After going through the longest government shutdown in history, DOGE has restarted their important work in cutting the massive bloat and waste across the federal government. In just the last week of November, DOGE announced that almost $300 million in government contracts were cancelled that included: 

• $80,000 Health and Human Services contract for “executive coaching”
• $2.7 million for multi-family assessment contractors for green resilient programs
• Education Training for “Global Peace Operations” in Togo, a country in Africa 

I had the opportunity to testify in the House Budget Committee this week to talk about the need to not forget our dire fiscal situation, especially as we enter into the new year. If Congress is going to take this critical juncture seriously, we need to first be able to have an accurate understanding of what the fiscal impact of each bill being voted on is. I asked the Budget Committee to reconsider my Cost Estimates Improvement Act which would ask for interest to be included in our calculations of the fiscal impact of legislation. This is a common sense bill that only scratches the surface in getting Congress to take our debt seriously again.

Brother Gary Moses is beloved throughout the Crossroads region for his welcoming and encouraging presence at seemingly every area event and his decades-long example of making a community feel like a family.   

It was a privilege to present Brother Gary with the official Congressional Record of the floor speech honoring him as well as with the Congressional Patriot Award at the Victoria Christmas Tree Lightning this weekend. Like so many other events throughout the Crossroads region, this tree lightning and parade would have been incomplete without Brother Gary’s presence. Thank you, Brother Gary, for everything you do and the joy you bring to everyone in Victoria!

Below: Watch the floor speech honoring his impact and ensuring his legacy remains as part of our Congressional Record.  

December 7th marked the 84th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, a day that forever changed the course of history. As we reflect on this pivotal moment, we pay tribute to the courage and sacrifice of the men and women who stood in defense of our nation.

We are especially honored to remember those from our area who served whose legacy continues to live on within the lives of those of us they touched.  People like Captain Robert E. “Bob” Batterson, for whom we recently commemorated the renaming of the downtown Corpus Christi Post Office in his honor.  Bob Batterson was a Navy veteran who survived Pearl Harbor, earned his wings at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, flew F6F hellcats in WWII, and upon retirement volunteered for 25 years in the USS Lexington Museum.

Let us never forget their sacrifices and remain steadfast in our commitment to defend the freedoms they fought so valiantly to protect. God bless America and our veterans.