Congressman Randy Weber is a public servant, proven conservative, former small business owner, and third generation Texan, representing the 14th District of Texas.
He holds a key leadership role on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology (SST), serving as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy. Congressman Weber is also a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I) where he serves on three subcommittees: Water Resources and Environment; Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation; and Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. His first two terms in Congress, the Congressman served on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
On February 8, 2019, Rep. Randy Weber received his committee assignments for the 116th Congress. He serves on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (SST) as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy, and he serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I), with subcommittee assignments to: Water Resources and Environment; Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation; and Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
“These two committees mean a great deal to my district, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to once again serve on Science, Space, and Technology and Transportation and Infrastructure,” noted Rep. Weber.
Subcommittee on Energy, Ranking Member
On SST, Rep. Weber looks forward to advancing nuclear research priorities and reforms that prioritize the use of limited research dollars. In 2018, Rep. Weber and Sen. Mike Crapo (R–ID) saw their bill, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act, signed into law by President Trump.
Ranking Member Weber’s Statement:
It is an honor to be asked to serve as the Ranking Member for the Subcommittee on Energy. We will continue working toward our nuclear research priorities and reforms that prioritize the use of limited research dollars; we cannot be left behind in this field. In a bipartisan fashion, we will focus on reauthorizations and continued oversight of the Department of Energy. The work of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee is fast-paced, future-focused, and enjoyable. Our areas of jurisdiction are exciting and filled with opportunities for exploration and advancement. I look forward to serving alongside full committee Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas, Energy Subcommittee Chairman Lamb, and our fellow colleagues.
Rep. Weber’s Priorities for SST
Cut Wasteful Spending. At the Department of Energy (DOE), we must prioritize basic research and discovery science that the private sector cannot conduct. Over the past decade, the DOE budget increased over 70 percent, and many of the programs evolved from basic research and development (R&D) to attempts at commercialization through applied research, technology development and deployment, and demonstration activities. It is not the role of government to make energy technologies cost-competitive or to subsidize their commercialization.
Advance Nuclear Research. America must maintain our R&D capabilities and continue to develop cutting edge nuclear technology here at home. Our nuclear bill prioritizes nuclear R&D infrastructure that will enable the private sector to invest in advanced reactor technologies and provide a clear path forward to attract private investment for prototype development at DOE laboratories. In addition, it provides statutory direction for a proposed DOE reactor-based fast neutron source that will operate as an open-access user facility and enable researchers to conduct academic and proprietary research in the U.S. Currently, Russia is the only country with this capability. Nuclear energy can be a clean, cheap answer for an energy independent, pro-growth, secure future, if we allow the science and market forces to prevail.
Invest in National Labs and Research Infrastructure. We need increased access to DOE National Laboratories and Technology Centers, as well as prioritized funding for the DOE’s Office of Science. The National Labs provide over 30,000 researchers with access to scientific facilities and research infrastructure here in the U.S. We must also prioritize key investments in DOE user facilities to ensure access for privately funded, innovative entrepreneurs that can lead to the next technological breakthrough.
Infrastructure remains a key priority for TX-14, as well as the nation. This Congress, T&I reauthorized both surface transportation and water resources legislation, which were simultaneously up for renewal in 2020. Unfortunately, the Pipeline Safety Act—which expired on September 30—was bogged down by partisan politics.
I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of H.R. 7248, the “Surface Transportation Advanced through Reform, Technology, and Efficient Review” (STARTER) Act, introduced on June 18, 2020. This commonsense alternative to the partisan “My Way or the Highway” bill, foisted on the American people by Speaker Pelosi and the House Majority, is a commonsense, five-year surface transportation re-authorization bill offered by T&I Republicans to allow states and non-federal partners to more efficiently plan, expedite, and undertake important infrastructure projects, provide safer and more efficient movement of goods and people, and address infrastructure needs of communities of all sizes.
The bill focuses on key principles advocated by Republicans this year:
T&I Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
On July 21, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Elijah E. Cummings Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2020, legislation to authorize funds for, reinforce, and support the United States Coast Guard, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The House passed similar legislation in July 2019, but the Senate failed to act. The bill will now be reconciled in conference with the Senate NDAA.
The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation conducts oversight of the United States Coast Guard, the Service responsible for enforcing the Nation’s laws on waters under U.S. jurisdiction and on the high seas. The Coast Guards many missions include search and rescue, illegal drug and migrant interdiction, oil spill prevention and response, maritime safety and security, maintaining aids to navigation, ice-breaking, and enforcement of U.S. fisheries and marine pollution laws.
The Subcommittee also has jurisdiction over regulation of ocean shipping and the merchant marine, except as it relates to national security.
One of the Subcommittee’s regular priorities is legislation to authorize the Coast Guard’s programs and to support and strengthen the important missions of one of the Nation’s five armed services.
T&I Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of H.R. 5175, the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2019, when it was introduced on November 19, 2019. This commonsense legislation offered by T&I Republicans would reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and improve federal safety programs. Rather than working with the Republican minority, the majority instead passed—on November 23, 2019—a highly partisan pipeline bill that failed to address the most pressing needs in pipeline safety. On August 6, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the “Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety” (PIPES) Act of 2020.
On August 11, 2020, T&I Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Rick Crawford (R-AR) released the following statement: “In the United States, 2.7 million miles of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines safely provide the energy used daily by American businesses, consumers, and manufacturers. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) oversees the operational safety of this extensive transportation system. We commend the Senate for taking steps to reauthorize these vital federal safety programs through passage of the PIPES Act by unanimous consent. This bipartisan agreement incorporates key stakeholder input to strengthen federal pipeline safety programs through innovative research and technology programs, grants for first responders, and modernized LNG safety regulations, among other provisions. We call on our Democratic colleagues to swiftly pass this legislation in the House to reauthorize these much-needed pipeline safety programs.”
T&I Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment
One of the highest priorities of the Subcommittee is the regular passage of a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) to continue improving America’s ports, locks, dams, inland waterways, and other water resources infrastructure. As you can imagine, for the 14th Congressional District of Texas—with our five seaports (more than any other Member of Congress)—this is an incredibly important bill.
Congress is back on track to authorizing water resources infrastructure improvements every two years, and we must maintain this schedule to strengthen our economic competitiveness. Earlier this year, by employing a collaborative approach between both parties, WRDA 2020 was reported out of T&I with strong bipartisan support, and it passed the House unanimously.
The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment consists generally of matters relating to water resources development, conservation and management, water pollution control and water infrastructure, and hazardous waste cleanup. A number of agencies administer programs that address one or more of these issues; two agencies in particular, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), oversee the larger programs of interest to the Subcommittee.
Through its Civil Works Program, USACE constructs projects for the purposes of navigation, flood control, beach erosion control and shoreline protection, hydroelectric power, recreation, water supply, environmental protection, restoration and enhancement, and fish and wildlife mitigation.
EPA has the primary responsibility for carrying out the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, commonly known as the Clean Water Act. This act provides for a major federal/state program to protect, restore, and maintain the quality of the nation’s waters. Although EPA is responsible for carrying out the Act, significant parts of the program may be administered by the states—in our case, through the Texas Council on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)—if approved by EPA.
|
The Right to Bear Arms The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution affirms a right that is fundamental to a free society, which in turn depends on personal responsibility. As a proud Texan and gun-owner myself, I know just how important that right is. Indeed, it is the freedom that secures the First Amendment rights. Moreover, the Second Amendment right of Americans “to keep and bear Arms” has been upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States in two significant cases: McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010) and District of Columbia v. Heller (2008). Those two decisions declared unconstitutional the virtual ban on the ownership of handguns imposed by Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. The Court reaffirmed that the Second Amendment grants an individual the right to bear arms in defense of one’s home, and that right applies to all levels of government. The Right to LifeIt is no secret that I am unapologetically pro-life. As a member of Congress’ Values Action Team (VAT) and the House Pro-Life Caucus, I am committed to protecting pro-life policies while pushing back on Democrat proposals to promote the so-called “pro-choice” agenda. I have consistently voted in support of measures to prevent abortions, as well as the use of taxpayer money for such an egregious practice. Freedom of Speech, Conscience, and AssemblyThe First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Peaceful protests are an American right, and all voices deserve to be heard. That said, violence is never the answer. America is a nation of laws, and those who break our laws must be met with swift justice. As a nation, we must find a way to come together and heal in a respectful discourse, upholding both the rule of law and the freedom of speech. |
|
Disaster Relief and Recovery Our coastal district is no stranger to the vagaries of the weather, especially with fierce storms blowing ashore from the Gulf of Mexico. Indeed, long before the National Weather Service began naming hurricanes, the Great Galveston Storm of 1900 remains the deadliest storm in U.S. history, with an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 lives lost. In my lifetime alone, Hurricanes Audrey (1957), Debra (1959), Carla (1961), Editha and Fern (both in 1971), Anita (1977), Jeanne (1980), Alicia (1983), Juan (1985), Chantal and Jerry (both in 1989), Rosa (1994), Claudette (2003), Ivan (2004), Rita (2005), Humberto (2007), Gustav and Ike (both in 2008), Isaac (2012), and Harvey (2017)—not to mention countless named Tropical Storms, tropical depressions, and other unnamed storms—have directly impacted the area now comprising the 14th Congressional District of Texas. Hurricane HarveyWe are still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Harvey, where Texas 14 was “ground zero” for Harvey’s destruction. I am grateful we are finally sending relief to areas that have waited long enough, and I have not stopped fighting for the needed federal relief funding to get this nationally significant region back on its feet. On Thursday, June 6, 2019, President Donald Trump signed H.R. 2157, the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019, into law. Included in the bill was legislation mandating that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) release several billion dollars owed to Texans still recovering from Hurricane Harvey. Nearly two years ago, Hurricane Harvey left a path of destruction across Southeast Texas, and many Texans are still waiting for relief. The money released by this bill was appropriated over a year ago. In that time, unelected bureaucrats held up these funds with lollygagging and excuses. My colleagues and I would not stand for this. Thanks to legislation introduced by Senators John Cornyn and Joe Manchin, which Representative Lizzie Fletcher and I introduced in the House, families needing relief will finally receive it. Included in this law is our language directing OMB to release the $4.383 billion within the next 90 days. Though far too late and as yet another hurricane season starts, this funding will bring much needed relief to Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey. Tropical Storm ImeldaMost recently, it was not a hurricane that walloped Texas-14, but a “lesser” event, Tropical Storm Imelda. Don’t let the designation fool you, though: Imelda, the fifth-wettest tropical cyclone on record in the continental U.S., wreaked an estimated $5 billion in damages. On March 11, 2020, joined by Sens. Cornyn and Cruz and the entire Texas Congressional Delegation, I spearheaded a joint letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), expressing concern for Texas communities that suffered public infrastructure damage during Tropical Storm Imelda. The letter highlights the troublesome discrepancy between FEMA and local jurisdictions’ preliminary damage assessments. As stated in the letter, “FEMA certified these costs at approximately $18 million, far short of the $125 million in costs identified by local jurisdictions.” FEMA is establishing a very dangerous precedent, if allowed to rely on unverified data while refusing to provide that information in their denial of PA declarations. There is no question that, after Harvey and the delay in reimbursements, these communities have legitimate need. There is also no question—as evidenced by the state’s findings of $125 million in damages—that the damages were significant enough to qualify for relief. If a federal agency can short-change us without providing their justification, we will experience significant problems when—not if—we are hit again. Flood InsuranceBacked by taxpayers, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created in 1968 to provide government insurance protection against flood risks for both homeowners and commercial businesses. Fifty years later, the federal program is a monopoly. With over $30 billion borrowed from taxpayers, it operates a $1.4 billion annual deficit and lacks the innovation expected of a company with $1.2 trillion of insurance coverage. Once again, without further action on pending reform legislation, NFIP’s authority to provide flood insurance will expire on September 30, 2020. Since the end of FY2017, 15 short-term NFIP reauthorizations have been enacted. The NFIP was extended 17 times between 2008 and 2012, and it lapsed 4 times: March 1 to March 2, 2010; March 29 to April 15, 2010; June 1 to July 2, 2010; and October 1 to October 5, 2011. In most cases when the NFIP lapsed, Congress reauthorized the NFIP retroactively. That said, we should not be lurching from one short-term fix to the next. The House has already taken thoughtful and timely action in the past, to implement needed reforms and forestall any lapse in the program. On November 14, 2017, the House passed H.R. 2874, the 21st Century Flood Reform Act, with my support. It would reauthorize the NFIP for five years, introduce private market competition, and provide programmatic reform to help policyholders. This legislation would have significantly reformed NFIP to ensure its long-term sustainability. Specifically, it included the following key provisions:
Given the NFIP’s vital importance to our district, I will continue to encourage my colleagues to take meaningful action on this time-sensitive issue when we reconvene. The Senate should take real action and pass reform measures soon. NFIP in its current form is unstainable, and we cannot afford to keep kicking this can down the road. Coastal Barrier Protection SystemThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is working closely with the Texas General Land Office (GLO) to study the feasibility of constructing coastal storm risk management and ecosystem restoration (ER) projects along the Texas coast. This effort—the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Feasibility Study—has been variously referred to as the “Ike Dike,” after 2008’s Hurricane Ike, and the Coastal Spine, among other nicknames. On October 26, 2018, the study team released a Draft Report and Environmental Impact Statement detailing a Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP) that employs a "multiple lines of defense" strategy, combining structural, natural, nature-based, and non-structural measures to provide resilient, redundant, robust, and adaptable solutions that promote life safety based on local site conditions and societal values of the coastal community. In a comprehensive fashion, the TSP considers the risks posed by the combination of economic damage from coastal storm surge, inland shoreline erosion, Gulf shoreline erosion, loss of threatened and endangered critical habitats, and disrupted hydrology. The TSP proposes the restoration of ecosystems—including 160,000 acres of coastal habitats including marshes, beaches, islands, and lagoons up and down the Texas coast—to enhance coastal resilience system-wide. The TSP was open to public comment in late 2018 through February 2019, and it is now being further refined based on that feedback. To remain updated on developments regarding this project, you may wish to visit coastalstudy.texas.gov, the joint USACE-GLO website on the subject. |
|
Education I believe that all children deserve educational opportunity and a chance for future success. We are lucky to have such great schools, faculty, and staff in the 14th Congressional District of Texas. As the husband of a now-retired 4th Grade teacher, I know firsthand the hard work and dedication that our teachers and administrators invest in educating our future leaders. These public servants are the unsung heroes within our communities. Unfortunately, ever-growing federal intervention in education has come at the expense of state and local control, has saddled teachers and school leaders with a tremendous paperwork compliance burden, and has failed to effect meaningful gains in education. The data shows that millions of children pass through America’s schools without receiving an education that prepares them to succeed in life and to thrive in the increasingly competitive global economy. America’s students need and deserve better. I believe it is our local schools—not some remote bureaucrats—that are best equipped to meet the needs of our schoolchildren. We need to restore state and local control of education to better serve students across the country. JobsJust over two years ago, President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) into law. Since then, we continue to see our economy grow through the creation of more jobs, 50-year low unemployment, and small business optimism. Our economy continues to flourish, with over 150,000 new jobs created every month in 2019. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ first 2020 jobs report, we surpassed last year’s numbers, adding 225,000 jobs in January alone, while holding the unemployment rate steady at 3.6 percent. Additionally, nearly three quarters of newly-employed Americans came from outside the labor force—the highest ratio in three decades! The prime-age labor force participation rate also rose 1.8 points to 83.1 percent since President Trump was elected, which translates to 2.2 additional workers between the ages of 25-54. More importantly, Brazoria, Galveston and Jefferson Counties saw a 5.7 percent increase in GDP, 4.9 percent increase in wages, and 2.6 percent increase in employment since 2016. |
Along Texas’ Gulf Coast, we take great pride in the diverse energy resources that we refine and ship. That pride comes not only from how energy drives our economy, but also from knowing that we contribute to making America more secure.
American ingenuity and an abundance of shale gas have resulted in the United States becoming the world's largest producer of natural gas. And now, thanks to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities like those in Texas, American energy is reaching markets around the globe.
This is good news for hard-working Texans. It is also good news for America’s national security. Many of our allies around the world—ranging from South Korea to Germany—find themselves dependent on natural gas from hostile or autocratic regimes like Russia and Iran. With American LNG hitting the global market, our friends and strategic partners abroad will have the opportunity to supply their energy needs from the United States. Supporting our allies while creating good-paying jobs at home is a win-win.
With 90 percent of American LNG passing through the Sabine-Neches Waterway, this issue is especially important to our district. That is why I’ve urged the Department of Energy to expedite the permitting process so that more LNG export facilities can quickly ramp up production to meet global demand.
As a father and grandfather, I agree that keeping our water, land, and air clean is important. Policies that promote these valuable goals must also take into account their impact on job creation and economic growth.
As you may know, Congress established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970 to consolidate all the government’s pollution control responsibilities under a single federal agency. Since that time, Congress added and expanded EPA’s authority to include the regulation of air quality, water quality, and chemicals in commerce, the development of regulatory criteria for the management and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, and the cleanup of environmental contamination. The implementation and enforcement of many of these federal requirements is delegated to the states. In Texas, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) plays a leading role in enforcing regulations under the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act, and it does a good job of balancing environmental and economic concerns.
In 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in Massachusetts v. EPA that the EPA has the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. This significantly expanded the EPA’s powers far beyond the original intent of the Clean Air Act, which was written to tackle the issue of local and interstate pollution. Aggressive action to reduce these emissions in the U.S. will have a negligible impact as long as emissions continue to grow rapidly in countries like India and China. Despite the increase in global emissions, Americans are reducing emissions without EPA’s recent regulatory proposals, and this will continue as more electric utilities switch from coal power to natural gas. In fact, emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas, has fallen 12 percent since 2005 according to EPA data.
One of my top priorities in Congress is ensuring that regulations are based on sound science and benefit the American people. Last Congress, I voted to increase transparency, independence, and scientific integrity at the EPA. The House passed H.R. 1430, the Honest and Open New EPA Science Treatment (HONEST) Act of 2017, which would require the EPA to base its regulations on science that is publicly available and therefore verifiable by outside researchers. I also supported H.R. 1431, the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act, which would strengthen the independence of the advisory board by providing increased opportunities for public comments and reducing conflicts of interest. As a member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, I will continue to promote fairness, transparency, and public participation, as well as other commonsense reforms that ensure unbiased science at the EPA.
AS A FIRM BELIEVER IN LIMITED GOVERNMENT AND A CAPITALIST ECONOMY, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE OUT-OF-CONTROL SPENDING BY OUR GOVERNMENT, AND THE ENORMOUS DEBT FUTURE AMERICANS WILL INHERIT. MORE GOVERNMENT IS NOT THE ANSWER. MORE SPENDING IS NOT THE ANSWER. MORE TAXES ARE NOT THE ANSWER. THE ANSWERS ARE FOUND THROUGH HARD CHOICES TO CUT SPENDING AND TO LIMIT THE GOVERNMENT, THEREBY ENSURING A STRONGER, SAFER AMERICA FOR TOMORROW.
A budget deficit occurs when government spending is greater than the revenue collected in the same fiscal year. In contrast, the national debt is the accumulation of each year’s deficit. Since 1970, there have only been four years during which the federal government has not operated in deficit. As a result, our national debt now exceeds $26.6 trillion, which translates into more than $80,000 per citizen.
Lowering America’s debt burden is critical because when interest rates rise, the government’s debt payments will begin to crowd out other parts of the federal budget, and individuals will begin to see higher rates on mortgages, credit cards, and car loans as a result.
Mandatory spending—to include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, other directed outlays, and interest payments on the debt—consumes 70 percent of all federal spending each year. In fact, interest payments on our debt have become the sixth largest category in the federal budget. As long as outlays continue to exceed federal receipts, resulting in annual deficits in the billions of dollars, this situation is unsustainable.
While I generally oppose deficit spending, I realize these are extraordinary times, requiring strategic intervention to maintain national stability. That said, we cannot spend our way back to recovery. Congress must remember what hard working Americans already know: we cannot build a thriving economy on a bloated government that spends and taxes too much. Reckless spending will push our debt burden higher, and the current generation of Americans will have the sad legacy of being the first to lower the standard of living for the next generation. If we do not change course, current fiscal policies will push our debt burden higher than $30 trillion by 2022.
On December 19, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It was signed into law by President Trump on December 22, 2017.
Congress embraced the extraordinary opportunity to fix a broken system and to relieve the undue burden of costly taxes from so many Americans. In reforming the tax code, we lower taxes for all Americans by reducing every single tax bracket. The standard deduction has nearly doubled for everyone. With lower taxes across the board, businesses, both large and small, will be better able to foster job creation, wage growth, and competitiveness.
In Texas’ 14th Congressional District, a typical middle-income family of four will see a tax cut of $2,432.
The tax reform law provides relief for American families. It allows you to keep more of every paycheck by reducing tax rates at all income levels and nearly doubling the standard deduction to $12,000 for individuals and $24,000 for married couples. It doubles the Child Tax Credit from $1,000 to $2,000 per child to better help parents with the cost of raising children. It also preserves the mortgage interest deduction to help current and aspiring homeowners. The law continues to allow people to write off the cost of state and local taxes up to $10,000 and provides you with the ability to deduct property taxes and income taxes—or sales taxes—to best fit your unique needs.
The tax law will also grow jobs, paychecks, and our economy. It delivers historic tax relief for businesses of all sizes so our local job creators can keep more of their income to invest in their businesses and workers. It helps unleash the growth of jobs and paychecks by allowing all businesses to immediately deduct the full cost of new equipment that improves operations and enhances the skills of workers. It establishes America as a 21st century magnet for job creation and encourages companies to bring home their profits from abroad to invest here in our communities. It protects American workers and prevents jobs from moving overseas by eliminating incentives that reward companies for shifting jobs, profits, and manufacturing plants abroad.
This law means more of your hard-earned money in your pocket. It means more jobs created. It means a fairer and simpler tax code. It is pro-family. It is pro-growth. This is a tax cut for all Americans.
Since arriving in Congress, I have supported efforts to balance the budget. I co-sponsored a resolution proposing a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution. If adopted by Congress and ratified by three-quarters of the states, this amendment would prohibit federal spending from exceeding total revenues each fiscal year unless Congress authorizes more spending by a 3/5 vote of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
I supported House Concurrent Resolution 25, the House Budget Resolution which proposed a plan to balance the budget in ten years, introduced by Representative Paul Ryan (WI) on March 15, 2013. Under that budget, spending would be roughly $41.46 trillion over ten years, which is a slower rate of growth in spending when compared to current law. If followed, the federal budget would have reached balance in 2023, when the government would have produced a $7 billion surplus.
House Joint Resolution 5, a resolution introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) on January 3, 2019, proposes to amend the Constitution by requiring a balanced federal budget. If adopted by Congress and ratified by three-quarters of the states, this amendment would prohibit federal spending from exceeding total revenues each fiscal year. It would also limit spending to an amount equal to 18 percent of the previous fiscal year’s gross domestic product. If ratified, either of these two provisions could be overridden only if Congress authorizes a specific amount of excess spending by a roll call vote of two-thirds of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Having served for two terms on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, I am aware of the essential role that Congress plays in directing U.S. foreign policy. With our “power of the purse,” the House has a duty to restrain and punish our adversaries, while supporting our global allies.
The global environment is changing, and America’s adversaries are increasingly acting against U.S. interests. Congress has worked with the Trump Administration to push back against military aggression around the globe. In previous years, we passed legislation ensuring that bad actors such as Iran, China, North Korea and Russia were confronted, reassuring America’s global allies of our commitment. In 2017, Congress passed the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (H.R. 3364), which strengthened sanctions on Russia. At a time when Russia is increasingly threatening its neighbors, including key NATO allies such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Congress must demonstrate our steadfast commitment to our friends and be willing to punish states that threaten our interests.
Congress took action to support the State of Israel in the face of threats from Iran and the terrorists that it supports. On September 12, 2018, the House passed the United States-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act (S. 2497). This act extends America’s commitment to helping Israel defend itself, including by strengthening the critical Iron Dome Missile Defense System. This system is already saving lives as it intercepts missiles from Gaza targeting innocent civilians. I will continue to ensure that Israel has the capabilities it needs to deter aggression, to protect its people, and, when necessary, to fight back against its adversaries.
Additionally, Congress strengthened sanctions targeting Hezbollah with the passage of S.1595, the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2018. This bill, which President Trump signed into law on October 25, 2018, sanctions members of the Iranian regime and others who fund its terrorist activities. Hezbollah and their Iranian benefactors must understand that the United States will use its many tools to thwart their evil and destructive actions.
While Iran is the world’s leading state-sponsor of terror, we have not lost sight of other terrorist threats. On November 14, 2018, the House passed the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Act of 2018. This bill would improve the coordination of our programs that empower African states to combat and dismantle Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria. On September 11, 2001, we learned that we cannot idly allow terrorist groups to establish footholds around the world. This bill will help secure the African continent and ensure that we do not repeat prior mistakes.
Although I no longer serve on Foreign Affairs, I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to ensure that American interests are protected and to better increase security around the world.
I support free trade, and I believe it should be conducted on an even playing field. When trade is both free and fair, America is eminently competitive.
Trade with Mexico and Canada has been governed by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), since it came into effect in 1994. NAFTA created one of the most successful trade zones in the world. In May 2017, the Trump Administration notified Congress of its intent to renegotiate and improve upon NAFTA.
After more than a year of negotiation, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was signed by the leaders of all three countries on November 30, 2018, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The USMCA will have a major impact on our state. More than 950,000 Texas jobs are supported by trade with Mexico and Canada. In 2018, Texas exported $109.7 billion in goods to Mexico and $27.4 billion to Canada. A portion of this is being channeled through the five ports of Texas’ 14th Congressional District (TX-14), which I am honored to represent. USMCA further supports trade and innovation by providing stronger protections for American intellectual property and establishing rules that ensure a free and fair digital marketplace. It also provides greater opportunities for small business by cutting red tape and making it easier to ship products across borders.
Another item vitally important to TX-14 is a clause that maintains tariff-free treatment for raw and refined oil and gas products. The capacity to refine and export energy is one of our district’s greatest assets, providing jobs to tens of thousands of our neighbors.
I believe that the USMCA will be key to America’s continued economic growth. The agreement went into effect on July 1, 2020.
Obamacare has proven that it is not the solution to expand access and lower costs, which is why I support repealing the current law and replacing it with less costly and less burdensome alternatives. Commonsense alternatives would spur competition by allowing individuals to purchase health insurance across state lines, and it would rein in the growth of health care costs by adopting medical liability reform that protects patients and doctors from expensive lawsuits. Additionally, this approach would expand the ability for families and individuals to deduct their health care costs, while providing federal grants for state-based, high risk pools, and safeguarding individuals who have pre-existing conditions with limits on participants’ charges.
There is no question Americans pay too much for health care, including the cost of prescription drugs. As you may know, U.S. prescription drug use has grown substantially during the past several decades as researchers have developed groundbreaking therapies. In fact, $333 billion was spent on prescription drugs in 2017 alone. Unfortunately, current law has restricted patient options for doctors and drugs, and bad actors have recently used a complicated regulatory system to retain a monopoly on drug supply and prevent competition in the market. The result is far too often financially crippling for families.
While it is important that we address the safety, quality, and access of our medications, we must ensure that the solutions to these public health concerns are addressing the true issue and not creating a massive overreach of the federal government that will stifle future drug research and development. Prescription drug pricing has been a priority in Congress with several bills introduced in the House. H.R. 3253, the Sustaining Excellence in Medicaid Act of 2019, was signed by the President and became public law on August 8, 2019. This bill excluded authorized generics from the calculation of average manufacturer price for purposes of the Medicaid drug rebate program.
H.R. 965, the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act of 2019, was introduced by Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) on Feburary 5, 2019. If enacted, this bill would promote competition in the market for drug and biological products by facilitating the timely entry of lower-cost generic and biosimilar versions of those drugs and biological products, while penalizing branded drug makers that withhold samples from generic manufactures.
During the last (115th) Congress, the House of Representatives voted to fully repeal the health insurance tax on May 4, 2017, when we passed H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act of 2017, with my support. Then, on July 25, 2018, the House passed H.R. 6311, the Increasing Access to Lower Premium Plans and Expanding Health Savings Accounts Act of 2018, also with my support. The latter bill, if enacted, would have delayed reimposition of the tax until after December 31, 2021. Unfortunately, both efforts died in the Senate.
This Congress, I proudly co-sponsored H.R. 1398, the Health Insurance Tax Relief Act of 2019, which was introduced by Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) on February 27, 2019. The bill would delay the reimposition of the health insurance tax until after 2021. The bill has been referred to the House Committees on Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce, and subsequently to each committee’s Subcommittee on Health, where it awaits further action.
Homeland security is vitally important. To ensure our security, it is essential that we have strong borders and enforce our immigration laws. Texans have a strong sense of fairness. Unfortunately, our broken immigration system cannot be called fair. It is not fair to those who patiently wait in line to enter legally. It is not fair to American workers who must compete with illegal immigrants working for artificially low wages. Our broken system and porous borders also leave us less safe. Despite the tireless efforts of our Border Patrol and immigration enforcement officers, drugs and people continue to cross our southern border. We can and must make this system better.
When I was in the Texas House of Representatives, I served as the Vice-Chair of the Border and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and saw how drug and human traffickers endangered both Americans and immigrants. Until the border is secured, immigration reform will not be effective. Otherwise, lax controls merely incentivize additional illegal immigration, which, in turn, negatively effects employment and wage growth.
First and foremost, the responsibility of our federal government is to preserve our national sovereignty. I will continue working to ensure that Congress fulfills its constitutional mandate to “provide for the common defense” through the necessary funding of our military. In my view, this includes providing for the needs of our veterans, as well. Our military is owed considerable resources to restore its readiness to confront any adversary. Additionally, America’s men and women in uniform make incredible sacrifices to protect our freedom, and we must see to it that they are paid fairly and are provided with the tools needed to excel at their critically important work.
First and foremost, our country owes the many women and men who have served our nation a debt of gratitude, and we in Congress strive to repay that every day. The service rendered to our nation by our veterans has been critical to keeping America safe, and it is our duty to provide the appropriate care and compensation they deserve when they return home.
As the son of a World War II veteran, I am also proud to employ veterans as key members of my congressional staff. I will continue to advocate and work to allocate funds to ensure our veterans receive the services they earned.
I want FEMA to conduct the affordability study they were mandated to do by Congress when the Biggert-Waters Act of 2012 was passed and signed into law. This study should have been completed by now, but FEMA said they needed more time. It doesn’t make sense for these rates to implemented, especially when the impacts of Biggert-Waters are not fully understood and could ultimately force people out of their homes due to dramatic increases in the costs of premiums.
Eventually, the program should be abolished. I do not believe it is the government’s responsibility to manage flood insurance for the entire nation. The ultimate goal should be allowing the free market to step in and provide this service.
My constituents want their government to secure the border, and that will be my first priority as their Representative. Ultimately, this is an issue of national security, and securing our borders is the first step towards a workable immigration reform plan.The federal government has continuously failed to do its job, and Border States and governors are struggling to pick up the pieces because of Washington’s failure to enforce existing laws and work towards reform. I will not support legislation that rewards individuals for breaking the law. We need to address the root problem and reform our legal immigration system so those who want to come here to work can do so in a respectable and fair process.
I will work to ensure Congress fulfills its Constitutional mandate to “provide for the common defense” through providing the necessary funding for our military and providing for the needs of our veterans.
As the United States continues to engage in military operations around the world, we must never forget the many sacrifices that the men and women who defend and protect our freedom continue to make. Nor can we forget the sacrifices made by their families who are left at home to wait for their return. In March, I supported legislation which would provide our military with greater flexibility in allocating resources to meet its operational needs, and require that our government continue tuition assistance programs for our military men and women. Additionally, if implemented, the House budget resolution would fully fund our nation’s commitment to veterans and ensure that our military will be able to carry out future missions, while balancing the budget.
We must make tough choices to balance our budget, but these choices should not be made on the backs of the men and woman that have already given so much. As Congress continues the process of determining the nation’s financial priorities, I will work to ensure our military has the resources it needs and our veterans have the assistance they deserve.
A strong economy and good jobs are very important to our district and to my work in Congress