NEW YEAR SALE: Only 99¢ for Access!
Act Now |
Abbott takes his legislative lumps
A dominant reelection, eye-popping fundraising and growing national publicity should make Gov. Greg Abbott an unstoppable force in Texas politics.
Yet the Republican continues to struggle with one of the biggest pieces of governing: working with the Legislature.
It's not just that Abbott failed to pass a highly contentious plan to allow tax dollars to pay for private schooling that has splintered the already fractured GOP. He's also struggled with easier topics like a property tax reform plan that had broad support conceptually and bail reform proposals that are personally important to him but have received no deferential treatment from the Legislature.
Through it all, Abbott has appeared to hinder his dealmaking with mixed messaging, indiscriminate vetoes and broken promises to lawmakers. More on all this in my latest here.
It's left Abbott applying what I call the Bill Clements strategy. In 1989, frustrated with the Legislature, Clements, a Republican, became a vetoing, special-session-calling machine. He vetoed 56 bills and forced lawmakers into six special sessions in what would be his last year in office.
But in Clements' case, it was a Democratic majority controlling the Legislature. Abbott's damage is being aimed mostly at members of his own party. In the last year, Abbott vetoed more than 70 bills and called lawmakers back for four special sessions. And he may not be done, repeatedly threatening to bring them back over and over until they give him the school choice plan he demanded from them.
Who's up, who's down
Up: Alejandro Mayorkas.
The Homeland Security Secretary isn't giving up easily. Though Republicans in the U.S. House are aiming to begin impeaching him on Wednesday, Mayorkas was not only on duty, but in Eagle Pass Monday - the heart of the region that has seen the biggest spike in border crossings since President Biden took office. Mayorkas in fact called out Congress for its "failure to act" on fixing the nation's broken immigration system.
Down: Ted Cruz.
Normally being on Fox News regularly over the next few days would be a good thing for the Republican U.S. Senator. But in this case, Cruz is being featured in new anti-Donald Trump ads airing during town hall interview sessions with presidential contenders. Politico reports that the Republican Accountability PAC ad will have an interview of Cruz from Jan. 7, 2021, faulting Trump for the attack on the U.S. Capitol. "The president's language and rhetoric crossed the line and it was reckless," Cruz says in the old clip that surely won't help him win over Trump supporters who still remember the rough 2016 GOP primary war between Trump and Cruz.
What do you think? Hit reply and let me know.
What else is going on in Texas
 Photo by: Eric Gay, AP | | Arrests for illegal crossings into the U.S. from Mexico fell to about 2,500 on Monday, down from more than 10,000 on several days in December. | |
 Photo by: Charlie Neibergall, AP | | "Trump promised the largest deportations in history," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said. "He deported less, believe it or not, than Barack Obama even did." | |
 Photo by: Stephanie Scarbrough, AP | | It's a grim way to kick off a presidential campaign, particularly for a man known for his unfailing optimism. | |
 Photo by: Eric Gay, AP | | Senate negotiators were trying to close on a bipartisan border security proposal this week that could unlock Senate Republican support for Ukraine aid. | |
 Photo by: Steve Peoples, AP | | Voters, campaign operatives and even some of the candidates on the ground largely agree that the Republican former president is the overwhelming favorite heading into the caucuses. | |
 Photo by: Jordan K Reynolds/Associated Press | | Astrobotic Technology's Peregrine lander launched Monday morning, but an issue occurred shortly after liftoff that could threaten its planned Feb. 23 moon landing. | |
Pick of the day
Photo by: Susan Barber
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/music/article/willie-nelson-documentary-book-hall-of-fame-18592028.php
Reporter Andrew Dansby notes that Willie Nelson is having another moment. For a 90-year-old guy, he sure is pretty much everywhere I turn these days.
What else I'm reading
Now the real heavy lifting is underway for new U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson. Shortly after it was announced he had reached a $1.66 trillion budget deal to avert a government shutdown, far-right Republicans began blasting the deal. The New York Times reported that the House Freedom Caucus was quick to call the deal a "total failure." And U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, went on social media to declare: "That's a hard no."
No comments:
Post a Comment