Caitlin Rourk for Congress

For 251 years, the story of the U.S. Army has been the story of millions of Americans willing to serve something bigger than themselves.

My family is proud to be one small part of that story (and, if family lore is to be believed, contribute some damn good marksmanship).

Happy Birthday to the U.S. Army and to the generations of soldiers and families who answered the call, and still do, in defense of this great nation.

Keep rolling along!

Big crowd in Coldspring this week for the Democrats of San Jacinto County meeting, where I was honored to share our campaign's vision and talk rural organizing. Someone overheard other diners at the restaurant remark that they've never seen the Democrats this active in Coldspring in years. Let's go!

Maybe I’m crazy, but if inflation hits its highest level in three years, my response sure wouldn’t be to celebrate it.

Families don’t love inflation.

They don’t love paying more for gas, groceries, housing, childcare, and everything else that costs more every month.

What frustrates me is that this mindset is part of a pattern, and it says a lot about how the President and his supporters in Congress think about the rest of us.

Saying gas price spikes are “peanuts.” Launching tariff fights without a clear strategy. Making foreign policy decisions that send our sons and daughters into harm’s way without clearly defining the mission and the human and economic costs of getting there.

Washington keeps treating the economy like a political game. Families experience the economy as real life, because it is.

And we need leaders who understand that “affordability” and “low costs” aren’t some talking point that polls well. They’re the difference between getting ahead and falling behind.

A little less chaos. A little more discipline. And a few more adults in the room.

Packed visit to Huntsville! Walker County is brand new to Congressional District 10, and I made it clear to the Sam Houston State University administration, local elected officials, faith and community leaders, and residents I met with that they’ll have a partner and advocate in Washington.

📸 Vincent Garza

Yesterday, President Trump said gas prices would go lower than they were before (he also claimed he never campaigned on keeping us out of foreign wars, but that’s a post for another day). A few weeks ago, he called the gas price surge “peanuts.”

Today, I filled up my tank as I head out to Walker and San Jac counties.

My trip comes on the heels of knocking doors this weekend, where the issues we heard about most were affordability and the war in Iran. Not in a poll. Not in a focus group.

For a lot of campaigns, these conversations are message-tested and filtered through polling data. For most Americans, the ones I spend my time talking to, they’re real, they’re stressful and they don’t leave them feeling much hope.

Gas. Groceries. Rent. Child care.

People are tired of platitudes, promises, and politicians telling them everything is fine when their reality says otherwise.

Filling up my tank at least one more time on this trip won’t be “peanuts.” But the conversations I get to have in parts of our district that too often feel forgotten by Washington are why I’m running and why I’ll keep showing up.

When I visited Grimes County two weeks ago, people told me they were worried county leaders would rush through the Terafab (SpaceX, Tesla, xAI) chip factory deal without giving the public a real chance to weigh in or ask questions.

That's exactly what happened this week.

It's becoming a familiar playbook across Texas, especially in rural counties like Grimes: big tech shows up with promises and money, deals get negotiated behind closed doors, and communities have to live with the consequences. The ink dries before the proposals get meaningful public comment.

Big tech companies are working hard (and spending a lot) to influence who gets elected at every level of government, from county commissioners to members of Congress, because they want decision-makers who will rubber-stamp projects through with as little resistance as possible.

People like the hundreds of Grimes citizens who showed up to commissioner's court on Wednesday aren't against economic development. In fact, many shared with me they were excited to learn more about the project and the potential benefits it could bring to the county. But they are against being cut out of decisions that will shape their water, roads, taxes, energy grid, and future.

If a project is good for a community, it should be able to withstand public scrutiny. The rush to approve these deals without transparency or accountability tells its own story.

(Photo credit: Grimes County Citizens for Responsible Development)

I would have voted Yes on every war powers resolution. Glad to see some Republicans finally support Congress reclaiming its constitutional authority. 

Imagine every seat in a major football stadium filled with children.

Now imagine every one of those children losing health insurance, in this case largely as a result of paperwork or processing issues during Medicaid renewals.

That’s roughly what happened in Texas over two years. The share of Texas children under the age of 6 without health insurance jumped from 7.9% to 10.8%, the highest rate in the nation.

A kid’s ability to see a doctor shouldn’t depend on whether a parent successfully navigates a maze of government paperwork.

With one in ten Texas kids under 6 already uninsured, the answer isn’t more cuts, more barriers, or more attacks on Medicaid. It’s making sure every eligible child gets covered and stays covered.

Our second data center listening session stop in Leon County was different from the first but equally eye-opening.

We heard a lot of thoughtful questions about AI and the workloads data centers actually power. People want to know whether AI is being used in ways that benefit mankind and whether the government is doing enough to ensure responsible oversight.

There were also concerns about the role special interests are playing in local, state, and federal politics when it comes to data centers. Who’s getting a seat at the table? And whose interests are really being represented?

Like our first session in Grimes County, Leon County residents feel like they need a lot more information and a better understanding of what the real impacts are: energy use, environmental impact, infrastructure strain, long-term economic benefit for rural communities like Centerville, what happens when a facility becomes obsolete. And frankly, they just want transparency, accountability, and a real voice in decisions that will shape their communities for decades.

Thanks to everyone who joined us and shared your perspective.