Friends, This weekend, we pay tribute to the brave men and women who have selflessly served in our nation’s military. Veterans Day is a time to reflect upon the sacrifices made by our courageous veterans, express our gratitude for their service, and demonstrate our unwavering support for their sacrifices. Veterans are heroes who have answered the call of duty to serve our great nation. Our veterans have defended our nation’s values, safeguarded our freedoms, spread democracy, and protected the American way of life. For that, we owe them an immeasurable debt of gratitude each and every day. Let us remember the sacrifices veterans and their families have made—not just while on the battlefield, but back at home and for the remainder of their lives. It is our duty to ensure that they receive the care and support they need. Thank you for your unwavering support, and may God bless you, your families, and the United States of America. |
Over the last several weeks, the House of Representatives has been working diligently to pass the appropriations bills needed to fund the federal government. These bills are crucial in determining the allocation of federal funds for various programs, initiatives, and services that directly benefit the lives of every East Texan. As of Wednesday afternoon, the House has successfully passed five out of twelve appropriations bills.
In addition to other appropriations wins, last week the House of Representatives passed the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which provides new non-defense discretionary spending totaling to $25.417 billion, which is 35% below the FY23 enacted level. The House also passed the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, which includes $5.302 billion in discretionary appropriations to fund the offices of the House of Representatives - representing a 4.7% decrease from the year prior.
Current funding expires on November 17th. The Senate needs to take up the appropriations bills passed by the House, and conference in good faith to avoid a government shutdown in these areas. The House needs to continue to work through the remaining appropriations bills to do its part to avoid a government shutdown next week. |
This week, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on free speech on college campuses. Members examined the current state of the first amendment at American colleges and universities. We also discussed the rise in antisemitism, anti-Israel sentiment, and violence towards students supporting Israel on college campuses. The stories and testimonies shared by students and professors from universities across the U.S. about the rise of antisemitism and problems with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs were harrowing. My colleagues and I are committed to finding a solution to these important issues and ridding antisemitic sentiment from our universities. During my time to speak, I noted how DEI programs are remarkably antisemitic. I highlighted a report by the Heritage Foundation that tracked 741 DEI staffers at 65 universities and compared their posts about Israel to their posts about China. The report found that DEI staff were almost three times as likely to tweet about Israel than China. Shockingly, 96% of their tweets about Israel were critical of the Jewish state, while 62% of the tweets about China were favorable. |
On Tuesday, I spoke in the House Foreign Affairs Committee in support of standing up for American farmers and ranchers by demanding the Mexican government fulfill its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty. Under the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico is obligated to deliver 350,000 acre-feet annually. To date, Mexico has upheld only 35% of its obligation, resulting in severe drought for Texas farmers. Each year, Mexico fails to uphold its end of the deal, America suffers greater food supply and labor shortages. Without predictability, Texas farmers and ranchers cannot make long-term decisions about their yield, which predominately affects watermelon, sugar cane, and other vegetable crops. The Biden Administration must use its resources to urge Mexico to comply and remedy these deficiencies immediately. East Texan farmers and ranchers deserve compliance and should not have to bear the brunt of Mexico’s non-compliance. |
Wednesday in the Education and the Workforce Committee, I discussed my amendment to the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act, which requires colleges and universities to disclose and seek approval for contracts with certain foreign entities or governments. My amendment seeks to ensure that institutions with contracts with foreign countries and entities of concern have clarity on the process for seeking approval and have enough lead time to avoid disruption to their educational objectives. The amendment also pushes back against requests for increased funding of the Department of Education for the heightened review process. It is important to ensure that institutions have clear expectations while also maintaining transparency and accountability requirements. |
Dealing with federal agencies can be complicated, and my office is here to help.
If you need help with Social Security, the IRS, passport renewals, the VA, or other federal agencies – please do not hesitate to reach out to my office by calling (903) 561-6349 or visiting my website by clicking HERE.
It is an honor to be your voice in Congress.
With gratitude, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nathaniel Moran
Member of Congress
|
|
|
How many European countries is Texas larger than?
All of them! |
What is the state dish of Texas?
Check next week’s newsletter for the answer to this week’s Texas Trivia question! |
|
