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Hinojosa, Hurd to be most vulnerable Texans in U.S. House next year

WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. Rubén Hinojosa and Republican Will Hurd will head into Congress next year as the most vulnerable lawmakers in the Texas delegation.

It’s common for lawmakers in the 23rd District, which Hurd will represent, to be top targets for the opposing party. Elections for the West Texas seat are known to be competitive, and Hurd’s win marked the fifth time the district elected a new congressmen in 10 years.

Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Mercedes (AP Photo/HO, File)

Will Hurd, former CIA operative (Hurd campaign)

In his Democratic-leaning district, Hinojosa won with 54 percent of the vote. In Congress, he’s in his ninth term and chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Hinojosa, a Mercedes Democrat, faced Republican opponent Eddie Zamora, who received 43 percent of the vote. The candidates ran in the 15th District, located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Zamora raised about $107,000, while Hinojosa raised about $438,000, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

Hinojosa’s vote margin is his lowest in recent years. The Democrat won 61 percent of the vote in 2012 and 56 percent in 2010.

Zamora also took on Hinojosa in 2010 and 2008.

Hurd, a former CIA operative who knocked off Democratic incumbent Rep. Pete Gallego, won just under 50 percent of the vote to Gallego’s 47.7 percent.

Gallego raised about $2.3 million to Hurd’s $1.1 million for the seat, which runs from San Antonio to El Paso. The congressional district is famously volatile and is by far the most competitive in Texas.

Former lawmakers give advice to conquering GOP

WASHINGTON – After a long, expensive slog to Election Day, Republicans will control both chambers of Congress in January.

Now comes the hard part.

Former senator Olympia Snowe (Pat Wellenbach/AP)

That was the message from former lawmakers and Beltway operatives on Wednesday, when the National Journal hosted a panel on the impact of Tuesday’s  midterm elections.

The panelists agreed that the elections were a referendum on President Obama’s policies, and inaction by Congress. But they also emphasized that before pursuing a legislative agenda, Republicans must learn lessons in bipartisanship and compromise.

“It was certainly a broad and sweeping repudiation of the status quo,” said Olympia Snowe, a former Republican senator from Maine. “I think it’s abundantly clear that Congress is going to have to move forward and learn how to legislate and govern.”

Republicans needed to pick up six seats to claim a majority in the Senate. They got seven, with races in Alaska and Louisiana still to be decided.

Republicans also padded their majority in the House, where they’ll enjoy their largest advantage in decades.

On Wednesday, panelists said the midterm results called for a new course of action – or any action at all. With only the lame duck session remaining, the 113th Congress has a chance to be the least productive ever.

“It was an election that sent the message ‘get something done for a change.’ That’s something that people want,” said Celinda Lake, president of the Democratic polling group Lake Research Partners.

Immigration reform could top Congress’ to-do list.

According to Martin Frost, a former House Democrat from the Dallas area, passing immigration reform would be a “true test of bipartisanship.”

“Immigration reform is a horribly complex issue,” he said. “Trying to solve this issue will be a real test to whether you can operate on a bipartisan basis.”

Former Rep. Martin Frost (Tom Gannam/AP)

Any immigration bill will require the president’s signature to become law.

Steve LaTourette, a former Republican congressman from Ohio, said that the president’s willingness to compromise will determine the success of the Republican agenda.

“The president has to dance,” LaTourette said “But if the president dances, you can get a lot of stuff done.”

In a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Obama said that he was “eager to work with the new Congress,” but added that “Congress will pass some bills I cannot sign.”

Before worrying about the president though, Republicans will first need to reach an accord within their own ranks – no easy task, according to Whit Ayres, president North Star Opinion Research, a Republican polling group.

Ayres said that whoever unites the various the factions within the GOP could hold the keys to the party’s presidential nomination.

Its nominee will have to bring together “the Tea Party, libertarians, establishment, social conservatives, and internationalist Republicans all in one coalition.”

“Whoever wins it will…get enough of those groups to build a majority,” Ayres said.

Roger Williams won’t seek NRCC chairmanship after GOP’s big wins

WASHINGTON — Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, won’t challenge National Republican Committee Chairman Greg Walden’s bid for a second term, Roll Call reported Wednesday.

Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin. (Michael Ainsworth/Staff)

A day after Republicans enjoyed sweeping election victories in Congress, Williams wrote a letter saying that “now is not the time for more political gamesmanship” — though he noted he was encouraged to consider running. Roll Call confirmed with Williams’ office that the letter means he won’t make a play for the position.

“Now is the time to work together as a team with strong Republican leadership,” Williams wrote.

Under Walden, House Republicans saw their majority expand to its largest total in more than 60 years. The GOP also seized control of the Senate.

Walden, an Oregon Republican, could still be opposed in his re-election. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., has signaled he may run.

Williams, first elected in 2012, said he looks forward to working with the NRCC and Walden going forward.

“The NRCC has to out-work, over-perform, and out-hustle our opposition this next cycle,” he wrote.

Texas Republicans raise concerns about federal Ebola response

Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, center, and GOP lawmakers speak to reporters after a Republican caucus meeting, at the Capitol in Washington on May 6, 2014. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

updated at 3:51 p.m. with comment from HHS.

WASHINGTON — Texas Republicans are demanding answers from the Health and Human Services Administration about how existing public resources were used to combat the Ebola outbreak.

In a letter sent Friday, Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz — joined by all 24 Texas Republicans in the U.S. House — raise concerns that new Ebola cases emerged on U.S. soil despite the department’s funding for public health crises.

According to the letter, a 2013 law gave nearly $1.4 billion to “public health preparedness and response activities,” part of it to support efforts in Dallas and other metropolitan cities.

“[I]t is especially troubling to witness the federal government’s communications missteps and confusion about protocols knowing that a wide range of federal resources have already been in place for years,” the lawmakers write.

In a statement Friday afternoon, HHS said it looks forward to responding to the letter.

“HHS values working with members of Congress on this important public health matter,” spokesman Bill Hall said.

National Ebola protocols came under scrutiny after two Dallas health care workers contracted the disease while treating an Ebola patient. The patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, died but the two nurses, Nina Pham and Amber Vinson, have been declared Ebola-free.

Labeling Dallas “ground zero” for the first Ebola case, the Texas lawmakers say it’s necessary to understand how the U.S. government has applied its resources before charting a path forward.

In their letter, they tick through a number of requests to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, including an explanation of how policies under a 2006 law are helping to contain and treat the disease.

That law created the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, a position whose responsibilities Texas lawmakers also want detailed.

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates endorses Will Hurd

In this June 2011 file photo, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates takes questions from the media at the Pentagon. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON — Former CIA director and Defense Secretary Robert Gates is backing Republican congressional candidate Will Hurd, Gates’ first endorsement this election cycle.

“Will [has served] our country on the front lines of the War on Terror, he knows the cost of freedom, and you can count on him to take care of our veterans here at home,” Gates said in a statement issued by the Hurd campaign. “[Will] is a man of courage, integrity, and ability, and I enthusiastically support [his] election to the United States Congress.”

Will Hurd, the Republican candidate in the 23rd District. (Hurd campaign)

Hurd, a former CIA operative, is running as a Republican against freshman Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, in a sprawling West Texas district. During his CIA tenure, Hurd collected intelligence in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan.

On Thursday, Hurd expressed gratitude for Gates’ support. Gates served as Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011, under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

“It is a true honor to have the support of such a highly respected National Security expert,” Hurd said in a statement. “I hope to continue fighting to keep our country strong and to protect freedom and democracy, as Secretary Gates has done.”

Ebola lobbying hits Washington

WASHINGTON — Ebola lobbying is going viral in Washington.

Over July through September, more than 15 groups cited the disease in lobbying reports filed with the Secretary of the Senate’s Office of Public Records. The organizations include drugmakers, hospitals and health professional associations, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which noted the lobbying trend.

Cerus Corporation, which is seeking compassionate use approval of its anti-viral blood treatment technology, has spent $20,000, the reports indicate. Zimek Technologies, which has touted its disinfecting system for hospital rooms, also shelled out $20,000.

Another company, Hemispherx BioPharma, brought on the firm Squire Patton Boggs to “to bring our experimental drug Ampligen and FDA approved drug Alferon online as potential therapeutics for Ebola,” according to a statement provided to Politico.

Last month, Congress approved $88 billion for Ebola drug research as part of a short-term spending bill. There aren’t any drugs or vaccines approved to treat the disease in the U.S., but several experimental drugs have been used.

Another company, Sanford Health, has been lobbying on “issues related to [the] Ebola outbreak, including education, research and funding needed for treatment,” according to the filings.

Other organizations that listed Ebola in the reports include Sarepta Therapeutics, which is pushing for fast-track approval of its experimental Ebola treatment, and ONE Action, U2 singer Bono’s advocacy group.

 

 

Texas judicial nominees could get Senate committee vote in November

Robert L. Pitman, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, speaks at a news conference June 4 in Midland. (AP Photo/Odessa American, Courtney Sacco)

WASHINGTON — A Senate committee could vote as early as Nov. 13 on three nominees for lifetime appointments as federal judges in Texas.

That’s the final step before the full Senate decides whether to confirm U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman of San Antonio, Texarkana lawyer Robert Schroeder III, and Sherman Magistrate Judge Amos Mazzant III.

Unless Republicans object, the Judiciary Committee plans to hold the vote when it meets for the first time after the November elections. Under Senate rules, any committee member can postpone the vote by one week.

The Senate vote could come by the end of the year, depending on the timing of committee action.

To be confirmed, a majority of senators must approve of the picks.

At a Judiciary Committee hearing last month, Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz praised the nominees and their qualifications. Both Texas Republicans sit on the committee.

“Each of these three nominees are lawyers of the highest caliber and the kinds of individuals who should serve on the federal bench,” Cornyn said.

President Barack Obama announced the nominations in June, after Cornyn and Cruz recommended them to the White House.

The seat Pitman would hold in San Antonio has been vacant the longest, since the end of 2008. He Pitman would become the state’s first openly gay judge in Texas.

Mazzant would fill a seat in Marshall. Schroeder, a partner at the law firm Patton, Tidwell, Schroeder & Culbertson, is up for a post in Texarkana.

Sessions: CDC director Tom Frieden should step down

WASHINGTON — Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, called Wednesday for the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to step down, hours after a second health care worker in Dallas tested positive for Ebola.

When pressed by conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham if Dr. Tom Frieden should be fired, Sessions said, “My opinion is yes.”

Sessions, a member of House GOP leadership, said he’s still waiting on an effective response from Frieden on whether a travel ban is needed to stop Ebola. After the disease was diagnosed in a Dallas patient, Sessions posed the question to Frieden when they spoke by phone.

In their conversation, Sessions said, Frieden referred him to an article he wrote two weeks prior that criticized the idea of a travel ban.

“I said … ‘That was academic. That was before now,’” Sessions recalled to Ingraham. “They still have not come up with a better answer.”

Sessions has been advocating for a travel ban, along with several other Texas lawmakers — though health experts and the White House have resisted the idea.

His call for Frieden’s resignation comes as Frieden faces rising criticism for his handling of Ebola in the U.S. Frieden has repeatedly said that the U.S. can stop Ebola in its tracks.

The newest Ebola patient, nurse Amber Vinson, tended to Thomas Eric Duncan, the first patient who died of the disease in the U.S. The worker’s diagnosis comes days after the virus was confirmed in Nina Pham, who also treated Duncan.

On Tuesday, Frieden admitted the agency regretted its initial response to the disease’s diagnosis in Texas. He said authorities could have done more to prevent Ebola from spreading at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.

Calling Dallas “ground zero” for Ebola, Sessions blasted the Obama administration and the CDC for a “learn-as-you-go” strategy that he said has put lives at risk. He cited the 75 Dallas health care workers being monitored for symptoms as a particular cause for concern.

“They were willing just to be academic about this and talk about percentages, rather than the hard-nosed work that is required to understand this terrible disease,” Sessions said.

At the White House, press secretary Josh Earnest reiterated this afternoon that the president retains full confidence in Frieden and doesn’t intend a shakeup.

“This administration has been guided by the science, by our medical experts who have experience in dealing with Ebola outbreaks,” he said.

Cruz fires up conservative crowd at Values Voter Summit

Sen. Ted Cruz, who has been vocal on the border crisis, address delegates at the Texas GOP Convention in Fort Worth on June 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Rex C. Curry)

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Cruz energized a crowd of Christian conservatives Friday, urging them to vote for a GOP Senate this fall and redouble efforts to uphold their values.

The Texan’s call for social conservatism repeatedly drew standing ovations and applause in a speech that centered on religious liberty and freedom.

“Our values are why we’re here,” Cruz told a packed room of 1,000 conservative activists. “And our values are fundamentally American.”

The senator told the crowd that if Republicans retook the Senate in November, they’ll fight for marriage, free speech and the right to bear arms.

And Cruz, a potential 2016 presidential contender, said that when a Republican wins the White House next election, legislation will be signed to repeal “every word of Obamacare.”

Speaking without notes, Cruz won frequent cheers from the crowd, gathered for the three-day Values Voter Summit in Washington. The annual gathering is dedicated to conservative Christian voters, an influential part of the Republican Party’s base.

Cruz recounted details of his childhood, including his parents’ battle with alcoholism and his father leaving him when he was a young boy.

Cruz’s father Rafael, a popular reverend among conservatives, returned after becoming a Christian.

That experience, Cruz said, affirmed for him that “faith is real.”

Over the years, the summit has become a testing ground among White House hopefuls in the Republican Party. Voting is now open for a presidential straw poll, which Cruz won last year with 42 percent of the vote.

In a nod to a potential 2016 rival, Cruz challenged former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to debate the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic nonprofit fighting the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate.

“As for me, I’ll stand with the nuns,” Cruz said.

Another possible 2016 contender, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, spoke shortly after Cruz, focusing on the connection between libertarian-beliefs and religion.

Last year at the summit, a half-dozen hecklers interrupted Cruz’s speech as he called on the audience to oppose the health care law. The senator opened his speech Friday by noting it’s been one year since he held the Senate floor for 21 hours to denounce the legislation.

Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, spoke immediately after Cruz, who he lost to in a 2012 runoff for an open Senate seat. Dewhurst touted his work to enact abortion restrictions in Texas and bolster border security.

Dewhurst, who lost a primary runoff for re-election and leaves office in January, said state governments must step in when the federal government doesn’t act.

The Values Voter Summit, organized by the Family Research Council, ends Sunday.

Cornyn pleased with Eric Holder’s resignation

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, questions Attorney General Eric Holder in November 2011 during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings to investigate the controversial “Operation Fast and Furious” gun-running program.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, questions Attorney General Eric Holder in November 2011 during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings to investigate the controversial “Operation Fast and Furious” gun-running program. (File 2011/The Associated Press)

updated at 3:50 p.m. to include comment from Sen. Ted Cruz.

WASHINGTON — Sen. John Cornyn welcomed Attorney General Eric Holder’s planned resignation today, two years after calling for Holder to step down over a botched gun-trafficking sting.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder speaks during the 2013 America Bar Association (ABA) annual meeting on August 12, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

“Unfortunately the American people, myself included, lost confidence in the Attorney General’s ability to lead a long time ago because of his continued willingness to put politics before the law,” Cornyn said.

President Obama is expected to address Holder’s resignation later this afternoon. Holder, the nation’s first black U.S. Attorney General, plans to remain in his post until the Senate confirms his successor.

In June 2012, Cornyn called on Holder to resign over the “Fast and Furious” scandal, which allowed firearms to be given to suspected arms traffickers. The former Texas attorney general criticized Holder for his handling of probes into the investigation and leaks of classified information.

At the time, Holder said he didn’t intend to leave his position.

Sen. Ted Cruz also had harsh words for Holder on Thursday, taking aim at the attorney general for not “fairly” investigating the Internal Revenue Service’s alleged targeting of conservative groups. The Texas Republican has said Holder should appoint a special prosecutor to review the matter.

Earlier this year, Cruz called for Holder’s impeachment.

“It is good news that Eric Holder has announced his resignation,” Cruz said. “Sadly, he has proven to be the most partisan attorney general in our history, repeatedly defying and refusing to enforce the law.”

Holder has held the position since February 2009. During his tenure, Holder developed a reputation for his work on civil rights. He also won praise for his response to the shooting of an unarmed teenager last month in Ferguson, Mo.

On Thursday, Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, lauded Holder’s efforts. The Vermont Democrat thanked the attorney general for his work on issues such as sentencing reform and national security.

“Attorney General Holder has been an extraordinary leader of the Department of Justice, and is to be congratulated for his service,” Leahy said.

NPR was the first to report the resignation of Holder, the fourth-longest serving attorney general in U.S. history. The White House does not plan to announce his successor today.

Cornyn said the U.S. deserves an attorney general “whose loyalty to the justice system will trump loyalty to a political party.”

“I hope the president will nominate someone who will uphold the basic standards of honesty, transparency, and accountability that have been so glaringly absent in this Justice Department,” Cornyn said.