https://www.texastribune.org/about/staff/matthew-choi/The latest news by Matthew Choi.enWed, 03 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/03/texas-wic-snap-congress-funding/More than 225,000 Texans could get turned away from the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children next year unless Congress allocates more money for the program, advocates and the White House warns. But partisan divisions are obscuring the path forward on government funding.Matthew ChoiWed, 03 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/03/texas-wic-snap-congress-funding/Items at District Market Green Grocer in Houston on May 18, 2022.Items at District Market Green Grocer in Houston on May 18, 2022.Mark Felix for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/14/ndaa-congress-psychedelics-ptsd-dan-crenshaw/The measure would allow superv ised clinical studies with active duty members. Psychedelic treatments for PTSD have found conservative supporters in the state for years.Matthew ChoiThu, 14 Dec 2023 15:22:44 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/14/ndaa-congress-psychedelics-ptsd-dan-crenshaw/https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/13/texas-border-mexico-senate-white-house-foreign-aid/To secure more aid for Ukraine, the White House is negotiating with Senate Republicans on a deal to revive Trump-era border policies. But some Democratic Texans in Congress say their party is giving up too much.Matthew ChoiWed, 13 Dec 2023 17:27:47 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/13/texas-border-mexico-senate-white-house-foreign-aid/https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/06/ted-cruz-john-cornyn-texas-ukraine-israel-border/Texas Republicans refuse to back continued aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan without a major hardening of border security policy.Matthew ChoiWed, 06 Dec 2023 16:52:11 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/06/ted-cruz-john-cornyn-texas-ukraine-israel-border/https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/04/irma-carrillo-ramirez-5th-circuit-senate/Ramirez is currently a U.S. magistrate judge for the Northern District of Texas, serving in that role for over two decades.Matthew Choi and Keaton PetersMon, 04 Dec 2023 17:13:31 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/04/irma-carrillo-ramirez-5th-circuit-senate/https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/30/senate-clarence-thomas-harlan-crow-john-cornyn-ted-cruz/The Texas Republicans opposed subpoenaing conservative donor Crow over his ties to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, casting it as a partisan attack.Matthew ChoiThu, 30 Nov 2023 11:57:31 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/30/senate-clarence-thomas-harlan-crow-john-cornyn-ted-cruz/Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz at a press conference on Jan. 10, 2019.Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz at a press conference on border security at the Anzalduas International Bridge in Mission on Jan. 10, 2019. The senators accompanied President Donald Trump on his trip to the southern border earlier in the day.Courtney Sacco/Caller-Times via REUTERShttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/15/pat-fallon-mike-johnson-texas-senate/The second-term congressman pulled out of a run for Senate after both Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson courted him into their ranks.Matthew ChoiWed, 15 Nov 2023 17:10:20 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/15/pat-fallon-mike-johnson-texas-senate/https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/14/government-shutdown-continuing-resolution/Thirteen Texas Republicans opposed the GOP-led legislation, which would keep the government funded as Congress negotiates federal appropriations. The bill passed after nearly all Democrats came to back it.Matthew ChoiTue, 14 Nov 2023 17:33:05 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/14/government-shutdown-continuing-resolution/U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, speaks to reporters as he arrives for a House Republican caucus meeting in the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 12 in Washington, D.C.U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, speaks to reporters as he arrives for a House Republican caucus meeting in the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 12, 2023, in Washington, D.C.Julia Nikhinson for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/10/joaquin-castro-latinos-republicans/Castro, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, has made improving discussion of Latinos and Latino issues in politics a focus of his time in office.Matthew ChoiFri, 10 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/10/joaquin-castro-latinos-republicans/U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, poses for a portrait in his Rayburn House Office Building office, on Oct. 12 in Washington, D.C.U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, poses for a portrait in his Rayburn House Office Building office, on Oct. 12, 2023, in Washington, D.C.Julia Nikhinson for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/06/michael-mccaul-mike-johnson-israel-aid/The bill is among the first major legislative packages by House Speaker Mike Johnson and has faced criticism for tying the aid to a cut to the IRS.Matthew ChoiMon, 06 Nov 2023 17:33:32 -0600https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/06/michael-mccaul-mike-johnson-israel-aid/https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/31/kay-granger-congress-texas-expected-stepping-down/The chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee has held her seat since 1997. She was the first Republican woman from Texas elected to the U.S. House.Patrick Svitek and Matthew ChoiTue, 31 Oct 2023 21:44:50 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/31/kay-granger-congress-texas-expected-stepping-down/https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/25/mike-johnson-house-speaker-texans/All Texas Republicans in the U.S. House voted for Louisiana’s Mike Johnson to be speaker, ending a stalemate that has left the chamber leaderless for three weeks. Johnson is a deeply religious conservative who won the support of the party’s disparate factions.Matthew ChoiWed, 25 Oct 2023 12:54:35 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/25/mike-johnson-house-speaker-texans/U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-LA, speaks to reporters after securing the nomination for House speaker from the Republican conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 24, 2023.U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-LA, speaks to reporters after securing the nomination for House speaker from the Republican conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 24, 2023.REUTERS/Jonathan Ernsthttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/24/pete-sessions-us-speaker-race-texas/Sessions dropped out of the race after a first round of voting within the Republican conference. Williams entered the race after the apparent front-runner, Tom Emmer of Minnesota, failed to reach the 217-vote threshold, but later on Tuesday evening and the Texas lawmaker was also out.Matthew ChoiTue, 24 Oct 2023 09:53:26 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/24/pete-sessions-us-speaker-race-texas/U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Waco, and fellow House Republicans depart after a conference meeting where they held a secret ballot vote on whether to drop Rep. Jim Jordan, R-OH, out of the race for House Speaker, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Oct. 20, 2023.U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Waco, and fellow House Republicans depart after a conference meeting where they held a secret ballot vote on whether to drop Rep. Jim Jordan, R-OH, out of the race for House Speaker, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Oct. 20, 2023.REUTERS/Jonathan Ernsthttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/23/house-speaker-race-pete-sessions/Sessions is the longest-serving representative running to become U.S. House Speaker. He previously led the House Republican campaign arm through a record-breaking victory, but he still faces a steep battle to secure the gavel.Matthew ChoiMon, 23 Oct 2023 11:16:18 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/23/house-speaker-race-pete-sessions/U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Waco, speaks at a rally in College Station on Oct. 28, 2020. Sessions, then a candidate to return to the U.S. House, joined U.S. Sen. John Cornyn at the campaign stop, part of the senator's statewide bus tour.U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Waco, speaks at a rally in College Station on Oct. 28, 2020. Sessions, then a candidate to return to the U.S. House, joined U.S. Sen. John Cornyn at the campaign stop, part of the senator's statewide bus tour.Amna Ijaz/The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/22/texas-congress-house-speaker-arrington-williams-withdraw/Only one Texan, Rep. Pete Sessions, remains in the race for House Speaker. Republicans will hear from the candidates Monday night as they try to fill the job following U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan’s failure to win a majority.Matthew ChoiSun, 22 Oct 2023 11:49:42 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/22/texas-congress-house-speaker-arrington-williams-withdraw/U.S. Reps. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, and Roger Williams, R-Willow Park, both announced Sunday that they will not enter the crowded field to become the next U.S. House speaker.The U.S. Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2022.Shuran Huang for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/20/kay-granger-tony-gonzales-jake-ellzey-texas-republicans/Reps. Kay Granger, Tony Gonzales and Jake Ellzey were firm in their opposition to Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan.Matthew ChoiFri, 20 Oct 2023 14:46:32 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/20/kay-granger-tony-gonzales-jake-ellzey-texas-republicans/From left: U.S. Reps. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, and J.K. "Jake" Ellzey, R-Waxahachie.From left: U.S. Reps. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, and J.K. "Jake" Ellzey, R-Waxahachie.Tom Williams/Pool/Sipa USA via Ruters | The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/20/jodey-arrington-roger-williams-jim-jordan-house-speaker/Arrington and Williams expressed their interest after the House Republican Conference voted in a closed door meeting to drop Jim Jordan as their nominee for speaker. Sessions announced his run shortly after.Matthew ChoiFri, 20 Oct 2023 14:02:41 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/20/jodey-arrington-roger-williams-jim-jordan-house-speaker/The U.S. Capitol building on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in Washington, D.C.The U.S. Capitol building on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in Washington, D.C.Julia Nikhinson for The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/19/texas-republicans-temporary-house-speaker/The move would let the House act on legislation amid the Israel-Hamas war and other priorities, but several Texans recoiled at the idea, saying it would hand power to Democrats and break trust with supporters.Matthew ChoiThu, 19 Oct 2023 13:16:14 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/19/texas-republicans-temporary-house-speaker/A plan to give House speaker pro tempore Patrick McHenry, R-NC, the power of the speaker drew opposition from several Texas Republicans in the U.S. House.Speaker of the House Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, R-NC, presides prior to a second round of voting to elect a new Speaker of the House on the floor of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Oct. 18, 2023.REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantzhttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/18/texas-republicans-jim-jordan-house-granger-ellzey-gonzales/Jordan remained 18 votes away from becoming House speaker during a vote Wednesday. Meanwhile, activists in Texas are pressuring Republicans to fall in line behind Jordan’s effort.Matthew ChoiWed, 18 Oct 2023 12:16:07 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/18/texas-republicans-jim-jordan-house-granger-ellzey-gonzales/U.S. Reps. J.K. "Jake" Ellzey, R-Waxahachie, Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, and Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth joined other Republicans to again block Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan from the speaker's gavel.From left: U.S. Reps. J.K. "Jake" Ellzey, R-Waxahachie, Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, and Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth.Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via Reuters | The Texas Tribunehttps://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/13/texas-congress-speaker-vote-jim-jordan/A handful of Texas Republicans back the Ohio Republican’s speaker bid after initially backing the former frontrunner, House Majority Leader Steve ScaliseMatthew Choi and Grace YarrowFri, 13 Oct 2023 17:34:56 -0500https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/13/texas-congress-speaker-vote-jim-jordan/U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, arrives for a House Republican caucus meeting in the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Oct. 12, 2023.U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan arrives for a House Republican caucus meeting in the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023.Julia Nikhinson for The Texas Tribune