The Latest from Washington

by Bill Flores on February 17, 2020 at 12:13 PM

I issued the following statements regarding House passage of H.J.Res. 79, Removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment aka the “Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act;” the release of President Trump’s FY 2021 budget proposal; and honoring a constituent from the 17th District.

Democrats Unconstitutional Attempt to Expand Abortion

On Thursday, I voted against H.J.Res.79, the radical left’s attempt to force their anti-life agenda on the American people. This resolution permanently extends the deadline for states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Constitution. The original deadline for ratification expired in 1982, and only 35 of the 38 states required approved the Amendment.

Make no mistake, this resolution is not about equal rights under the law. Democrats and their abortion industry allies made it abundantly clear that they supported this resolution because it would allow unfettered access to abortions on demand and force hardworking taxpayers to foot the bill. As your Representative, I believe that life is sacred, and I will remain committed to preserving the sanctity of life and protecting the lives of the unborn.

Additionally, the deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment passed 38 years ago. The Supreme Court has previously ruled that Congress lacks the legal authority to extend the deadline, and even liberal Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has said that Congress must start over if it wants an ERA. This is just another partisan messaging bill by House Democrats to appease their liberal base instead of legislation to address real problems for Texas families. It is time for the House to work to find bipartisan solutions to issues that Americans really want -- border security, immigration, prescription drug prices, health care reform, pandemic defenses, and infrastructure.

President Trump’s FY 2021 Budget Proposal

I applaud President Trump for setting a budget blueprint that prioritizes America’s safety and security while reducing wasteful spending to balance the budget and reduce the deficit. His budget builds on policies that have created historic economic growth and boosted the opportunity, security, and well-being of all Americans.

The President has proposed a budget every year since taking office. His budget will continue the Great American Comeback that he put forth in his State of the Union Address. These policies will continue the prosperity and growth that we have seen under President Trump’s leadership.

Again, for the second year in a row, House Democrats have failed to propose any budget resolution. This is an abject failure to perform one of Congress’ most basic functions. Budgets reflect values and Democrats have an obligation to show the American people their priorities and how they will pay for them. They have proposed trillions of dollars in new spending on socialist schemes like the Green New Deal, but continue to hide the true cost of these crazy ideas by not proposing a budget.

While I support most elements of the President’s budget, there are three areas which need to be addressed by Congress – first, high deficit levels should be reduced (without raising taxes); second, the long-term economic impacts of proposed cuts to basic research need to be reassessed; and third, the national security risks associated with proposed cuts to diplomacy and other ‘soft power’ expenditures should be reviewed closely. In the weeks to come, I will work with the White House and my Congressional colleagues to address these issues.

Honoring a Texas 17 Constituent

Finally, this week, I was honored to speak on the House floor to recognize the life of Dr. Stephen A. Holditch