** HYR Weekly
------------------------------------------------------------


** Political Update
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]


** A NEWSLETTER FROM THE HOUSTON YOUNG REPUBLICANS
------------------------------------------------------------


** (View this email in your browser ([link removed]) )
------------------------------------------------------------


** MAR. 23
------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to this week’s newsletter!

In Washington, both chambers of Congress are in a rare simultaneous recess—naturally, the Trump White House more than made up for Congressional inactivity.

In Texas, the right to life and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department took center stage.

We break it all down below.


** Matt Murphy
------------------------------------------------------------


** Political Director
------------------------------------------------------------


** The Gutting of Liberal Institutions
------------------------------------------------------------

This week, the Trump administration was not holding back, taking some bold swings at a bunch of historically left-leaning government and cultural institutions.

We start at the Department of Education. On Thursday President Trump formally issued his anticipated executive order to dismantle the bloated agency (and brainchild of Jimmy Carter), which annually costs taxpayers ~$100B, and has presided over the steady, consistent decline of American public schools for 45 years. The few useful functions the defunct department had will be shifted to other agencies: the student loan portfolio will now be overseen by the Small Business Administration, and Health and Human Services will run point on services for disabled students, as well as school nutrition programs. I’d hazard that school lunches are going to look a hell of a lot better under RFK than they did Michelle Obama when it’s said and done.

The Trump administration also targeted elitist institutions of higher education this week.

Columbia University will reportedly end a standoff with the White House, and adhere to their list of demands to restore $400 million in funding frozen by the Trump administration in wake of their inability to subdue student-led pro-Gaza (or Hamas depending on you ask) riots on campus. Some of the demands in question: banning face-concealing masks, enabling campus police to arrest political agitators, and empowering university administrators to further conduct student disciplinary action–as opposed to their faculty who arguably fueled the campus chaos or simply looked the other way.

UPenn had $175 million in federal funding frozen due to refusal to comply with the Trump administration’s policy regarding transgender athletes; “Lia” Thomas ([link removed]) was not the hill to die on.

Lastly, fearing they’d be next in line for loss of federal funding, the University of California system announced they will stop requiring diversity statements for hiring purposes. Diversity statements require job applicants to describe their vision for “diversity and inclusion” on campuses–essentially oaths of loyalty to the marxists running the UC system. Deterrence works.

The Trump administration also has new plans for USAID ([link removed]) , or what’s left of it at least after ~83% of their programs were slashed–most notably a change in name and function: national security oriented, strategic humanitarian aid. Their new purpose will be to strengthen America’s soft power abroad, combatting things like China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

On the culture war front, President Trump ordered the shuttering of the US Agency for Global Media. The agency oversaw American based international media outlets like the Voice of America–which broadcast “impartial” news and programming touting democracy in places like Russia and Iran (that’s definitely gone well), or English lessons in 48 nations, including China.

Liberal backlash over yet another blow to their propaganda infrastructure was predictably swift and loud. Worth noting multiple Republicans have expressed concerns the USAGM was not just a waste of taxpayer money, but a corrupt agency posing a serious threat to national security ([link removed]) .

The icing on the cake came courtesy of the Kennedy Center, the 1.5M square foot performing arts center in Washington DC, and longtime cultural mouthpiece of the lefty elitist class inhabiting our nation’s capital. President Trump toured the center, and made clear to their board there’s a new sheriff in town. Audio of his visit was leaked to the New York Times ([link removed]) , it’s both hilarious and highly telling of his vision for the American culture war. Maybe the Kennedy Center audience shouldn’t have aggressively booed JD Vance.

The White House sent a message to liberal institutions this week: the beatings will continue until morale improves.


** The Pentagon Joining the Border War
------------------------------------------------------------

The Trump administration has working plans to use the power of the Pentagon to secure our southern border.

The pending White House proposal would allow American troops to temporarily hold aliens attempting to cross the US-Mexico border until they can be detained by local law enforcement. If and when implemented, the order would effectively create a border control backed by the satellite network of the American Defense Department. The surveilled territory in question would span from El Paso to Tijuana. More details here ([link removed]) .


** In Congress
------------------------------------------------------------

It was a relatively quiet week for Congress with both the Senate and House in recess.

Reporting indicates there are few important pieces of legislation that will receive floor consideration in the coming weeks, notably:
* The Deterrent Act, aimed at tightening financial disclosure requirements from malign foreign nations to institutions of higher education. Please allow the author of this newsletter to shamelessly pat himself on the back for working to introduce similar legislation ([link removed]) in 2021.
* Two resolutions separately walking back stringent and unnecessary Biden era energy regulations on walk-in and commercial coolers and freezers.

* Texas’ own Rep. Chip Roy [R-TX-21] has reintroduced the SAVE Act, which would require voters to prove American citizenship before casting a ballot. This bill was passed by the House last Congress, and there are a handful of vulnerable House Democrats who may end up voting for it this time around.
* House leadership has tentatively circled the week of April 7th to take up a budget reconciliation package. Fingers crossed.

In the campaign wing of Congress, there are rumblings that former Army Captain and Iraq War veteran John James [R-MI-10] is considering a run for Governor. Polling shows Michigan Republicans see him as the presumptive candidate ([link removed]) to win the party primary should he choose to run.

On the Senate side, former Governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper [D] is reportedlyreceiving pressure from Democrat operatives ([link removed]) in the state to throw his hat in the ring and challenge incumbent Senator Thom Tillis [R-NC] in the 2026 midterms. The 67 year old Cooper has never lost an election in his life, and could prove a formidable challenge to Tillis, but is still mulling his options for the time being.

In Other News

* For the first time since a treaty was adopted in 1944 establishing a sharing agreement between the US and Mexico, America will deny Mexico’s request ([link removed]) for a special delivery of water. During a Wednesday trip to the Rio Grande Valley, Houston’s own Sen. Ted Cruz [R-TX] defended the decision, stating that Mexico hasn’t lived up to their end of the deal, which has historically been one sided anyways. Farming, ranching, and commerce and infrastructure endeavors on the US side of the valley have stalled out because they don’t have enough water in the region as is–why provide Mexico with our water when we desperately need it and they aren’t carrying their weight in the bargain?
* President Trump has axed the Secret Service details ([link removed]) for Ashley and Hunter Biden.
* As he kicks off his campaign for Governor of Ohio, Vivek Ramaswamy, taking a populist page from President Trump’s playbook, announced he wants to rename Lake Erie ([link removed]) to Lake Ohio. The well-known acronym for remembering the names of the Great Lakes is HOMES; I’ll let our readers figure out the implications of swapping the “E” for an “O” in that equation.
* A French politician has demanded the US return the Statue of Liberty, a gift given to us by France in the 1880’s, because we apparently no longer collectively deserve it as a nation. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt promptly shot him down ([link removed]) . If the Paris Olympics opening ceremony was any indication of the state of France, I shudder to think what would happen to Lady Liberty if they got their claws back on her.
* Marco Rubio’s State Department has secured the release ([link removed]) of an American hostage held by the Taliban.
* Must watch TV: ([link removed]) Senior White House advisor Stephen Miller put on an absolute masterclass in defense of the Trump administration’s decision to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport illegal aliens.
* Over 400 Hollywood actors and actresses signed onto a letter to President Trump urging him to shelter the industry from AI. Never bite the hand that feeds you ([link removed]) .
* Houston Texans all-pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. signed a contract making him the highest paid defensive back in NFL history. Why is this pertinent to a political newsletter? Because President Trump predicted it over 5 years ago ([link removed]) .
* The rash of violence committed by radical leftists against Tesla cars and dealerships has been well documented–but you know it’s bad when even the host of the Daily Show ([link removed]) is disturbed by it.
* Vice President Vance called out Kamala Harris on her drinking habits ([link removed]) .
* In a disturbing sign of the times, DoorDash is rolling out plans ([link removed]) allowing customers to finance their meals in installments or deferred options. Dystopian to say the least ([link removed]) .
* Can somebody perform a wellness check on whoever’s running the official State of New York social accounts ([link removed]) ?
* Legendary Houstonian ([link removed]) , two time heavyweight boxing champion, and Olympic gold medalist George Foreman has passed away. Rest in peace champ; I’ll be whipping out the lean-mean-grilling-machine in his honor this weekend.



** This Week in Texas
------------------------------------------------------------

Houston was in the national news cycle this week regarding the right to life. Maria Margarita Rojas, a 48-year old midwife, and Jose Ley, her 29 year old assistant, were arrested and charged with illegally performing abortions.

The charges mark the first time in American history medical workers have been arrested for violating state statutes since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Rojas operated several clinics providing under-the-table abortions in the Houston area, including one in Waller County, where she was ultimately arrested. Rojas had been working as a state licensed midwife since 2018, and contributed to the birthing of over 700 babies. Rojas was purportedly a devout Catholic; her actions would indicate otherwise.

More on the case here ([link removed]) .

In Austin, State Rep. Pat Curry [R-Waco] filed a bill to abolish the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

The legislation would split up and transfer the powers, duties, and functions of the TPWD to the General Land Office, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Public Safety.

Curry, an avid hunter and outdoorsman, has taken issue with the TPWD regarding many of their regulations, and effectiveness as a department. He specifically pointed to their handling of the chronic wasting disease epidemic afflicting the Texas deer population; the department has killed millions of deer in an attempt to control the spread of the disease–a decision he characterized as hamfisted.

GENERAL MEETING

Mar. 25 - March General Meeting with Amy Peck.

Free RSVP → ([link removed])

HOUSTON LLC

Apr. 2 - Houston LLC West Hemisphere Conversation.

Free RSVP → ([link removed])

STAY TUNED

Stay tuned.

Coming Soon →

[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
mailto:[email protected]

Author: Matt Murphy, Political Director, Houston Young Republicans

Editor: Courtney Trevino, President, Houston Young Republicans

View this email in your browser ([link removed])

Copyright (C) 2025 Houston Young Republicans. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Houston Young Republicans

3733-1 Westheimer Rd. #424

Houston, TX 77027

Want to change how you receive these emails?

You can update your preferences ([link removed]) or unsubscribe ([link removed])