Reimbursing Texas for Biden’s Border Failure

It’s the federal government’s job to secure the homeland, yet the Biden/Harris administration abdicated its duty and abandoned our states on the frontlines of the border crisis. As Texans know, our state bore the brunt of that abject failure, both societally and financially. Thankfully, Governor Abbott stood up Operation Lone Star to fill in that gap, defend the border, and keep Texan communities as safe as possible — a project that cost more than $11 billion.

For months, I’ve worked with Speaker Johnson, Governor Abbott, and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green on legislation to reimburse our state for those costs, and I’m proud to announce that it passed this week in House Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill! This provision in the bill provides $12 billion in grants for states’ costs associated with “actions taken to assist the federal border security mission” — with the vast majority of these funds expected to be awarded to Texas.

I’m extremely proud to have helped secure this victory, which sends a strong message to our border states that America has not forgotten the sacrifices they made. With these funds, Congress says ‘thank you’ — both to Texas’ leadership, who stood up Operation Lone Star to fill in the gap, and to Texas’ taxpayers, who should never have been on the hook for President Biden’s dereliction of duty.

Attending the Inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV, the First American Pope

Last weekend, I had the honor of joining a bipartisan delegation of my colleagues in Congress to attend the inaugural Mass of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV — the first American pope — alongside leaders from around the world. As a Catholic, chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and a proud American, it was truly an honor to witness such a historic event. Faith should be a great unifier — a force for peace, as Pope Leo powerfully reminded us during his homily on Sunday. I will cherish the opportunity to join people of faith around the world in praying that his pontificate, guided by the Holy Spirit, may bring about a more peaceful, just, and compassionate world.

McCaul attends Pope Leo XIV's inaugural Mass

McCaul's photos from the Vatican

McCaul lays a flower on Pope Francis' tomb

Working to Strengthen the State Department with Secretary of State Marco Rubio

President Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan signaled U.S. weakness around the world — weakness our adversaries took advantage of. Not long after the withdrawal, Putin invaded Ukraine, and Hamas attacked Israel.

In other words, President Biden lit the world on fire — and President Trump is trying to put the fire out.

At this week’s House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, we had the honor of hearing from Secretary of State Marco Rubio as our witness. He and I discussed how reorganizing and reauthorizing the State Department can help the Trump administration advance its foreign policy objectives, including restoring U.S. foreign aid to its core mission of combating our adversaries.

We also discussed the status of Remain in Mexico, a statute used by the first Trump administration to keep migrants in Mexico while they awaited their asylum hearings. President Biden rescinded this important tool in one of his first acts as president, opening the floodgates to illegal migrants and launching his disastrous “catch and release” policies.

Click below to watch our full exchange.

Click to Watch

2025 Congressional App Challenge Now Open For Submissions!

I’m excited to announce that my 2025 Congressional App Challenge is officially open! In our modern world, no skill is more important than technological literacy, and this annual competition is a fantastic opportunity for students with a knack for coding to showcase their skills by creating their own app!

The challenge is open to middle and high school students who live or attend a school within Texas' 10th district. Students may code on any platform, on any topic, in any coding language, in teams of up to four. Each app is graded on creativity, concept, and design. The deadline for submissions is October 30th, 2025. To find out more information on the app challenge, you can check out my website or view the 2025 Rules and Regulations here. The winning app will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol and on House.gov, and winning students will be invited to a reception in Washington, D.C.

I am proud to provide an opportunity for our youth to explore their interest in coding, and I look forward to seeing all the creativity Texas–10's students will bring to the table this year.