Government-Funded “NGOs”? This is Not Charity!

Our most recent DOGE Subcommittee hearing took a look at NGOs—or “Non-Government Organizations"—that get the vast majority of their funding from taxpayer dollars. One should wonder if it is still legitimate to say they are non-governmental.

Expectedly, there was an effort to conflate legitimate charities that do good work throughout our communities with the quasi-government, hyper-partisan organizations that operate with little accountability on the taxpayer dime.

2 Corinthians 9:7 gives us a good definition of charity...“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.”

But when the federal government forces taxpayer funds to political activism—that’s not charity, that’s corruption.

One example is an organization called Family Endeavors. They were awarded a $530 million no-bid contract—after hiring Andrew Lorenzen-Strait from the Biden transition team. That same group later received another $87 million. At the time, over 90% of its revenue came from the federal government.

How many NGOs rely primarily on taxpayer funding just like Family Endeavors? Nearly 40,000.

The funneling of federal funds through NGOs, unfortunately, has become a strategy for creating one more way for the bureaucracy to hide your dollars from accountability. We are working to change that.

From the Chamber to the Channel—Delivering for South Texas

A major milestone for Corpus Christi has been achieved with the completion of the Ship Channel Improvement Project, now the deepest draft channel on the Gulf of America. With over $485 million in federal funding secured, the channel is now 54 feet deep and 530 feet wide—boosting export capacity and solidifying Corpus Christi as the nation’s premier energy port.

Later that day, I joined the United Corpus Christi Chamber luncheon, where we discussed many of the challenges facing our nation and how our region is on the ‘tip of the spear’ of many of the solutions. Whether it's pushing for desalination investments or prioritizing our position as the world's top energy producer, these conversations are critical to the work being done in TX-27 and advancing our nation's interests.

Have thoughts or questions? Contact our office at (202) 225-7742—we’d love to hear from you.

Watch more here.

The American Entrepreneurs First Act of 2025
Passes the House Floor

The House recently passed the American Entrepreneurs First Act of 2025—legislation I co-led with Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (TX-24) to restore integrity and accountability to loan programs administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

These programs were designed to support small business owners who are building, hiring, and contributing to their communities. However, we’ve seen widespread waste, fraud, and abuse. Investigations uncovered loans awarded to applicants under 18 and even over the age of 115. Some funds were distributed to individuals unlawfully living in the United States. That’s unacceptable.

This bill addresses those failures by requiring:

Submission of the date of birth for each individual applicant or business owner;
Certification that each applicant is a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident—or, in the case of businesses, that 100% of ownership meets these criteria;
Certification that no direct or indirect business owner is an “ineligible person,” including asylees, refugees, visa holders, DACA recipients, or undocumented individuals.

American small businesses are the backbone of our economy. Taxpayer-backed programs should never operate without basic safeguards. This bill helps make sure tax-payer dollars serve their intended purpose.

Military Readiness Starts in Corpus Christi—Let’s Secure the Mission

The Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD) is the world’s largest rotary-wing repair facility, responsible for overhauling, repairing, and returning helicopters and aviation systems to service—quickly and efficiently—so our service members have the tools they need to complete the mission. From extending the life of our aircraft to responding to emergency deployments, the work done at CCAD helps keep America’s military the most capable fighting force in the world.

The depot also supports more than 2,000 local jobs and pumps over $1 billion into the economy, anchoring the defense industrial base right here in Texas’ 27th District. The men and women working at CCAD are highly trained, deeply skilled, and proud to support our troops both at home and abroad.

But despite the depot’s importance, CCAD—like other military depots across the country—has been operating under an outdated federal funding formula that simply doesn’t meet the needs of today’s military. Right now, depot investment levels are calculated using a three-year average of past workload. This outdated model creates delays and uncertainty, especially in times of increased operational demand.

I introduced the Depot Investment Reform Act to update the funding formula to include:

The average workload of the previous fiscal year;
The current fiscal year, and;
A projection for the next fiscal year.

This will help military depots better plan, staff, and manage their operations, ensuring they’re equipped to meet emerging threats and respond to the demands of a dangerous world. This is about strengthening America’s strategic advantage and ensuring our military has the support needed to defend freedom around the world.

The Depot Investment Reform Act is path toward advancing military readiness, supporting our local workforce, and defending the values we hold dear. South Texas is leading the way and CCAD must have everything it needs to keep doing what it does best—serving those who serve us.