, R-Dallas, as the co-chairman of the "supercommittee" tasked with reducing the deficit.Before the announcement, Rep. Michael Burgess , R-Lewisville, was among those angling for a spot on the powerful new committee. At a meeting of the NE Tarrant Tea Party last week, Burgess said he had written a letter to Boehner advocating for a Texas Republican to be among those on the committee."Texas has done things right the past couple of years, and it has been reflected in our economy here locally," Burgess said.He added that the member from Texas should have a background in healthcare but "probably shouldn't be running for president because that takes a lot of time so that rules out Ron Paul."Those at the event started to giggle as they realized that Burgess, a doctor, had ruled out everyone in the Texas delegation but himself. Looming primaries Texas' Republican Party wants its March primary to go off without a hitch, and that includes making sure all the state's delegates are counted toward the GOP presidential nomination.The Republican National Committee passed a rule last year requiring states that hold primaries before April 1 to allocate their delegates proportionally by how much support each candidate receives statewide. States not in compliance risk losing half their delegates. In Texas, Republicans use a complicated system that allocates only some delegates proportionally. After months of grumbling among activists, the state party appears poised to give in to the RNC.Though details are still being worked out, Texas Party Chairman Steve Munisteri said recently that he expects the State Republican Executive Committee to vote Oct. 1 for a plan to change the way Texas allocates delegates. Travels So many U.S. House members are traveling to Israel this summer that they have to go in shifts.Rep. Kay Granger , R-Fort Worth, is going for the second time this year. As chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds the State Department and foreign operations, Granger wants to be on top of what's happening in the volatile region. Another Texan on the trip: freshman U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold , R-Corpus Christi.House Majority Leader Eric Cantor , R-Va., House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif., and House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Tom Price , R-Ga., announced that they will serve as senior members for two groups of 56 House Republicans visiting Israel Aug. 13-21 and Aug. 21-28. There are also 26 House Democrats visiting Israel this month.These trips, organized by the American I srael Education Foundation, a nonprofit group affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee , mark the largest-ever visit of U.S. lawmakers to Israel and are geared especially to freshman lawmakers. Honors State Sen. Wendy Davis , D-Fort Worth, was recently honored as a Champion for Children by the Equity Center , an Austin-based education advocacy group.Leaders with the group cited Davis' filibuster in the last days of the regular legislative session this year as a way she stands up for Texas children."The goal of the filibuster was to put an increased focus on how these deep budget cuts to public education are going to harm our children's futures and our state's ability to keep and attract new jobs," Davis said.
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