In the News

House freshmen who signed a civility pledge say they’ve been able to live up to their agreement to “disagree without being disagreeable” and even strike up some friendships amid a rancorous Congress. Rep. Mike Johnson, the author of the pledge that the lawmakers signed in January, said his model for civility is former President Ronald Reagan. “He and… Read more »

Stars and Stripes In one of the most disturbing recent audits of VA health care, a new Government Accountability Office report criticizes medical leaders at all levels of the Department of Veterans Affairs for failing to follow their own policies for reporting incompetent and unprofessional health care providers to state licensing boards and a National Practitioner Data Bank, routine… Read more »

The Department of Veterans Affairs insisted Wednesday that it was already addressing problems reported by a government watchdog about the agency’s failure to alert other hospitals of potentially unsafe doctors. The department is trying to improve oversight and more timely reporting of poor-performing doctors to state medical boards, said Gerard Cox, the acting leader of VA’s… Read more »

Lawmakers ripped into Department of Veterans Affairs officials Wednesday for failing for years to ensure potentially dangerous VA medical workers are reported to authorities who could stop them from endangering patients elsewhere. House VA Committee Chairman Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., called it “astonishing,” Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said it was… Read more »

By: The Fayetteville Observer Legislation to increase access to apprenticeships for veterans landed on President Donald Trump’s desk earlier this month. The Veteran Apprenticeship and Labor Opportunity Reform, or VALOR, Act was unanimously passed by the U.S. Senate two weeks ago, according to Sen. Thom Tillis. Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, introduced the Senate version of… Read more »

U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington hosted a Veterans Affairs subcommittee meeting in Lubbock on Friday to hear from people at Texas Tech on how universities and federal programs can better help veterans transitioning to civilian life after service. Why at Tech? Because, Arrington said, the university is consistently ranked one of the top institutions for advancing veterans’ educational and… Read more »

By Lynn Brezosky Environmental protections for wildlife at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge near the border in South Texas are also safeguarding one of the U.S. beef industry’s worst enemies: the cattle fever tick. Texas lawmakers appealed on behalf of the state’s ranchers to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke for help containing the deadly pest in a Nov. 1 letter… Read more »

Over 200 people attended the Night of Courage banquet at the MCM Elegante Hotel in downtown Lubbock on Friday evening to honor Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipients. The late Medal of Honor recipient and Texas Tech graduate George O’Brien was honored during the banquet, which also helped launch a fundraising effort for a new memorial to honor area Gold Star Families and Purple… Read more »

EL PASO TX (KCBD) - Hundreds of people made the trip to El Paso, Texas to honor the life of Texas Tech Police Officer Floyd East, Jr. Hundreds of others watched the public memorial service at the Abraham Chavez Theatre live on KCBD.com, leaving well wishes and prayers for Officer East's family and friends. "Officer East dedicated his life to keeping our campuses safe. He is a hero in… Read more »

Congressman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) held a town hall Tuesday at the Science Spectrum to answer Lubbock residents’ questions and concerns, addressing everything from tax reform to health care. One of the biggest points of discussion was gun legislation, especially following the recent events in Lubbock and Las Vegas, with constituent asking, "What is your answer to what has been… Read more »