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School choice is the civil rights issue of the 21st century. Every child—regardless of ethnicity, zip code, race, or wealth—should have a fair shot at a quality education. As the Senate’s leading advocate for school choice, I am committed to ensuring that families have the freedom to choose the best educational path for their children. Education is not a one-size-fits-all issue, that’s why I firmly believe that investing in the success of future generations is an investment in America’s excellence. As I do every Congress, this week I joined my Republican colleagues in introducing a resolution recognizing January 26 – February 1 as National School Choice Week.

Just weeks into 2025, President Trump is taking decisive action to secure our southern border and restore law and order to our nation’s immigration system. As the Senator for Texas, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of Biden’s open border crisis on our communities. I am grateful that President Trump is tackling this crisis head-on—deploying Marines to safeguard the border, deporting violent illegal aliens, and ensuring illegal crossings drop dramatically. These bold steps are essential to protecting American families and upholding our nation’s sovereignty.

Securing our borders is just one piece of the larger fight to protect America’s national security. As Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, I held a hearing this week on another security concern, Panama’s management of the Panama Canal. Alongside my Senate Republican colleagues, I raised serious concerns over corruption allegations, including a no-bid port concession awarded to the Chinese firm Hutchison Ports PPC. We underscored the growing threat of China’s influence in Panama and argued that Panama is violating the Neutrality Treaty signed when the U.S. transferred control of the canal. The Panama Canal is a strategic asset vital to global commerce and U.S. interests, and we must ensure it remains free from foreign manipulation.

Just as we must safeguard our borders and strategic assets from foreign threats, we must also ensure that our nation’s top law enforcement agency is led by a principled and qualified public servant. I strongly support Kash Patel as the next FBI Director. During this week’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, I watched my Democratic colleague’s resort to their usual playbook of baseless attacks and political theater. Instead of engaging in a serious discussion about restoring integrity to the FBI, they peddled innuendo and misinformation.

Just as strong leadership at the FBI is essential to restoring trust in our institutions, capable leadership at the Department of Commerce is critical to advancing America’s economic and technological strength. As Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, I led the confirmation hearing for President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick. I am confident that once confirmed, he will drive policies that expand America’s wireless capabilities, strengthen our economic competitiveness, and ensure we remain a global leader in technology and trade.

Sixty-seven lives were lost this week when a Black Hawk Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight inbound to Washington, D.C. from Wichita, Kansas. My heart goes out to the victims and their families, and I am deeply grateful to the emergency personnel still working tirelessly in recovery efforts. As Chairman of the committee, which has jurisdiction over aviation, my team and I have been closely monitoring the situation. I have been in direct contact with relevant authorities and received a high-level briefing from the FAA and NTSB. I have also directed the Commerce Committee to actively investigate what went wrong, and I plan to convene a bipartisan member-level briefing with key federal officials as soon as possible. We owe it to the victims, their families, and the American people to get answers.

Rest assured, I am committed to working with the Trump administration to turn our country around. God Bless!