Texas Republicans are making their mark in Washington

WASHINGTON — On both sides of the U.S. Capitol, Texas Republicans are emerging as powerhouses.

In the upper chamber, Sen. Ted Cruz, the ranking Republican on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, has forced two key Biden administration nominees to withdraw from consideration; meanwhile, Sen. John Cornyn has stepped up as a GOP leader while minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is recovering from injuries suffered in a fall last month.

In the House, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, the new chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, is taking on the secretary of state, issuing a subpoena for back-channel communications over the Biden administration’s rushed withdrawal from Afghanistan.

U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, despite being censured last month by state party officials over votes he took that split from the party, is prevailing in the House on border security and effectively stopped Rep. Chip Roy, R-Hays County, from getting a quick vote on a border crackdown that could have jeopardized migrants' ability to seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“The reality is that Texas remains the most important red state in the country,” said Mark Jones, professor of political science at Rice University. “Texans (in Congress) have the gravitas to speak on national issues.”

Ted Cruz rips Joe Biden Cabinet nominees

Cruz, who was first elected in 2012 and next year will be up for reelection for a third term, was known as more of a firebrand than a legislator during his first term, when he also sought the GOP nomination for president. This year he has hunkered down as the top Republican on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. A recent perk: participating in NASA’s ceremony in Houston naming the astronauts for the Artemis II flight to the moon.

“There’s a technical term for each of these astronauts: badass,” said Cruz, enjoying the high-profile moment last Monday.

Cruz has been especially involved in recent Federal Aviation Administration troubles and doubled down on the qualifications of FAA administrator nominee Phillip Washington after a string of air traffic control incidents, including a near-collision at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Feb. 4 between a FedEx aircraft and a Southwest Airlines plane.

“I believe your record is woefully lacking,” Cruz told Washingtion at his confirmation hearing March 1, “and in fact, you have zero aviation safety experience.”

Washington, the chief executive of Denver International Airport since 2021, is a 24-year U.S. Army veteran with experience in transit system management. He headed Biden’s transportation team during the transition after the 2020 election. Washington withdrew his nomination to lead the FAA at the end of March.

“Since Mr. Washington was nominated last July, it’s been clear to Democrat and Republican senators, numerous aviation groups, and any impartial observer that Mr. Washington lacked the aviation experience necessary to run the FAA,” Cruz said in a statement. “The Biden administration must now quickly name someone to head the FAA who has an extensive aviation background, can earn widespread bipartisan support in the Senate, and will keep the flying public safe.”

Earlier in March, Gigi Sohn, a Biden nominee for the Federal Communications Commission, withdrew after a drumbeat of criticism by Cruz, Senate Republicans and industry officials who took issue with her past liberal statements.

“The withdrawal of Ms. Sohn’s nomination is a major victory and represents a strong bipartisan agreement that we need a fair and impartial candidate who can receive the support needed for confirmation,” Cruz said. “The FCC is not a place for partisan activists; free speech is too important.”

John Cornyn rises as interim GOP Senate boss

Cornyn, meanwhile, has been increasingly visible as a top GOP spokesman during McConnell’s absence in the Senate since March 9.

“I think Cornyn’s filling some of that vacuum,” said Jones, the Rice professor.

Cornyn was the GOP whip from 2013 until 2019, when he was term-limited. He has been very public about wanting to be GOP leader when McConnell steps down.

After the Nashville school shootings March 27 that left three 9-year-olds and three school officials dead, Cornyn delivered the GOP message on gun control.

“I would say we’ve gone about as far as we can go unless somebody identifies some area that we didn’t address,” Cornyn told reporters.

The Texas Republican was the GOP leader on a bipartisan deal in 2022 that toughened background checks and provided federal funding for mental health and school safety after the Uvalde school shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead.

Cornyn was unusually aggressive during a Judiciary Committee hearing in March when questioning Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the agency’s failure to control cross-border illegal trafficking of fentanyl, a dangerous drug known to cause deaths from overdoses, including for several Hays school district students.

“My constituents are asking who’s accountable? Who got fired?” Cornyn told Mayorkas during the hearing. “Well, you haven’t been fired. You should be fired.”

Michael McCaul turns up heat at State Department

In the House, McCaul has been leading the Foreign Affairs Committee's investigation into the chaotic withdrawal of the U.S. from Afghanistan on Aug. 30, 2021. He took the rare step of issuing a subpoena to Secretary of State Antony Blinken to seek back-channel communications from State Department officials who reportedly strongly protested the way the U.S. was leaving the country.

“We have made multiple good faith attempts to find common ground so we could see this critical piece of information,” McCaul said. “Unfortunately, Secretary Blinken has refused to provide the dissent cable and his response to the cable, forcing me to issue my first subpoena as chairman of this committee.

“The American people deserve answers as to how this tragedy unfolded and why 13 U.S. service members lost their lives. We expect the State Department to follow the law and comply with this subpoena in good faith.”

Tony Gonzales takes on border security, immigration

Gonzales, who was first elected in 2020, has drawn attention as an independent thinker. He’s the only Texas Republican to vote for gun safety legislation in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Uvalde, which is in his district, and the only Texas Republican to vote for same-sex marriage in December.

Gonzales has become the face of immigration reform for the GOP. His 23^rd Congressional District includes 800 miles of Texas-Mexico border, and he is at the center of any move the Republican leadership makes on immigration.

As a result, his firm opposition to a border security plan touted by Roy meant that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., held back a bill that had been loudly promised in the first weeks of the new GOP majority to turn away migrants seeking asylum at the border.

“It’s anti-immigrant,” Gonzales told the American-Statesman. He had been the only Texas Republican to oppose a multipronged border security package that the other 24 GOP Texans in Congress announced with much fanfare in December.

Gonzales wants border security legislation combined with immigration reform and has been working with a bipartisan group of senators, including Cornyn, to shape a bill to address the influx of illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Republicans flex influence in U.S. Senate, House