Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne proudly represents the 24th Congressional District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives, which includes portions of Tarrant, Denton, and Dallas counties. Prior to being elected to Congress, Beth served as Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Mayor of Irving, Irving City Council Member, and a businesswoman.
In 2017, Beth was appointed to serve as the Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Southwest Region. Working under Secretary Ben Carson, Beth was tasked with overseeing HUD programs and operations in the Region’s five states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, where she worked on many of the Trump Administration’s proudest economic successes, such as opportunity zones, and led HUD’s disaster recovery efforts at the southwest border in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
Congresswoman Van Duyne is a firm believer in limited government. She has been committed to removing the web of bureaucratic red tape in order for small businesses to thrive. While working on the Small Business Committee, the Congresswoman has remained dedicated to slashing regulations and getting the government out of small businesses' way.
Rep. Van Duyne sent a letter to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Guzman questioning how President Biden's economic policies are affecting small businesses.
With continuing federal enhanced unemployment benefits, small businesses are being forced to compete with the federal government to hire employees. Not only is this destructive policy hurting small businesses, it is shackling an already recovering economy.
The letter also requests answers on what effects increasing capital gains and corporate tax rates would have on small businesses, and how a federally mandated $15 minimum wage would affect small businesses.
Rep. Van Duyne introduced the "Uplifting First-Time Homebuyers Act," a bill intended to create a more accessible environment for first-time homebuyers by adjusting the IRA tax exception withdrawal limit.
In 1997, Congress created a tax exception for first-time homebuyers to withdraw up to $10,000 from their IRA. In 1997, the median home price was $115k. Today that number is closer to $300k. The "Uplifting First-Time Homebuyers Act" will increase the IRA homebuyer exception from $10k to $20k, the first increase in over 20 years.
Rep. Van Duyne is joined by Reps. Greg Steube (FL-17), Brian Mast (FL-18), Jeff Duncan (SC-3), Byron Donalds (FL-19), and Chris Stewart (UT-2) who have co-sponsored this bill.
Restaurant Recovery funds are currently vulnerable to fraud and abuse, keeping deserving businesses from getting the help they need to support their hard working employees and stay afloat. It is important to have necessary oversight to ensure funds are faithfully distributed to the restaurants that serve as the center of our communities. This is why Rep. Van Duyne introduced the bipartisan Restaurant Recovery Fairness Act, which will add a vital oversight component to the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund. American restaurants have submitted requests for over $69 billion in funding, making this oversight crucial to ensure that only proper recipients receive funds.
COVID-19 showed our supply chain reliance on adversaries. While some supply chains could remain in place at no danger, a proper assessment was needed to determine what supply chains had the ability to threaten national security.
This is why Rep. Van Duyne introduced the bipartisan Supply Chain Vulnerability Assessment Act (H.R. 4295), which will require the Director of National Intelligence and Director of the CIA to complete a study to identify supply chains crucial to national security, their vulnerabilities, and submit recommendations on addressing them to Intel Committees.
The Supply Chain Vulnerability Assessment Act is a companion bill to Senator John Cornyn and Senator Angus King's Senate bill, S. 849. In the House, Democrat Rep. Jared Golden joins Rep. Van Duyne as a cosponsor.
After meeting with businesses in TX-24 and hearing about hiring shortages and the employment difficulties that have been brought on by the pandemic, Rep. Van Duyne hosted a job fair hosted by her office at the Irving Convention Center on July 15. She was joined by a group of bipartisan mayors, over 200 businesses , and thousands of Texans seeking their next employment opportunity.
Congresswoman Van Duyne is a strong supporter of school choice, believing parents – not the federal government – have a primary stake in their child's education. During her first year in Congress, she introduced several pieces of legislation to return rights to parents over their child's education and help students navigate student loans.
With schools and universities across the country circumventing families’ freedom to make the best medical decisions for them and requiring students to receive the vaccine, Rep. Van Duyne introduced the Parental Choices Not School Mandates Act. This bill would prohibit elementary schools, secondary schools, and institutions of higher education that receive federal funding from mandating COVID–19 vaccinations. Parents, not schools, should have sole responsibility over their children's medical decisions.
Rep. Van Duyne introduced the Combating Predatory Lending in Higher Education Act, which would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to now include loans made out to graduate students and parents and amend the Cohort Default Rate (CDR) so that any default in these loans is now included in the calculation.
Since the Department of Education does not publish default rates for loans to graduate students, these students often take out unrealistic student loans – a practice otherwise known as predatory lending. The expansion of this type of lending has increased financial burdens on graduate students in recent years.
"Students should have the opportunity to pursue higher education without fear of predatory loans hindering their ability to learn and threatening their financial future," said Rep. Van Duyne. "It is my hope this bill will give aspiring students the ability to freely cultivate their young minds and reach their full potential."
This bill is designed to help students by allowing them to spot a predatory university that takes a Federal Direct PLUS loan, or a loan made on behalf of a dependent and would most likely default on the loan.
Congresswoman Van Duyne knows firsthand the real impacts our current broken healthcare system can have on families.
"The main concern I hear from Texans is the price of coverage is only going up, families have less access to options, and a decrease in quality. It is for those reasons why she opposes the Affordable Care Act.
Congress needs to be focused on expanding health insurance options to lower costs, have more personalized coverage and put patients in direct relationships with physicians. We must ensure we protect people with pre-existing conditions and continue to allow kids to stay on their parent’s health insurance until they are 26.
In order to lower costs and keep people away from the crushing financial burden of the individual market we must open the marketplace and increase competition. A one size fits all approach is not the right way to give the American people healthcare options. Rest assured, I will keep your thoughts in mind as legislation pertaining to healthcare comes before the House of Representatives."
Rep. Van Duyne was selected by Leader McCarthy for the Healthy Future Task Force, led by Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Brett Guthrie (KY-02) and Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Devin Nunes (CA-22). The Task Force will build on Republican health policy successes and craft a patient-focused agenda for the future.
"The rising cost of healthcare has put a strain on American families from all demographics. Our country desperately needs pragmatic legislation to reduce costs, facilitate long-term saving, and revamp our broken healthcare system. I am proud to introduce these innovative and prudent bills with the hope that my colleagues can see across party lines to adequately address the failures within today's healthcare system."
Child Health Savings Account Act
The Child Health Savings Account Act establishes a Child Health Savings Account with an annual contribution limit of $3,000. Much like your ability to save for your child's future education through a 529 Plan, you will now be able to set aside money to grow tax-free for your child's future health expenses. The Child Health Savings Account will act as a trust in the parent's name until the child turns 18, at which point they will take ownership over the HSA.
Family Plus Health Care Act
The Family Plus Health Care Act would add flexibility by requiring health insurers that offer dependent coverage of children now provide an option to include non-dependent parents on their child’s health care plan until the parent(s) is eligible for Medicare or Medicaid.
Health Savings Freedom Act
The Health Savings Freedom Act expands and improves on the success of HSA’s by doing the following: