First elected in 2018, Congressman Lance Gooden represents Texas’ 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The 5th District stretches from Dallas County to Cherokee, Henderson, Kaufman, Anderson, Van Zandt and Wood Counties.
In the 117th Congress, Congressman Gooden is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services. Prior to joining the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Gooden served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives and worked in the insurance industry for 10 years.
Texas farmers and ranchers help feed the nation and drive ag innovations across the globe, but liberal policies that promote overregulation and imports threaten domestic production. I will always fight to support family farms, protect private property rights, and ensure Texans can continue our rich tradition of living off the land.
Texans know far too well the consequences of an unsecure border and a broken immigration system. One of my top priorities is to address the unmitigated flow of illegal immigrants and dangerous drugs into our country. We must put into place policies that discourage and disincentivize human smugglers and drug cartels crossing our southern border.
A one-size-fits-all, big government approach to education does not work. Putting in place policies that empower states and parent choice do. By teaching students the skills they need for today’s workforce needs, including career and technical education programs, we can better meet the growing and ever-changing demands of the global marketplace.
Texas resources are essential to achieving American energy dominance and having an all-the-above approach to powering our country creates jobs, lowers costs to consumers, strengthens our national security, and ensures our energy needs are met for generations to come. We can achieve all of this while protecting our environment and natural resources. By addressing burdensome regulations, supporting free market principles and rejecting federal overreach, we can provide the regulatory certainty that businesses need to not only maintain operations, but also invest in newer technologies to protect our air, land and water.
Every American should be able to follow their dreams—whether it’s starting a business, raising a family, purchasing a home, or pursuing higher education. Unfortunately, banking has become far more concentrated and far less accessible to the everyday person. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, I advocate for policies that bring financial tools and resources within reach to everyone.
You sent me to Washington to be your voice in Congress. For too long, unelected bureaucrats’ runaway spending has led to widespread waste, fraud and abuse. I will continue to push federal agencies to run efficiently and effectively, with accountability to American taxpayers.
Many of my democratic colleagues believe that socializing medicine is the answer to our broken healthcare system, but radical proposals like these will make only healthcare more expensive and pass those costs along to the taxpayers at a time when they simply can’t afford it. Applying free-market solutions to reduce costs, improve outcomes, and increase patient choice will allow all Americans to receive affordable care options.
Modernizing our nation’s infrastructure is necessary to ensure future prosperity for all Americans. Our roads, bridges, and critical water infrastructure have been neglected for far too long, creating problems that threaten our safety and wellbeing. We must bring infrastructure systems into the 21st century to allow our communities and businesses to thrive.
During the Trump Administration, Republican pro-growth policies unleashed a dynamic economy that led to the lowest unemployment in our nation’s history. By addressing burdensome regulations and supporting free market principles that promote private sector innovation and investment, we can return to an era of economic prosperity. I will continue to advocate for policies that prioritize American families and businesses over special interests and foreign governments.
A fundamental responsibility of the federal government is providing for the common defense of our nation and its citizens. The United States must be prepared to respond to variety of threats at home and across the globe. Whether it’s a cyberattack, radical terrorism, or the constant threat presented by foreign adversaries like China, Russia or Iran, I will continue to support our military and law enforcement’s mission to defend our nation.
While many D.C. liberals and Big Tech conglomerates are ready to abandon our Bill of Rights because of the extremists who violate our nation’s most foundational laws, I remain committed to protecting the unalienable rights in our Constitution. Our First Amendment right to free speech should apply everywhere—including all internet platforms—and the federal government should not strip law-abiding gun owners of our right to bear arms because of a few unstable lunatics.