This Week in Washington, D.C.

Rep. Troy E. Nehls Attends House Judiciary Committee Hearing on "The Biden-Harris Border Crisis: Victim Perspectives"

This week, I attended the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing on “The Biden-Harris Border Crisis: Victim Perspectives Hearing.” During the hearing, I heard from Anne Funder, Patty Moring, Tammy Nobles, and Alexis Nungaray, who lost their children to heinous crimes committed by illegal aliens and fentanyl that’s poured across the border due to the wide-open border policies of the Biden-Harris Administration.

Jocelyn Nungaray, the daughter of Alexis Nungaray, was assaulted and brutally murdered by two illegal aliens from Venezuela. As a father of three daughters, I cannot fathom how these mothers feel, and my prayers are with them and their families. I recently introduced the Justice for Jocelyn Act, and I thank the Nungaray family for helping write this vital piece of legislation to make sure preventable deaths of American citizens at the hands of illegal aliens never happen again.

The witnesses of this hearing are far from being alone in their suffering under the Biden-Harris border crisis. Countless others have been murdered by illegal aliens and poisoned by fentanyl being smuggled across our southern border. Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45. In 2023 alone, there were over 100,000 fentanyl deaths here in America.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the border czar, is responsible for the border crisis. One thing is clear: President Trump is the only one who can save our country from the destruction of Kamala Harris and the Biden-Harris Administration.

Watch my remarks from the House Judiciary hearing HERE.

Rep. Troy E. Nehls Sends Letter to FAA Administrator Urging Expedited Approval of SpaceX Project and Increased Flight Cadence

This week, I sent a letter to Michael Whitaker, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), urging him to expedite the FAA’s ongoing environmental review of SpaceX’s project, the Tiered Environmental Assessment for SpaceX Starship/Heavy Vehicle Increased Cadence at the Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas, and to expeditiously approve the project.

In July 2024, SpaceX announced that the company would be relocating its headquarters to Starbase, Texas from Hawthorne, California. SpaceX currently employs over 3,400 full-time employees and contractors in Texas and builds and launches Starship rockets from Starbase, Texas. Recently, SpaceX has faced lengthy delays from the FAA licensing process.

On July 25, 2024, I cosigned a letter led by Congressman Pat Fallon of Texas, welcoming SpaceX and X to the state of Texas.

Commercial companies like SpaceX are at the forefront of America’s capabilities in space, including in support of our national defense. To stay ahead of our rivals, especially China which conducted a record 67 launches to space in 2023 and plans to build a Moon base, we must take every step to enable our domestic space industry, consistent with longstanding federal policy.

I am proud that Texas continues to represent the heart of America’s space enterprise. This activity from the Starbase commercial launch site will directly support the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Artemis Program to return American astronauts to the Moon and will contribute billions of dollars of new economic growth in Texas, without compromising the local environment as has been proven both at this site and at America’s other launch sites in Florida and California over many decades. The record is clear.

Read my letter to the FAA Administrator HERE.

Rep. Troy E. Nehls Attends House Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing on "The Consequences of Soft-On-Crime Policies"

This week, I attended the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing on “The Consequences of Soft-On-Crime Policies.”

During the hearing, I heard from victims of soft-on-crime policies, such as Brian Ingram and Amanda Kiefer. Mr. Ingram, the owner of two restaurants in St. Paul, Minnesota, has had his business burglarized seven times since 2020. Ms. Kiefer was attacked by an illegal alien released under Vice President Kamala Harris’ policies as a district attorney.

Did you know that some of the most dangerous cities in America, including St. Louis, MO; Detroit, MI; New Orleans, LA; Memphis, TN; New York City, NY; Milwaukee, WI; Minneapolis, MN; Austin, TX; San Francisco, CA; and Denver, CO, are all Democrat-run? The bottom line is violent crime is up in places like Minnesota because George Soros-funded district attorneys will not prosecute criminals and not keep dangerous criminals in jail.

Additionally, while the dishonest media and the Biden-Harris Administration claim that crime is down, new data released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that violent crime is up. Specifically, from 2020 to 2023, violent crime was up 37%, rape was up 42%, robbery was up 63%, and stranger violence was up 61%.

The American people are not safe under the Left’s radical, soft-on-crime policies.



Watch my remarks from the Subcommittee hearing HERE.

Rep. Troy E. Nehls and Rep. Keith Self Introduce the VENUE Act

I introduced the Venue Named Under Exception Act or the VENUE Act alongside Congressman Keith Self (R-TX-03) to allow individuals charged with a crime on federal property in the Washington, D.C. area to transfer their trial to a federal court in their home jurisdiction.

Every person charged with a federal crime in our nation’s capital should have the option to transfer their trial to a federal court in their home state. It’s no secret that over the past few years, partisan politics have played a role in criminal trials. The VENUE Act will protect those charged with a federal crime in Washington, D.C., from partisan politics by guaranteeing them the option to have a trial in their home state.

Read my press release HERE.

Read the bill text HERE.

Rep. Troy E. Nehls Votes 'YES' to Combat Threat of CCP

Since Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden have been in office, there has been chaos across the globe and our foreign adversaries, like the Chinese Communist Party, (CCP) have been emboldened. To combat the threat of the CCP, a series of bills were passed in the United States House of Representatives to ensure the safety and security of the American people.

• H.R. 8333 – BIOSECURE Act prohibits the use of biotechnology from any company associated with a foreign adversity for entities receiving federal funds. 
• H.R. 510 – Chinese Currency Accountability Act requires that U. S. officials oppose any increase in the weight of Chinese currency with certain exceptions. 
• H.R. 2864 – Countering CCP Drones Act requires video surveillance and telecommunications provided or produced by DJI Technologies to be included in a list of communications equipment or services determined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) so as to pose a risk to U.S. national security.
• H.R. 820 – Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act requires a list to be published by the FCC of all entities holding a license or other any authorization and have ties to specific countries including China.  
• H.R. 7589 – ROUTERS Act requires that a study is conducted on the National Security risk that is posed by consumer routers and modems.
• H.R. 8631 – Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from obtaining a battery produced by specific Chinese entities with certain exceptions.
• H.R. 1157 – Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund Authorization Act authorizes the counter or the malign influence of the CCP. 
• H.R. 5245 – Science and Technology Agreement Enhanced Congressional Notification Act of 2023 requires that congress be notified of science and technology agreements with China by the Department of State no more than 60 after the enactment of this bill 30 days before entering, renewing, or extending any science or technology agreement with China.
• H.R. 4741 – Securing Global Telecommunications Act requires that the Department of State create and submit a strategy to Congress so as to promote the use of secure telecommunication infrastructure for countries outside the U.S. 
• H.R. 7089 – Global Anti-Human Trafficking Enhancement Act authorizes the department of state to investigate any violation of human trafficking law which occurred outside the U.S. 
• H.R. 6614 – Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act requires the Department of Commerce to submit information to congress on export license applications. 
• H.R. 1398 - Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act reestablishes an initiative within the DOJ related to China, and renames it to CCP in order to counter nation threats to the U.S., to prevent spying from the CCP on U.S. Intellectual property as well as academic institutions, to find and prosecute those involved in trade secret theft, hacking, and economic espionage, as well as to protect U.S. critical infrastructure from threats. I am a proud cosponsor of this bill.
• H.R. 9456- Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act makes changes to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to decide if a national security review is necessary for reportable agricultural land transactions referred by the USDA. 
• H.R. 1425- No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act requires that any pandemic-related issue agreement or convention reached by the World Health Organization (WHO) be made a treaty with the advice and consent of the senate, pursuant to Article II of the Constitution prior to legally binding the U.S. This prevents the Biden administration, which has continued to negotiate with the WHO, to claim the ability to join an agreement by executive agreement without congressional input. I am a proud cosponsor of this bill.
• H.R. 1516 – DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act restricts funding to an Institution of Higher Education (IHE) having any relationship with a Confucius Institute with certain exceptions.
• H.R. 7980 - End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act of 2024 would tighten the Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) definition for the 30D electric vehicle (EV) tax credit and prohibit Chinese companies from accessing U.S. tax dollars. 

In order to keep the American people safe from foreign threats, we must combat the threat of Communist China and protect American values and national security.   

Rep. Troy E. Nehls Joins Cowtown Caller to Discuss the Save Our Shrimpers Act of 2024

Watch my interview with the Cowtown Caller Podcast HERE.

Rep. Troy E. Nehls Introduces the Stop CARB Act

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has used its waiver exemption from the Clean Air Act (CAA) to eliminate the sale, and eventually the use, of all gas-powered vehicles in the state of California. Most recently, CARB has targeted locomotive diesel engines by imposing an in-use locomotive rule that requires switching, industrial, and passenger locomotives to be zero-emissions by 2030 and freight line-haul locomotives to be emissions-free by 2035.

CARB has over 100 active waivers that set higher emissions standards than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and none of them are subject to congressional review. The Clean Air Act allows for any state to adopt any or all of California’s waivers if there are no changes. Currently, 17 states have adopted all of some of California’s emissions standards.

This week, I introduced the Stop CARB Act, which would repeal the waiver exemption for the state of California. This legislation would repeal Section 177 of the CAA, which allows other states across the nation to adopt the California emissions standards and would nullify any active or pending waivers and clean up references to the waiver in other statute.

Let me be clear: California will not govern the great state of Texas. The liberal state of California should not set egregious standards for the rest of the country. This legislation will repeal the Harris-Biden EPA’s radical, out-of-touch use of CARB waivers, allowing other states to set their own standards and protecting consumer choice and our nation’s supply chains. Hard-working Americans should not be burdened by the radical Left’s climate agenda.

Read my press release HERE.

Read the bill text HERE.



Attention TX-22: Beware of Paying for Veteran Services

Veterans and their family members should never have to pay any company or an organization to complete Veterans Administration (VA) claim documents, especially for pension, aid and attendance or Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC). The Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Texas Veterans Commission, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart are all Veteran Service Organizations that are certified by the VA to help veterans and family members complete documentation for free.

To locate one of these organizations please visit the VA’s website HERE or contact our office for assistance at my website.

Office of Rep. Troy E. Nehls Hosts Mobile Office Hours

My office will be hosting mobile office hours on Wednesday, September 18th, and Thursday, September 19th, at Wharton County Junior College Pioneer Frontier Event.

Members of my team will be present to discuss the opportunity to intern at my District office, located in Fulshear, Texas, and to help those who have any issues with a federal agency, such as passports, the IRS, and more!

My office is here to help and serve you. If there is anything my team can assist you with, please don't hesitate to contact my office.

My office is now accepting Service Academy Nominations.

One of the privileges of serving in the United States House of Representatives is the opportunity to nominate outstanding young people from the 22nd Congressional District of Texas to be considered for appointment to our nation’s service academies.

Admission to a service academy is a two-tiered process. First, the candidate must meet the minimum standards set by the individual academy. Second, the candidate must complete the congressional application by October 11, 2024, to be considered for an interview in our office with the nomination review board. Please note, the ultimate selection of appointees rests solely with academy officials and is based on their competitive evaluation of all nominees.

Please fill out the web form HERE to receive all of the application information. If you have any further questions, please email [email protected] or call my district office at (346) 762-6600.

I am pleased to announce that my office is hosting the 2024 Congressional App Challenge. The Congressional App Challenge is a competition designed to encourage student participation in computer science and coding. Students are encouraged to register online and submit their app by October 24, 2024.

The Congressional App Challenge is open to all middle and high school students in the 22nd Congressional District of Texas. Students entering the competition must submit their app to CongressionalAppChallenge.us during the Competition Submission Period through Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 12 P.M. Eastern Time.

The winner from the 22nd Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on CongressionalAppChallenge.us. The winning app will also be eligible to be on display in the U.S. Capitol, honoring the winners from across the country.

For more information, please visit the official Congressional App Challenge website email [email protected], or email my office at [email protected].

Do you support the SAVE Act, which would bar illegal aliens from voting in our federal elections?



YES 93.5%

NO 6.5%

Did you know from 2020 to 2023, violent crime was up 37%?