Texas congressional Democrats say impeaching Biden is โnot comparableโ to Trump impeachments
Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced his plans Tuesday to launch an impeachment inquiry, saying it was the โlogical next stepโ after months of probing by House Republicans into the Biden family. The investigations have so far yet to turn up evidence that the president violated the law.
Lawmakers call for federal investigation into Texas Guard intel ring
The lawmakersโ remarks came after an investigation published Tuesday by Military Times and The Texas Tribune revealed how Texas Guardsmen at the stateโs border with Mexico spied on migrants via WhatsApp and allegedly mishandled secret documents.
Colleges would be required to be more transparent about transfer rules under new bill from U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro
The Transparency for Transfer Students Act would require all U.S. colleges and universities to post on their websites more details about their transfer policies to help more students complete degrees.
Migrants sue Florida governor over Martha's Vineyard flights
Venezuelan migrants flown from San Antonio to the upscale Massachusetts island of Marthaโs Vineyard have sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his transportation secretary for engaging in a โfraudulent and discriminatory schemeโ to relocate them.
Webb County, a Democratic stronghold, is set to welcome Texas Gov. Greg Abbottโs controversial migrant arrests
The county is the most populous to embrace the Republican governorโs โcatch-and-jailโ policy to arrest people accused of crossing the border illegally for state crimes, including trespassing.
Dems: Discovery, AT&T merger will hurt diversity, workers
House Democrats are raising concerns that the proposed merger of Discovery and AT&Tโs WarnerMedia, a $43 billion effort to conquer the world of streaming, could affect diversity efforts in Hollywood and particularly hurt Latinos, who are already deeply underrepresented.
Texans in Congress have mixed views on President Joe Bidenโs handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. But bipartisan criticism has emerged.
Texas Republicans have doused the Biden administration in criticism. Democratic Texans in Congress have had varied reactions โ but some also fault for the president for a frantic scramble after the Taliban swiftly took control.
With ambassador picks, Biden faces donor vs. diversity test
President Joe Biden is facing a fresh challenge to his oft-repeated commitment to diversity in his administration: assembling a diplomatic corps that gives a nod to key political allies and donors while staying true to a campaign pledge to appoint ambassadors who look like America.
Republicans, Democrats searching for solutions after visiting the Texas-Mexico border
HOUSTON โ Republican senators and Democrats spoke at the border Friday after getting a first-hand look at the conditions along Texasโ border with Mexico. Cruz tweeted out photos of dozens of minors, wrapped in foil-like space blankets, lying on the floor of crowded Border Patrol facilities. In particular, is a divide on how to handle families and unaccompanied minors from Central America. In the middle are the border patrol agents and those being caught illegally crossing the border. Of the total, about 450-500 per day are unaccompanied minors, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss preliminary figures.
Rivals seeking to gain as Biden mulls approach to Syrian war
The Biden administration is mulling over Americas role in Syrias ongoing conflict as the U.S. tries to break away from Middle East wars. AdDealing with Syria's war will test the Biden administration's determination to focus on Asia and not the Middle East. Hence Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's Middle East tour this month. โIf this is the security future of the Middle East, weโre all in trouble,โ Jeffrey warns. It was the Syrian war that sparked that debate, when President Barack Obama first considered military strikes there, said Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat and member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Pelosi says bipartisan panel should investigate Capitol riot
But to ensure Republican support, Pelosi said Democrats sent the proposal to GOP leaders โto see what suggestions they may have because, for this to work, it really has to be strongly bipartisan." It is an open question whether the commission will be authorized to investigate Trump's actions. Still, some Republicans have said they think such a commission is necessary alongside other congressional efforts to investigate the attack. โThereโs still more evidence that the American people need and deserve to hear and a 9/11 commission is a way to make sure that we secure the Capitol going forward,โ said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. โOur country has been wounded,โ the former 9/11 commission chairmen said.
Cornyn, Cruz join GOP colleagues in successful acquittal of Trump
While Republicans were successful in holding the line for a president who left office nearly a month ago, a majority of the Senate voted to convict the president. The impetus for Democrats and some Republicans to push for Trumpโs conviction after he left office was to bar him from running again in the future. U.S. House Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat, served as a House impeachment manager โ the prosecutorial arm of the proceedings. The state's senior senator frequently raised questions about the constitutionality of holding a trial after a president left office. The U.S. House impeached the president in early January, a week before he left office.
A fight or a 'fight'? In impeachment, a clash about context
In American political speech โ and particularly in Donald Trumpโs impeachment trial and the discussions around it โ words matter. Fight for your rights, fight for your children, join the fight against breast cancer: Do those always involve fists? Finally, the question of fight or โfightโ points, too, to the status of Trump himself โ his position as president. Does a president saying โfightโ in that situation remove the quote marks like a street brawler tossing aside his jacket? Much of the time, when we fight, we โfight.โ On Jan. 6, 2021, outside and inside the U.S. Capitol, some Americans decided to actually fight.
Texans factor heavily in Democratsโ impeachment case against Donald Trump
WASHINGTON โ In the countryโs fourth presidential impeachment trial, Texans were involved in nearly every angle this week as House Democrats pressed their prosecutorial case that President Donald Trump incited an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. And, surprisingly, Texans back home surfaced in video footage to unintentionally help House Democrats make their case. House Democrats are unlikely to see 67 senators side with them, but at the very least, Texas' senior senator offered them some praise. A former justice on the Texas Supreme Court and state attorney general, Cornyn said the House Democrats presented a strong case. In a recent Fox News op-ed, he vouched for the consitutionality of a post-presidential impeachment trial.
Rioters acted on Trumpโs โorder,โ Democrats say in trial
Even out of office, Democrats warned, Trump could whip up a mob of followers for similar damage. Even out of the White House, the former president holds influence over large swaths of voters. Rioters roamed the halls chanting, โHang Mike Pence,โ and eerily singing out, โWhere are you, Nancy?โ in search of Pelosi. The first president to face an impeachment trial after leaving office, Trump is also the first to be twice impeached. His lawyers say he cannot be convicted because he is already gone from the White House.
Trial highlights: Harrowing footage, focus on Trump's words
NEW SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGETo reconstruct the siege for senators, Democrats aired never-before-seen security footage from inside the Capitol that showed the attack unfolding. AdโVice President Pence had the courage to stand against the president, tell the American public the truth and uphold our Constitution. Many Republicans had been appalled by Trump's treatment of his most loyal soldier during his final days in office. REPUBLICANS HOLD FIRMThere appears little chance enough Republicans will break with Democrats to convict Trump at the end of the trial. AdThe video evidence was โnothing new here, for me, at the end of the day,โ said Hawley, who maintains the trial is unconstitutional.
The Latest: House managers wrap up 1st full day of arguments
(Senate Television via AP)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial (all times local):8:20 p.m.House Democrats have wrapped up their first full day of arguments at the historic second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. The impeachment trial is set to resume at noon Thursday. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney say they are deeply disturbed by the evidence shown by Democrats against former President Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial. Prosecutors at Trumpโs impeachment trial on Wednesday played security footage from inside the Capitol on Jan. 6. ___2:20 p.m.Democrats are arguing that former President Donald Trump โbuiltโ the mob that attacked the Capitol.
What to Watch: Democrats to argue Trump alone incited mob
While the Democrats have appealed to the senatorsโ emotions, Trumpโs lawyers have tried to tap into raw partisan anger. REPUBLICANS TO WATCHSix Republican senators voted with Democrats on Tuesday not to dismiss the trial on constitutional grounds. AdCassidy was the only one who did not side with Democrats in a similar vote two weeks ago. He said after the vote Tuesday that he thought Democrats had a better argument and that Trumpโs team had done a โterribleโ job. He said he will watch the additional arguments as an impartial juror and then decide whether to convict.
Immigrants in sanctuary in churches hope Biden offers relief
โ For over three years, Maria Macario has been too afraid to leave the white steepled First Parish church just outside Boston. AdThose who have taken sanctuary have enlisted lawmakers to ask Biden for relief, pushing to cancel deportation orders and reviving the use of private bills โ measures to protect a person or group. The Trump administration was more hardline, taking an Indonesian immigrant into custody on church grounds last year. After all, her family was ordered to leave when Biden was vice president. โMy lawyer says I could leave the church today, but I just donโt trust things,โ Macario said.
Ted Cruz, John Cornyn come out against Donald Trumpโs second impeachment trial
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz called the impeachment trial โvindictive and punitiveโ when he spoke to reporters in Capitol Hill last week, adding that โCongressional Democrats seem obsessed with their hatred for Donald Trump.โAnd U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has expressed skepticism at the idea of a trial. Like Cruz, Cornyn also called the impeachment trial โvindictiveโ in a recent interview with KHOU-11. Every House Democrat along with 10 Republicans voted to impeach Trump โ the most bipartisan impeachment vote in American history, Politifact confirmed. Neither Cruz nor Cornyn have explicitly stated how theyโll vote in the impeachment trial. However, many GOP senators have pledged to carefully consider all of the evidence that will be presented during the impeachment trial.
Pelosi's nine impeachment managers hope to 'finish the job'
WASHINGTON โ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tapped nine of her most trusted allies in the House to argue the case for President Donald Trumpโs impeachment. Pelosi hasnโt yet said when she will send the article of impeachment to the Senate. Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette, another manager, says the nine prosecutors plan to present a serious case and โfinish the jobโ that the House started. REP. TED LIEU, CALIFORNIALieu, who authored the article of impeachment with Cicilline and Raskin, is on the Judiciary and Foreign Affairs panels. She is also a member of the House Judiciary Committee, and is a former lawyer and member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Texas Democrats back U.S. House resolution asking Pence to remove Trump from office
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and Vice President Mike Pence at a joint session of Congress before last week's violent insurrection at the Capitol. U.S. House members asked Pence on Tuesday to remove President Donald Trump from office over his role in the violent siege. With the backing of Texas Democrats, the U.S. House called on Vice President Mike Pence to remove President Donald Trump from office Tuesday, even though the vice president said he planned to take no such action. Prior to the vote, Pelosi named U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, to the team of House impeachment managers. "I will not support any measure to remove President Trump from office," he said.
Inside the effort to add โSelenaโ to the National Film Registry
Lawmakers are hoping to boost Latino representation in the U.S. media by adding โSelenaโ to the National Film Registry, NBC News reported. The 1997 blockbuster movie starring Jennifer Lopez directed by Mexican-American filmmaker Gregory Nava has been nominated to be included in the registry by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, chaired by Texas U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro. โAnd this is one effort to make sure that Latinos are represented in the telling of American culture and the retelling of American culture, and part of that includes American films.โThe film touched important cultural identity themes that depicted Mexican-American communities living between bilingualism and navigating personal connections between the two cultures, according to Castroโs letter. He felt there was a โrenewed sense of urgencyโ to bring Latino representation in question after the El Paso shooting in 2019 that killed 23 people, NBC News reported. Castro told NBC News he will continue to push for more Latino representation in media and film to the U.S as congressman after his term as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus ends this weekend, hoping to tackle the invisibility of the community he represents.
Biden weighs pick for agriculture chief from diverse slate
Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio and former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota are in the running for the Cabinet position. (House Television via AP)WASHINGTON โ One leading candidate for agriculture secretary hails from Cleveland, has the backing of progressives and has worked for years to boost food stamp programs. Tom Vilsack, who served as Obamaโs agriculture secretary for eight years, is also being considered. Biden has said he wants a diverse Cabinet, and some Black leaders have said he needs to do more to achieve that. โYou won't find a better person thant Heidi Heitkamp,โ Manchin said in a statement, adding that she would make a โtremendousโ agriculture secretary.
Joaquin Castro loses bid to lead U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro speaks at a press conference in Austin in 2019. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneU.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro came up short Thursday in his bid to become chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The most dominant determining factor in House Democratic chairmanship races is seniority, and Castro's bid would have meant he would leap frog over a number of colleagues on the committee. Initially, Castro was an afterthought in a race between Meeks and the most senior Democrat on the committee, U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman of California. Castro's bid called for generational change in the committee's approach to foreign affairs, and he pushed to incorporate issues like climate change and immigration into the country's foreign policy. On Tuesday, the contenders went before the influential House Democratic steering committee to make presentations for their vision of the committee.
U.S. Reps. Michael Burgess and Joaquin Castro seek House leadership roles
Burgess' aim is to be the top Republican โ known as ranking member โ on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, while Castro is seeking the chairmanship of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The House Energy and Commerce Committee leadership is one of the most coveted roles on Capitol Hill. His top rival in the race is Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a popular Washington state member who once served in House leadership. Last month, he secured a fifth term in Congress, and he is an emerging leader within the Texas Democratic delegation. Republicans sharply cut into the House Democratic majority this year.
Mexico, Brazil leaders silent as world congratulates Biden
President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, sometimes dubbed โthe Trump of the Tropicsโ for his populist, off-the-cuff style, has kept silent on Trumpโs loss. And Mexican President Andrรฉs Manuel Lรณpez Obrador refused to congratulate Biden at this point, saying he would wait until the legal challenges over the vote were resolved. On Saturday, Lรณpez Obrador was one of the few world leaders still willing to heap praise on Trump. But a Biden administration that only quietly presses Mexico to limit migrant crossings could leave Lรณpez Obrador in a more uncomfortable position. โDonald Trump will be president for two more months, but Joe Biden will be president for four more years!
Judge urges US to help find parents deported without kids
Most of the parents were deported to their Central American homelands, and their children were placed with sponsors in the U.S., often relatives. But it was later discovered an additional 1,556 children were taken from their parents going back to summer 2017, including the 545 kids who are still separated. The administrationโs foot-dragging has made it even tougher to find the parents because of how much time has passed, he said. The judge called for an update on Dec. 2 and set another hearing for Dec. 4 to discuss the progress. Just nine parents separated from their children were allowed back in January.
Defying precedent and possibly law, Pompeo dives into race
Indeed, Pompeo himself had reminded State Department staffers of those restrictions only last month. Pompeo delivered standard recitations of GOP claims about the successes of Trumps America First foreign policy against Russia, China and Iran. In fact, Pompeos convention speech was relatively mild in comparison with previous comments he has made taking Democrats to task for failed policies. They are more safe, and their freedoms more secure, because President Trump has put his America First vision into action. The president moved the U.S. Embassy to this very city of God, Jerusalem, the rightful capital of the Jewish homeland, Pompeo said.
AP Q&A: Who cares about the Hatch Act?
____WHAT IS THE HATCH ACT? Theres so much chatter about the Hatch Act that retired Sen. Orrin Hatch tweeted Wednesday, Friends, I am not in charge of the Hatch Act please stop calling.Former Sen. Carl Hatch, D-N.M., wrote the legislation in 1939 to limit partisan activity by federal employees to ensure the government functions fairly and effectively. ___SHOULD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CARE ABOUT THE HATCH ACT? If youre trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, its not going to work, she said in May 2019. What you see now is President Trump behaving more and more like an authoritarian leader, not a democratically elected leader.
Julin and Joaquin Castro criticize Gov. Greg Abbott for reopening Texas too soon
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, in Brownsville in 2018. "If we'd had a better federal response and state response, perhaps we would have already been around the quarter on this," Julin Castro said. Joaquin Castro said the number of beds, hospitals, and infections could have also been significantly reduced. "We're not saying that there would have been no consequences," Joaquin Castro said. All of the money that has been used is been money that's come from the federal government," Joaquin Castro said.
Three Texans in Congress exposed to COVID-19 while at detention center
WASHINGTON Dilley, TX August 23, 2019: The entrance for the privately-run U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) South Texas Family Residential Facility outside Dilley. Bob Daemmrich for The Texas TribuneThree Texas members of Congress were potentially exposed to COVID-19 while touring a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in south Texas on Monday, but all have tested negative for the virus. "U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) notified Members of Congress, who recently visited the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, that an ICE employee tested positive for COVID-19," said Paige D. Hughes, an ICE spokesperson, said in a statement. ICE made the notification out of an abundance of caution, since the employee who tested positive assisted on the tour," she added. To date, 2 employees at STFRC have tested positive for COVID-19."
U.S. Reps. Sylvia Garcia, Joaquin Castro call on ICE to release migrants in immigration detention centers as coronavirus cases surge
The South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas. Across the nation, detention centers have become hotspots for the coronavirus, putting immigrant families and ICE officers at risk of contracting the virus. In early May, the immigration detention center was linked to more than 90% of Frio Countys confirmed COVID-19 cases. One of the detention centers has a rapid COVID-19 testing machine, but its constantly passed around between centers, Castro said. Garcia said shes not convinced recommended health protocols are being followed within the detention centers, though ICE employees told her they were.
Texas lawmaker wants local nonprofits in next round of small business loans
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, wrote a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Jovita Carranza, administrator of the Small Business Administration, calling on the department to designate billions of dollars to local nonprofits in the next round of federal support to small businesses. Known as Community Development Financial Institutions, these groups support small business owners who did not have strong enough relationships with banks in order to land funding in the first pass of forgivable federal loans in the Paycheck Protection Program that legislators intended to keep employees on company payrolls. "It is essential that upcoming legislation automatically authorize certified CDFIs as lenders for PPP and include a set aside of at least $65 billion to be channeled through these CDFIs," Castro wrote. "These institutions play a leading role in serving farmers, as well as veteran, family, women, and minority-owned small businesses in rural, urban and suburban communities. โLatino businesses commonly bank with smaller financial institutions versus larger banks who are prioritizing businesses that already bank with them.โ