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āIt takes time to get stuff doneā: Texasā newest member of Congress promises results, not rhetoric
Nathaniel Moran, the former Smith County judge, has promised to be a staunch conservative who will pass legislation. That worries some of his constituents.
TribCast: Texasā drought is likely to persist
In this weekās episode, Matthew speaks with Jayme about how this weekās rain likely wonāt mean the end of the drought. And he speaks with Eric about the soon-to-be-over congressional career of Louie Gohmert.
Louie Gohmert leaves Congress having passed one law and spread countless falsehoods
Gohmert was a precursor to former President Donald Trumpās brand of populist, establishment-bucking conservatism that delights in offending progressives and makes no apologies for spreading misinformation.
U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert asked Trump for a pardon after insurrection, Jan. 6 committee reveals
Gohmert was mentioned several times during Thursdayās hearing, which focused on the coordinated effort by Trump and his allies to convince the Justice Department to investigate voter fraud and help overturn election results.
Partisan tensions flare among Texans in congressional gun hearing
House Democrats are combining several gun policy bills into one large package known as the Protecting our Kids Act. Among the measures in the bill: raising the age to purchase semi-automatic weapons to 21; outlawing the sale, manufacture, transfer or possession of a large-capacity magazine; and creating tax breaks for purchasing proper gun storage equipment.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton easily defeats George P. Bush in GOP primary runoff
Bush, who has served for seven years as the stateās land commissioner, campaigned on restoring integrity to the attorney generalās office and hit Paxton for his legal and ethical troubles.
Texas Republicans Chip Roy and Louie Gohmert among few to vote against U.S. House bill to help poor mothers access formula
The bill, which passed in the House, would expand the formula brand choices available to mothers on a federal assistance program in an attempt to mitigate a disruptive baby formula shortage around the country.
Evidence mounts of GOP involvement in Trump election schemes
Text messages and testimony released by the House Jan. 6 panel shows the deep involvement of some House Republicans in President Donald Trumpās desperate attempt to stay in power.
House GOP voting remotely more often after initial scorn
Just seven Republicans, along with most Democrats, used remote voting in the House when voting-from-somewhere-else was first allowed two years ago as the pandemic erupted.
George P. Bush, Ken Paxton prepare for a bitter primary runoff battle for Texas attorney general
Bush is the underdog in the race. He had fewer votes than Paxton in the primary, and Paxton carries the coveted endorsement from former President Donald Trump. But the incumbent is still battling his felony indictment and a newer FBI investigation.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is headed to a runoff against George P. Bush
The two-term incumbent, beset by a criminal indictment and FBI probe, will face Bush, the stateās land commissioner and scion of a political dynasty, in the May 24 runoff.
TribCast: Texas politicians make their final push ahead of March 1 primary
On this weekās episode, Patrick Svitek and Kate McGee discuss the last push in some of the most interesting primary races on the ballot. But first, we discuss Lt. Gov. Dan Patrickās proposal targeting tenure at public universities.
Debate between Texas GOP attorney general candidates got heated, even though incumbent Ken Paxton wasnāt there
Land Commissioner George P. Bush and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman repeatedly criticized each other. U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert focused on the incumbent, who didnāt participate.
Pushing falsehoods about Bidenās election is a plus for Republicans vying to be Texasā top lawyer
Incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, one of his challengers, have embraced disproven claims of 2020 election fraud. Itās a sentiment shared with most Texas Republicans, according to political experts.
Attacks fly in final days of Attorney General Ken Paxtonās primary fight
Paxton is targeting one of his challengers, Louie Gohmert, while another challenger, George P. Bush, is going after challenger Eva Guzman.
Watch: Embattled Attorney General Ken Paxton fights for political life in GOP primary
The attorney general, who has had his own legal problems since his first year in office, is battling three GOP primary challengers: Eva Guzman, George P. Bush and Louie Gohmert.
Kinzinger pushes 'uneasy alliance' to thwart Trump's allies
Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois is calling on Democrats and independents to form an āuneasy allianceā with Republicans to fight former President Donald Trumpās influence in Republican politics.
After failing to disclose many donors, Ken Paxton files corrected campaign finance report
The amended report came 13 days after the deadline and as the attorney general nears a hotly contested primary in which his ethics are a top issue.
Ken Paxton targets Louie Gohmert in hotly contested primary for attorney general
Paxtonās attack ads suggest that he sees Gohmert as a bigger threat than the other two Republicans in the race ā Land Commissioner George P. Bush and former state Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman.
U.S. Capitol Police intelligence thought Louie Gohmert appeared to encourage violence before insurrection
A Capitol Police assessment flagged comments made by the Texas congressperson as a potential danger, Politico reported.
Republican primary for attorney general heats up, with challengers taking aim at Ken Paxtonās legal troubles
With the candidate filing deadline behind them, the attorney generalās challengers jockey to establish themselves as best person to unseat him.
Republican state Rep. Matt Krause drops out of attorney generalās race to run for Tarrant County district attorney
Krause had been among the primary challengers to Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose legal problems have made him a target for both parties next year.
U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert joins Texas Republicans running against Attorney General Ken Paxton
Gohmert is at least the fourth GOP primary opponent that Paxton will face. At least three Democrats are also running for the job.
U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert exploring run against Attorney General Ken Paxton in increasingly crowded GOP primary
Land Commissioner George P. Bush, former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman and state Rep. Matt Krause are also vying for the GOP nomination next year.
EXPLAINER: Why Congress is looking closely at Jan. 6 rally
The House panel investigating the Jan_ 6 Capitol insurrection has focused some of its early work on the planning behind a massive rally at which President Donald Trump falsely claimed to have won reelection and told his supporters to āfight like hell.ā.
House asks companies to save Jan. 6 phone, computer records
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is asking social media and telecommunications companies to preserve phone or computer records for hundreds of people.
New Texas voting laws, political maps could once again require federal approval under U.S. House bill named after John Lewis
The federal bill seeks to reinstate sections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that were written to protect people of color. Texas House Democrats see it as a way to prevent implementing provisions of a Texas voting restrictions bill moving through the state Legislature.
Texas officials speak at Qanon-affiliated event where Trump adviser Michael Flynn encouraged military coup on U.S. government
Texas GOP Chairman Allen West, Republican U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller each delivered remarks at the event. Marketing for the event included a logo featuring a cowboy hat with the letters āWWG1WGAā around its band, a QAnon motto.
Fines dropped against two lawmakers over metal detectors
The bipartisan House Ethics Committee has dismissed fines against two veteran lawmakers whoād been accused of evading weapons screening now required before entering the House chamber.
Three congressional Republicans from Texas reprimanded for violating U.S. Houseās mask mandate
U.S. Reps. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, and Chip Roy, R-Austin, were given first warnings. U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Irving, received a $500 fine for violating the Houseās mask mandate a second time.
Trump critic Cheney cautions Jan. 6 riot could happen again
Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney is criticizing GOP colleagues for downplaying the Jan. 6 riot and condoning former President Donald Trumpās lies that the 2020 election was stolen.
Ethics panel affirms Rep. Gohmert fine over metal detector
The House Ethics Committee upheld a $5,000 fine against Gohmert on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, after he was accused of failing to submit to a full security screening when entering the chamber's floor last month. A letter by the Ethics committee rejecting an appeal by Gohmert was the first such letter it has issued under the new rules, suggesting he would be the first to pay the fine. When an officer told him he needed to be checked with a wand, he walked onto the floor anyway āto engage in my turn to debate,ā Gohmert wrote. In a two-paragraph letter, the Ethics panel wrote, āA majority of the committee did not agree to the appeal,ā the standard required to dismiss the fine. The Ethics committee consists of five Democrats and five Republicans, and the letter did not provide details of the vote.
Three Texas Republicans vote against awarding Congressional Gold Medals to police who protected Capitol during insurrection
|| Credit: REUTERS/Shannon StapletonThree Texas Congressman voted on Wednesday against a resolution honoring the U.S. Capitol Police for its efforts to protect members of both chambers amid a violent insurrection on Jan. 6. A Politico report from earlier Wednesday stated that Congressional Trump allies tried to "to scrub references to the insurrection" from the resolution. Republican U.S. Reps. Jodey Arrington of Lubbock and Kevin Brady of the Woodlands did not vote, but 30 other Texas House members, including Democrats and Republicans, backed the resolution. AdSeveral Texas members braced themselves that day for hand-to-hand street combat but were able to escape to safety thanks to the police and successful barricades. āWe heard them trying to break down the door and then we heard the Capitol police show up.
Some Texas Republicans decried Capitol insurrection ā but didnāt connect the violence to their own rhetoric
Gohmert was among many Texas Republican political leaders who spent Wednesday afternoon condemning the violence without connecting it to their own rhetoric both before and after the 2020 election. Embattled Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was at the forefront of one such long-shot legal challenge, cheered on by both Trump supporters and the president himself. On Wednesday morning, Paxton spoke at the pro-Trump rally in Washington, D.C.āWhat we have in President Trump is a fighter. Weāre Texans, weāre Americans, and the fight will go on.āAfter the pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol, Paxton tweeted that he did not believe violence was the answer. He alleged on Twitter that the people who stormed the Capitol were not actually Trump supporters but offered no information to support the claim.
Trump says he'll 'fight like hell' to hold on to presidency
Though he got nothing but cheers Monday night, Trump's attempt to overturn the presidential election i s splitting the Republican Party. Trump himself is whipping up crowds for a Wednesday rally near the White House. Trump said in Georgia: āI hope that our great vice president comes through for us. Two current Republican senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mike Lee of Utah, joined the growing number who now oppose the legislators' challenge. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking House GOP leader; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan ā have criticized the GOP efforts to overturn the election.
Republicans condemn 'scheme' to undo election for Trump
Of the more than 50 lawsuits the president and his allies have filed challenging election results, nearly all have been dismissed or dropped. Other prominent former officials also criticized the ongoing attack on election results. Cruz's coalition of 11 Republican senators vows to reject the Electoral College tallies unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results. The convening of the joint session to count the Electoral College votes has faced objections before. States choose their own election officials and draft their election laws.
More GOP lawmakers enlist in Trump effort to undo Biden win
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas on Saturday announced a coalition of 11 senators and senators-elect who have been enlisted for Trump's effort to subvert the will of American voters. But their challenges, and those from House Republicans, represent the most sweeping effort to undo a presidential election outcome since the Civil War. said the Republican effort to create a federal commission āto supersede state certifications" is wrong. On the other side of the Republican divide, several senators spoke out Saturday against Cruz and Hawley's effort. McConnell had previously warned GOP senators not to participate in raising objections, saying it would be a terrible vote for colleagues.
Texas judge dismisses suit aimed at overturning election
Pence, as president of the Senate, will oversee the session Wednesday and declare the winner of the White House race. The Electoral College this month cemented Bidenās 306-232 victory, and multiple legal efforts by President Donald Trump's campaign to challenge the results have failed. āA suit to establish that the Vice President has discretion over the count, filed against the Vice President, is a walking legal contradiction,ā the department argued. But a range of nonpartisan election officials and Republicans has confirmed there was no fraud in the November contest that would change the results of the election. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all have been dismissed or dropped.
The Latest: US task force leader says pandemic in new phase
(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)CHARLESTON, W.Va. __ White House coronavirus task force leader Dr. Deborah Birx says widespread coronavirus infections in urban and rural America mark a new phase for the pandemic as she doubled down on calls to wear face masks and observe social distancing measures. South Africas caseload represents more than 50% of all reported coronavirus infections in Africas 54 countries. ___TOKYO Confirmed coronavirus cases are hovering at near record levels in Japan, raising worries the pandemic may be growing more difficult to control. Israel is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases after having largely contained an earlier outbreak in the spring. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said the case fatality rate was progressively reducing and currently stands at 2.18%, one of the lowest globally.
Arizona congressman tests positive for virus; 2nd this week
(Bonnie Cash/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON The chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee said Saturday he tested positive for the coronavirus days after he sat close to another member of the panel, Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert, who also tested positive. Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., said in a statement that he has the virus but, like Gohmert, has no symptoms. He is at least the 11th member of Congress known to have tested positive for the coronavirus. Grijalva went into isolation after Gohmert tested positive on Wednesday, since the two had sat close to each other at a Natural Resources hearing the day before. The White House tests anyone who will be in close proximity to the president, which is how Gohmert found out he had the virus.
Colleagues feared U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert would catch COVID-19. Sure enough, he did.
U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, uses a face covering during a U.S. House Natural Resources Committee hearing in Washington, D.C. on June 29, 2020. But leadership had already mandated wearing masks in hearings, only to have some Republicans ignore the rules. Current and former Texas Republican staffers interviewed by the Tribune expressed horror that wide-spread Capitol Hill fears about Gohmert had become reality. Usually, his provocations are met with eye rolling and private commentary within the close-knit Texas Republican Congressional world about Louies being Louie.On Wednesday, it all became existential. Many members and their staffers say they wear masks and embrace quarantines both for safety and to set an example.
In sprawling Capitol, leaders struggle to keep virus at bay
The lack of tracking was highlighted this week when a GOP lawmaker, Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert, found out he had contracted the virus. Fearing Gohmert's frequent refusal to wear a mask could have caused other members and staff to become infected, Pelosi and Capitol officials quickly issued broad new mask requirements for the House. The dilemma for Congress is similar to the one facing workplaces and schools as they struggle to reopen. Pelosi and McConnell cited those front-line workers when they rejected Trump's offer earlier this year to send rapid tests for lawmakers to the Capitol. Let's expand access to rapid testing on Capitol Hill, but also throughout the country, Van Hollen said.
U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, a mask skeptic, tests positive for coronavirus, according to reports
U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, Politico and ABC News confirmed Wednesday morning. He reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 during a pre-screen at the White House. Last month, he told CNN that he was not wearing a mask because he was getting tested regularly for the virus. Several other members of Congress have tested positive for the deadly respiratory virus. Kentucky Republican Rand Paul tested positive for the virus in March and later recovered.
Gohmert's positive virus test renews safety fears in Capitol
WASHINGTON Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert tested positive on Wednesday for the coronavirus, forcing him to abruptly cancel his plan to travel to his home state with President Donald Trump. He is at least the 10th member of Congress known to have tested positive for the coronavirus. Hours after Gohmerts positive test, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., appeared open to putting in place a mask mandate for the House. But a few have refused, including Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a doctor who says it's unnecessary because he previously tested positive for the virus. After Gohmert tested positive, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said Barr would be tested Wednesday.
Conservatives lash out at Liz Cheney over Trump criticism
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio noted Cheney's criticism of Trump on defense and foreign policy and accused her of not supporting the president on his coronavirus response. Leading the criticism was Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who recounted the confrontation on his podcast, Hot Takes with Matt Gaetz, shortly after it happened. He also tweeted about Cheney, who is the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, and said she should step down from her post as head of the GOP conference. Liz Cheney has worked behind the scenes (and now in public) against @realDonaldTrump and his agenda, Gaetz tweeted. House Republicans deserve better as our Conference Chair.
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. Rep. Sylvia Garcia moves to self-quarantine after exposure to coronavirus
U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, at The Texas Tribune Festival in 2018. Stephen Spillman for The Texas TribuneWASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia, a Houston Democrat, announced Friday that she was exposed to the coronavirus and will be self-quarantining. Noting that she lived near an international airport and could make a direct flight to Washington, Garcia voted on behalf of her fellow freshman, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, announced in early March he was potentially exposed, but under the direction of the U.S. House physician, he returned to Congress. And after running a fever, U.S. Rep. Lizzie Pannill Fletcher self-quarantined but ultimately tested negative for the coronavirus.