¶ Herrera Supported Trump And Johnson As They Raised Prices And Damaged Texas’ Economy
Herrera Proudly Endorsed President Trump And Listed “Standing With President Trump” As A Central Policy On His Issues Page. According to Brandon Herrera’s campaign website, “Standing with President Trump. Brandon proudly endorses Donald J. Trump for President and worked on his campaign in 2016.” [brandonherreraforcongress.com – Issues, Viewed 4/23/26]
3/19/26: Herrera Touted An Endorsement From Speaker Mike Johnson. According to Brandon Herrera’s Twitter, “Thank you Mr Speaker, I’m looking forward to working together to deliver the results we need here in #TX23 🔥🔥🔥” [Twitter, @TheAKGuy, 3/19/26]
Johnson’s Procedural Maneuver To Prevent A Vote Blocking Trump’s Tariffs Failed After Three Republicans Defected Against Johnson And Trump. According to Axios, "House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has repeatedly blocked these votes over the past year, but his attempt to do so on Tuesday was thwarted by a trio of Republican defectors in a late-night vote. Johnson's procedural maneuver to stop Democrats from forcing votes to end Trump's tariffs under the National Emergencies Act failed 214 to 217, with Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) breaking away." [Axios, 2/11/26]
- HEADLINE: “House Defeats Republican Bid To Block Votes On Trump’s Tariffs” [New York Times, 2/10/26]
- The House Adopted A Rule In March 2025 Barring Tariff Challenges That Expired In January, Resulting In Speaker Johnson Calling Another Extension, Through This Rule, “Necessary.” According to Reuters, “Earlier in the day, Johnson told reporters that he expected the measure to pass the House, calling it necessary in view of an expected Supreme Court ruling on the legality of the tariffs. House Republicans first adopted a rule barring tariff challenges last March and later extended it through January.” [Reuters, 2/11/26]
- The Rule That Barred Tariffs Challenges Blocked Democrats From Repealing Trump’s Declared National Emergency That Allowed For His Broad Tariffs. According to the Hill. “Trump declared national emergencies as a basis for implementing his broad-based global tariffs, as well as specific tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada. The National Emergencies Act dictates that Congress can use joint resolutions to repeal a national emergency, and outlines procedures to expedite that action after a certain number of calendar days. Multiple times last year, GOP leaders inserted language into procedural rule legislation to not count a ‘calendar day’ for the purposes of the National Emergencies Act until a specific date, blocking members from forcing action to repeal the tariffs. That prohibition expired at the end of January as GOP leaders faced resistance from Republicans. The latest attempt would have reinstated that prohibition until July 31, 2026.” [Reuters, 2/11/26]
- Johnson Delayed The Vote To Ban Members From Blocking Tariffs From 1:30 PM To 8:30 PM In An Attempt To Flip Votes. According to the Hill, “Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was unable to win over the holdouts, despite delaying the vote from 1:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.” [The Hill, 2/10/26]
Johnson Convinced Republican Members To Vote To Prohibit Recall Votes On Trump’s Tariffs. According to The Hill, "The House previously voted to prohibit recall votes on some tariffs until Sept. 30 and on others to the end of the calendar year, while Tuesday’s rule extended that prohibition to March 31, 2026. Leaders including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) huddled with the three California Republicans and Bacon as they aimed to convince them to switch their votes, as Massie and Spartz — two members who have often broken with GOP colleagues on spending matters — were across the House floor, not part of the negotiation." [The Hill, 9/16/25]
- Johnson And GOP Leadership Won Support From Holdouts By Promising The Shorten The Block On Tariff Disapproval Votes. According to Politico, “GOP leaders flipped several of the Republican holdouts with a promise to add language shortening the block on tariff disapproval votes to a forthcoming measure set for approval later in the week, per two Republicans with direct knowledge of the agreement. The expiration date on the block will be reset from March 31 to the end of January, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Tuesday. It’s likely the Supreme Court will have ruled on a challenge to Trump’s tariff-declaring powers by then.” [Politico, 9/16/25]
- September 2025: House Republicans Voted In Favor Of A Measure That Effectively Blocked Challenges To Trump’s Tariffs Through March 2026, With The Intent Of Changing The Length Of Time To January 2026. According to Politico, "House Republicans voted in near lockstep Tuesday to again cede congressional power over tariffs to President Donald Trump. A measure that effectively blocks challenges to Trump’s sweeping global tariff declarations through March 2026 was adopted on a 213-211 vote. The vote was gaveled down only after GOP whips had a drawn-out struggle on the floor with a band of Republicans who initially opposed the legislation before flipping to yes. The vote was held open for more than a half-hour as they worked to bring the members back on board. GOP leaders flipped several of the Republican holdouts with a promise to add language shortening the block on tariff disapproval votes to a forthcoming measure set for approval later in the week, per two Republicans with direct knowledge of the agreement. The expiration date on the block will be reset from March 31 to the end of January, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Tuesday. It’s likely the Supreme Court will have ruled on a challenge to Trump’s tariff-declaring powers by then." [Politico, 9/16/25]
4/9/25: Johnson Pushed Forward A Measure That Made It Harder For Any Opposition Efforts To Strike Down Trump’s Tariffs. According to Business Insider, "House Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP leaders on Wednesday moved to make it harder for challenges to President Donald Trump's Liberation Day tariffs to succeed. Republican leaders tucked in a provision in an unrelated measure that would forestall challenges to the underlying national emergency Trump used to unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs on Liberation Day. […] The House passed the procedural measure on a 216 to 215 vote. Three Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Victoria Spartz of Indiana, and Mike Turner of Ohio voted against it. Effectively, Johnson and his fellow Republicans have shielded Trump's trade policies amid grumbling from Republicans on both sides of the Capitol. Seven GOP senators are backing an unrelated bill to curb presidential tariff policy. Trump has promised to veto that legislation." [Business Insider, 4/9/25]
- Speaker Johnson Backed The Move, Claiming Trump Has “Executive Authority” And That The Tariffs Are “In The Interest Of The American People.” According to ABC News, “House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., defended the move, telling reporters, ‘I've made it very clear I think the president has executive authority. It's an appropriate level of authority to deal with the unfair trade practices. That's part of the role of the president is to negotiate with other countries.’ Johnson said Trump told him Tuesday night that ‘there are almost 70 countries that are [in] some stage in negotiation of more fair-trade agreement agreements with the United States. I think that is in the interest of the American people. I think that is an ‘America First’ policy that will be effective, and so we have to give them the space to do it.’” [ABC News, 4/9/25]
- The Vote Was The Second Use Of The Procedural Tactic To Block Votes On The Tariffs, The First Use Of It Being In March 2025. According to ABC News, “House Democrats, led by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., moved to force a vote on Tuesday on terminating the national emergency authority and blocking Trump's sweeping tariffs. Now, that vote is unlikely to occur. This is the second time Johnson has moved to stop the legislative calendar to prevent votes on Trump's authority on tariffs. Under House rules, these votes would typically come up within 15 calendar days but now will not if the ‘rule’ passes during the vote series Wednesday afternoon.” [ABC News, 4/9/25]
After House Republicans Voted To Block The Ability Of Congress To Challenge Trump’s Tariffs, Johnson Claimed It Was Because Republicans “Trust[Ed] This White House To Do The Right Thing.” According to Reuters, "The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to block the ability of Congress to quickly challenge tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump that have rattled financial markets. The 216-214 vote, largely along party lines, delays lawmakers' ability for the rest of the year to force a vote that could revoke Trump's tariffs and immigration actions. […] ‘This is an appropriate balance of powers and we trust this White House to do the right thing, and I think that was the right vote and it was reflected in the vote count,’ House Speaker Mike Johnson said when asked by Reuters why he was comfortable giving more trade power to the executive branch. The provision was tucked into a procedural vote related to the Republicans' six-month stopgap funding bill." [Reuters, 3/11/25]
- The Bill Effectively Blocked The House From Voting To Reverse Trump’s Tariffs On Mexico, Canada, And China. According to the New York Times, “Republican leaders on Tuesday slipped language into a procedural measure that would prevent any resolution to end the tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China from receiving a vote this year. It passed on party lines as part of a resolution that cleared the way for a vote later Tuesday on a government spending bill needed to prevent a shutdown at the end of the week.” [New York Times, 3/11/25]
- The Bill Nullified A Law That Would Allow The House And Senate To End A Disaster Declared By The President. According to the New York Times, “In this case, Republican leaders did so using a particularly unusual contortion: They essentially declared the rest of the year one long day, nullifying a law that allows the House and Senate to jointly put an end to a disaster declared by the president.” [New York Times, 3/11/25]
- The National Emergencies Act Required Consideration Of Resolutions Ending A Presidential Emergency Within Fifteen Calendar Days, But Republican Leadership Included A Measure In The Bill Declaring Each Day For The Remainder Of The 119th Congress Would Not Constitute A Calendar Day. According to the New York Times, “The national emergency law lays out a fast-track process for Congress to consider a resolution ending a presidential emergency, requiring committee consideration within 15 calendar days after one is introduced and a floor vote within three days after that. But the language House Republicans inserted in their measure on Tuesday declared that, ‘Each day for the remainder of the 119th Congress shall not constitute a calendar day’ for the purposes of the emergency that Mr. Trump declared on Feb. 1.” [New York Times, 3/11/25]
¶ trump’s tariffs were hurting texas’ economy by raising prices and worsening job growth
HEADLINE: “San Antonio Will Be U.S. Metro Most Damaged By Trump’s Canada Trade War, Study Finds” [San Antonio Current, 3/27/25]
HEADLINE: “Expert Explains Why Texas Could See Biggest Impact Regarding Sweeping Tariffs Announcement” [ABC 13 Eyewitness News, 4/4/25]
COLUMN: “Trump Tariffs Are Bad For Texas, Leaving Executives Guessing And Investors On The Sidelines” [Chris Tomlinson, Column, Houston Chronicle, 4/11/25]
HEADLINE: “New Numbers Show Trump’s Tariffs, Mass Deportations Taking A Toll On The Texas Economy” [San Antonio Current, 8/15/25]
The Federal Reserve Bank Of Dallas Released A Report That Indicated Worsening Job Growth In Texas Following The White House Tariff Announcements. According to the San Antonio Current, "A growing number of signs suggest Trump’s tariff tantrums and mass deportation roundups are delivering a bruising one-two punch to the Texas economy. Numbers released this week by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas show the Lone Star State faces slipping job growth, declining construction starts and rising inflation. All signs its economic engine is sputtering. And all at least partially tied to the White House’s policies." [San Antonio Current, 8/15/25]
An October 2025 Texas Restaurant Survey Found That All But Ten Percent Of Restaurants Said They Were Seeing Costs Increase As A Result Of Tariffs. According to Houston Public Media, "The report surveyed more than 50 restaurants across the state in October. Eighty-eight percent of restaurants reported their food costs rose during the last quarter, while 40% said their costs went up ‘significantly.’ Two out of every three restaurants also said their labor costs are increasing. That's a result, at least in part, of some of the policies from the Trump administration, the restaurant association reported. All but 10% of restaurants said they were seeing costs increase as a result of tariffs." [Houston Public Media, 10/31/25]