U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett represents communities from Austin to San Antonio in the U.S. House of Representatives. He serves as Chairman of the Health Subcommittee on the House Ways & Means Committee. Doggett also serves on the Ways and Means Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee, the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee, the Joint Committee on Taxation, and the House Budget Committee.
Congressman Doggett has won awards for his commitment to our environment and clean energy initiatives from organizations like the Trust for Public Land, Austin Sierra Club, and the National Parks Conservation Association.He is the recipient of the Texas League of Conservation Voters' inaugural Environmental Champion Award and with a lifetime score of 100% from the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund.Congressman Doggett is an active member of the Safe Climate Caucus and the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.
The ability to afford a college degree is in jeopardy for too many. Outstanding student loans now total more than $1.5 trillion, surpassing total credit card debt. More than half of 2016 Texas grads from 4-year institutions graduated with debt, pushing outstanding Texas student loan debt over $90 billion. So many social problems are inextricably linked with insufficient education, including life expectancy, segregation, the cycle of poverty, and public health issues. Public education is a right that, through hard work, provides a lifetime of benefits. It is not a privilege reserved for a fortunate, wealthy few. I have spoken out against Republican's prior budget cuts, including slashing funding for the Department of Education by $3.8 billion. We need to invest in education and in our students, not cut already inadequate funding.
The U.S. Department of Education has recognized outstanding community partnerships in San Antonio and Austin for their commitment to increase completion rates of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Despite local progress, too many students find the FAFSA too complicated to complete, so they lose access to available financial aid and abandon college education altogether.
In September 2015, I introduced a bill that would simplify the financial aid process by allowing use of tax information from two years before the year a student seeks aid for. In the week after that introduction, the Obama Administration announced a move to the very system I championed. 2016 marked the first year students could apply for financial aid using the FAFSA as early as October 1, instead of having to wait until the next year's tax season. Recognizing the need for an even simpler federal aid process, I introduced the Equitable Student Aid Access Act, which would further simplify the FAFSA process. My bill would also help ensure that all students who qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or food assistance through SNAP, for example, would be able to complete a shorter form FAFSA to access the full Pell Grant amount. My bill also codifies the October availability of FAFSA and broadens access to the full Pell Grant amount for students and families who need it most.
The Pell Grant program is the primary federal financial aid program, providing scholarship aid to more than 22 million low and moderate-income students annually. I have worked to protect and expand Pell Grants, which serve as an equalizer for college students and make the college dream a reality. Students who attend our local colleges and universities rely on the Pell Grant to help finance their college degrees. For example, half of the student body at San Antonio College and Texas A&M-San Antonio, and one third at Texas State, receive Pell Grant funding. If you are willing to work to get yourself to college, I am willing to work to help get you through without insurmountable debt.I have committed to serve students and their families from pre-K to post-grad, and my commitment to affordable higher education will not waver. An investment in American students is an investment in America.
To lower the debt burden, I helped successfully pass the American Opportunity Tax Credit to save students and families up to $10,000 on tuition, textbooks, and other fees. Aptly known as the "More Education" tax credit, the credit has helped millions of students and working families pay for college since 2009. In February 2017, I introduced legislation to allow Pell Grant recipients to receive the full tax benefit of this credit, increase the credit's lifetime maximum limit, and provide more help to those who most need it.
I believe we must increase access to high-quality early education by providing funding for pre-kindergarten classes for low-income children. I am a long-time supporter of the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Head Start, and Early Head Start. Whether or not America's most vulnerable young children reach their full potential depends in large part on our investment in these programs. I opposed the Republican budgets that would result in deep cuts to funding for formula-driven education programs such as Title I and Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) which help ensure that the children who need the most assistance have the resources they need to succeed.
The Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities, established by my Protect Our Kids Act that was signed into law, accepted my invitation to hold its first field hearing in San Antonio. We need a greater focus on abuse and neglect prevention and more resources to reduce caseloads for child welfare caseworkers.
I also introduced a bill to help keep children out of foster care and with their families. The bill provides funding to create and maintain community-based prevention and intervention services, like family skills training, mentoring, and therapy.Every child needs a safe, happy home, and this bill helps families across America stay together and receive the services and support they need.
I will continue to stand up for equal rights and equal respect for all Americans, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.
Every person deserves a safe workplace and equal employment opportunities and no one should be discriminated against for their sexual orientation or gender identity. My efforts are reflected in the Equality Texas "Spirit of Texas" Lifetime Achievement Award for my work fighting for equality and against discrimination. I am also a member of the House LGBT Caucus, the largest LGBT Equality Caucus in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives.
I strongly believe that sexual harassment, sexual assault, and domestic violence are inexcusable, no matter whom the perpetrator is. Regardless of who is accused, all allegations of sexual violence must be taken seriously. I admire the brave people who have had the courage to share their stories, and I stand with the many who have not done so, knowing that this is a personal and difficult matter.
As a longtime advocate for victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence, this behavior must end wherever it occurs. I am an original cosponsor of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization Act, which would build upon the success of VAWA by expanding programs to address gun violence, dating violence, bullying, and housing discrimination. Of particular importance, this legislation would prevent individuals subject to restraining orders for domestic violence or stalking from possessing a firearm. Repeatedly, gun violence incidents have been linked to domestic violence, including in our neighboring communities of Sutherland Springs and Santa Fe. It is critical that we pass reasonable gun safety laws, including the provisions in the VAWA Reauthorization Act.
Before there was a Texas Council on Family Violence, I first got involved as a young Texas State Senator in helping a group of committed Central Texas women secure state funds to launch what was then the Center for Battered Women.
To grow our economy, we need to invest in our workforce, education, and job training. We need to fix our crumbling infrastructure, bringing it into the 21st century. We need to invest in health care, research and development, and bolster small businesses and local manufacturers.
I voted against the Republican tax bill because it threatens these vital investments in our economy, hurts working families, balloons the national debt, and threatens Social Security and Medicare, all to lavish tax breaks on multinational corporations and those already on the top rung of the economic ladder. I discuss my concerns in this interview on PBS News Hour.
Tax dodging by large multinational corporations is not a victimless offense. The failure to close tax loopholes means we are forced to borrow more from foreign creditors, like China and Saudi Arabia, or make hard-working families and small businesses pay the difference.
The Republican tax law created new incentives for multinationals to outsource American jobs abroad and stash their profits in island tax havens.
I have been a strong advocate for closing tax loopholes that allow multinational corporations to avoid paying their fair share for our national security, infrastructure, and education system. My "No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing" Act would level the playing field for small and domestic businesses, ensuring that large multinationals pay the same rate on profits made abroad as they do here at home.
With my strong support, Congress enacted legislation to create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a powerful consumer advocate. Consumers need protection from financial predators. When your family is counting on something--a home, a job, or a retirement plan--we should not let big government get in your way, but neither should we let other powerful forces, such as Wall Street banks, health insurance monopolies, or pharmaceutical giants, interfere. Throughout the Trump Administration, much of the important work of the CFPB was undone, and I will work to repair the damage in the Biden Administration.
I voted against all of the Big Bank bailouts. While the Wall Street Reform bill should have done more -- much more -- about those Wall Street interests that are paid too much and taxed too little, it represented a modest but important step toward preventing future bailouts.
As a longtime advocate for a free and open internet for all, I have consistently supported net neutrality, which provides a level playing field for small businesses and entrepreneurs to compete, while protecting consumers from exorbitant fees for faster service. I was strongly opposed to former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai's repeal of the net neutrality rules. On multiple occasions, I urged him to remove this proposal from the FCC's agenda and sponsored a congressional resolution to override the FCC's awful decision.
I was also one of the first members of Congress to oppose the so-called Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and urged the House Judiciary Committee to reject the bill's overly broad language that could harm free speech and threaten cybersecurity.
The internet is an engine for economic growth. We should balance the goal of fighting copyright infringement with protecting the freedom of expression and creativity that has contributed to the internet's success. I remain committed to encouraging innovation and to promoting an unfettered internet for consumers and our many tech startups in the district.
In 2014, President Obama signed into law legislation that included my bill to expand San Antonio Missions National Historical Park by 137 acres near Missions San José, San Juan, and Espada. The inclusion of more historical areas within the boundary of the park allows the National Park Service to protect significant cultural resources, including labores, original Spanish farm fields near Mission San Juan. In 2015, I joined the National Park Service, Bexar County, and local leaders to ceremonially expand the Missions National Historical Park boundary. With San Antonio's Tricentennial, we continue to celebrate the successful addition of all five San Antonio Missions to the UNESCO World Heritage List, which will boost our local economy.
As the Chair and Founder of the House Affordable Prescription Drug Task Force, I am committed to bringing more oversight and transparency to drug pricing and supporting legislative and administrative solutions so that more families can afford the medicine they need.
High drug prices are not a problem with one pharmaceutical manufacturer, one class of drugs, or one disease—this problem is widespread.While we have made advances in research and treatment, an unaffordable drug is 100 percent ineffective.Drugs developed with public funding should be available -- and affordable -- to the public. The President has the authority to ensure taxpayer-funded drugs are affordable by authorizing generic competition that would lower prices. I am also sponsoring multiple pieces of legislation that would allow Medicare to use its purchasing power to lower drug costs for seniors and taxpayers through negotiation, fight anti-competitive pay-for-delay deals, and promote transparency throughout the drug development and pricing process.
I remain committed to preserving the hard-fought reforms that provided health insurance to millions through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), resisting those who seek to repeal, defund, or sabotage the ACA.I voted against dozens of Republican repeal efforts because it would remove protections for people with pre-existing conditions; bring back lifetime and annual caps on care; allow states to remove essential health benefits -- like maternity care and mental health services; and take almost a trillion dollars out of Medicaid. Most every health care professional group came out to condemn this travesty – I stood with the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, and families around our Nation in opposition to these cruel efforts, and will continue to oppose the Republican lawsuit to dismantle the ACA.
As a member of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, with a 100% pro-choice voting record, I oppose efforts to block access to comprehensive reproductive care and fully support measures that help protect women's health. The Republican-controlled activist Supreme Court seems determined to deal a blow to five decades of precedent protecting the right to privacy and choice. This injustice must become the fuel for greater engagement to ensure that healthcare choices are made only by consulting a doctor and loved ones, not politicians or unelected judges. Denying a right to choose—including in cases of rape, incest, or dangerous health risks, is unconscionable. Women in Texas already face some of the most extreme barriers to accessing reproductive healthcare in the country. These excessive restrictions are not supported by medical experts—but they do shutter safe, comprehensive clinics and jeopardize women's health. Instead of focusing on measures that would take important, complex medical decisions away from women,
I sponsored the Women's Health Protection Act (WHPA), which would make unlawful many of the types of politically motivated restrictions that take away a woman's ability to choose quality reproductive care. If the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade, the WHPA would codify the right to access abortion into law. I also sponsored the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act, which protects access to reproductive care for public health insurance beneficiaries, federal employees, and in federal health services. I have consistently rejected Republicans' anti-choice amendments and riders on appropriation bills, have strongly opposed Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood in their healthcare repeal bills, and will continue to support efforts to improve access to reproductive services. I will continue working hard to protect a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions.
For several decades, Social Security and Medicare have been a lifesaving safety net for our seniors, protecting their physical and financial well-being, and providing well-earned peace of mind after a lifetime of work.
Just over fifty years after President Johnson first signed Medicare into law, the program continues to provide necessary health services for so many across our country. As a recent recipient of two national legislative awards from AARP, which recognized my initiatives on healthcare and efforts to ensure seniors' access to healthcare, I continue working to defend, strengthen and improve Medicare, a pillar of retirement security.
Protecting seniors also means protecting them from fraud. My Medicare Identity Theft Prevention Act,which requires the removal of Social Security numbers from Medicare cards, was enacted into law. With identity thieves becoming increasingly sophisticated, a little prevention can prevent a lot of heartache.Seniors who have worked a lifetime building their financial security deserve better protection.
My AARP-endorsed bipartisan NOTICE Act was signed into law.NOTICE does just what its name suggests: it gives patients notice when they are about to be billed personally after being categorized as "under observation" in the hospital.Currently, a hospital may either admit a patient as an "inpatient" or keep the patient "under observation." While the distinction is often impossible to determine, particularly by the beneficiary, the cost can be extreme if expensive skilled nursing home care is required.
Social Security isn't a Ponzi scheme or a handout. It is one of our most successful initiatives, providing security for tens of millions of seniors. In eight decades, Social Security has never been a day late or a dollar short. It has never contributed a dime to the deficit and has generated a $2.6 trillion surplus. With modest improvements to ensure its long-term solvency, Social Security will be there for our grandchildren.
Instead of building walls, we must build bridges. Passing comprehensive immigration reform will grow the Texas economy—it will mean more small business startups and more graduating students. In terminating the Deferred Action Child Arrival (DACA) program, Donald Trump and Republicans have only viewed Dreamers as bargaining chips to impose other anti-immigrant proposals. I stand with our Dreamers, many of whom know America as their only home. President Trump's heartless deportation measures only tore families apart and hurt local law enforcement's ability to fight crime. This way of thinking will not make America great or safe. Instead, we should work together to fix our immigration system.
That is why I am a sponsor of the American DREAM Act, which would create a path to lawful permanent residence and eventually U.S. citizenship for those that meet a set of educational or work criteria. I raised this directly with President Trump during his tenure in the White House. I opposed any end-of-the-year appropriations bill that lacked full protection for our Nation's Dreamers, and will continue to do so under a Biden Administration.
Our Nation, founded by immigrants who established religious freedom as a bedrock principle, is better than this. We must keep the torch lit on the commitment expressed by the Statue of Liberty, and keep our promise to minister to the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
You do not have to be a scientist to recognize the role of climate change in the extreme weather we are already experiencing. From deep freezes, to flash floods, and killer hurricanes, we are living with the consequences of climate inaction—not in some distant future, but here and now. We also cannot ignore the disproportionate impact of climate change on our most vulnerable communities. As a sponsor of the Green New Deal, the Climate Change Now Act, and several other climate proposals, I am committed to bold climate action.
Enacting an energy policy that strengthens our economy and protects our health and the environment is long overdue. Texas, in particular, is well positioned to reap the benefits of the clean energy economy. Solar resource potential in Texas is among the highest in the nation and Texas already ranks first for installed wind capacity. Unfortunately, seniors, children, and those with respiratory illnesses such as asthma are at risk because of the polluters' irresponsible efforts to avoid shifts to solar and wind power.
We need to explore all available tools and technologies, while ensuring that taxpayer dollars are utilized to achieve maximum savings, because energy savings could mean the difference between the Earth's saving and its destruction. As an active member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition and a supporter of renewable energy tax credits, I agree with Pope Francis that we cannot continue to ignore the most critical environmental challenges. With President Biden, we can work toward building back green energy.
I have sponsored ambitious climate proposals in Congress, ranging from ensuring tax credits for renewable energy are not awarded to dirty fossil fuels to holding the United States and other trade partners accountable for reducing emissions. I am working to translate the bold vision of the Green New Deal into actionable policies across various sectors that contribute to the climate crisis, including transportation, trade, and workforce development.
As the recipient of the Texas League of Conservation Voters' inaugural Environmental Champion Award and with a lifetime score of 100% from the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, I will continue to support efforts to protect our environment and will keep working for solutions in Congress.
So many veterans have planned their lives around the benefits promised to them as service members and they should not be forced to bear the weight of balancing our Nation's budget on their backs. We cannot afford to break our promises of retirement and health security they earned.And must ensure that military spouses and their families are not burdened when a service member makes the ultimate sacrifice defending our country. I am a sponsor of the Military Surviving Spouses Act, legislation to end the so-called "Widow's Tax."
If you have a question about Veterans Administration (VA) benefits, would like to apply for benefits, have a question about your application, or believe that the Department of Veterans Affairs has not given your case proper consideration, please contact (210) 704-1080 (my San Antonio office) or (512) 916-5921 (my Austin office).
After hearing from some of our neighbors about the need for additional care for our veterans in Central Texas, I worked to ensure that the new Austin Outpatient Clinic (AOC) became a reality. The facility in Texas became the largest veterans' clinic of its kind anywhere in America, with triple the size of the old clinic and double the clinic staff. If any veteran represented by me feels they are not getting the VA care they earned, please let me know so I can help.
Some are determined to privatize the VA;I believe this would be a mistake. Such a dramatic change would shift more health care costs to veterans and alter a unique service for those who have served our country. I stand with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled Americans Veterans, American Legion and many others who say: Fix it, don't break or sabotage it.
Ensuring our veterans prompt access to quality healthcare has long been one of my top priorities.More than 13 million veterans receive some form of health care coverage outside the Veterans Administration (VA) – and repealing the Affordable Care Act would leave too many with more limited coverage or worse benefits, and might leave some with no coverage at all. Our veterans should not be discriminated against by being denied access to health insurance tax credits and critical mental health benefits.Eleven million veterans rely on Medicare and another two million are enrolled in Medicaid – any changes to these critical programs could negatively impact our courageous vets.
I joined Austin Mayor Steve Adler, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, and Manuel "Manny" Moran, a formerly homeless veteran of our U.S. Army, in announcing that Austin has eliminated homelessness for our veterans. Austin joined other Texas cities, including San Antonio, in eliminating homelessness for veterans. We understand that those who undertook grave risk to life and limb to keep us safe deserve to have a roof over their head. While they may have had to live on the hard ground in a tent while on duty overseas, it should not become a permanent way of life back home.
The 2020 election and efforts to limit ballot access in Texas, Georgia and elsewhere, underscores the urgent need for comprehensive, structural democracy reform. We must defeat voter suppression, gerrymandering and a torrent of special-interest dark money just to exercise their right to vote in our democracy and make their voices heard.
We must protect and expand the rights to vote, preserve the integrity of our elections, crack down on lobbyists and Washington insiders, hold elected officials accountable and end the era of big, secret, special interest money in our politics. This historic reform effort would return power back to the people and help us build a more just, equitable, and prosperous future – for all Americans.
I voted for and sponsored the "For the People Act," which puts the power back in the hands of the American people as it protects clean and fair elections through improving access to the ballot box, promoting election integrity, and ensuring election security. You can watch my floor speech in support of its passage here. This legislation looks to end the dominance of big money in our politics by guaranteeing disclosure of political ads, empowering citizens with a multiple matching system for small donations and strengthening campaign finance oversight; and ensures public servants work for the public interest by fortifying ethics law and imposing greater ethics enforcement in Washington.
It also includes a provision I authored to ensure the disclosure of the business tax returns, as well as the personal individual returns, of candidates for President and Vice President.
The For the People Act looks to expand access to the ballot box by:
Enhancing Disclosure by shining a light on dark money in politics and enhance transparency in our elections. Ensuring big money spenders disclose their spending so voters can follow the money, establish online political ad disclosure requirements, and end the so-called ‘nesting-doll' sham that allows big-money contributors and special interests to hide the true funding source of their political spending.
Empowering Citizens by creating a multiple matching system for small donations. Reaffirming Congress' authority to regulate money in politics, pushing back on the Supreme Court's harmful Citizens United decision.
We must increase accountability in government by expanding conflict of interest law, expanding disclosure requirements for lobbyists and foreign agents, and slowing the revolving door, preventing Members of Congress from serving on corporate boards.
As Texans know so well, Republicans have long found success creatively suppressing the votes. It is hardly a surprise that their reaction to those voters who managed to overcome the many obstacles placed in their way, has now turned to throwing out and repressing the vote - ignoring the majority's will.
If we cannot prevail in the Senate, millions will be effectively obstructed from participating. As I noted in my March 2021 floor speech:
"Fearing voters, fearing accountability and their opposition to this bill, and in legislative efforts across the country and some 43 states, the Republican solution to losing power in the last election is to reduce the number of voters in the next election. "Truth" for them is not a matter of the facts; it's whatever Trump declares. "Fraud" is their description of any election that they lose. Today's bill favors turning out the votes, not throwing them out. Let's protect America democracy, which worships above all, the voice of the people expressed through free and fair elections. Not bowing before the golden idol of one who has betrayed our country."
Gun owners know the importance of keeping the safety on. With mass shootings increasing in frequency and lethality, we need policies that prevent gun violence, not enable it. I have long supported banning military-style assault weapons, eliminating gun sale loopholes, and requiring a universal background check. While Americans overwhelmingly support these smart reforms, Republicans continue to block any progress, even to limit those on the terror watch list from gaining access to such weapons. Quite simply, too dangerous to fly should also mean too dangerous to buy guns, even as we assure reasonable due process rights for those who may be improperly listed as dangerous. With the passage of permitless carry in Texas, Texas Republicans prioritized access to guns over safety.
I remain as committed to ending gun violence and enacting smart gun safety measures as when I joined with my Democratic colleagues and the families of gun victims for National Speak Out Against Gun Violence in Washington, and participated in the House floor sit-in led by my distinguished former colleague and civil rights pioneer, John Lewis. You can view my speeches from the sit-in here and here. Most recently, I sponsored the Enhanced Background Checks Act and Bipartisan Background Checks Act, legislation that would increase the safety of gun purchases. While both bills passed the House, they face an uphill battle in the Senate.
Working with local organizations like Moms Demand Action, Texas Gun Sense and the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative, and concerned colleagues, I will continue to work to make our communities safer and keep the issue of preventing gun violence on our national agenda.
I will continue to stand up for equal rights and equal respect for all Americans. My efforts are reflected in the Equality Texas “Spirit of Texas” Lifetime Achievement Award for my work fighting for equality and against discrimination.
Whether you are an elderly member of our community, serving in our armed forces overseas, or a young university student whose personal documents are not with them at college, I firmly believe that all citizens should have equal access to the ballot box.
We should be seeking bipartisan legislation designed to encourage entrepreneurship, support small businesses, and grow jobs here in America. In San Antonio and Austin we have a number of incubators and accelerators with a wide range of hi-tech startups that are creating our economic future now.
I support demanding President Trump release his tax returns and the creation of an independent investigation into Russian interference in our elections.
Impeachment of a president is a question of enormous magnitude, not to be undertaken lightly. Under our Constitution, it is an essential tool to check abuse of presidential authority and ensure one-person rule does not replace our system of checks and balances. Our founders did not intend for anyone to be above the law — certainly not the executive wielding the greatest power.
However, if this is an immediate medical emergency, please call 9-1-1.
If you have the time or resources to help others during this crisis,
The peaceful protests across our country, which began after an officer sworn to uphold the law suffocated African American George Floyd, are a call for new and bolder action, a plea for something meaningful to be done to protect Black lives. I am sponsoring reform legislation, including the important Justice in Policing Act.