Two weeks before President Donald Trump left office, his administration bestowed a parting gift on the U.S. prescription drug industry. It proposed a rule to block the government from citing exorbitant prices to seize control of a drug’s production. The rule, drawn up by a division of the Commerce Department, would settle a long-running battle over when government is justified in exercising “march in” rights over taxpayer-supported government inventions. The 40-year-old Bayh-Dole law gives the government power to grant a license to another manufacturer if a company is not making a government-sponsored invention available to the public on “reasonable terms.”

Joined MSNBC to discuss our action in the House to pass the American Rescue Plan.

Texas District 35 U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett laid out his case on why House lawmakers should impeach President Trump Wednesday. In his speech to the House, Doggett, who represents San Antonio, Austin and San Marcos, said Trump violated his sworn duty to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution by seeking to "violently overthrow the government" with his Jan. 6 speech. Trump told his supporters to "fight like hell, and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore," which Congress is pointing to as the helping incite a riot at the U.S. Capitol shortly that killed five. House lawmakers are charging Trump with "incitement of insurrection" due to the unprecedented events.

Joined MSNBC to discuss the millions of Texans and countless Americans who will be plunged further into suffering and want if Republicans and Trump don’t sort out their issues and stop blocking relief. We are—and have always been—ready to get $2000 of direct assistance out the door. But congressional Republicans blocked our attempts to do so.

Six weeks out from what’s slated to be one of the most contentious elections ever, Texans in the House have achieved the monumental task of uniting that chamber in bipartisan agreement over the need to honor a long-forgotten piece of Texana. So far back is that history, in fact, it predates the Lone Star State itself.

We all depend upon the United States Postal Service (USPS). Until recently, it has enjoyed broad, bipartisan political support. On Saturday, I expect the House to approve the Delivering for America Act, of which I am a sponsor. This simple, three-page bill, modestly requires USPS to uphold the standards existing last January combined with an appropriation, which the Trump-appointed Board of Governors previously requested to fund postal operations.