Update: Today, it was confirmed that not only was Congressman Smith named the top Republican, but also the top lawmaker in all of Congress – Democrat or Republican.
Congressman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) was recently identified as the most effective Republican lawmaker in the 112th Congress, according to a study conducted by political scientists at the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University.
Researchers assigned lawmakers “Legislative Effectiveness Scores” using an equation to measure the member’s ability to push bills “through the legislative process and into law.” According to the scores, Smith rated as the highest Republican out of 449 congressional representatives that were scored in the 112th Congress. Read more about Congressman Smith Named Most Effective Lawmaker
There has been much gnashing of teeth over “Prop 1” that in a nutshell, would divert a portion of extra revenues that come into the Texas treasury into road building instead of the general fund or being parked in an already large rainy day fund (RDF). (The revenues are a result of the booming oil and gas business in the state.)
In general, I do not like bonds or debt of any sort. (Government debt is fundamentally stealing from future generations—it is NOT the same as private debt.) However, Prop 1 provides for pay-as-you-go, not debt, and with our booming Texas population, we DO need some road work!
U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member David Vitter (R-LA), and I led a group of 25 senators in calling out the Obama Administration for intentionally misleading Americans about the negative impacts of the proposed “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule. Read more about Obama Administration is Intentionally Misleading Americans on Proposed Water Rule
Early voting for Texas 2014 General Elections began Monday and runs through October 31st. The General Election date is November 4th. Across Texas, voters will go to the polls to cast votes in one of the most influential primary elections in at least a generation. Every statewide office in the Texas executive branch is up for grabs. Many high-profile legislative and judicial seats are also at stake in this election. Read more about Early Voting Begins in Texas General Election
The attacks in Ottawa and Jerusalem yesterday are stark reminders that while radical Islamic terrorism may have originated in the Middle East, it is not confined to that region. Our great and good friends in Canada and Israel were targeted because both countries share the same core principles of tolerance and freedom that we in America hold so dear—and which are hated by the vicious terrorists whose ultimate goal is to destroy us all. Read more about We Stand in Solidarity with Israel and Canada
I issued the following statement in response to a report that the President intends to bypass Congress on a nuclear agreement with Iran.
The American people will not tolerate a President who wheels and deals with a radical regime behind their backs and dodges congressional oversight every chance he gets. Any agreement with Iran to provide further relief from U.S. sanctions must be done in conjunction with Congress in an open and transparent way to ensure it advances America’s national security. Read more about President Must Involve Congress on Iran
Half a million dollars. That's how much it cost Osama bin Laden and his band of extremists to carry out the most deadly attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor.
Fast forward 13 years, and bin Laden may be dead, but the threat from Islamic extremists has never been greater. But weapons, surveillance equipment, training, food, lodging and travel all cost money. That suggests that if we want to fight terrorism, then there's one important thing we need to do: Follow the money trail. Read more about How poaching fuels terrorism funding
Senator Ted Cruz said the City of Houston and Mayor Annise Parker have “no legal authority, no constitutional authority and no moral authority” to issue subpoenas to pastors for their sermons and personal communications. The exclusive interview below came shortly after the Senator gathered with some of the top religious leaders in Houston to speak out against this unprecedented attack on religious liberty. During the interview, Cruz also reinforced his “common sense” call for a travel ban on people traveling from countries with an active outbreak of the Ebola virus. Read more about Breitbart Exclusive Interview: Sen. Cruz Talks Assault on Religious Liberty and Ebola Travel Ban
Update: Today, it was confirmed that not only was Congressman Smith named the top Republican, but also the top lawmaker in all of Congress – Democrat or Republican.
There has been much gnashing of teeth over “Prop 1” that in a nutshell, would divert a portion of extra revenues that come into the Texas treasury into road building instead of the general fund or being parked in an already large rainy day fund (RDF). (The revenues are a result of the booming oil and gas business in the state.)
U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member David Vitter (R-LA), and I led a group of 25 senators in calling out the Obama Administration for intentionally misleading Americans about the negative impacts of the proposed “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule. 
Early voting for Texas 2014 General Elections began Monday and runs through October 31st. The General Election date is November 4th. Across Texas, voters will go to the polls to cast votes in one of the most influential primary elections in at least a generation. Every statewide office in the Texas executive branch is up for grabs. Many high-profile legislative and judicial seats are also at stake in this election. 
The attacks in Ottawa and Jerusalem yesterday are stark reminders that while radical Islamic terrorism may have originated in the Middle East, it is not confined to that region. Our great and good friends in Canada and Israel were targeted because both countries share the same core principles of tolerance and freedom that we in America hold so dear—and which are hated by the vicious terrorists whose ultimate goal is to destroy us all. 
I issued the following statement in response to a 
Half a million dollars. That's 
Click the links below to read our write-up about why we recommend voting the way we do for each race:
Senator Ted Cruz said the City of Houston and Mayor Annise Parker have “no legal authority, no constitutional authority and no moral authority” to issue subpoenas to pastors for their sermons and personal communications. The exclusive interview below came shortly after the Senator gathered with some of the top religious leaders in Houston to speak out against this unprecedented attack on religious liberty. During the interview, Cruz also reinforced his “common sense” call for a travel ban on people traveling from countries with an active outbreak of the Ebola virus. 
As we all are aware, there are judges who sit on the bench and follow the law but there are others who try to make the law. As Texans we want our Judiciary to follow the laws of the US and Texas Constitutions and Texas laws provided by the Texas legislative process. 
