‘Inside Texas Politics’: Ted Cruz, Royce West, Bowie Hogg, and the Pushback to Proposed Federal Budget Cuts to NASA after Artemis II's success.

After the historic success of NASA's Artemis II mission, Texas Senator Ted Cruz is leading a fierce bipartisan pushback against President Trump's proposed 23% budget cut to NASA, framing the moon as a strategic battleground in the U.S.-China space race. Cruz argues that American leadership in space isn’t just about exploration—it’s about securing prime lunar territory near the South Pole, where water and solar power could fuel future bases. He emphasizes that the $10 billion in long-term funding he secured is already in place and that cutting science missions would undermine national security and inspire future generations. Meanwhile, in Texas politics, Democrat James Tallarico has stunned the political world by raising $27 million in the first quarter—more than any Senate candidate in U.S. history—positioning him as a major threat to Republican incumbents. This surge in fundraising has sparked alarm among GOP leaders, especially as polls suggest that 20% of John Cornyn’s voters might switch to Tallarico if Ken Paxton becomes the nominee, turning the race into a potential dead heat. On the local front, Arlington faces backlash for approving a $273 million deal to keep the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium through 2055 without a public vote, raising questions about transparency and taxpayer accountability. Councilman Bowie Hogg defends the move as necessary for long-term stadium upgrades but acknowledges the need for public input.