Every day this month has provided a new illustration of the dysfunction and destruction in Washington—and another reminder of why we must win back the House in 2026 and so much more.

There is perhaps no greater visual representation of this than this one:

(Jacquelyn Martin, AP)

The unannounced, unauthorized, and unprecedented destruction of the East Wing of White House is a symbol of so much more—the purposeful dismantling and destruction of our government, with no opposition from the people in charge in Congress.

A Month Without Government Funding
We are now on day 31 of the government shutdown.  The House has not met since September 19.  House Speaker Mike Johnson sees no reason for the House to convene in Washington—not to address the health care crisis Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration have brought on, not to swear in a new Democratic member of Congress, not to negotiate the funding bills for the next year.  Instead, he sent his members on vacation.

Congress’ inaction has real consequences.  Critical federal services are grinding to a halt. Civil servants—from air traffic controllers to food safety workers are working without pay.  Public servants have been working without pay for nearly a month.  Military families and federal workers are going to food pantries.  And now, the Trump administration is using hunger as a weapon—cutting off funding for food assistance for Americans who need it: 42 million people.  There is $5 billion in an emergency fund for this purpose sitting at the USDA that the Trump administration refuses to use to help.  Many states are fighting back by suing the administration.  I am sorry to say Texas is not one of them.

Texas National Guard Deployment
At the same time, the Trump administration is showing up in places where it is not needed or wanted, sending the National Guard to blue cities and blue states for no legitimate purpose.  And Governor Greg Abbott is enabling this abuse of power, sending 200 members of the Texas National Guard to Chicago.  Earlier this month, I called on Governor Abbott to bring our service members home and put Texans first with other members of Texas’ Democratic congressional delegation.

The Fight for Fair Maps in Texas
But Governor Abbott has made clear this year that his priority is not serving Texans but serving President Trump.  This month, a panel of federal judges concluded a ten-day hearing on the new congressional map that President Trump ordered and Governor Abbott supplied—a map that intentionally dilutes the voting power of minority Texans.  The judges will soon decide whether it will stop that map from going into effect in 2026.  Thank you to all the #TeamLizzie supporters and volunteers who have supported the fight for fair representation in Texas.  The fight continues, and I’ll keep working to ensure that every Texan’s voice and vote count equally.

Looking Ahead
November brings important opportunities to fight back.  Next week, voters here at home and across the country will cast their ballots in an important referendum.  Here in Houston, we can elect a new member to Congress to fill a vacancy in the storied 18th Congressional District that Governor Abbott has shamefully and purposefully delayed and vote on several other important matters and positions.  In Virginia and New Jersey, voters have the opportunity to elect new governors that will fight back against the Trump administration, and voters across the country can reject the redistricting efforts underway in states across the country.  And several cases challenging the Administration’s continued unlawful actions will be heard in court.

In November, our team will continue the work we have been doing in October, and since the very first day we started.  Thanks to all the volunteers who helped do that work this month—from phone banks for California’s proposition 50, Mikie Sherrill, and Abigail Spanberger to those who sent a contribution or a supportive note of encouragement.  We need all of those things now, and we will until next November and beyond.

The fight is real and it is here.  Your support makes it possible for us to keep fighting and building the strength we’ll need to win in 2026 and beyond.

If you’re in a position to do so, I hope you will consider making a contribution to support this campaign—it is an investment in fairness, justice, and democracy in Texas and across the country.

Together we can do anything,