As Christmas nears, one thing we are talking about is the Merry Christmas bill. The Merry Christmas bill was passed this year to allow teachers and students to be able to celebrate Christmas in schools without fear of lawsuits. This is a great bill, but it only scratches the surface of stopping the attacks against Christianity in schools. The Texas Attorney General is on the frontlines defending the religious rights of Texans and Texas Students. Read more about Barry Smitherman Fought for Religious Rights of Kountze Students with Greg Abbott
This post is a continuation of a series I began on Russell Kirk’s 10 principles of conservatism and how they can be incorporated into today’s political climate in hopes of stabilizing the Republican Party and putting it on a pathway to victory in 2014 and beyond. The conservative principle to be discussed in this post is that conservatives pay attention to the principle of variety.
Conservatives recognize the uniqueness of individuals and therefore, respect diversity. To respect the dignity of the individual is to recognize and respect variation. While we are each endowed with certain unalienable rights,
Will House Speaker John Boehner's recent success with the budget bill bolster his confidence enough to move forward on immigration reform? It certainly appears the answer to that may well be a resounding yes. Politico's Seung Min Kim reports that Boehner responded to a question from a group of reporters asking if immigration reform was dead with a confident sounding, "Absolutely not." He went on to pledge that the House was sill continuing its work on a series of immigration and border security bills.
Click above to watch my round of questioning from our Transportation subcommittee hearing this week.
Aviation is crucial to our nation's economy, providing millions of American jobs and responsible for more than a trillion dollars in economic activity each year. This is why it's important we ensure our system is working as efficiently, effectively and as safely as possible. Read more about A Progress Report on the State of America's Aviation Industry
On December 12, 2013, Members of the House and Senate introduced bipartisan legislation that would allow the United States or any state or local government to register official insignia for federal trademark protection. Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8) and I introduced H.R. 3713 in the House and Senators Klobuchar (MN), Charles Schumer (NY) and Mike Lee (UT) introduced identical companion legislation in the Senate.
State and local governments (including local law enforcement) should have the ability to be protected by federal trademark laws. Producing counterfeit items with the logo of a local government
Today I joined a House Oversight Committee field hearing in Dallas on the Obamacare Navigator program. Navigators are hired to explain Obamacare and help people sign up for coverage. However, there are a number of concerns with the program. The most troubling issue is that Navigators aren’t required to undergo criminal background checks, despite the fact that they can access your social security number, address, birthdate, and salary—in short,
I joined Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and several lawmakers in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday challenging EPA’s power to interpret the Clean Air Act (CAA) in a way that bypasses the constitutional role of Congress. The House Science Committee has jurisdiction over science and technology issues related to environmental policy and underlying EPA regulations, including those governing greenhouse gasses. Read more about Chairman Smith to Supreme Court: EPA Overstepped Authority
On Saturday, I joined the families and loved ones of our nation's fallen heroes to lay a wreath at each of the 610 grave sites of the veterans buried at the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery.
Three years ago, I first wrote about the death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Three years later, Brian's family waits for answers as to what really happened that night in the Arizona desert. Over the past three years, much has been written about the circumstances surrounding his death and the Obama Administration scandal that rose from two of the weapons found at the scene of Brian's murder - the scandal now known as Fast & Furious. Read more about Brian Terry Three Years Later - A Strong Family Waits for Answers
This past Wednesday at Cafe Adobe to an overflow crowd, Paul Simpson, candidate for Harris County Republican Party Chair, officially kicked off his grass roots campaign. Surrounded by supporters and family members, in the heart of the Spring Branch Community, Paul reminded us of why he is the right person for the job of county chair. “We are in a fight for the future of Texas. Harris County is a key battleground. To win, the GOP needs to rebuild, ground up.
As Christmas nears, one thing we are talking about is the Merry Christmas bill. The Merry Christmas bill was passed this year to allow teachers and students to be able to celebrate Christmas in schools without fear of lawsuits. This is a great bill, but it only scratches the surface of stopping the attacks against Christianity in schools. The Texas Attorney General is on the frontlines defending the religious rights of Texans and Texas Students. 
This post is a continuation of a 
Will House Speaker John Boehner's recent success with the budget bill bolster his confidence enough to move forward on immigration reform? It certainly appears the answer to that may well be a resounding yes.
On December 12, 2013, Members of the House and Senate introduced bipartisan legislation that would allow the United States or any state or local government to register official insignia for federal trademark protection. Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8) and I introduced H.R. 3713 in the House and Senators Klobuchar (MN), Charles Schumer (NY) and Mike Lee (UT) introduced identical companion legislation in the Senate.
Today I joined a 
I joined Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and several lawmakers in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday challenging EPA’s power to interpret the Clean Air Act (CAA) in a way that bypasses the constitutional role of Congress. The House Science Committee has jurisdiction over science and technology issues related to environmental policy and underlying EPA regulations, including those governing greenhouse gasses. 
On Saturday, I joined the families and loved ones of our nation's fallen heroes to lay a wreath at each of the 610 grave sites of the veterans buried at the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery.
Three years ago, I first wrote about the death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Three years later, Brian's family waits for answers as to what really happened that night in the Arizona desert. Over the past three years, much has been written about the circumstances surrounding his death and the Obama Administration scandal that rose from two of the weapons found at the scene of Brian's murder - the scandal now known as Fast & Furious. 
This past Wednesday at Cafe Adobe to an overflow crowd, Paul Simpson, candidate for Harris County Republican Party Chair, officially kicked off his grass roots campaign. Surrounded by supporters and family members, in the heart of the Spring Branch Community, Paul reminded us of why he is the right person for the job of county chair. “We are in a fight for the future of Texas. Harris County is a key battleground. To win, the GOP needs to rebuild, ground up.
