Texas Lawmakers Return from DC Meeting
Amid Blame Game after Trump Aide Critique
Capitol Inside
March 23, 2026
Texas Republican lawmakers wasted no time taking shots at each other after returning from a meeting at the White House late last week amid sniping over who was to blame for a scolding by the deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller on on lax enforcement of immigration laws by the state.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows depicted the gathering in Washington D.C. as an opportunity to weigh in on the Trump agenda and tout the Lone Star State. The Houston Chronicle reported that nearly 100 Texas representatives and senators planned to make the trip to the nation's capital to meet with an array of administration officials.
But the finger-pointing among GOP colleagues erupted Monday morning in the nervous wake of a harsh assessment that Miller served up on the Texas Legislature's failure to take a more aggressive stance against benefits for migrants who aren't citizens of the United States. State Rep. Andy Hopper of Decatur took umbrage with a statement by State Rep. Jared Patterson of Frisco during the meeting with Miller.
According to Hopper, the fellow Denton County representative claimed at the White House meeting that legislation that would have disqualified children from migrant families from attending Texas public schools if they're in the country in violation of federal law did not pass the House because it had an "author problem."
Hopper - for the record - sponsored a proposal to make migrant kids ineligible for admission to public schools around the state. Hopper filed the measure in question - House Bill 4707 - right before the deadline in mid-March for submitting legislation for consideration in the lower chamber during the regular session in 2025. The Hopper bill was referred three weeks later to the Public Education Committee where it never received a hearing or a vote.
"It is unfortunate for Texans that they are represented by individuals who place a higher value on obedience and fealty than solid policy wins that would save our citizens tens of billions of dollars," Hopper said in a statement that he posted on X.
Hopper said he would be happy to let Patterson file the measure when lawmakers meet again in 2027 if that's what it would take to pass it. "Jared Patterson's stated position in the White House last week was that this bill, while being good policy, did not pass because he doesn't like me,' Hopper said. "Well, I'll vote for any Jared Patterson bill that does the right thing, and that's why I'm offering my legislation from last session. Let's remove any excuse for it not becoming law."
Patterson is a high-ranking lieutenant on the House leadership team in his roles as the Local and Consent Calendars Committee chairman
with seats on the Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee and the Transportation Committee. Hopper, a freshman who'd defeated a Burrows ally in the primary in 2024 - drew seats on the Agriculture and Livestock Committee and Insurance Committee in his legislative debut last year. Both Denton representatives expect to be back next year after winning primary elections this month in heavily Republican districts.
But Hopper's biggest beef is with the Republican speaker and State Rep. Brad Buckley of Salado as the chairman of the Public Education Committee where the anti-migrant measure died of neglect a year ago.
Miller gave the Texans marching orders for the regular session in 2027 - imploring them to adopt legislation to ban people from renting property in Texas, receiving Medicare or voting here if they're not U.S. citizens. The Trump aide may not be inclined to bet anything - however - on these proposals doing any better in 2027 than Hopper's HB 4707 did in 2025.
more to come ...
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