U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) yesterday voted in favor of a bill to repeal mandatory country of origin labeling, also known as “COOL,” for beef, pork, and poultry. Thornberry was an original cosponsor of the Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act of 2015 (H.R. 2393) that passed the House by a vote of 300 to 131. “After several years of implementation, this rule has done little more than increase costs and decrease profits for farmers, ranchers, and producers along the supply c... Read more

U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finalized the “Waters of the United States” regulation, which may have serious consequences for private landowners: “My staff is conducting a thorough review of the final rule, but I have little confidence that the EPA has addressed the concerns that many people, businesses, and other organizations have raised with this particular reg... Read more

U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced legislation today in the U.S. House and Senate, H.R. 2130 and S. 1153 respectively, to protect private property rights along the Red River from federal ownership claims. By providing legal certainty to landowners, the Red River Private Property Protection Act seeks to end questions about the federal government's ownership of disputed land along the Red River. “Private landowners deserve absolute clarity fro... Read more

U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) voted this week in support of two bills to rein in overly-aggressive regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by making the agency more transparent and accountable. Both bills passed with bipartisan support in the House. “People are sick and tired of regulations that hurt jobs and our economy, but what is more upsetting is that those regulations are often based on science and research that is never made available to the public,” sai... Read more

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a spending bill yesterday that provides funding for nearly all of the government’s operations through the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2015. The exception is the Department of Homeland Security, which will receive funding for less than 90 days, expiring on February 27, 2015. Under the agreement, overall discretionary spending has been reduced by $165 billion since Fiscal Year 2010. The legislation passed with a bipartisan vote of 219 to 206. Cong... Read more

Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) made the following comments after the House passed the five-year farm bill with strong bipartisan support on a vote of 251 to 166: "Agriculture and all of its supporting industries desperately need a five-year farm bill and the stability it brings. This legislation offers that stability after years of uncertainty, waiting, and short-term fixes, and it does so ahead of the spring planting season. The biggest issue facing agriculture in my district and thro... Read more

Amarillo physician Dr. Richard McKay will be in the nation’s Capitol Tuesday as an attendee of the 2014 State of the Union address. He will be a guest of area Congressman Mac Thornberry. “I spent last week listening to folks share their experiences with the Affordable Care Act. I hope the President will recognize the confusion and hardship his health law is causing in our part of Texas and across the country,” said Rep. Thornberry. “I think inviting someone like Dr. McKay, who spent nearly 40 ye... Read more

Citing the importance of protecting private property rights and concerns over the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) aggressive efforts to expand its authority, U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) yesterday introduced the Defense of Environment and Property Act of 2013, H.R. 3377. The bill redefines the term "navigable waters" in the Clean Water Act (CWA) as waters that are navigable-in-fact in an effort to protect private property owners from regulatory expansion by the EPA and t... Read more

Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) made the following comments after the Senate refused latest offer to resolve funding differences: "In the last ten days, I voted for three different proposals that keep the government open and operating while protecting Americans from Obamacare. Each was a reasonable and responsible option and each passed the House. Then, close to midnight last night, the House passed yet another measure calling on the Senate to work with us to resolve our differences. Th... Read more

Washington, DC -- Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) made the following comments after the President's latest economic speech: "The House is passing bills while President Obama is passing the buck. The reality is the economy is still struggling in large part because of the big-government policies the President has staked his legacy on, with Obamacare leading the pack. The President’s economic formula continues to be excessive regulations, more taxes on small businesses, restrictions on dom... Read more