"I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the officers who intercepted me that evening," the 10-term congressman from Austin said in a statement.

A nervous flier, the House Foreign Affairs chief said he made a “poor decision” to mix Ambien and alcohol before his flight home to Texas on Nov. 4.

GOP Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas said he was detained by police at Dulles International Airport after he became disoriented from mixing Ambien with alcohol.