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** HYR Weekly Political Update
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** January 24th, 2025
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** Welcome to This Week's HYR Newsletter!
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The past few days have been packed with significant developments, from a wave of executive orders shaping the Trump-Vance administration’s agenda to pivotal confirmation hearings in the Senate and key discussions on budget reconciliation in the House. Closer to home, the Texas Legislature has made a bold move to ban Democrat committee chairs, signaling a strong push for conservative priorities this session.

Thank you for being part of HYR, and we look forward to keeping you informed and connected.

Matt Murphy
Political Director, Houston Young Republicans
The White House
Shock and awe: The Trump-Vance administration wasted little time implementing the pillars of their America First agenda, starting the first day of their term with a frenetic blitz of executive orders. The sheer volume of EOs issued serves as stark contrast to Trump’s 2017 inauguration day, in which he issued just one.

You can track the official comprehensive list of Presidential actions here ([link removed]) . The notable EO stipulations, either signed or in the works at the time of writing:
* Resume construction of the border wall
* Temporary suspension of refugee resettlement efforts from questionably hostile nations for at least 4 months
* General restriction of asylum activities using section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
* Directing the Attorney General to seek capital punishment for aliens committing capital crimes or murder of law enforcement officers
* Declaring a national emergency at the border, supported by 1,500 troops initially, with plans to eventually muster 10,000
* Designating drug cartels and crime syndicates as foreign terrorist organizations
* Reinstitution of the “Remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers—which had been scrapped by the Biden administration
* Granting of emergency powers to detain aliens apprehended at the southern border
* Abolishment of the “Catch and Release” practices implemented by President Biden
* Ending birthright citizenship
* Sweeping support for natural gas, pipeline, fracking, and commerce-through-port endeavors
* Prohibition of the “Green New Deal,” and termination of numerous inhibitive Biden-era energy policies
* A moratorium on offshore wind energy leases
* Elimination of electric vehicle mandates
* Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords
* Ending all DEI programs across the federal government
* Return to Office order for all US department/agency employees
* A hiring freeze across the executive branch, with the exception of “essential” roles
* Curtailment of overly protective regulations for unionized federal workers
* Ending diversity training programs and initiatives
* Ending “environmental justice” programs
* Ending “equity” related grants, and initiatives
* Freezing the issuance of new bureaucratic federal guidelines and regulations
* Charging pertinent agencies with the task of addressing the cost-of-living crisis
* Fortifying free speech against government censorship
* Creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
* Reinstating military members who were discharged for refusing the Covid vaccine
* Removal of “non-binary” or “other” as gender options on federal documents—including passports and visas
* Separating America from the World Health Organization (WHO)
* Enacting 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada
* Establishment of the External Revenue Service, to collect outstanding revenues and tariff monies from foreign nations
* Suspension of foreign aid programs for 90 days, to audit whether these programs align with Trump’s agenda or American interests abroad
* Renaming both the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Mount Denali to the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley respectively
* Declassification of the JFK, MLK, and RFK (senior) files
* Designating the Iran-backed Houthi rebels as a terrorist organization
* Revocation of security clearances for the 51 signers of the infamous letter suggesting Hunter Biden’s laptop was “Russian disinformation.” Additionally, both Mike Bolton and Pompeo had their clearances yanked as well.

Some of these EOs will assuredly be held up in court through lawsuits (some likely frivolous) and bureaucracy.

The EO eliminating federal DEI initiatives has already been met with typical Washingtonian avoidance tactics. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms was caught this week ([link removed]) simply rebranding/changing the title of their senior DEI official in an attempt to skirt the EO. The US Air Force has adopted similar tactics, rebranding their DEI endeavors as the “Organizational Culture Office.” Nonetheless, in summation of the whirlwind of activity coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—we’ve never been more back.

Tik-Tok tumult: The deadline for the popular Chinese Communist Party-backed app to be divested or outright banned has been extended 90 days. The brief ban of Tik-Tok was met with backlash so intense, a 19-year-old Wisconsin man felt compelled to set fire to ([link removed]) the regional office of Rep. Glenn Grothman [R-WI-6] over the banning of the app.

Tik-Tok was initially flagged by the Dept. of Homeland Security as a significant threat to national security years ago. The sentiment was echoed by Congress last April, which passed a bipartisan ban under the Biden administration the Supreme Court just upheld—a rare case of all three branches of government reaching consensus on anything.

President Trump’s 90-day EO extension has received legal scrutiny. The Supreme Court stipulated the 90-day extension could only be enacted if a sale/divestment from China was imminent. The extension was not meant to serve as additional time to find another corporate suitor.

How this all pans out remains to be seen; rest assured we will be tracking any pertinent developments.

The Senate
Confirmations continued
* Marco Rubio was confirmed as Secretary of State in a unanimous vote. Governor Ron DeSantis (FL) has already named ([link removed]) Rubio’s replacement in the upper chamber—Ashley Moody, current AG of Florida. Moody will serve out the remaining 2 years of Rubio’s tenure, before a special election will called in 2026 to fill the seat in a traditional fashion. Rep. Cory Mills [R-FL-7] has already thrown ([link removed]) his hat in the ring.


* Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as Director of National Intelligence has garnered attention and mixed reactions. While her extensive military service and endorsements from organizations like the National Border Patrol Council reflect her qualifications and understanding of national security threats, her path to confirmation is not without challenges. The Senate Intelligence Committee has scheduled a hearing for January 30, 2025, where discussions are expected to focus on her ability to align with the administration’s agenda and gain bipartisan support. Though the outcome remains uncertain, Gabbard’s supporters emphasize her experience and commitment to national security as key strengths.


* Even with Senate Democrats attempting to procedurally delay his confirmation vote, John Ratcliffe has been confirmed as CIA Director by a 74-25 vote ([link removed]) margin.


* Pete Hegseth has been procedurally cleared to proceed to a final confirmation vote with a 51-49 vote margin. Despite Sen. Lisa Murkowski [R-AK] defecting to join Democrats ([link removed]) in obstructing Hegseth, he will ultimately ascend to Defense Secretary with an identical final vote margin.


* John Kennedy [R-LA], one of America’s funniest politicians, gifted us with another incredible soundbite ([link removed]) during the confirmation hearing for Russell Vought to head the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Vought appears to have smooth sailing ahead in his confirmation journey.


* Sean Curran has been nominated to lead the Secret Service. Curran led President Trump’s security detail for 4 years, and notably was one of the agents in Butler Pennsylvania who leapt upon the stage to shield the president from gunfire following the initial volley.


* For the sake of brevity, the other hearings this week included Kristi Noem ([link removed]) , Doug Collins ([link removed]) , Elise Stefanik ([link removed]) , Scott Bessent ([link removed]) , Sean Duffy ([link removed]) , Lee Zeldin ([link removed]) , Brooke Rollins ([link removed]) (for whom TX Sen. John Cornyn provided an opening statement of endorsement), and Scott Turner ([link removed]) --also of Texas.

The House

House GOP Committee Chairs are steadily piecing together the specifics of their budget reconciliation packages. While the final version remains uncertain, early estimates suggest the proposed bill could save taxpayers between $2.5 and $3 trillion ([link removed]) through a combination of spending cuts and tax breaks.

Meanwhile, the debt limit debate continues to loom large, with federal funding set to expire on March 15. Congressional Republicans have proposed tying debt limit provisions to a disaster relief bill for California--a strategy President Trump is reportedly open to. This maneuver could pressure Democrats to cooperate, ([link removed]) given the urgency of addressing the state’s disaster needs.

In related news, the House Rules Committee has taken up the Fix Our Forests Act, ([link removed]) a bill introduced last Congress by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rep. Bruce Westerman [R-AR-4]. With the ongoing devastation caused by California’s wildfires, the legislation is likely to garner stronger bipartisan support and has higher chances of becoming law than in previous sessions.

Amid these developments, House Democrats are reportedly questioning the current agenda ([link removed]) of their conference leadership, reflecting growing tensions within the party. On the Republican side, every member of the House GOP Conference will begiven the opportunity ([link removed]) to meet with President Trump in the coming weeks to align on strategy and policy priorities. The upcoming GOP member retreat in Florida on Monday offers an ideal setting for such discussions.
Other Notable Developments and Updates
* The Trump administration is considering selling ([link removed]) two-thirds of federally owned office real-estate, sending the General Services Administration (GSA) into a fervor.
* Sen. John Fetterman [D-PA] continues to dress ([link removed]) like the token “It’s not that cold outside” guy, as freezing temperatures enveloped Inauguration festivities. Fetterman also vehemently shot down ([link removed]) speculation he’d be switching his party affiliation.
* The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, has pledged to invest ([link removed]) $600 billion in direct foreign investment in the US.
* Staffers in the White House legislative affairs office have been “strongly discouraged from drinking with members of Congress.” ([link removed])
* The head of the TSA has been fired ([link removed]) .
* James O’Keefe, founder of Project Veritas, has released yet another illuminating undercover video ([link removed]) —detailing how entrenched federal bureaucrats intend to sabotage or kneecap the Trump administration.

This Week in Texas

Mark McCaig

Texas House Bans Democrat Chairs

With the support of more than two-thirds of the Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives, the House passed a new rules package that includes a requirement that only members of the majority party can serve as committee chairmen.

The vote on the new rules provided an opportunity for a supermajority of Republican lawmakers to unify around the concept of banning Democrat committee chairmen- an issue that has been designated as a legislative priority by the Republican Party of Texas. In addition to receiving the support of Republican lawmakers who supported new Speaker Dustin Burrows, the new rules were also supported by all of the Republicans who had announced their candidacy for Speaker of the Texas House this session on a “reform” platform that included banning Democrat committee chairs.

The vote to ban Democrat committee chairmen came after the Republican Party of Texas and a network of organizations connected to Midland businessman and political donor Tim Dunn accused Burrows and his Republican supporters of “trying to cut a deal with Democrats to elect a liberal Speaker of the House” and claiming that “Liberal Democrats are trying to steal the Speakership in Texas!”

Republican State Representative Cody Harris, who was one of many Republican lawmakers targeted by the Texas GOP’s attacks, pushed back against the false claims made against him and his colleagues and expressed confidence in House Republicans’ commitment to passing conservative legislation.

“Under the leadership of conservative Speaker Dustin Burrows, the Texas House sent a resounding message to the outside astroturf influencers who are hell-bent on totalitarian control: you can lie to our voters and drag us through the mud, but the vast majority of Texas House Republicans will continue to stand on bedrock conservative principles. We did what the astroturf groups said we wouldn’t – we banned Democrats chairs and unified House Republicans,” said Harris.

Some Republican opponents of the new rules claimed that the rules somehow “empowered Democrats” through appointments as vice chairs of committees. Proponents of the new rules have debunked these claims.

In a tweet responding to criticism about the new House rules, Republican State Representative Jared Patterson wrote, “We banned minority party Chairs in the Texas House without sacrificing a drop of power to push, stall, or pass legislation from the Committee Chairman. Full stop. Are [there] Democrat Vice Chairs in the House and Senate, yes. Can they prevent legislation from moving forward? No. Can a subcommittee, designed to drill down on a specific issue, stall or push certain legislation without the approval of the Committee Chairman? No. That’s why every Republican (former) candidate for Speaker voted for the rules along with 72% of the R Caucus.”

Among other new provisions in the House rules is the creation of a new committee, the Delivery of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) Committee, which is inspired by the new Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency in the Trump Administration. The new Texas DOGE Committee will have jurisdiction over matters including “the organization, operation, powers, regulations, and management of state departments, agencies, institutions, and advisory committees,” “elimination of inefficiencies in the provision of state services,” oversight over the administrative rulemaking process, open government issues, the use of artificial intelligence, and the detection of waste, fraud, and abuse in state government.

Burrows congratulated the House on the passage of the rules and reiterated his commitment to passing conservative legislation this session.

“We face many challenges as a state, and it will take the collective effort of all members to meet them effectively. Now, with our rules in place, we must turn our focus to the work ahead and pass a conservative agenda that serves every Texan,” said Burrows.



** ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
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As an HYR Member, you receive this newsletter as a benefit of your membership. These weekly updates are designed to keep you informed with the most pressing political issues of the week.


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