeply underwater in South Texas even when it has swept the state. Now that’s changing and in no small part thanks to Democratic policies, particularly on the border, economy and energy.

☆ Senators thrashed by Trump in 2016 urge DeSantis to strap in for a 'wild and woolly' ride in 2024 presidential race
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The 2024 Republican presidential primary is just getting started. "This is gonna be a wild and woolly race," 2016 challenger Ted Cruz told Insider. "Oh, this is gonna be a wild and woolly race," chastened Trump challenger Sen. Ted Cruz before leaving DC for the Presidents' Day recess. 2016 presidential candidate and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina downplayed the initial nastiness, urging DeSantis to focus on the long-game. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida initially declined to comment on the Trump-DeSantis tug-of-war, telling Insider, "I'm not talking about the campaigns right now."

Biden will deliver his second State of the Union address at about 9 p.m. (0200 GMT Wednesday). It will be broadcast live on major U.S. broadcast television networks and online by the White House and the House of Representatives. The speech could deliver Biden his largest television audience of the year. The White House has also invited Brandon Tsay, who disarmed a gunman responsible for a mass shooting in Monterey Park, California. Republicans have picked Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as White House press secretary under Donald Trump, to deliver their response.

☆ CBS News pressed Sen. Ted Cruz on why he's running for reelection after he introduced a bill limiting senators to 2 terms in office: 'Why aren't you holding yourself to that standard?'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is running for a third term while also backing a two-term limit for senators. "If and when it passes, I will happily, happily comply. "You also introduced a bill to limit terms to two six-year terms in office for senators. Cruz continued: "If and when it passes, I will happily, happily comply. However, Cruz sought to sidestep talk of a presidential bid during the CBS interview, reiterating that he was running for reelection.

☆ U.S. House Republicans pursue impeachment of Biden border official
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Representative Andy Biggs, from the border state of Arizona, said he would file articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whom many Republicans blame for what they say are lax border policies. The impeachment push could find support in the Republican-controlled House but is unlikely to advance in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Still, it could increase pressure on the Biden administration as it balances pledges to restore asylum access with record crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border. A top Biden border official stepped down in November after saying he had been urged to leave by Mayorkas. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in November called on Mayorkas to step down, saying Republicans could impeach him if he did not.

Troy Nehls, a vocal critic of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, said Thursday that President Joe Biden should call in his predecessor to end the conflict with Russia. "Joe Biden, you need to call Donald Trump. Donald Trump will call Vladimir Putin and end this war," the Texas Republican said on Fox News. "We must stop this war, and Donald Trump can do it." Nehls said he thought the Russian president would respond to Trump because “he never went into Ukraine” when Trump was president.

McCarthy made good on his promise to block former House Intelligence chair Adam Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell — both California Democrats — from serving on that panel. In addition to keeping Schiff and Swalwell off the Intelligence Committee, McCarthy previously said he intended to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the Foreign Affairs Committee. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who backed McCarthy but has caused headaches for GOP leadership in the past, also got a slot on the panel. The coronavirus committeeRep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, will chair the special committee investigating the spread of the coronavirus. Last week, McCarthy named GOP members to a third select committee, focused on competition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party.

☆ Rep. George Santos responds to drag queen photos: 'I was young and I had fun at a festival'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

I was young, and I had fun at a festival," Santos told reporters. Santos previously said claims that he was ever a drag queen were "categorically false." Santos initially denied the reports, writing on Twitter: "The most recent obsession from the media claiming that I am a drag Queen or "performed" as a drag Queen is categorically false." A report from Politico further suggested evidence of his drag queen past, as the outlet uncovered an old Wikipedia entry in which someone using a known Santos alias wrote about having performed as a drag queen in Brazil. The revelations about his drag queen past also come amid a right-wing anti-gay disinformation campaign attempting to link drag shows to "grooming."

☆ Rep. George Santos appeared to admit to having performed as a drag queen in an old Wikipedia entry, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

George Santos appeared to admit to having performed as a drag queen in an old Wikipedia entry. Politico accessed a Wikipedia page in which a user going by a known Santos alias wrote about his drag queen past. Santos has called claims that he performed in drag many years ago an "outrageous" lie. The questions about his drag queen past come after the congressman has aligned himself with some of the most right-wing Republican lawmakers. Santos' alleged drag queen past has emerged amid a right-wing anti-gay disinformation campaign attempting to link drag shows to "grooming."

This year, women will hold all four of the top positions on the House and Senate Appropriations committees for the first time in history. “Oftentimes people say, you know, ‘We need to have women at the table.’ Well, women are the table.”Spending and debt fights loomOver the decades, these women have seen their share of spending fights. But I’m absolutely convinced that we have to stand together,” said Granger, who last week became the first female Republican to chair the House Appropriations Committee. Women, Murray said, are good communicators, and she and her colleagues can translate a big, complicated appropriations bill for everyday Americans. But as a 14-year House Appropriations staffer, she also intimately knows each of the top appropriators and recognizes the significance of this glass-ceiling-shattering moment.

☆ A Virginia bill would allow a pregnant driver to use the HOV lane by counting the fetus as a person, proving that despite recent failures the fight for fetal personhood is far from over
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Virginia bill would grant a fetus personhood to permit a pregnant driver to use the high-occupancy lane. It follows a similar case where a Texas woman fought a traffic ticket for driving while pregnant in the HOV. The fight over fetal personhood is far from overIn October, the US Supreme Court declined an appeal on the question of whether fetuses have constitutional rights, according to Reuters. The movement to establish fetal personhood began in 1973 following the Roe decision, and US lawmakers were trying as early as 1983 to establish fetal personhood at the national level, according to ProPublica. As of now, Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, and Missouri have some kind of fetal personhood laws on the books, PBS and NPR-affiliate GPB News reported.

A Virginia bill would deem a pregnant person's fetus a passenger in a car, thereby allowing the vehicle to use the car pool lane on highways. Under the bill, the certifications would then be "linked" to toll collection devices — typically E-Z Passes — in vehicles. High occupancy lanes require drivers to have at least one passenger in their vehicles when they use the lanes. And by considering a pregnant person as two people — in this case, allowing a pregnant person to use an HOV lane — you're ultimately making it harder to uphold abortion rights, because you have essentially imbued a fetus with personhood," Nash added. Doug Ducey, a Republican, that included a provision, carried over from a 2021 law, that reproductive rights advocates say granted personhood to fetuses.

☆ House Republican files articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Mayorkas
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

In the first week of the new GOP-led House, a Texas Republican has filed articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Rep. Pat Fallon, in a document filed Monday night, accused Mayorkas of "high crimes and misdemeanors" in his role as Homeland Security chief. He has willfully abdicated his duties as Secretary of Homeland Security and actively misled Congress and the American people. To make any progress at our southern border, he must go.”Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, at the Capitol on March 18, 2022. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., first filed articles of impeachment against Mayorkas in August 2021.

☆ Ted Cruz touted 'frogsby90' before Georgia stomped TCU by 58 points to win the national title
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Ted Cruz entered Monday night ecstatic about the TCU Horned Frogs' chances. #frogsby90," Cruz wrote on Twitter before the game. Led by Quarterback Stetson Bennett, a former walk-on player, Georgia stomped TCU 65-7. According to ESPN Stats and Info, the win is the largest margin of victory in a bowl game in college football history. Georgia enters next year with another chance at history: becoming the first team of the polling era to win three straight national titles.

☆ GOP lawmakers reject critics, say there were 'positives' in chaotic House Speaker vote: 'We accomplished an enormous amount'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The Texas Republican argued on CNN Sunday morning that "a little temporary conflict is necessary in this town." "Some of the tensions you saw on display when we saw some of the interactions there between Mike Rogers and Matt Gaetz, you know some of that is, we need a little of that. Kentucky Republican Rep. Andy Barr told ABC's "This Week" that the process "was quite healthy from the standpoint of getting all of these issues resolved now." "I understand the American people's frustration with the delay in electing a speaker," Barr said. "Not only did the framers of our Constitution expect us to debate the operations of the House and the House rules and how we're going to function, that's what a healthy democracy actually requires."

☆ Rep. Dan Crenshaw apologizes for calling anti-McCarthy GOP colleagues 'terrorists': 'Things get heated and things get said'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dan Crenshaw on Sunday walked back earlier comments where he called anti-McCarthy Republicans "terrorists." On CNN's "State of the Union," Crenshaw said he wanted to "sincerely apologize" to his colleagues. "I don't want them to think I actually believe they're terrorists," he told host Jake Tapper. "Things get heated and things get said," Crenshaw said. I don't want them to think I actually believe they're terrorists.

☆ GOP-controlled Ohio Legislature passes election bill to require photo ID at the polls
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Mike DeWine a GOP-backed bill Thursday that would require voters to show photo ID at the polls and allow fewer days to request absentee ballots or vote early in person. The measure, which would replace a state law that lets voters present other documents on Election Day, such as utility bills or bank statements, was passed by the House in a 55-32 vote. The bill would also eliminate in-person early voting on the eve of Election Day and trim the amount of time voters can request and submit absentee ballots. State Rep. Richard Brown, a Democrat, said the bill headed to DeWine's desk had “many troublesome provisions,” taking particular issue with the removal of early-in person voting on the day before Election Day. Months later, Texas adopted a sweeping election law that added a new ID requirement for absentee voters and banned drive-thru and overnight early voting.

☆ Financial executives and Texas Republicans spar over climate actions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Ross Kerber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 15 (Reuters) - Financial executives and Texas state senators clashed over company concerns for climate change at a hearing on Thursday, a rare in-person confrontation as Republicans ramp up attacks on the use of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in investing. Texas Republicans at the hearing, which was webcast, questioned whether the participation of BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) and State Street Corp (STT.N) in industry efforts to cut emissions put too much pressure on portfolio companies. Even as they take heat from energy-producing U.S. states, asset managers have faced pressure from climate activists and Democrats to take more environmental action. With some $8 trillion under management, BlackRock has been singled out by Texas for alleged over-pressuring of its important energy sector. A number of State Street funds were also designated.

☆ BlackRock executive and Texas Republicans spar over climate actions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Ross Kerber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 15 (Reuters) - A BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) executive and Texas state senators sparred over the firm's membership in an investment group aiming to limit climate change at a hearing on Thursday. Republicans at the hearing, which was webcast, questioned if BlackRock's membership in the Climate Action 100+ committed it to putting too much pressure on portfolio companies to take steps to reduce emissions. BlackRock Senior Managing Director Dalia Blass said the firm had maintained its independence within the group. “We have one bias, and that's to get the best risk-adjusted returns for our clients," Blass said. Reporting by Ross Kerber Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Conservative senators hail member-led strategy session as 'good first step' in dealing with mounting frustrations about Mitch McConnell's leadership
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A group of Senate Republicans hosted their first member-led policy discussion on Wednesday. Attendees said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was in the room but didn't participate. "Nothing was fleshed out," Braun told reporters at the US Capitol, adding that "I think it's the beginning, maybe, of a more participatory process." Still, convening more meetings, which Cornyn said this group seemed inclined to do, is preferable to the scorched-earth tactics others have embraced in the past. "I think they're good meetings to have," Rubio told Insider.

CNN —The House Republican Conference is still entrenched in an internal war over whether to reinstate an arcane rule that would empower any member to bring up a vote to oust a speaker at any time. The bitter divide is only heating up and has emerged center stage in House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy’s quest for 218 votes to win the position. “There’s a reason [the motion to vacate] already got debated. It’s a healthy process.”For now, leadership is keeping their options open on the motion to vacate with Republican Whip Steve Scalise telling reporters Tuesday, “There are continuing negotiations going on. Video Ad Feedback GOP lawmaker explains why he won't vote for McCarthy to become House Speaker 03:08 - Source: CNNThe House is scheduled to hold another rules meeting on Wednesday where they will debate the issue.

☆ Justice Department has tried to access GOP Rep. Scott Perry’s text messages
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Katelyn Polantz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

That led the Pennsylvania lawmaker to be in touch with powerful Trump backers, including Meadows, Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and others who pushed false claims of election fraud. Perry previously said that the Justice Department told his attorneys he was not a target of the investigation. Perry sued the Justice Department days after the search, then quickly asked the court to put the public-facing lawsuit on hold. The Justice Department approached Perry’s phone seizure and other phone seizures from Trump allies in two parts, according to sources familiar with the investigation and public filings. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.

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