Culberson for Congress

Senate panel approves $200 million for NASA

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

May 15, 2008 Senate panel approves $200 million for NASA Lone Star lawmakers long-shot attempt to win additional money for NASA might not be lost in space any more. Texas backers of more money for NASA won a foothold today when the Senate Appropriations Committee added $200 million to the emergency war supplemental spending bill. The spending package, dominated by funds for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, will now go to the Senate floor for final action. A House-Senate conference committee is expected to follow final Senate action to resolve emerging differences in spending levels and priorities between the House and the Senate. NASA Photo Shuttle Discovery Readies for Launch. The money approved by Senate appropriators amounted to a fraction of the $2 billion being sought for NASA in a bipartisan effort by lawmakers from Texas in both the House and the Senate. But Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, a member of the...

16-May-08 7:00 AM

Texas Republicans wary of Bush's plans for Mexico

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT

May 15, 2008, 11:11PM
Texas Republicans wary of Bush's plans for Mexico

By RICHARD S. DUNHAM and STEWART M. POWELL
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — President Bush's attempt to win $560 million in aid this year to assist Mexico's anti-narcotics efforts has run into a rebellion from some Texas Republicans worried about corruption, inefficiency and now defections among Mexican police officials.

Wednesday's disclosure that three Mexican police chiefs are seeking asylum in the United States prompted the Texans to push Thursday for congressional hearings on the bloody border war among Mexico's drug cartels and a reassessment of U.S. anti-drug assistance to the country.

"Our first priority must be to secure our own border and equip our own personnel before we even discuss sending one nickel to the corrupt Mexican government," said Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston.

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15-May-08 7:00 AM

CULBERSON HQ GRAND OPENING

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Dear Friends, I hope you will join me for the Grand Opening of the Culberson for Congress campaign headquarters and the kick off of the Texas Victory 2008 Walk to Win campaign next Saturday, May 17, from 9:30 a.m. - noon, at 14133 Memorial Drive. (just west of Kirkwood at the Bateswood light, on the south side of Memorial). The headquarters is back in my friend John Coads building where we have many good memories of my campaigns in 2000 and 2002. The most rewarding part of any campaign...

9-May-08 3:00 PM

Bush pitches funding plan for military aid to Mexico

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:00:00 GMT

May 8, 2008, 12:13AM
Bush pitches funding plan for military aid to Mexico
President seeks $500 million to help fight the war on drug cartels

By STEWART M. POWELL
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — President Bush on Wednesday showcased his request for $500 million in U.S. military assistance to help Mexico combat murderous drug cartels in a bid to build congressional support for the more contentious part of his spending package — the latest multibillion dollar request for emergency war spending in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bush crafted plans for the U.S. military assistance to Mexico at a meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon 14 months ago and sketched details last October, including money for military equipment such as helicopters, training and assistance in combating corruption in the criminal justice system....

Culberson opposes aid

Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, said he opposed providing the assistance to Mexico. "These resources should go to our own law enforcement officers rather than Mexico's," Culberson said.

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8-May-08 9:00 AM

Report on NASA ignites call for credit card crackdown

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:00:00 GMT

May 6, 2008, 12:32AM
Report on NASA ignites call for credit card crackdown

By CHASE DAVIS
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Congressional supporters of a bill meant to curb government credit card abuse called Monday for stricter sanctions — including termination and jail time — against employees who misuse the cards at NASA, as well as other agencies.

"Federal employees should be held to the same standards as their counterparts in the private sector," said U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston. "Anyone who misuses a government credit card should be fired immediately and face charges."

Culberson and U.S. Rep. Mike McCaul, whose district stretches from western Harris County to Austin, both decried purchase card abuse after a Houston Chronicle report Sunday that revealed potentially inappropriate spending at NASA.

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6-May-08 9:00 AM

Culberson for Congress Newsletter 2-May-08

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Fri, 02 May 2008 22:17:17 GMT

To my Friends and Supporters: My last email did not tell you how much money my opponent already has on hand to spend against me in this campaign. This article from CQ Today ranks him as the eighth best funded Democrat challenger in the nation. While my fundraising is going well, he has well over twice as much money as I do in the bank. He will run a negative campaign to try and discourage Republican voters and keep us home on Election Day. If I have enough money from you and my other friends and supporters I cannot lose. ...

2-May-08 5:17 PM

You are invited...

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:19:13 GMT

Congressman John Culberson Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Homeland Security Assistant Republican Whip Friday, April 25, 2008 11:30 am Reception ~ 12:00 noon Luncheon Ouisie’s Table 3939 San Felipe, Houston, TX 77027 ...

15-Apr-08 12:19 PM

Lou Dobbs Appearance Transcript April 8, 2008

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Transcript of Culbersons Appearance on CNNs Lou Dobbs Tonight LOU DOBBS: Drug traffickers invading the Tucson, Arizona area. It is exactly that, an invasion. And it can be linked as well to simply a lack of enforcement by the U.S. attorneys office in Tucson. Congressman John Culberson of Texas is a strong advocate for border security. He says some of the smugglers arrested in Tucson may never go to jail. Congressman Culberson joins me now from Capitol Hill. Congressman, good to have you here. REP. JOHN CULBERSON (R), TEXAS: Lou, always good to be with you. DOBBS: What is going on here that apparently in this sector of the Arizona border with Mexico, that the U.S. attorney is not prosecuting drug loads under 500 pounds? CULBERSON: Lou, I did discover personally from visiting Tucson that the policy in the Tucson sector, the busiest on our border is that the U.S. attorney will not prosecute any...

8-Apr-08 7:00 PM

Culberson for Congress Volunteers Dinner!

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:58:24 GMT

Dear Friends, I hope you will be my guest for dinner on Thursday, March 27th at 6:30p.m. at Molina’s, 7901 Westheimer. I need your help planning my re-election campaign. The work we do in District 7 to register and turn out Republican voters will help every Republican candidate on the ballot. I have run the numbers with the help of County Tax Assessor Paul Bettencourt and if my re-election percentage goes below 55%, every countywide Republican on the ballot will lose. This would also mean Senator John Cornyn would lose Harris County, and...

18-Mar-08 5:58 PM

Border crossings cut by Texas crackdown

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 03:00:00 GMT

Border crossings cut by Texas crackdown

By Sara A. Carter
December 29, 2007

A strict policy to arrest, prosecute and jail illegal aliens who cross into the U.S. has shown significant success in reducing crossings and crime along the Texas border, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials said this month.

The first 45 days of Operation Streamline — a collaborative effort of local, state and federal agencies in Texas — has resulted in decreased illegal border crossings and crime since its implementation Oct. 31 compared with last year's numbers, said Laredo Border Patrol Sector chief patrol agent Carlos X. Carrillo.

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30-Dec-07 9:00 PM

Lawmakers seek whereabouts of Iraqi deserters

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Lawmakers seek whereabouts of Iraqi deserters

By Sara A. Carter
December 18, 2007

Two House Republicans are demanding answers from administration officials on the whereabouts of numerous Iraqi military and law-enforcement officials who fled during special intelligence training in the U.S. and the possible national-security implications of their disappearances.

Reps. Lamar Smith, ranking Judiciary Committee member, and John Culberson, both Texas Republicans, sent a letter Friday evening to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates after the agencies failed to provide information requested more than a year ago by Congress.

The Washington Times confirmed on Dec. 6 that five Iraqi officials training under the Department of the Army had disappeared between 2005 and 2007. Army officials did not know how many other Iraqis or Afghans sponsored by the Marines, Air Force and Navy may have done the same.

"Is an investigation into the disappearance of Iraqi and Afghan officials being conducted?" asked the letter, which contained a list of questions to be answered by the individual government departments.

"If so, who is leading the investigation ... Does the Department of Defense have any information regarding the possible terrorist ties of any of these officials? If so, to what terrorist groups are there ties?"
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18-Dec-07 9:00 AM

Officials urged to resign for lie about border agents

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 17:00:00 GMT

INVASION USA Officials urged to resign for lie about border agents Congressman calls for ouster of DHS deputies after IG admits agency gave false information Posted: February 7, 2007 3:55 p.m. Eastern © 2007 WorldNetDaily.com A Republican congressman is calling for the resignation of Department of Homeland Security officials who he says lied about the case of two Border Patrol agents imprisoned for their actions in the shooting of a drug smuggler. As WND reported, at a congressional hearing yesterday, Rep. John Culberson of Texas confronted DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner about his agencys claim it had documentary proof of the guilt of former agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. Richard Skinner admitted yesterday under oath that his top deputies gave members of Congress false information painting Border Patrol agents as rogue cops who were not in fear for their lives and who were out to shoot Mexicans, Culberson said in a statement. ...

8-Feb-07 11:00 AM

Opposing View: Earmarks are Efficient

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 21:00:00 GMT

Opposing view: Earmarks are efficient They fund thousands of medical, defense, infrastructure projects. By John Culberson As a dedicated fiscal conservative who is committed to the Republican principles of limited government and a balanced budget, I believe earmarks can help ensure our tax dollars are spent effectively. Every year, members of Congress are approached by dozens of constituent groups ranging from schools, hospitals, non-profits, city and state governments to the private sector requesting funding for projects or programs. Because members have a strong grasp on the needs of their districts, it is safe to assume they know which projects deserve federal support. Without earmarks, thousands of groundbreaking medical, science, energy and defense projects, along with critical infrastructure investments for flood control and highways, would go unfunded. As elected and accountable representatives of the American people, members should set high standards for carefully...

15-Nov-06 3:00 PM

Inside the Beltway: Full Disclosure

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Washington Times

Inside the Beltway: Full disclosure

By John McCaslin
September 21, 2006

    If only more congressmen and senators were as transparent as Rep. John Culberson, Texas Republican. The lawmaker follows the wisdom of former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, who said that "sunlight is the best disinfectant."
    Encouraging more transparency in Congress during these days of apparent lobbying reform, Mr. Culberson has taken the extraordinary step of listing every one of his appropriations and authorization projects on the front page of his official congressional Web site.
    And he encourages his fellow lawmakers who presently tout only their biographies, press releases and candid pictures to follow his lead.

21-Sep-06 11:00 AM

Immigration logjams and incompetence

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 18:00:00 GMT

Immigration logjams and incompetence April 10, 2006 Lawmakers who think the United States government could process 11 million illegal aliens in a guest worker program should be forced to listen to what whistleblower Michael J. Maxwell told a panel of angry lawmakers last week. Mr. Maxwell -- who recently resigned as head of security and investigations at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services -- demonstrated that the government cant even handle the workload it has now without serious security breaches and incompetence. Most troubling is the revelation that starting in January 2005, most USCIS investigators were blocked from accessing important types of national-security and law-enforcement information, including terrorist watch lists, that they needed to determine whether an applicant should be denied. The loss to Mr. Maxwells investigators of parts of the Treasury Enforcement Communications System -- a gateway to two dozen law-enforcement and intelligence agencies --...

11-Apr-06 1:00 PM

Iraq spy suspect oversaw U.S. asylums

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 18:00:00 GMT

Iraq spy suspect oversaw U.S. asylums By Stephen Dinan THE WASHINGTON TIMES April 6, 2006 An Iraqi-born U.S. citizen suspected of being a foreign intelligence agent was employed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to rule on asylum applications, including those from unfriendly Middle Eastern nations, according to documents obtained from Congress by The Washington Times. Michael J. Maxwell, the former head of the Office of Security and Investigations at USCIS, is expected to testify about the Iraqi case and other breakdowns at the agency to a House subcommittee today. Mr. Maxwell will tell legislators that the immigration system is being used by enemy governments to place agents in the United States. The suspected agent, whose name has not been released, judged 180 asylum applications while at USCIS, the agency that also rules on green cards, citizenship and employment authorization. A database check during Mr. Maxwells investigation turned up...

11-Apr-06 1:00 PM

US panel seeks delay of foreign air ownership bid

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 14:00:00 GMT

US panel seeks delay of foreign air ownership bid Thu Mar 9, 2006 7:28 PM ET By John Crawley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A congressional committee wants a four-month review of the Bush administrations proposal to ease restrictions on foreign investment in U.S. airlines, saying the plan raises potential red flags on security. The House of Representatives Appropriations Committee approved a non-binding resolution late on Wednesday night that was considered amid the firestorm over the proposal by a Dubai-based company to manage key U.S. ports. That security-driven controversy abated on Thursday when port management giant Dubai Ports World, owned by the United Arab Emirates, said it would divest U.S. assets included in its $6.85 billion purchase of a British rival. The committee believes that the U.S. aviation industry is part of our critical infrastructure as are the ports, according to the measure drafted by Rep. John Culberson, a Texas Republican. The committee is seriously concerned...

10-Mar-06 9:00 AM

U.S. REPRESENTATIVES JOHN CULBERSON AND SILVESTRE REYES INTRODUCE BORDER LAW ENFORCEMENT ACT

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:00:00 GMT

November 17, 2005 Washington, DC U.S. REPRESENTATIVES JOHN CULBERSON AND SILVESTRE REYES INTRODUCE BORDER LAW ENFORCEMENT ACT Today, Representatives John Culberson (R-TX) and Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) introduced H.R. 4360, the Border Law Enforcement Act, which will provide authority and direct federal funding for border county Sheriffs to support Border Patrol agents in securing our Southern border. The bill implements a plan called Operation Linebacker proposed by the Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition to form a secondary line of defense to protect the border. Culberson praised the knowledge and expertise of the bills coauthor, Representative Reyes, saying Congressman Reyes proved as Chief of the McAllen and El Paso sectors of the Border Patrol that criminals and illegal border crossings can be deterred by a highly visible law enforcement presence. Our bill expands on the model he established as Border Patrol Chief with Operation Hold the Line. As a former Border Patrol Sector...

18-Nov-05 10:00 AM

House panel passes border measure

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:00:00 GMT

House panel passes border measure By Stephen Dinan THE WASHINGTON TIMES November 18, 2005 The House Homeland Security Committee yesterday passed a border security bill that would expand expedited removal of illegal aliens across all U.S. land borders and boost funding for border enforcement and detention. Expedited removal is an attempt to speed up the processing and return of illegal aliens to their home countries, which takes about 90 days under the old system, but has been cut to about 30 days under a limited Department of Homeland Security pilot program. The program allows immigration authorities more discretion to deport someone without a set of hearings, and cuts down on processing time for other countries to take back their citizens. The bill, which passed by voice vote, also would penalize countries that refuse to take back illegal aliens and would end the current catch-and-release policy. Under that policy the Department of Homeland Security processes so-called OTMs, or...

18-Nov-05 10:00 AM

Culberson Authors Bill to Protect our Borders

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 16:00:00 GMT

If you're as concerned as I am about illegal immigration and the fact that federal law enforcement authorities have confirmed in sworn testimony that potential terrorists are entering the United States by hiding among illegal immigrants and pretending to be Hispanic, please take the time to read this e-mail and feel free to forward it to everyone on your e-mail list who shares your concerns. My hero Thomas Jefferson liked to say that a good idea was like a candle flame passed from one person to another in a darkened room because it will illuminate the darkness.

Decisive and immediate action is needed to protect our borders from terrorists who are determined to sneak into our country. I have introduced federal legislation with 47 original House cosponsors which will enable every law-abiding American citizen who wants to help protect our country from terrorists to serve in a militia force dedicated to patrolling our international borders under the control of state governors and local and state law-enforcement officials.

My legislation calls up a true national militia as authorized under Article 1 Section 8 of the United States Constitution as a Border Protection Corps made up of able-bodied American citizens who have no criminal record or record of mental illness. There are no age limits, and eligible citizens from all 50 states could volunteer to serve in this neighborhood watch border patrol in any border state whose governor chooses to participate.

Border Protection Corps members can volunteer as much or as little time as they choose. They will be trained and directed under state law by the governor and local and state law-enforcement officials, and they will be paid for their travel expenses, out-of-pocket expenses or other costs that the governor determines are appropriate. They will also have the absolute right to keep and bear arms and exercise whatever means or force is authorized under state law to prevent people from entering the United States illegally.

The text of my bill and my press release can be seen by clicking on the links below. Thank you for taking the time to read this and above all for spreading the news.

http://culberson.house.gov/news.aspx?A=171

13-Sep-05 11:00 AM

Culberson Introduces Border Protection Corps Act of 2005

noemail@culbersonforcongress.com — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 16:00:00 GMT

John Culberson is the third Congressman to represent the Seventh District of Texas. The Texas Legislature created District Seven in 1965, and George H. W. Bush was elected as the first Congressman in 1966. Bill Archer succeeded him in 1970, and John Culberson was elected in 2000. John Culberson is a native Houstonian and a lifelong resident of District Seven. He and his wife, Belinda, were married in 1989, and they have an eight year old daughter. The Culbersons are members of Memorial Drive United Methodist Church. Congressman Culberson grew up in West University Place, where he attended West University Elementary School. He graduated from Lamar High School, and went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Southern Methodist University in Dallas in 1981. After college, he worked with his father, Jim Culberson, at his political consulting and advertising agency helping dozens of local and state Republican candidates win their races. He earned his Juris Doctorate...

13-Sep-05 11:00 AM