My heart breaks for the two families in Houston who are forced to bury their sons instead of watching them walk the graduation stage. One a student at Westfield, one a student at Westbury. Both with bright futures ahead of them. Both were Black young students who should have had decades left to live. But in an instant, gun violence took their lives. We cannot accept this as normal. Our students deserve to learn at school and enjoy their friends free from fear. They deserve leaders who treat this crisis with urgency, in Congress, in Austin, and at every level of government. We must keep fighting for solutions that keep guns away from those who seek to do harm and keep our students safe. To every student in Houston reading this: your life matters, your future matters, and we will keep working to protect you.

Major boost for Houston HBCUs! @ChristianMenefee announced $4.2M in federal grant funding for @TexasSouthern to advance student success & innovation. Nearby @PVAMU will also receive $4.5M from @usedgov. #DefenderNetwork

Saddened to hear of the passing of former State Representative Garnet Coleman. He was an institution in both Houston and at the Capitol in Austin. A public servant who knew exactly which levers of power to pull to get stuff done for his community, and he did so every time the doors of the Capitol opened. A leader who fought so that every Texan could have a roof over their head, good health care, and a quality education. Rest in power to a phenomenal public servant. houstonchronicle.com/politic…

Fox News asked me about those $5,000 checks Trump has promised, so I told them the truth: You’re not getting them. Trump can keep making promises he can’t deliver. I’m going to keep telling folks the truth.

Proud to support the Equity in Research Act alongside @RepTroyCarter, and my colleagues. The next lifesaving cure, groundbreaking technology, or scientific discovery could come from a researcher who simply has not been given the resources to pursue it. When we invest in more researchers, more institutions, and more ideas, we expand what is possible!

Need a passport? My office is hosting a Passport Fair this Saturday, September 26, from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Mickey Leland Federal Building. 📍1919 Smith St., Houston, TX 77002 Appointments are required. To schedule in advance, call 1-877-487-2778, press #6, and ask for the “Special Weekend Event in Houston.” We look forward to helping you with your passport needs.

Wilber Garces Perez was shot in the back by an ICE agent in Austin. Now he's in detention with the bullet still in his body. Today, 100+ Members of Congress are demanding that ICE get him medical care, stop trying to deport a key witness, and immediately release the video footage.

POWERFUL testimony from Ronaldo Salgado and Lorenzo Salgado Jr., whose father was killed by ICE in Houston. “We are not the only family living this nightmare. Look at the people sitting to our left and to our right: they too have had a loved one killed by ICE. A father, a mother, a daughter, a son.” “ICE is killing people, whether on our streets or in detention centers, and millions of immigrants and their loved ones are living in fear that they might be next. Hold ICE accountable for what is done to our family and so many others, and do everything you can to make sure that this doesn't happen again.” “This must not be a partisan issue. This is an issue of right and wrong. All elected members of Congress have a duty to ensure the safety and well-being of their constituents. Every member has immigrants living in their states, in their districts, in their neighborhoods. What is being done to make sure that they can live without fear?” “We made a promise to our grandmother that we would spend every waking moment of our lives fighting for justice for our dead. We made that promise to her at our father's wake, his open casket.” “And we know the march towards justice is slow, but human history tells us it is steady and unyielding. Our dad deserves justice along with all the families around us, and we'll spend every moment making sure that he gets it.” “I visit my dad's memorial every day, not because it's where he died, but where a movement was born. It is my way of witnessing how many hearts my dad's story resonates with, and it is my motivation to continue fighting not just for my dad, but for everyone else's dad and families like mine." "I hope I'm doing the right thing every day, and I know my dad here is guiding me in the right direction." “Justicia para Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.”

Absolutely unacceptable. Just two weeks ago, ICE was bragging that it finally had enough body cameras for every officer and agent. Now we learn the ICE officer who shot Wilber Garces-Perez in Austin was assigned a body camera but wasn’t wearing it. People are getting shot, and we’re once again left demanding answers. ICE cannot keep operating with this level of secrecy.

I was glad to join Ways to Win to hear directly from 5th Ward Houstonians about what’s costing them the most and what we can do about it. I’m going to keep listening, keep showing up, and keep working with our communities on solutions that actually make life better for working families.

You can read all the headlines about how expensive life has gotten under Trump, but it hits different when you hear it directly from your neighbors.

This is outrageous. The Supreme Court already stepped in twice to block Missouri's rigged map. Ballots are already in the mail. Now, at the 11th hour, an appeals court is letting Missouri Republicans force that rigged map on voters anyway. All to erase a Kansas City district and silence Black and Brown voters. Catastrophic for confidence in our elections.

Just months after Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was murdered by an ICE agent right here in Houston, we’re hearing reports of another ICE shooting in Austin. That’s unacceptable. ICE has shown us time and again that we cannot simply take their word for what happened. They have no credibility. We need an independent investigation immediately. We need the full facts about what happened.

Wishing a reflective and peaceful Yom Kippur to our Jewish neighbors in Houston and across the country.

"The Trump family has turned the presidency into a side hustle." Watch @RepCDMenefee name names while he calls out the Trump administration's rampant corruption. Oversight Dems will hold them accountable.

Trump is in the White House while his family is cashing in, and Americans are getting crushed by the cost of groceries, gas, and rent. I serve on the @OversightDems Committee. My job is to follow the money, expose the corruption, and hold them accountable. And I’ll continue to do so.

Republicans canceled votes AGAIN. For everyone else in this country, when you have a job to do, you’re expected to show up and get it done. Congress should be no different. The American people sent us here to work. Republicans keep canceling votes instead. It’s pathetic.

Today is National Voter Registration Day. It’s more important than ever to check your registration, update your address, or get registered. Politics affects every part of your life. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Votetexas.gov

I said what I said.