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    <title>As Hurricane Harvey Winds Down, Texas Members of Congress Tour European Castle</title>

    
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href="mailto:?subject=As%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20Winds%20Down%2C%20Texas%20Members%20of%20Congress%20Tour%20European%20Castle&amp;body=https%3A%2F%2Finterc.pt%2F2etihnd" data-reactid="128"><span class="Icon Icon--Envelope icon-TI_Envelope" data-reactid="129"></span></a></div><div class="Post-social-link-block Post-social-link-block--whatsapp" data-reactid="130"><a class="Post-social-link Post-social-link--whatsapp" href="whatsapp://send?text=As%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20Winds%20Down%2C%20Texas%20Members%20of%20Congress%20Tour%20European%20Castle%20https%3A%2F%2Finterc.pt%2F2etihnd" data-reactid="131"><span class="Icon Icon--WhatsApp_01 icon-TI_WhatsApp_01" data-reactid="132"></span></a></div><div class="Post-social-link-block Post-social-link-block--comments" data-reactid="133"><a class="Post-social-link Post-social-link--comments" href="/2017/09/02/harvey-texas-congress-prague-castle-john-carter-henry-cuellar/?comments=1#comments" data-reactid="134"><span data-reactid="135"><span class="Icon Icon--Comment icon-TI_Comment" data-reactid="136"></span></span><span class="PostCommentCount Post-social-comment-count" data-reactid="137"></span></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="Post-header-block" data-reactid="138"><div data-reactid="139"><div class="Post-thumb-credit-block" data-reactid="140"><div class="Post-thumb-credit" data-reactid="141">Photo: Lee Fang/The Intercept</div></div><div class="Post-title-block" data-reactid="142"><h1 class="Post-title" data-reactid="143"><a class="Post-title-link" href="/2017/09/02/harvey-texas-congress-prague-castle-john-carter-henry-cuellar/" data-reactid="144">As Hurricane Harvey Winds Down, Texas Members of Congress Tour European Castle</a></h1><div class="PostByline byline" data-reactid="145"><div class="PostByline-names-with-images" data-reactid="146"><a class="PostByline-image-link" rel="author" href="/staff/leefang/" data-reactid="147"><img class="PostByline-image" src="//cdn01.theintercept.com/wp-uploads/sites/1/2015/02/lee-staff-page-350x350.jpg" width="60" height="60" data-reactid="148"/><span class="PostByline-name" data-reactid="149"><span itemprop="name" class="" data-reactid="150">Lee Fang</span></span></a></div><div class="PostByline-images" data-reactid="151"><a class="PostByline-image-link" rel="author" href="/staff/leefang/" data-reactid="152"><img class="PostByline-image" src="//cdn01.theintercept.com/wp-uploads/sites/1/2015/02/lee-staff-page-350x350.jpg" width="60" height="60" data-reactid="153"/></a></div><div class="PostByline-names" data-reactid="154"><a class="PostByline-link" rel="author" href="/staff/leefang/" data-reactid="155"><span itemprop="name" data-reactid="156">Lee Fang</span></a></div><br data-reactid="157"/><span class="PostByline-date" data-reactid="158">2017-09-02T17:04:19+00:00</span></div><div class="PartnershipArticle-StandardPost-PostByline" data-reactid="159"><!-- react-empty: 160 --></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="Post-body" data-reactid="161"><img class="print-only" src="//cdn01.theintercept.com/wp-uploads/sites/1/2017/09/repjohncarter_prague_ti-1504378864-article-header.jpg" data-reactid="162"/><div class="Post-thumb-credit-block" data-reactid="163"><div class="Post-thumb-credit" data-reactid="164">Photo: Lee Fang/The Intercept</div></div><div class="Post-content-block-outer" data-reactid="165"><div class="GridContainer Post-scroll-container" data-reactid="166"><div class="GridRow" data-reactid="167"><!-- react-text: 168 --><!-- /react-text --><div class="Post-content-block" data-reactid="169"><div class="Post-content-block-inner" data-reactid="170"><!-- react-empty: 171 --><div class="PostContent" data-reactid="172"><div data-reactid="173"><p><u>As the Texas</u> coast looks toward recovery amid the death and destruction wrought by Hurricane Harvey, several lawmakers from the state were at a popular tourist spot in the Czech Republic this weekend.</p>
<p>Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, a senior Appropriations Committee member, was spotted taking a tour of Prague Castle on Saturday. Carter was seen strolling through the castle complex, along with Reps. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., and Henry Cuellar, D-Texas. The group snapped photos and were told the history of St. Vitus Cathedral.</p>
<p>Carter told The Intercept that he was thinking about Houston while on a foreign operations congressional delegation.</p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s my hometown, I was born and raised in Houston. I&#8217;m concerned about Houston,&#8221; Carter said, when asked about the crisis in his home state. &#8220;We increased FEMA funding, and we continue to increase funding,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>GOP lawmakers have <a href="http://www.krem.com/mb/news/as-texas-recovers-from-harvey-house-gop-eyeing-1b-disaster-funds-cut-to-finance-wall/469660446">come under fire</a> in recent days for pushing to cut nearly $1 billion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency&#8217;s disaster relief account in order to pay for President Donald Trump&#8217;s wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.</p>
<p>Carter, who serves on the committee responsible for spending matters, emphasized that FEMA would be fully funded.</p>
<p>The congressional delegation spotted in Prague today met this week with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to <a href="https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/2295999-poroshenko-calls-on-us-congress-to-supply-arms-to-ukraine.html">discuss supplying arms</a> to Ukraine.</p>
<p>But in the Czech Republic, the immediate goals of the delegation were unclear. The group of lawmakers walked quickly to two waiting black Mercedes-Benz vans after their tour of the Prague Castle complex.</p>
<p>Before ending our brief interview, Carter said, &#8220;I&#8217;ll be going home in two days.&#8221;</p>
<p class="caption">Top photo: Texas GOP Rep. John Carter tours the Prague Castle in Czech Republic, on Sept. 2, 2017.</p>
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I&#8217;m concerned about Houston,&#8221; Carter said, when asked about the crisis in his home state. &#8220;We increased FEMA funding, and we continue to increase funding,&#8221; he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>GOP lawmakers have \u003ca href=\"http://www.krem.com/mb/news/as-texas-recovers-from-harvey-house-gop-eyeing-1b-disaster-funds-cut-to-finance-wall/469660446\">come under fire\u003c/a> in recent days for pushing to cut nearly $1 billion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency&#8217;s disaster relief account in order to pay for President Donald Trump&#8217;s wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carter, who serves on the committee responsible for spending matters, emphasized that FEMA would be fully funded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The congressional delegation spotted in Prague today met this week with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to \u003ca href=\"https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/2295999-poroshenko-calls-on-us-congress-to-supply-arms-to-ukraine.html\">discuss supplying arms\u003c/a> to Ukraine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the Czech Republic, the immediate goals of the delegation were unclear. 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