Govtrack and Vote Smart fill us in on Randy Weber

Worth looking at in 2305.

- Click here for his page on Govtrack.
- Click here for his page on Vote Smart.

Since you probably want to know, here are the last ten bills he has introduced:

- H.R. 5905: POSSE Act
- H.R. 5246: To remove the Federal claim to navigational servitude for a parcel of land in Texas City, Texas, and for other purposes.
- H.R. 5225: COAST Act
- H.R. 5004: Stop Animal Fat Tax Credits Act of 2016
- H.R. 4550: PASS Act
- H.R. 4084: Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act
- H.R. 3425: FREE Act
- H.R. 3113: Empowering Our Veterans Act of 2015
- H.Res. 316: Observing the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day.
- H.R. 1332: Deny Amnesty Credits Act of 2015

And for info on his district - Texas 14 - click here.

Randy Weber introduces the POSSE Act

He did it in July, so the news is a bit dated.

And in case you want to know, POSSE stands for Protect Our Southwestern States Enforcement.

- From the Dallas Morning News:

He may not be proposing a giant wall, but Rep. Randy Weber does have a few other fixes in mind to enhance security on the nation’s southern border with Mexico.

Weber, a Republican from Friendswood, introduced the Protect Our Southwestern States Enforcement Act, or Posse, on Thursday, which would compel the border patrol to address staffing shortages in stations at focal points along the perimeter.

“Our nation’s southern border has been left unprotected for far too long,” Weber said in a written statement. “The Posse Act will direct the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to keep every border patrol station open and fully staffed to effectively halt the flow of illegal aliens, and combat the domestic criminality associated with our current lack of border security.”

In addition to keeping Border Patrol stations open, the Posse Act would mandate double-layer fencing along the southwestern border. Currently, Weber said, that border has “numerous gaps that have allowed for illegal immigrants and potential terrorists to easily cross into the United States.”

Weber’s bill highlights nine specific areas where border patrol stations should be fully staffed, including five in Texas: Big Bend, Del Rio, El Paso, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley.

When Weber was a member of the Texas Legislature from 2009 to 2013, he served on the Border and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. In the U.S. House, he now serves on the foreign affairs and science committees.

Weber is seeking his third term in office this fall and is expected to win handily over Democrat Michael Cole.

For details, click here:

- Congress.gov.
- Govtrack.

It has been referred to the House Home Homeland Security Committee, which then sent it to its Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security.

- Click here for the webpage of the subcommittee.

The bill has yet to be considered.

From Houston Public Media: Galveston County Holds First Ever Transportation Conference

Area rep Randy Weber attended, along with other national, state and local figures. Transportation is one of the policy areas impacted the most by federalism. Not only is each level of government involved, the impact is horizontal as well since the decisions of one local government impact the traffic in others. This was an attempt to begin an ongoing dialogue among the stakeholders in Galveston County.

One take-away: more constriction on I-45!

A second: It's tough to tell people when they can and can't evacuate from a hurricane.

- Click here for the article.

The U.S. Census Bureau says Galveston County’s population grew by close to 11-percent between 2010 and 2015.

And while the county is happy to add to its tax base, local officials say there’s still worried: How do you evacuate all those people before a major hurricane?

That was one of the big topics at the first-ever Galveston County Transportation Summit.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Joe Giusti says it’s extremely important for Galveston to evacuate first. Because history shows that it will be very difficult for residents to leave the coast.

“Then I have a situation like we did during Hurricane Rita when Galveston County’s at the back of a stack when Harris County and everybody else is leaving early,” Giusti says. “And we have people dying in traffic, that’s my biggest fear.”

But officials say some new road projects should help more people evacuate faster.
In 2019, TxDOT hopes to start the process of widening I-45 from FM 1764 to the Galveston Causeway. It will go from six lanes to eight.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Ken Clark believes it will help

“If we can get people to leave in a staged fashion, it should really make an evacuation not only efficient but very smooth also,” Clark says.
State Highway 146 is also being widened in Seabrook and that includes a new bridge near the Kemah Boardwalk.

Local House Reps Olson and Weber are on the following committees and subcommittees

Presumably both members choose these committees because they touch in issues that are important to the local constituency. We'll review these in class.

Randy Weber

House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
- Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy
- Member, Subcommittee on the Environment and the Economy

House Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Member, Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa
- Member, Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats.
Pete Olson

House Committee on Energy and Commerce
- Vice Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and Power
- Member, Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade
- Member, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology

From GovTrack: recent votes by Representatives Olson and Weber

Feb 2, 2015 6:58 p.m. — Vote
H.R. 361: Medical Preparedness Allowable Use Act
- Passed 377/2
Rep. Olson [R-TX22]: Yea
Rep. Weber [R-TX14]: Yea

Feb 2, 2015 7:06 p.m. — Vote
H.R. 615: Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act
- Passed 379/0
Rep. Olson [R-TX22]: Yea
Rep. Weber [R-TX14]: Yea

Feb 2, 2015 7:15 p.m. — Vote
H.R. 623: Social Media Working Group Act of 2015
- Passed 328/51
Rep. Olson [R-TX22]: Nay
Rep. Weber [R-TX14]: Nay

GovTrack links to info on Randy Weber

ACC alumnus Randy Weber's district covers a small sliver of ACC, so let's look at the basic info it contains on him.

- Click here for the site.

Weber scores as a conservative, but he's one of the more moderate members of the Republican Conference. Being a freshman - its his first term - he ranks low in leadership.

Other info:

Randy Weber sits on the following committees:

House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Member, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations
Member, Subcommittee on The Middle East and North Africa

House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
Vice Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy
Member, Subcommittee on Environment
Some of Weber’s most recently sponsored bills include...

H.R. 3829: State Marriage Defense Act of 2014
H.Res. 214: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that extensive scientific and technical ...

View All » (including bills from previous years)

• 
  Recent votes:
  

  Vote

  H.R. 3448: Small Cap Liquidity Reform Act of 2013
  Passed 412/4
  Rep. Weber [R-TX14]: Yea
  Feb 11, 2014 5:35 p.m.

  Vote

  S. 540: A bill to designate the air route traffic control center located in Nashua, New Hampshire, as the “Patricia ...
  Passed 221/201
  Rep. Weber [R-TX14]: Nay
  Feb 11, 2014 5:27 p.m.

  Vote

  S. 25: South Utah Valley Electric Conveyance Act
  Passed 326/90
  Rep. Weber [R-TX14]: Yea
  Feb 11, 2014 3:09 p.m.

  Vote

  H.Res. 475: Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3193) to amend the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to ...
  Passed 223/193
  Rep. Weber [R-TX14]: Aye
  Feb 11, 2014 3:01 p.m.

Alvin Community College straddles two congressional districts

In 2305 we are starting to look at Congress, and one way to approach it is to look at how ACC is represented in Congress. We all reside in a congressional district which - unless it is vacant - is occupied by a person who most likely is a member of one of the two major parties and is also on a standing committee or two. We are also represented by a couple members of the Senate.

So as we look at the behavior of members of Congress and the design of the institution, it might be best to do so by focusing on the people who represent this area.

For ACC, the creates a bit of a problem because the ACC campus is split. Most of it is in the 22nd Congressional district - represented by Pete Olson - bit a tiny piece in the south west part pf the property is in the 14th Congressional district - represented interestingly enough by ACC alumnus Randy Weber. This gives us two members of Congress to look at.

I'm still figuring out the best way to get the right image on the blog, but this link to District Viewer allows you to hone in on the local area: Click here to play around with it.

Rep. Weber's Committees

On January 3, 2012 Randy Weber sent out a press release announcing that we had been placed on the Science, Space, and Technology and Foreign Affairs committees.

"I am very excited to be on both committees,” said Congressman-Elect Randy Weber. “NASA is a neighbor to my district, while UTMB and a number of science and research-based entities reside within Congressional District 14. I will be a strong advocate for each of them on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. The Foreign Affairs Committee will allow me the opportunity to champion our Nation and her able citizens, while learning more about the international issues impacting our borders.” Weber added, “I am looking forward to this opportunity to learn and grow on these committees and am grateful for the appointments given me.”


The decision on the Science, Space and Technology committee was made in mid December. Seven of the committees members in the 113th Congress will be from Texas, which gives the state some clout. Makes sense since the committee's jurisdiction includes the Johnson Space Center which is a major feature of the local economy. JSC is in the 14th District - so Weber's placement there makes perfect sense. No word right now on what subcommittees he will be on. A Texas Republican - Lamar Smith - will also chair the committee, taking over from another Texas Republican Ralph Hall.As if that is not enough - the ranking member - meaning the top Democrat - is also a Texan: Eddie Bernice Johnson.

From Texans on the Potomac:

The committee has strong impact on Texas and oversees NASA and research programs conducted in San Antonio at Southwest Research Institute, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, and the University of Texas Health Science Center.

“Clearly it’s an advantage,” said Louis DeSipio, professor of political science and Latino studies at the University of California Irvine. “What it will mean in practical terms is that when Congress gets around to allocating resources…Texas universities will be at an advantage. Larger Texas technology firms will be in a good position.”

FYI: Ralph Hall released a summary of the accomplishments of the committee during the 112th Congress.

Given the Houston area's position within internal markets - especially oil - Weber's appointment to the Foreign Affairs committee also makes sense. In addition, the committee allows for focus on border issues - illegal immigration and all that - which are important to his constituency.

The 14th District is a relatively safe one for Republicans. Now that he is an incumbent, there is little reason to think that he cannot hold onto this position as long as he likes. But being on these committees gives him enough opportunity to deal with the needs of constituents to be able to campaign effectively on that point. Republican leaders almost certainly took this into consideration when they made these appointments.

Some detail on Randy Weber - US House District 14 in Texas

Our new Congressman

After representing the 29th district of the Texas House for a small handful of years Weber (ACC class of 1977) was elected to replace Ron Paul as representative of the 14th District of Texas in the US House. this was after the district was redrawn substantively. Paul supporters suspected this was done in part to push Paul out. Though Paul was a Republican, he was not a tight knit team player. He often went his own way on votes. The party was rumored to hope for a more reliable vote for the Republican House Conference.

Weber won a plurality of the vote (28%) against 8 other Republicans in the 2012 Primary and comfortable defeated Felicia Harris (63% - 37%) in the runoff. He then defeated Democrat Nick Lampson - along with a Libertarian and Green Party candidate - in the general election (53% - 44%).

For detail of the 2012 election click here.

And click here for his US House website.http://weber.house.gov/

Weber for Congress? And what exactly is an Exploratory Committee?

Now that Ron Paul has announced that he will not run for Congress in 2012, our state representative Randy Weber - who has built some name recognition by running for and serving in the legislature for the past three sessions - is taking "the necessary steps to form an Exploratory Committee for US Congress to gauge his support for a race."

- What is an exploratory committee?
- The Atlantic.
- Huffington Post.
- Perry doesn't need one.

Randy Weber Discusses the 81st Session.

From the Alvin Sun Advertiser.

Concealed Weapons on Campus

Dennis Bonnen and Randy Weber are sponsoring the bill.

So tell me, are you planning bringing guns to class if you can? Does this mean I have to be nicer to everyone?

Randy Weber's Agenda

The Bay City Tribune reports on our newly elected Texas House Representative Randy Weber's speech before the Bay City Chamber of Commerce.

On how he got elected:

Weber said he challenged Mike O'Day to replace Glenda Dawson's seat in the special election when she unexpectedly died in 2006.When O'Day announced his decision not to seek re-election he began the campaign that landed him a seat in the 81st legislature.

"When I began to run for this campaign I started making meetings all over the district. I went to school board meetings, city council meetings, auctions, grand openings of businesses, homeowners association meetings, military honors, town hall style meetings, service organizations, STP's information meetings, TXDOT meetings, really getting a good feel for the people that I represent," said Weber.

Weber also said that he had a meeting with four of the five school superintendents in Matagorda County just prior to the luncheon - allowing him time to find out what their priorities are."

As a result I developed a really, really good understanding for the people of this district."

How he has started representing the district's interests:

"I actually went to the very first air-quality caucus meeting held this session in Austin this past week," he said.

"I learned about how they measure air-quality output."Weber explained how he had been working with local consultants to really learn the important water issues in Matagorda County.

"I began to meet with some other state reps from around the area and already informed them that the SAWS project is watched regularly by us and the Colorado River is a big issue for us down here that we are going to be watching," said Weber."

That was news to them, they asked how come and we talked briefly about their proposal plans and how Matagorda County is situated and the economic impact it would have on us here."

The issues likely to dominate the upcoming session:

He explained the state of Texas has a $165 billion biennium budget and a few of the most important issues likely to be addressed are education funding, the franchise tax, Trans-Texas Corridor, water and property tax caps.

The accomplishments of the 80th Legislative session:

...a student religious liberties bill passed, the Texas state pledge of allegiance wording was changed to include the words "one state under God", two pro-life bills failed, a measure requiring the words "In God We Trust" displayed in the Senate and in the House passed, two pro-marriage bills passed, a bill requiring school districts to offer an elective Bible course passed, a transparency bill passed - requiring the comptroller and governor's office to post all of their expenses online, a bill allocating $5 million dollars for the collection of umbilical cord blood for stem cell research passed and property tax caps were not set.

During questioning, he commented on energy and education:

Mitch Thames, Bay City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture president, posed the first question from the audience."I just think one of the issues you've not brought up, but is very important in Matagorda County and Texas, is the price of power per kilowatt. It just seems 19, 20 and 24-cents per kilowatt is ridiculous," said Thames.

"You are absolutely correct - we will be meeting and talking about that," said Weber.

Weber was also asked about his stance on seeing new home construction being built to good quality standards and his stance on allowing tax credits for homeowners who choose renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.

...

A final question from the audience dealt with using some of the budget to help reduce costs of higher education. Weber said it is important to consider how every bill that passes is going to have an effect on the budget. He explained that there was talk of a bill that would provide for students who completed college within four years in Texas to receive debt forgiveness on their outstanding students loans. The bill would provide college students with incentive to complete their degree within the customary amount of time because research proves that the longer a student takes to complete their degree the higher likelihood they have of dropping out.