Advocacy Network hosts reception and looks ahead to 2023
Advocacy Network hosts reception and looks ahead to 2023
Howdy, Aggie Advocates!
"For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminshed devotion to them." —Thomas Jefferson, July 4, 1826
We hope you and your family had a wonderful Independence Day!
Last month, the Texas A&M Advocacy Network was pleased to host nearly 100 Aggies serving in the halls of our federal government in Washington, D.C., for a reception at the new Bush School DC teaching site. This was a wonderful opportunity for us to thank these former students for their selfless service and remind them of the various ways they can stay connected to Texas A&M. The reception included Aggies working on the staffs of 24 House offices, seven Senate offices, and seven committees!
Other special guests included over 20 future former students — Aggie interns spending their summer in Washington — and Virginia State Senator Bryce Reeves ’89.
We extend special thanks to the Bush School DC for providing this space to host our Aggies, as well as the Texas A&M System Office of Federal Relations and the Texas A&M University Office of Government Relations for their help in planning this event!
We have started the planning for Orange and Maroon Legislative Day (OMLD) 2023, one of our signature advocacy events. This biennial event brings together Aggies and Longhorns to advocate for the shared priorities of the state's two flagship universities. We are extremely excited to be back in-person at the Texas Capitol for this event in early 2023 — watch for more details to be announced!
Speaking of the 88th Legislature, be sure to read on for the latest updates on former students who will be a part of the Aggie Caucus in 2023, as well as an important organizational change impacting higher education in the legislature next year. 
As always, we thank you for your willingness to be an advocate for Texas A&M. In times when it feels we face division in so many directions, let us remember that the principles and bonds which unite us are so much greater.
In the Aggie Spirit,
Miranda Henderson ’09
Director of Advocacy and Legislative Affairs
"Aggies in Government" reception at the Bush School DC on June 7

Elections Update


Texas primary runoff elections were held on Tuesday, May 24. As a result of these elections, we congratulate four former students who secured their seats in the 88th Session of the Texas Legislature, to begin in Jan. 2023:
  • In House District 12, Representative Kyle Kacal ’92 will return for a sixth term.
  • In House District 60, Representative Glenn Rogers ’78 will return for a second term.
  • In House District 85, Stan Kitzman ’88 will begin his first term.
  • In House District 100, Venton Jones ’06 will begin his first term.
These Aggies have no major-party opposition in the November elections, and we are excited to have them as a part of the Aggie Caucus in the 88th Legislature.
Additional former students await the November elections in hopes of representing their home districts in Austin. We thank each of them for their willingness to serve, and we look forward to working with all of our Aggies serving in the 88th Legislature!

Changes ahead for Senate Higher Education Committee; interim hearings held


Earlier this year, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced an organizational change impacting the Senate Committee on Higher Education. For the 88th Legislature, the Senate Committee on Higher Education wil be a sub-committee of the Senate Committee on Education, rather than a standing committee. Previously, the Senate Committee on Education only focused on K-12 public education in Texas.
In preparation for this change, Patrick appointed Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) as chair of the Senate Committee on Education. Creighton served as chair of the Senate Committee on Higher Education for the 86th and 87th Legislatures, and now serves as chair of both committees until they are "merged" in the 88th Legislature.
In a separate announcement earlier this year, Patrick released the 2022 Interim Legislative Charges for the Senate. Interim charges are a directive to study specific issues in more depth during the interim. Because the Legislature is not in session, no formal action is taken during this time.
This list included a number of points on higher education. The full list of charges can be found at this link, with the higher education items on Pages 12-13. Of particular interest to the Aggie Network is the history and use of the Permanent University Fund (PUF), a major revenue source for Texas A&M University.
In May, the Senate Committee on Higher Education held a hearing to study these issues. Billy Hamilton, deputy chancellor and chief financial officer for the Texas A&M University System, and Terry Hall, associate vice chancellor for finance for the University of Texas System, took part in a presentation on the PUF. Their joint testimony provided an informative overview of the history and use of the PUF, and is a great resource for you, as an Aggie Advocate, to better familiarize yourself with this critical revenue source for Texas A&M!
You can find a stream of the hearing at this link. (Skip to the 4 hour, 10 minute mark to view the PUF panels.)

Federal Update


Both chambers of Congress have adjourned for the July Fourth recess and will return the week after Independence Day. The legislative branch is seeking to work through an ambitious docket as the summer quickly comes to an end and a midterm election season approaches.
Just before Independence Day, the House wrapped up appropriations for 2023 with the passage of the final two fiscal bills — one for Labor/Health and Human Services/Education and one for Transportation/Housing and Urban Development — through the House Appropriations Committee.
When members return to Washington in mid-July, there will only be 12 days out of the subsesquent two months that both chambers will be in session as the same time, due to the upcoming August district work period. During this time, the House will seek the passage of the full slate of 12 annual appropriations bills in the full chamber. Upon passage in the House, they will need to pass in the Senate and survive in conference to be passed through regular order.
The $1.5 trillion budget resolution that passed earlier this year to keep the federal government open is set to expire on Sept. 30, setting the deadline for further legislative action. After the failure to reach an agreement on the "Build Back Better" package last year, talks of a reconcilation bill — a legislative tool that would allow Congressional Democrats to bypass a Republican filibuster on a budget resolution — have resurfaced, but with uncertain prospects.

ICYMI at TAMU


A roundup of the recent headlines from Aggieland:
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