This will be our last newsletter of 2024, and what a year it was! Brenda and I want to wish everyone a Merry CHRISTmas and a wonderful New Year! During this joyous season, I pray that you take time to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We will have our nation in our prayers along with each of you as we celebrate Christmas. I wish you all peace, joy, wisdom, courage, faith, and love this Christmas season! We hope you have a safe and relaxing holiday season!

Click the video for a special Christmas message! 

In November, the American people delivered a clear mandate: stop the reckless spending, restore accountability, and put America back on the path of fiscal sanity. House Republicans should be working shoulder to shoulder with President Trump to deliver results starting on day one. But instead, what did we see on Tuesday night? A bloated, 1,547-page Continuing Resolution (CR), crammed with the Democrats’ Christmas wishlist and dumped on us with barely any time to read it. Let me tell you—this is not the way to govern.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this process is broken. Congress knows the funding deadline is September 30th every single year. There’s no excuse for kicking the can down the road with a slapdash CR, let alone one stuffed with priorities that have no business being in a stopgap measure.

That’s why I’m proud to say we stood firm and stopped what was nothing more than a disguised “Cramnibus.”

It’s outrageous for the federal government to try, at the last minute, to dump billions in unchecked spending on hardworking Americans. I even printed out that 1,500-page monstrosity, wrapped it in a bow, and sent it back with a clear message: Return to sender. To everyone who spoke out against this Swamp-driven CR—thank you. Your voices sent shockwaves through Washington. Even the political old-timers were awestruck by the power of the American people.

Now, last night, we voted on a CR that would have funded the government through March 2025, extended the farm bill, provided disaster funding, and suspended the debt ceiling. I’ll be the first to say I don’t usually support CRs, but this one came with a request straight from President Trump. He asked Republicans to unite behind it to set him up for success in January, and many of us answered that call.

Unfortunately, that measure didn’t pass.

This afternoon, the House passed a clean CR to fund the government and avoid a government shutdown. 

Like I've previously stated, we need to set President Trump up success, but we have a lot of work to do next Congress to tackle the irresponsible spending head-on. From the Department of Education's $1 billion DEI agenda to the federal government wasting 80% of its $100 billion annual IT budget on outdated system, there's no shortage of examples. 

I never forget who we’re fighting for. The American people sent  us here to put a stop to the madness, to stand up for conservative principles, and to get this country back on track. And that’s exactly what I’m going to keep doing.

Today, the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government released its comprehensive 17,000-page final staff report, detailing the troubling findings of its investigations into the Biden-Harris Administration's misuse of federal authority.

• Read part one of the final staff report here. 

• Read part two of the final staff report here. 

• Read part three of the final staff report here. 

• Read part four of the final staff report here. 

Through rigorous oversight, the Select Subcommittee uncovered numerous instances of federal agencies being weaponized against the American people. Key findings include:

• Censorship by Big Tech: The Subcommittee exposed how the Biden-Harris White House pressured Facebook to censor Americans, a fact confirmed by Mark Zuckerberg himself.

• Empowering Whistleblowers: The Subcommittee provided a platform for whistleblowers to speak out, even in the face of retaliation by the Department of Justice and the FBI.

• Protecting Free Speech: Its efforts led to the dissolution of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) and other entities engaged in censoring Americans' voices.

• Reforming Federal Agencies: The Subcommittee revealed weaponization within federal law enforcement, prompting critical policy changes from the Department of Justice and the IRS.

• Election Interference: Evidence showed that the Biden campaign coordinated with 51 former intelligence officials to interfere in the 2020 election by falsely labeling Hunter Biden's laptop as disinformation.

The findings of this report underscore the urgent need to safeguard the freedoms and rights of the American people from government overreach. Stay informed and continue to stand with us as we fight to hold those in power accountable.

We had a productive and meaningful week in Washington! YOUR team (because we work for YOU) came together in D.C. for a staff retreat focused on team building and goal alignment. Our mission? To hit the ground running in the 119th Congress and serve the great people of Southeast Texas with even greater efficiency. It’s an honor to represent TX-14, and we’re here to help—don’t hesitate to reach out to our offices in Washington, Beaumont, League City, or Lake Jackson anytime.

This week, I joined my colleagues in the Border Security Caucus to hear from incoming Border Czar Tom Homan about his plans to secure and manage our southern border. As always, I’m committed to fighting for the safety and security of Texans. Additionally, I had the privilege of hosting a special order to honor Dr. Michael Burgess for his 22 years of dedicated service representing Texas’ 26th District in the House of Representatives. His commitment to our state and country is an inspiration to us all.

Do you think minors should have access to gender-affirming care?

Yes: 15%

No: 85%