The House narrowly passed Trade Promotion Authority Thursday — the first step of many to resurrect President Barack Obama’s trade agenda after his own party torpedoed a combined bill last week. The chamber voted 218-208 on TPA, which will give him the latitude to negotiate a 12-nation Pacific trade deal sought by most Republicans and a small number of Democrats. House Passes… Read more »

Para reducir la congestión de tráfico y el riesgo de accidentes, el alcalde Pete Sáenz pidió al cabildo considerar una petición ante los gobiernos federal y estatal para agregar un carril a la carretera 35 dentro de los límites de Laredo. “Es una vía muy importante, la principal en nuestra ciudad y se requiere que sea de tres carriles desde Laredo a San Antonio para mover de manera más… Read more »

In less than two years, the number of Texas-based immigration cases stuck in federal courts has swelled by about 60 percent. Through April of this year, about 77,000 immigration cases in Texas were still meandering through the system. That’s one spot below California’s 89,300, and an increase of 58 percent since October 2013, according to data compiled by the Transactional… Read more »

The U.S. border patrol received two Black Hawk helicopters from the Department of Homeland Security last Friday, the latest in a trend of increasing military strength for the U.S. border patrol agency that is worrying the Mexican government. Last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a sweeping border security billthat will increase the number of state troopers on the border… Read more »

House Speaker John Boehner and Republican leaders are moving to revive President Barack Obama’s beleaguered trade agenda with an elaborate procedural workaround that was quickly greeted with skepticism among some Democrats.   Under the emerging plan, the House would vote on a bill that would give Obama fast-track authority to negotiate a sweeping trade deal with Pacific Rim… Read more »

House GOP leaders seeking to rebound after a surprise floor defeat on trade are zeroing in on a new strategy to grant President Obama fast-track authority. The plan is to vote as soon as this week on the fast-track bill approved by the House on Friday but to leave aside a second part of the original package that was torpedoed by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other… Read more »

In less than two years, the number of Texas-based immigration cases stuck in federal courts has swelled by about 60 percent.    Through April of this year, about 77,000 immigration cases in Texas were still meandering through the system. That’s one spot below California’s 89,300, and an increase of 58 percent since October 2013, according to data compiled by the Transactional… Read more »

The House Appropriations Committee approved a funding bill Wednesday that includes a policy rider to block newly implemented net neutrality rules temporarily. The 30-20 party-line vote on the financial services and general government appropriations bill is the most direct action by congressional Republicans to stall the new rules since they were approved by the Federal Communications… Read more »

A political newcomer Wednesday dropped his bid to unseat Ruben Hinojosa, but not without saying the 10-term Democratic incumbent should quit, too.   Mission policeman Paul Williams dropped his campaign for the Texas House District 15 seat, saying in a news release he needed to focus on "professional and personal priorities" that would detract from his campaign.   “There are… Read more »

Session is over at the State Capital and several bills will have a major affect on the Rio Grande Valley.  The RGV Hispanic Chamber will host their annual “Legislative Report Card Luncheon” so that the community can attend and hear a report from the Valley’s Elected Officials on the bills that passed and how they will affect the Valley on Wednesday, July 15th at The Club at… Read more »