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Federal Legislative Center
FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE CENTER
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Welcome to the Federal Legislative Center! We invite and encourage you to become more familiar with the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches of the United States government and participate in the lawmaking process by contacting your elected federal officials. The Legislative Center is an excellent vehicle to assist you in building relationships with lawmakers to garner support priorities supported by Houston ISD and school districts across Texas and the U.S. Please make your voice heard utilizing the resources below. Your input is critical and invaluable if we are to continue making progress in educating the leaders of tomorrow.
THINGS TO KNOW
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117TH CONGRESS - 1ST SESSION LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
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WHO REPRESENTS ME
Find out who represents you in Congress here.
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HISD CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION
UNITED STATES SENATE
The current senior U.S. Senator for Texas is John Cornyn. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and is currently serving his third term after being reelected in 2008 and 2014. He sits on the Senate Finance, Intelligence, and Judiciary Committees. From 2013 until 2018 Sen. Cornyn served as the Republican Whip, the second-highest ranking position in the Senate Republican Conference.
Learn more about Senator Cornyn here.
The current junior U.S. Senator for Texas is Ted Cruz. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012 and is currently serving his second term after being reelected in 2018. He sits on the Foreign Relations, Commerce, Science, & Transportation, Judiciary and Joint Economic Committee. Sen. Cruz serves as the Chairman of the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee’s Subcommittee on Aviation and Space as well as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution.
Learn more about Senator Cruz here.
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE
18th Congressional District of Texas
Learn more about Congresswoman Jackson Lee here.
CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN
9th Congressional District of Texas
Learn more about Congressman Green here.
CONGRESSMAN DAN CRENSHAW
2nd Congressional District of Texas
Learn more about Congressman Crenshaw here.
CONGRESSWOMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER
7th Congressional District of Texas
Learn more about Congresswoman Fletcher here.
CONGRESSWOMAN SYLVIA GARCIA
29th Congressional District of Texas
Learn more about Congresswoman Garcia here.
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HOW CONGRESS WORKS
WHAT MAKES UP A CONGRESS?
Congress is composed of 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives who are elected to two-year terms and 100 members of United States Senate who are elected to six-year terms.
WHEN DOES CONGRESS MEET?
A new Congress, which consists of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, begins at noon on January 3rd of each odd-numbered year following a general election unless it designates a different day by law. A Congress lasts for two years, with each year constituting a separate session.
View U.S. Congressional Calendars and Schedules here.
HOW DOES A BILL BECOME LAW?
For a detailed explanation of how a bill becomes law visit Congress.gov/legislative-process.
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U.S. SUPREME COURT LANDMARK PUBLIC EDUCATION CASES
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court sanctioned segregation by upholding the doctrine of “separate but equal.” The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People disagreed with this ruling, challenging the constitutionality of segregation in the Topeka, Kansas, school system. In 1954, the Court reversed its Plessy decision, declaring that “separate schools are inherently unequal.”View more U.S. Supreme Court Landmark Cases here.
WHO'S WHO IN WASHINGTON
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THE PRESIDENT
The current and 45th President of the United States of America is Donald J. Trump. The President is elected nationally to a four-year term. The President is both the head of state and head of government of the United States of America and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Under Article II of the Constitution, the President is responsible for the execution and enforcement of the laws created by Congress. Fifteen executive departments — each led by an appointed member of the President’s Cabinet — carry out the day-to-day administration of the federal government.
Learning more about the Executive Branch here.
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THE VICE PRESIDENT
The current and 48th Vice President of the United States of America is Mike Pence. The primary responsibility of the Vice President is to be ready at a moment’s notice to assume the Presidency if the President is unable to perform his duties due to the President’s death, resignation, or temporary incapacitation, or if the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet judge that the President is no longer able to discharge the duties of the presidency. The Vice President also serves as the President of the United States Senate, where they cast the deciding vote in the case of a tie. The duties of the Vice President, outside of those enumerated in the Constitution, are at the discretion of the current President.
Learning more about the Office of the Vice President here.
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THE U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
The current and 11th U.S. Secretary of Education is Betsy DeVos. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 7, 2017, after being nominated by President Donald J. Trump. The Secretary is responsible for the overall direction, supervision, and coordination of all activities of the Department and is the principal adviser to the President on Federal policies, programs, and activities related to education in the United States.
Learning more about the Education Secretary here.
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THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
The current and 57th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is Nancy Pelosi who made history in 2007 when she was elected the first woman to serve as Speaker and was again elected in 2019. The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution. The Constitution does not require that the Speaker be an elected House Representative, though every Speaker so far has been an elected Member of the House. The Speaker is second in the United States presidential line of succession, after the Vice President and ahead of the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate.
Learning more about the Speaker of the House here.
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THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER
The Majority Leader of the United States Senate is currently Mitch McConnell. He was elected to that position unanimously by his Republican colleagues first in 2014 and again in 2016 and 2018. The Majority Leader, who is one of the 100 members of the U.S. Senate, is the leader of the majority political party within the U.S. Senate. He or she schedules the daily legislative program and fashions the unanimous consent agreements that govern the time for debate. In addition, he or she has the right to be called upon first if several senators are seeking recognition by the presiding officer, which enables him to offer motions or amendments before any other senator.
Learn more about the Majority Leader here.
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PUBLIC EDUCATION COMMITTEES
FEDERAL ISSUES
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HURRICANE HARVEY RECOVERY
Hurricane Harvey devastated the greater Houston area and its public schools. 2017-18 is not a normal school year. HISD asks the federal government to consider federal relief dollars for public schools; a temporary relaxation of accountability; and a response to increased transportation costs for displaced students.
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DACA STUDENTS
Houston is a global city, producing global graduates. Some of our students and teachers are part of the DACA program. We urge Congress and the White House to keep DACA in place. Repealing DACA or allowing it to expire would harm the dreams of so many young people who were brought to this country as children. These students call America home.
HOW TO STAY ENGAGED
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REGISTER TO VOTE
Register to vote in Texas at votetexas.gov/register-to-vote.
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FIND YOUR POLLING LOCATION
Find out where to vote at harrisvotes.com.
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REMAIN CURRENT ON LEGISLATION
Information on all current and past legislation can be found here.
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CONTACT LEGISLATORS
Legislators want to hear from their constituents. Reach out to them when they are considering legislation that you believe will have an impact on the lives of you, your children, and your community. The best way to reach a legislator is to write, email, call, or tweet at a legislator. Please visit the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate for information on specific members.
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WATCH A COMMITTEE HEARING ONLINE
Watch committee hearings here: