Richard Hudson is serving his fifth term representing North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. He currently serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and in House leadership as the Republican Conference Secretary.
Rated the most effective legislator from North Carolina according to the Center for Effective Lawmaking, Rep. Hudson has also been named the 12th most conservative Member of the House by National Journal, demonstrating a commitment to delivering results without compromising principles.
In Congress, Rep. Hudson is dedicated to working across the aisle on solutions to support our veterans, defend our Constitutional rights, create jobs and improve our quality of life.
From sweet potatoes to tobacco and so many other commodities, I am committed to keeping agriculture a top industry in our state. To fulfill this mission, we must advance initiatives that strike the right balance between fiscal responsibility, providing certainty to our farmers, and maintaining the strength of our agribusinesses. As founder of the bipartisan Agriculture and Rural America Task Force, I work daily to streamline our federal government, empower our farmers, and get our economy back on track.
I am dedicated to providing certainty for our farmers and ensuring they have access to the tools they need to produce an affordable and stable food supply. As agriculture technology changes, so should government policies. I support common sense reforms like expanding rural broadband and those implemented in the 2018 Farm Bill under former President Donald Trump. The government must reduce unnecessary regulations that negatively impact farmers and rural Americans. I oppose harmful regulations like the EPA’s “Waters of the United States” rule, which is a misguided Washington, DC power grab. I will continue to do all I can to protect our agriculture community from bureaucratic overreach.
One of the biggest concerns I hear from farmers is how to pass down their years of hard work to their children and grandchildren. The "death tax" (also known as the estate tax) is a tax imposed on the transfer of the taxable estate of a deceased person. This bad Washington policy crushes the profitability of farming and drives farmers out of the industry. That is why I was proud to support the repeal of the estate tax which goes into effect in 2025.
The next farm bill is scheduled for 2023. In the meantime, I remain focused on protecting our North Carolina farmers from government overreach.
Under President Biden and one-party rule in Washington, families can't afford groceries, utility bills, or gas, crime has reached the highest rates in decades, and nearly 5 million migrants and record amounts of fentanyl have illegally crossed our border. The American people deserve better.
House Democrats don't have a plan, but House Republicans do. Our Commitment to America lays out a detailed plan to secure an economy that's strong, a nation that's safe, a future built on freedom, and a government that's accountable to you.
Under Leader Kevin McCarthy, the Commitment to America was crafted by Members, task forces, and committees over the past two years. As a leader of the Security Subcommittee in the Healthy Future Task Force, Rep. Hudson helped identify needed areas to improve health care, supply chains, and national security.
Other solutions in the Commitment to America include curbing wasteful government, expanding America's domestic energy production, supporting U.S. manufacturing to reduce the dependence on nations like China, securing the border, hiring 200,000 more police officers, passing a Parents' Bill of Rights, and strengthening Social Security and Medicare for the future.
The U.S. House of Representatives is formally accepting Member Designated Project requests from House Members for possible inclusion in this year’s appropriations authorization processes. Congressman Richard Hudson has recommended that the following projects in North Carolina’s Eighth Congressional District be considered to receive funding through the Member Designated Project process.
Projects are listed in alphabetical order by the project sponsor or intended recipient below.
Title of Request: Child Development Center
Proposed Recipient: Fort Bragg located at 3550 All American Fwy, Fort Bragg, NC 28310
Amount of the Request: $36,000,000
Purpose: The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the existing deficit of Child Development Center spaces at Fort Bragg creates an unnecessary hardship on soldiers stationed at the installation. This lack of available childcare has a negative impact on mission execution, readiness, and soldier morale.
The U.S. House of Representatives is formally accepting Member Designated Project requests from House Members for possible inclusion in this year’s appropriations authorization processes. Congressman Richard Hudson has recommended that the following projects in North Carolina’s Eighth Congressional District be considered to receive funding through the Member Designated Project process.
Projects are listed in alphabetical order by the project sponsor or intended recipient below.
Title of Request: Child Development Center
Proposed Recipient: Fort Bragg located at 3550 All American Fwy, Fort Bragg, NC 28310
Amount of the Request: $36,000,000
Purpose: The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because the existing deficit of Child Development Center spaces at Fort Bragg creates an unnecessary hardship on soldiers stationed at the installation. This lack of available childcare has a negative impact on mission execution, readiness, and soldier morale.
Today, the United States faces a more diverse range of serious threats than at any point in our history. I believe protecting the country from these threats is the first duty of the federal government, which requires the United States to maintain the most lethal, agile, and robust military in the world.
I know how important a properly funded and functioning military is to our nation and our military families. To maintain our competitive edge on the world stage, it is Congress' responsibility to ensure the Pentagon's budget reflects the threats we face from traditional nation-states, terrorists, and all who seek to wreak havoc on the American dream and our allies.
In recent years, we have taken steps to rebuild our military, give our troops well-deserved pay raises, and bolster border security. I introduced legislation to ensure special operators who are serving in combat receive the same tax relief as other service members, and my legislation to increase funding for our Special Forces and to ensure soldier pay adequately reflects modern warfare demands was signed into law.
Representing Fort Bragg’s service members and families is the honor of a lifetime. I am grateful for their bravery and sacrifice to protect America and our interests. It is due to the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform that the United States sustains a world-class force, capable of taking the fight to the enemy and winning. I will continue working to support our bases including Fort Bragg, our troops, and their families.
Creating jobs and strengthening our economy are among my top priorities. I believe the formula for job creation includes a strong education system that empowers a skilled workforce and a common sense tax and regulatory environment. Small businesses create jobs and have a positive impact on our community and economy – government should not get in the way with unnecessary red tape.
We must restore fiscal responsibility in Washington. Reckless spending has led our country into a dire economic situation threatened by inflation and mountains of debt. I'm committed to working with my House colleagues to find common-sense solutions to halt wasteful spending, make middle class tax cuts permanent, and dramatically decrease the size of government. In fact, during his administration, I worked with former President Donald Trump to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which created opportunity zones and allowed an overwhelming majority of Americans to see larger paychecks and bonuses. We have tough choices ahead to build on our accomplishments and cut government spending. Yet it is immoral for us to borrow from future generations to pay for things we don't need and can't afford. As your elected representative, I am committed to prioritizing spending and getting us back on the right track to an economic recovery.
As the son of a North Carolina public school teacher and a dad, I strongly believe every child should have access to an excellent education. In Congress, I have focused on ways to advance fiscally responsible education reforms and improve opportunities for all students. I believe this is the path to create a more prosperous America for the next generation.
Excessive intervention by the federal government has made it harder for teachers to help students reach their full potential. We must improve education by moving from the bureaucratic-dominated status quo, to a state and locally-controlled approach that includes accountability and increased parent choice. For far too long, Washington has dictated what happens in our children’s classrooms. Parents and teachers, not politicians in D.C., know best what it takes to provide quality education for our children.
Across North Carolina, I have seen firsthand how effective high-skilled job-training programs can be, both for young people and for adults in job transition. I continue to support education, job-training, and workforce development programs which open doors to students, veterans, and all North Carolinians. Legislation I have advanced includes:
Education is the key to preparing the next generation for success in the highly competitive 21st century economy. I will continue to focus on reforms which empower teachers, parents, and students to improve education for all Americans.
North Carolinians rely on dependable sources of energy in nearly every aspect of our lives. But all too often, families struggle with high gas prices and electricity bills because the government stands in the way of domestic energy exploration and production.
I believe that a balanced and responsible approach is the future of energy. This requires developing more of America's own energy resources, including wind, solar, clean coal, hydropower, biofuels, nuclear energy, as well as oil and natural gas, to reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil and create thousands of jobs here at home. The stringent regulations on our own untapped energy reserves artificially holds back the available supply and only increases the global demand for energy – as well as prices for you and your family. I will continue the fight to protect this vitally important industry and the hardworking Americans who support it.
As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I have:
As co-Chairman of the Atlantic Offshore Energy Caucus, I also recognize the potential energy resources that exist off our own coast. However, government regulatory hurdles prohibit the retrieval of this energy, which would lower energy costs, boost our economy, and create jobs. I believe that by adopting a market-led approach, we can create a more abundant, affordable, and sustainable energy supply that will unlock the potential for a more prosperous America.
As an avid outdoorsman and dad, I believe we have a responsibility to protect our environment for future generations and leave our community better than we found it. That's why I am a founding member of the Conservative Climate Caucus and a leader in Congress on issues like reducing emissions and addressing PFAS chemicals.
The climate is changing and our country needs a commonsense approach that works by reducing energy prices, not energy choices; shrinking our emissions, not our economy; and, exporting American innovation, not American jobs. Overregulating America will not lower emissions globally. In fact, 85% of all greenhouse gas emissions occur outside of the United States. This means that U.S. climate and energy policy must foster innovation and work for New London, North Carolina, as well as New Delhi, India.
Thanks to free-market policy and private sector innovation, the U.S. is the global leader in reducing emissions. In fact, our country has reduced emissions more in the last 20 years than the next 12 countries combined. In comparison, China now emits more greenhouse gases than the entire developed world combined. The Leftist agenda wants to ban fossil fuels, raise taxes on energy consumers, and force taxpayers to subsidize politically preferred industries. Such policies only increase energy costs while shipping American jobs overseas.
I am focused on conservative policies that secure American energy independence, foster innovation, and allow the market to meet the demand for affordable clean energy – without crippling tax increases.
As your Congressman and a member of the House Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee, I've also led efforts to combat PFAS chemicals like GenX, which has impacted our Cape Fear River region. This leadership spans numerous EPA administrators and administrations and includes:
I will continue advancing solutions that strengthen our economy and improve our environment.
As a leader on the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health, the committee in Congress responsible for writing the majority of our nation's health care laws, I am focused on finding commonsense healthcare solutions for you and your family. I continue to work with my colleagues to provide patients with the best possible health care system, encourage medical innovation and advanced research, and support our medical practitioners and patients. Medical innovation is what has led to new breakthrough therapeutics and vaccines and, as the Republican leader on pandemic preparedness and response issues, I believe continued innovation is instrumental to ensure the future of our nation's public health.
I believe the best health care is provided when doctors and patients decide on a health care plan, not through mandates or by a government bureaucrat in Washington, D.C. Yet, while we have the highest quality care in the world, from insurance to prescription drugs, our health care costs too much. I support reforms which lower out-of-pocket spending, protect lifesaving cures, and expand competition.
In Congress, I have also championed legislation to:
There is an undeniable crisis at our southern border. In my visits to the border, I have met with agents and seen firsthand how record-setting numbers of migrants, unaccompanied minors, and illicit drugs have poured across the border under the Biden Administration. It is imperative we work together to secure our border and end this humanitarian, public health, and national security crisis.
I believe in proven solutions to secure our border, including reinstating the “remain in Mexico” policy, maintaining Title 42 authority to protect our public health, and requiring a negative COVID test before releasing migrants. We must also finish wall construction and other border security measures while sending a clear message around the globe: do not come to the United States illegally.
The crisis on our border highlights the need to address our overall immigration system. During any consideration of legislation, I have three key principles:
I've voted to fund border wall construction, increase funding for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) by $110.6 million, authorize the highest number of CBP and Border Security Officers in history, and provide additional technology, roads, and other tactical infrastructure to secure our border. I've also sponsored the HALT Fentanyl Act to increase penalties on the lethal opioid which has entered the U.S. through our border at record rates. I will continue to support border security efforts and solutions which fix our broken immigration system.
Since my first days in office, I have worked tirelessly to improve gun and school safety. The horror and shock we all feel every time we see a tragedy makes us ask why this happens and what we can do to stop it from happening again.
In response, many rush to say "do something." I believe we must do something that matters.
While some people believe more gun control is the only solution, the truth is violence is a complicated problem that requires comprehensive solutions. We must close loopholes in background checks, make our schools safer, and help law enforcement with better training and coordination. It is also imperative that we improve mental health resources so individuals who need intervention don’t keep slipping through cracks in the system.
I continually champion common sense, comprehensive policies to increase safety. From introducing legislation to provide funding for root cause research, to cosponsoring legislation to protect our schools, provide mental health resources, and improve threat assessment measures, the prevention of gun violence is a legislative priority for me. I will continue to work to create a safer future for generations to come while simultaneously maintaining the integrity of our Second Amendment.
A few of the notable actions I've taken include:
Securing Our Schools
Adding Desperately-Needed Resources for Mental Health
Strengthening Background Checks and Closing Loopholes
Bump Stocks
Other Notable Legislation Supported:
As a lifelong hunter and sportsman, I am a strong and vocal defender of our Second Amendment rights. I'm proud to have an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA) for my work in Congress, and I will always defend the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. The Second Amendment is the right that guarantees we can defend our other rights, and it is a fundamental freedom that must be protected.
Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve authored and cosponsored numerous pieces of legislation to protect our Constitutional rights.
I've led the charge to advance national concealed carry reciprocity. I introduced the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 38) to guarantee our Second Amendment rights don't disappear when we cross state lines. H.R. 38 has been described as the "biggest guns rights boost since the ratification of the Second Amendment." It will ensure law-abiding citizens can protect their families across state lines and I will continue my fight to get it signed into law.
In addition, I've also led efforts to oppose 'green tip' bullet bans, red flag laws, and new regulations from the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) on pistol stabilizing braces, devices first created to allow wounded veterans to use a firearm. Under their regulation, an individual could become a felon unless they turn in or destroy their firearm, destroy their brace, or pay a tax. I led 140 Members of the House of Representatives in urging the Department of Justice to withdraw the proposed guidance. Forty-eight Senators joined in as well and you can read more about those efforts here.
Rather than attack the Second Amendment, I have led efforts to address the root causes of gun violence, including improving mental health services, training law enforcement, and providing funds to harden schools. If we are to honor and uphold our Constitution, the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms cannot and must not be infringed. You can count on me to oppose any gun control scheme that comes before Congress.
As a nation, we've made many promises to our fellow citizens, including a pension through Social Security and access to health care through Medicare, as well as support for the poor and disabled. My mom, a former public school teacher, relies on this support in her retirement, and I'm proud our nation has this vital safety net. However, these programs are rapidly growing beyond our ability to pay for them. To be blunt, Social Security and Medicare are going bankrupt.
Social Security now pays out more than it collects, slowly consuming the funds that have built up over time from contributions by hardworking Americans. Numerous independent financial and economic analysts agree that Social Security as currently structured is fiscally unsustainable. If we fail to fix entitlement spending today, we will be forced to break our promises in the future.
For many Americans who need help staying afloat in times of hardship, any changes to the social safety net can seem daunting, and I share these concerns. I believe this issue must be given greater attention, and I am dedicated to using my position in Congress to fight for sensible, long-term solutions that strengthen the program for current seniors and preserve it for future generations.
Our region is fortunate to be home to the fastest growing population of veterans in the nation, and I am committed to getting them the care they deserve. Our veterans followed through on their promise to defend our country. Now, we must ensure we keep every promise made to them and their families for their service. I truly consider this my most sacred honor as your voice in Congress.
Too many veterans often face bureaucratic obstacles at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that hamper their access to care. I believe every veteran should have access to timely and quality care. That is why I helped pass the VA MISSION Act to improve health care from the VA. I introduced the bipartisan Care for the Veteran Caregiver Act and the Care Veterans Deserve Act to ensure veterans and their caregivers receive the support they need. I worked to make sure we provided the highest funding level in history for the VA while also strengthening oversight and holding bureaucrats responsible. We passed critical measures to address the tragedy of veteran suicide and improve mental health services. I secured provisions to expand access to VA health benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. Further, I helped get the largest expansion of GI Bill benefits in a decade signed into law.
All of this is progress, but there is still so much more work to do to support our veterans. As long as I am your elected Representative, I will work tirelessly to ensure every veteran’s need is met in both casework and legislation pending before Congress. From increasing funding for the VA, to improving mental health services for veterans, to tracking down awards and citations for previous service, there is no stone I will leave unturned to fulfill our promise to our nation’s heroes.
Helpful resources for veterans:
One of the most important aspects of Congress is developing, making, and monitoring laws. New legislation is passed almost every week. Please contact our office to share your thoughts on current legislation that may affect you, your family and your community.
Learn more about legislation sponsored and co-sponsored by Congressman Richard Hudson.
In addition, constituents can view the U.S. House of Representatives' latest votes on Capitol Hill.
The tax code was last reformed in 1986 and is currently around 4 million words long. The degree of difficulty to comply with this outdated system is unnecessary and unfair. With far too many hard-working individuals living paycheck to paycheck, tax reform is needed to lower rates for everyone and allow you to keep more of your hard-earned income.
We have a tremendous opportunity to unleash our economy and spur economic growth by making our tax code simpler, fairer and flatter for everyone through comprehensive tax reform.
While over-taxation is one piece of the problem, the flaws in the tax code go far beyond just excessive rates. We must also recognize the outrageous complexity of our Internal Revenue Service code and work to fix it. The uncertainty that stems from this convoluted system prevents businesses from growing and buries individuals in a mountain of paperwork. I will continue to work to cut through the complexity and compliance burdens to make filing taxes for Americans simple enough to fit on a postcard.
I believe the federal government already takes too many of our hard-earned tax dollars, and I refuse to support any proposal that gives our inefficient government more of what is rightly yours. I am proud to say that I have never voted for a tax increase and I will not support one now. As your Congressman, I will continue to work with my colleagues on tax reform that lowers the rates for all individuals and makes the tax code simpler, flatter, and fairer for everyone.
From my first days in office, I have worked tirelessly to address the root causes of gun violence. Enough is enough. The horror and shock we all feel every time we see an instance of gun violence makes us ask why this happens and what we can do to stop it from happening again.
Unfortunately, some believe more gun control is the only solution. However, the truth is this is a complicated problem that requires comprehensive solutions. We must strengthen background checks and close loopholes, make our schools safer, help law enforcement with better training and better coordination, and improve mental health resources so that individuals who need intervention don’t keep slipping through the cracks in the system.
Mission Statement: Throughout the response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, my top objectives have remained to 1) make sure our local health care providers and public health officials have all the resources they need, 2) increase the availability of tests in our community, 3) help make treatments and vaccines available as soon as possible, and 4) mitigate as many of the impacts on families, workers, small businesses and health care providers as possible.
Thanks to the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed and hard working researchers, a safe and effective vaccine is being distributed in record time.
- If you are a veteran who would like more information on vaccines, visit va.gov/health-care.