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HOUSTON, TX – Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) and Congressman Al Green (TX-09) have been conducting critical oversight of the North Houston Distribution and Processing Center, the largest such facility in the country. They have worked to address community concerns about delays in the mail. Many Americans feared mail delays would affect the processing of mail-in ballots in this election, as well as the delivery of prescription drugs, merchandise, and Social Security checks.
Texas officials on Tuesday reversed a rule that would have allowed social workers to turn away clients who are LGBTQ or have a disability.
Lawmakers and advocates last week criticized the Texas State Board of Social Workers and the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council for unanimously voting on Oct. 12 to remove disability, sexual orientation and gender identity from the nondiscrimination clause of its code of conduct.
The board made its decision based solely on a recommendation from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and without seeking input from social workers.
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, Congresswomen Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), and Veronica Escobar (TX-16) introduced the Dropbox Access Act to improve voters access to dropbox locations in future elections.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Early voting in Texas is smashing records.
As of Monday, Oct. 26, more than seven million Texans, and more than one million in Harris County, have voted in person or by mail.
HOUSTON, TX - Representatives Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Jesús "Chuy" García (Il-04), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) joined by 36 Members of Congress introduced the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Safe Schools Act to provide $17 billion to school districts to pay for PPE, cleaning supplies, technical training, and additional staff support needed to keep students, educators, and communities safe.
After prompting from Gov. Greg Abbott, the Texas State Board of Social Workers voted unanimously last week to remove protections regarding sexual orientation, gender identity and disability status from the official code of conduct. The move sent shockwaves through the industry, which is preparing to fight back.
"You're looking at an attack on LGBTQ rights," said Will Francis, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers Texas chapter. "They can claim it's cleaning things up legally, but this is Texas. There are already very few protections, and they seem to be trying to remove the ones we have."
In September, a disturbing report came out about alleged forced hysterectomies on women in custody at the Irwin County Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Georgia. A nurse named Dawn Wooten filed a whistleblower complaint about the practices at the privately run facility.
Now, more than 100 members of Congress, led by Texas Rep. Sylvia Garcia, are calling for a congressional investigation.
Garcia, a Democrat from Houston, told Texas Standard that if true, the procedures are "some of the worst human rights violations" she's ever encountered.
The Houston City Council approved a property tax rate on Wednesday that will increase taxes beyond the 3.5 percent limit set by the Texas Legislature in 2019.
Citing a disaster declaration loophole that Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) authors and Governor Greg Abbott say was intended for areas incurring physical damages due to hurricanes and similar events, Mayor Sylvester Turner and 13 members of the council voted for a rate calculated as if the loophole applies due to the COVID-19 disaster declaration.
Advocates for immigrants say they still have not found the parents of 545 minors who were separated from their families starting three years ago during President Trump's immigration crackdown at the U.S.-Mexico border.
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congresswoman Sylvia R.