“Our programs at the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) will keep running during this shutdown. All vital efforts, particularly those to deter the New World screwworm and the Cotton Jassid, will continue to be spearheaded by the TDA. Leftist Democrats in Washington would rather spend billions on pet projects, foreign aid, and environmental scam pipe dreams than keep our border secure, support our farmers, and protect working Texans. Their priorities are upside down, and they put DC bureaucracy first and the American people last. My agency will continue serving Texans on every front, and we will rise to the occasion.”