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Like other conservatives, I believe deeply in the principle of states’ rights. Local governments know their communities best and are often more accountable than far-off bureaucrats in Washington. However, while I trust my home state of Texas more than DC, even strong principles have exceptions. Some issues are too big, too fast-moving, and too vital for a piecemeal approach, and artificial intelligence is one of them. 

AI is unlike any other technology we have seen before. It has the potential to be the backbone of our national security, economic leadership and technological competitiveness. It cuts across sectors like healthcare, defense and infrastructure. It also doesn’t respect state lines, which is exactly why we cannot afford 50 different state laws pulling AI development in 50 different directions.

Read the rest here: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

When Alan Turing first coined the term “artificial intelligence,” or AI, in his 1950 paper “Computing Machinery and Intelligence,” the first full-scale nuclear generating station was years away from breaking ground, deregulated power markets were still decades down the road, and the People’s Republic of China was in its infancy.

AI, energy shocks and U.S.-China tensions are not new phenomena. But they have catapulted to center stage as Americans increasingly question their leaders’ ability to properly address these intertwined challenges. The coming months present a golden opportunity for Republicans to leverage their electoral mandate to bolster our energy security and fuel the jobs of the future.

Maintaining our position as a world leader in AI development and deployment — from discovering new medical breakthroughs to modeling and mitigating natural disasters — requires an abundant and secure supply of energy. Power utilities across the country have revised up expectations of future electricity demand and ensuing capital outlays needed to modernize our grid and keep pace with our competitors. Some estimates project capital investment requirements exceeding several trillion dollars.

The entire U.S. economy is facing a rapid surge in electricity demand, driven by a confluence of factors, including the revival of American manufacturing, the electrification of transport, heat and industry, and the growth of the digital economy. This load growth is occurring against a backdrop of transmission assets that are fast approaching the end of their useful lives. Updating the “world’s largest machine” will require a collaborative approach and a bold vision.

Read the rest here: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

I watched the Israel Defense Forces compilation of footage of gruesome and hideous acts against humanity committed Oct. 7 by Hamas members, and my soul will be changed forever.

The footage, called “Bearing Witness,” is a grim reminder that barbarity and medieval acts of horror can be perpetrated against peaceful civilians at any given moment simply because of their faith or nationality. Images of innocent children abducted, young women raped and slaughtered as they cower in fear still race through my mind.

As a father of two young children, the most gut wrenching moment for me was seeing a father killed in front of his two sons, roughly the same age as mine. The most sickening part was the utter jubilation of civilians in Gaza celebrating the massacre as innocent Israeli after innocent Israel was captured — or even worse. Dead civilians’ bodies were mutilated in their very own homes.

I don’t like writing this; nor could I stand to watch all of the screening. But the world needs to know about the barbarity of what occurred.

Texas is a friend of Israel and will continue to be. As a former statewide official who led a delegation of Texas business leaders to Israel, I can attest to the grit, determination and passion of the Israeli people and have no doubt they will persevere. From the entrepreneurs who created “Startup Nation” to the newly trained energy workers exploring and harvesting natural gas, Texas’ business ties to Israelis will only grow as a result of this horrific episode.

The rising tide of antisemitism and apologists for the actions of Hamas have largely not occurred on Texas campuses because of the moral clarity espoused by university leadership — unlike the pathetic testimony presented by three elite universities’ presidents last week before a congressional committee. I am proud that Texas supports and will continue to be with Israel.

Read the rest here: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

An epic debate is unfolding among Republicans about our vision for the nation. While I support strengthening our governing philosophy by putting it through the crucible, I’m concerned by what appears to be the jettisoning of the principles that made the GOP great. Chief among them is our commitment to free markets and competition.

While the Democratic Party has never met a problem it doesn’t want to address with federal intervention, the GOP correctly sees government’s role as limited. It’s disconcerting then to see members of Ronald Reagan’s party join the left’s ranks, cheering as a more muscular Washington settles scores against U.S. businesses. This is doubtless a welcome shift for competitors looking to sic regulators on their rivals, but it’s bad news for the millions of Americans who are stuck with a diminished standard of living.

The consumer’s will is increasingly being trampled by steps such as the antitrust lawsuits the federal government and state attorneys general have brought against tech companies. Consider the Justice Department’s suit against Google and the Federal Trade Commission’s suit against Amazon. Both cases allege the companies have maintained unlawful monopoly power over their peers. Yet both cases are built on complaints from competitors—not consumers—who lost fair and square and are now crying foul to government referees.

Read the rest of the piece, here at the Wall Street Journal.