Newsletter: Judge's Boarding Pass -- March 31 -- April 4

Statement

Well this has been one of the worst weeks that we've had in quite some time with the shooting that has taken place at Fort Hood.

I have been trying to get the message out to the rest of the United States of America of the horrendous crime that took place in our home town. I have been trying to get questions answered as to what happened and why it happened and who is going to do something about it. I'm totally involved in this completely. It dominated my week completely, however, in the process I had to keep doing my job. I held hearing on various subjects, both in the Defense Department and the Justice Department.

Today, during the House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the Justice Department's FY15 budget, I demanded answers from Attorney General Eric Holder on why the 2009 Fort Hood shooting has not been declared an act of terror.

Attorney General Holder hid behind the fact that the shooting is a Department of Defense issue and he would not comment and would not give his opinion on the definition of terrorism. Chairman Frank Wolf asked him to please be compassionate and help us resolve this issue by talking to the President. He refused to say that he would talk to the President, and instead said that he would talk to the Secretary Hagel at the Department of Defense.

It was a typical political answer.I am disappointed in the Attorney General Holder's response, but will not stop pushing the Obama Administration until the attack is declared an act of terror and the victims receive the benefits they deserve.

I'm heading home today and I am going to the memorial service next week for our fallen heroes from this shooting. This is a serious week, as serious as it gets. Quite honestly we have a lot of questions that need to be answered. Let's hope next week brings a little more brightness to community. Right now it's time for everybody not only in the 31st Congressional District, but in the entire United States of America to pray for us. There are men and women who were killed and injured. This was as serious as it gets. That's what this week was all about.

I am headed back to Texas for the memorial service next week. I will be back in D.C. Wednesday, April 9th.

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