Irving, TX – After Democrats forced the longest shutdown in history, 43 days later, the government is open. House Republicans, once again, voted yes to open the government. 

This shutdown was completely unnecessary, but the Democrats say it was “worth it” to cause harm and suffering to the American people, and for what? None of their initial demands for $1.5 trillion in additional spending was included in our legislation that President Trump signed.

As I shared last week, Friday, November 7th was Ava Moore Day in Texas. I was able to attend the ceremony at Timber Creek High School surrounded by her teammates, friends, and family, where they retired her jersey. I had the honor of sharing a few words about how special Ava Moore is, listen to my remarks here.

On Saturday it was great to be with the outstanding Chairman of the House Small Business Committee, Congressman Roger Williams, and TCU Chancellor Pullin for a TCU football game!

It was great to spend time with our Congressional Youth Advisory Summit students! They were able to participate in a series of panel discussions featuring leaders from law enforcement, state and local government, as well as members of my legislative team. 

They heard from local and state officials about the importance of civic engagement and how young people can make a difference in our communities. My legislative team walked them through the federal policymaking process, giving them a glimpse of how Congress works to serve the people of Texas-24. They had the chance to learn more about how our law enforcement agencies work to keep our communities safe through collaboration.

Thank you to all our students for your thoughtful questions and active participation! I look forward to having this group back together in the spring!

The U.S. Marine Corps celebrated their 250th birthday on Monday!

Thank you to every Marine who has worn the uniform and defended our great nation over the last 250 years.

On Tuesday, Veterans Day, we honored the brave men and women who have served our country, recognizing their service and the sacrifices they have made to protect our freedoms.

It was a privilege to honor our Congressional Veteran Commendation recipients and Vietnam-era veterans at our annual event! I presented 14 commendations and 8 Vietnam lapel pins to these heroes in Texas-24. 

Our community is stronger because of their service, courage, and continued commitment to others.

Wednesday evening, the Democrat Shutdown finally came to an end. I joined my House Republican colleagues in voting to reopen the government again. 

Thank you to President Trump for immediately signing our legislation and reopening the government for the American people.

I am glad to share that the House-passed FY26 Agriculture Appropriations bill includes key provisions from my END Act, authorizing the FDA to destroy illegal and dangerous tobacco and vape products coming from foreign countries.

This is an important public safety measure to protect Americans, particularly from unsafe and illegal Chinese vaping products, by empowering the FDA to seize and immediately destroy these products at our borders or in customs.

I always appreciate the opportunity to go into the Fox News Studio in Dallas! Yesterday, I joined Will for the Will Cain Show, you can watch that here, or by clicking on the picture below.

This week, the Democrat Shutdown came to an end. Thanks to House and Senate Republicans.

I am excited to get back to Washington and continue our work to lower costs and expand job opportunities for American families.

Our Texas-24 Hometown Hero this week is Don Munson of Coppell. Last week I had the chance to honor him for his 22-year military career and service to our country. On Monday, Colonel Munson lost his battle with cancer at the age of 87. 

We thank him for his service and are praying for his family.

Have you ever wanted to serve your community in a Congressional office?

We're looking for hard-working interns to join us in our Washington D.C. or Addison, TX office for the 2026 spring session. Learn more and apply by clicking here or on the picture below.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your voice in Washington. To stay up to date on what's happening each week, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Please do not hesitate to contact our office if we can ever be of service to you. 

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (TX-24)