Thanks to President Biden’s dangerous open border policies, our homeland is currently anything but secure. Under the Biden Administration, over 7.2 million illegal immigrants have entered the United States from more than 160 countries, including countries on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, who have not properly been vetted. At least 350 people on the terrorist watchlist have been caught attempting to illegally enter the U.S., posing a significant threat to our national security.

American families are fed up with the Biden Administration’s consistent refusals to address the crisis at our southern border and the risks it poses to our national security. Thankfully, House Republicans are taking action. 

Today, we passed legislation that counters President Biden’s border crisis by providing $600 million for the construction of the border wall, investing in border security technology, forcing Secretary Mayorkas to adhere to U.S. border laws, and supporting 22,000 Border Patrol agents. It also funds removal operations for removable aliens and custody operations for ICE detainees.

Meanwhile, our legislation cuts out woke initiatives and wasteful programs funded by taxpayer dollars to refocus our Department of Homeland Security on what really matters: keeping the American people safe. The bill blocks critical race theory and the Department’s equity action plan from implementation, rejects funding for EVs, halts Biden Administration initiatives to increase illegal immigration, and prohibits funding for abortions or gender-affirming care for ICE detainees. 

Enough is enough. We have a duty to ensure the security of our borders and the safety of the American people.

The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act 2025, ensures our homeland is protected by increasing border security, providing for the removal of dangerous criminals, countering China and bolstering national security, supporting American values, and removing woke initiatives impeding the Department’s primary mission to promote American safety. 

This comes as we hear the devastating news about Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old North Houston girl who two Venezuelan illegal immigrants murdered. This senseless act of violence is a stark reminder of the consequences of Joe Biden's open border policies that have allowed millions of illegal immigrants to resettle in our backyard. IT MUST STOP.

As a father and a representative of Southeast Texas, my heart goes out to the grieving family. My prayers are with the family during this incredibly difficult time. May God give them the strength to endure this profound loss. They should NEVER have to go through this.

These illegal immigrants deserve the death penalty.

Today, the Supreme Court has overturned the Chevron doctrine, which mandated courts to defer to unelected bureaucrats' legal interpretations.

From the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) expansive interpretations of WOTUS (Waters of the United States), adversely affecting landowners' livelihoods, to the Department of Education's attempts to defund hunting and archery education programs, federal agencies have repeatedly demonstrated their inability to serve as impartial interpreters of the law. Under Chevron, agencies prevailed in 71% of all cases and an astonishing 93.8% of ambiguous cases, granting the government an unfair advantage. This undermines equal justice under the law, tilting the balance unfairly.

For too long, the Chevron doctrine has empowered unelected bureaucrats to interpret laws with minimal oversight, often favoring the administration's agenda over fair legal interpretation. Texans have endured the consequences of unchecked federal regulations under the Biden administration for years, and enough is enough.

I commend the Supreme Court for reclaiming decision-making authority for democratically-elected members of Congress, aligning with the principles of our Founding Fathers. This decision restores balance and prevents unelected bureaucrats from wielding unchecked power.

On Monday, I had a great afternoon with the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce at the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executive Convention!

We recognize the pivotal role that chambers play in our communities. Chambers of Commerce are the backbone of local economies, driving growth, fostering innovation, and championing the interests of businesses, both large and small. Their dedication ensures that Texas continues to thrive as a beacon of economic opportunity and prosperity. On Tuesday, I headed back up to Washington, but Team Weber attended the 2024 State of the Ports with Rodger Rees, Port of Galveston, and Roger Guenther, Port of Houston. These ports are vital to our local economy and national trade, ensuring jobs and prosperity for Southeast Texas.

Team Weber also had the honor to presenting a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol and a challenge coin to true American hero, WWII Army veteran Ray Tweedle, who was awarded the French Legion of Honor. Mr. Tweedle served as a member of the Combat Engineers (CE), landing in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. His CE battalion played a crucial role in paving the way for General George Patton’s 3rd Army to aid in the liberation of France.

Yesterday, Team Weber present Jay Coppock a Congressional Record of a speech I delivered on the House Floor in honor of his well-deserved retirement from the Associated Credit Union of Texas. During his time at ACU of Texas, Jay served as the executive director of SERVE, an organization dedicated to bringing Gulf Coast area veterans groups together to combine resources and information.

This week in the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, we had a hearing to examine the Department of Energy’s (DOE) fiscal year 2025 budget request to Congress and the impact this proposed funding could have on civilian research, development, demonstration, and commercial application programs at the Department.

I asked Deputy Secretary Turk about DOE’s progress in sourcing domestic nuclear fuel by the congressionally mandated deadline to support the development of advanced reactors. I also gave a crash course on why the administration's LNG ban undermines both environmental efforts and our leverage over global adversaries. And the direct impact on Southeast Texas. 

Background: 

• DOE has moved away from its core mission of “transformative science and technological solutions” to deploying mature technologies and attempting to lead a forced nationwide green energy transition.
• This budget does little to rebalance the massive shifts in priorities mandated by the recent Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
• While DOE’s funding for later-stage research and deployment through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Loan Programs Office has seen big cash influxes, the Office of Science received zero additional funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and only $1.5 billion for the National Labs’ infrastructure in the IRA.
• This discrepancy creates a future where DOE picks winners and losers by funding select energy sources but does not carry out the fundamental research needed by industry to make generational breakthroughs for multiple energy sources.
• Instead of continuing down this alarming path through DOE’s FY25 budget request, we should seek to fully fund the provisions authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act.