newsletter

  August 19, 2017 Greetings, This week I have traveled all across Texas, visiting with community leaders and hard working Texans. I kicked off the week releasing a new video highlighting my efforts to deliver on the promises made to the American people, including repealing and replacing Obamacare, and securing the border.   I also had the opportunity to visit with 660 AM The Answer's Mark Davis and Jon-David Wells to discuss my travels across the state, as...

  July 29, 2017 Greetings, On Thursday, although I voted in favor of moving forward in the process of repealing and replacing Obamacare, the Senate was unable to pass a bill that would move this process forward. Fixing the massive failings of Obamacare will not be easy, but I believe in time, that this Congress will honor the promises we made to the American people. I remain committed to fighting for those in our great state and across the entire nation who are being hurt by this failed law...

  July 22, 2017 Greetings, This week, I participated in a productive meeting to advance health care reform efforts at the White House with President Trump and many of my Senate colleagues. According to a recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, my Consumer Freedom amendment in the Senate health care reform bill expands coverage by more than two million individuals and reduces health insurance premiums by more than $7,000 per year. Additionally, I am...

July 15, 2017 Greetings, I am encouraged by the Senate's introduction this week of the revised Better Care Reconciliation Act. There are several notable improvements, including the addition of my Consumer Freedom amendment and expanded health savings accounts to put people back in charge of their health care and not the government. While the health care reform debate continues, I have been hard at work on other key issues important to Texans. This week, I chaired a hearing in Senate Subcommittee...

July 8, 2017 Greetings, This week, I was honored to join Concerned Veterans for America for a series of ‘Defend & Reform' town halls across the state, from McKinney to Austin to Houston. At each town hall, I discussed my efforts on behalf of veterans, including expanding veterans' choice and modernizing the Department of Veterans Affairs' information technology (IT) infrastructure. We must deliver on the promises we made as a nation to the men and women who so bravely defended our...

July 1, 2017 Greetings, This Independence Day weekend, we reflect on those who bravely fought for our nation's independence. Two hundred forty-one years ago, our Founding Fathers declared our independence; every single day our brave men and women in uniform are working here at home and across the globe to defend our freedoms and our way of life. We owe it to them to ensure they have the tools and training required to carry out their mission, and we have a responsibility to deliver on the promise...

June 17, 2017 Greetings, On Thursday, I had the honor of attending the annual Congressional baseball game along with members of my staff, which was an important moment of bipartisan unity in the wake of the horrific shooting that occurred just a day before at the congressional baseball practice.  We all continue to pray for swift recovery to those who were injured: Majority Whip Steve Scalise, former staffer Matt Mika, Capitol Police Officers Crystal Griner and David Bailey, and our own...

June 3, 2017 Greetings, This week I was able to spend time with notable Texas job creators and saw an important policy advancement in President Trump's withdrawal of the Paris Climate accord, which will prevent significant harm to Texas' energy industry and increased energy costs for Texas families. On Monday, I published an op-ed urging the United States withdraw from the accord and am grateful for President Trump's Thursday announcement that fulfills his commitment to pull out of the...

May 27, 2017 Greetings, During my travels back to our nation's capital, I had the incredible honor of meeting an American hero, Lt. Jim Downing - our country's oldest living survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, he was operating as a gunner's mate 1st class and postmaster when the Japanese attacked. At 28 years old, Downing rushed to his sinking ship, the USS West Virginia, which was hit by torpedoes, to save his fellow sailors. As he worked through the devastation,...

May 20, 2017 Greetings, Yesterday I met with members of both the Irving-Las Colinas and Tomball Chambers of Commerces and attended a job fair in Dallas hosted by the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, where I had the honor of visiting with so many wonderful young men and women who were seeking out potential employers. At each event, I discussed my number-one priority, which continues to be economic growth and answered important questions from both job-creators and job-seekers. Earlier in the week...

    Greetings, This Mother’s Day, we celebrate the women in our lives who make us who we are.  My Mom, Eleanor Darragh, is a woman of incredible strength, independence, and compassion. She grew up in a working class family in Delaware. She overcame enormous obstacles and was the first person in her family to go to college. Her achievements are remarkable, and as my mom, she has been there for me, lifting our family up in prayer every single day. Heidi is the love of my life...

May 6, 2017 Greetings, This week I visited with Texans from every corner of our great state. I met with members of the Waco and Bryan/College Station Chambers of Commerce and discussed my efforts to expand economic opportunities throughout Texas. I also met with the members of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas and shared my optimism for rolling back burdensome regulations to make it easier for Texas businesses to grow and prosper. On Thursday I met with members of both the Austin and...

April 28, 2017 Greetings, Ensuring the safety and security of Texans and all Americans is one of my top priorities, which is why this week I introduced the Ensuring the Lawful Collection of Hidden Assets to Provide Order — or "EL CHAPO" — Act. This legislation reserves any amounts forfeited to the U.S. Government as a result of the criminal prosecution of the infamous drug lord “El Chapo” and other drug lords for border security assets and the completion of the wall along...

April 21, 2017 Greetings, Texas is home to incredibly innovative and successful manufacturers and businesses – because in Texas we know the power of free enterprise. We can create substantial economic growth when we get the government off the backs of the job creators and the hardworking men and women in our state.  Over the last two weeks I was honored to visit with Texans from various industries across the Lone Star State, listening to their concerns, and to their ideas on what...

April 7, 2017 Greetings, This year is poised to be a blockbuster year. We have an historic opportunity to deliver on the promises Congress made to the American people - repeal Obamacare, pass fundamental tax and regulatory reform, and confirm a strong conservative to the Supreme Court.   I am happy to report that over the last two weeks, President Trump signed two bills I authored which are tremendous victories for the State of Texas.  The first bill, the bipartisan Cruz-Nelson...

March 31, 2017 Greetings, This week the Trump Administration issued an executive order rolling back a number of costly Obama-era regulations, including the Clean Power Plan, the rules for new power plants, and the methane rule. Excessive regulations like these slow the economy, and crush job creation. This is a significant victory for Texas and the nation and I am hopeful it serves as an initial, powerful early step in unleashing the American Energy Renaissance. On Wednesday, I joined a majority...

March 24, 2017 Greetings, Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away last year, was one of the greatest justices to ever sit on the Court. He was a trailblazing advocate for the original meaning of the Constitution, and a shining example of judicial humility.  This week the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which I am a member, convened the confirmation hearing for President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch. Like the renowned justice he is set to replace, Judge Gorsuch is...

March 17, 2017 Greetings, This year, we are poised to have one of the most productive sessions of Congress in decades. The last election was a mandate from the American people for meaningful change. The first task before us is delivering on our promise to repeal Obamacare and replace it patient-centered reforms that drive down cost while increasing competition and choices. Getting there is not going to be easy, but the time to act is now upon us.  Congress' repeal-and-replace effort will...

March 10, 2017 Greetings, My continued prayers are with the farmers, ranchers, families, and communities across the Texas Panhandle who have suffered losses this week from the devastating wildfires. I commend our first responders for rushing to help all of those who have been in harm's way. Congressman Mac Thornberry has helpfully  provided several links to resources for individuals who have been impacted by the fires. My staff and I stand ready to assist Congressman Thornberry and...