Ted Budd represents North Carolina's 13th Congressional District and is serving his third term in the 117th United States Congress.
Ted brings an outsider’s perspective to Washington, having never held elective office. When an opportunity presented itself after redistricting opened up North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District in 2016, Ted decided to run and bring a businessman’s outlook to our nation’s capital.
Ted sits on the Financial Services Committee, where he uses his real world experience to roll back the restrictive regulations that strangle job creation in our country. Working at a young age on his family’s cattle and chicken farm and for their janitorial and landscaping business, Ted learned the importance of work ethic and common sense decision making. He brings his strong belief in God, family, and country to his job each and every day.
North Carolina farmers and growers put food on the tables of millions of Americans every year. They deserve support, economic certainty, and fair trade deals, and that’s what I intend to fight for.
Our country’s $25 trillion debt is unsustainable and unacceptable. Within the next five years, taxpayers will be forced to spend more to service our debt than on national defense. These are scary numbers, and I did not come to Congress to enable Washington’s spending addiction. I’ll find and eliminate areas of wasteful spending because every taxpayer dollar should be treated as sacred. I will continue to fight to make sure America's dangerous fiscal course is reversed.
I support a policy of peace through strength on the world stage. America should be the leader of the free world and exercise our military power only when it is necessary to protect our citizens or our national security. We must always stand up for our values abroad and stand with allies who share them.
As a small businessman, I know what it takes to achieve the economic prosperity that will lift all Americans. Fundamentals like lower taxes, fewer regulatory burdens, and a smaller federal footprint, will give workers the best chance to climb the economic ladder and for businesses to start and grow. On the Financial Services Committee, I fight for these principles so that economic opportunity can be achieved by all.
Education is critical for a child’s future. As a father of three children who are homeschooled, I strongly believe that parents, not federal officials in Washington, should be in control of their children's education. Every parent in America should have the right to choose the best school for their child.
I also personally attended a public high school and college, so I recognize the importance of what our teachers do every day. That’s why I encourage our schools to teach civics, U.S. history, and reinforce the values that made America great.
The right of citizens in a free society to vote is a sacred civic duty. Faith in our democratic institutions rests on the integrity of whether or not people believe that their vote counts and is not cancelled out by illegal votes. I believe that there are actions that Congress must take so that future elections are viewed as free and fair.
I support an “all of the above” energy strategy that embraces all of our country’s natural resources. The federal government should not be picking and choosing which energy sources get advantages. Fundamentally, Americans deserve the most affordable fuel available. Prioritizing the economic well-being of our fellow Americans leads to longer, more productive lives and increased prosperity. My priority is for our citizens to pay low prices at the gas pump and see lower energy bills in the mail.
I believe that every American should have access to the healthcare that works best for them. That means providing more choices, more pricing transparency, more competition, and more affordable health insurance plans. Obamacare utterly failed on these metrics. Americans were not able to keep their doctor or plan if they liked it, and in millions of cases, costs went up. I will fight for healthcare solutions that give every American options, and I will never support any plan that puts more decision-making in the hands of Washington bureaucrats instead of your doctor.
For too long, Big Tech companies have grown in power and now they are wielding that power to censor political voices on their social networks. I believe that it’s time that the government explore ways to hold Big Tech accountable for their actions so that free speech is protected for everyone.
Before we do anything else, we must secure our Southern Border with Mexico. I’ve visited the border and seen the sorry state of our patchwork of physical barriers. I’ve spoken with border patrol agents who asked for our help. We need to build a wall and keep drugs and dangerous criminals out of our country, period. We also should not be sending federal funds to “sanctuary cities” who refuse to enforce our immigration laws.
We need to draw a clear line between legal and illegal immigration. We want folks to come into our country the right way, based on merit. Our country must still be a land of opportunity, but only for those who come to our shores the legal, American way.
Lawlessness leads to tragedy and we should never tolerate it. We must strongly enforce our laws and ensure that rioting, looting, and mob violence is stopped and punished. I believe that Congress must act to give law enforcement more tools to keep our communities safe while protecting every citizen’s Constitutional rights.
While the pandemic hit our country hard, I believe that the American people are resilient. All levels of government have the responsibility to prioritize reopening along with public health. Americans can walk and chew gum at the same time. I am committed to opening America as soon as possible.
The United States must stand shoulder to shoulder with the State of Israel because they are our friend, our ally, and the only democracy in the Middle East. They have been the target of relentless campaigns to attack their civilian population and their very existence as a nation. Israel has every right to defend themselves, and the United States of America should have their back.
I support preserving open trading relationships while also improving our trade deals. Our country should be enforcing tougher standards on countries like China who routinely use international trade to take economic advantage of our workers. Free trade must also be fair trade.
I believe that life begins at conception and that our country should not stand for the injustice of ending the lives of millions of unborn children every year through abortion. I will do everything I can to stand up for life.
I believe that strong families are the bedrock of not only our country, but a well-functioning society. Americans who graduate high school, start work, get married, and have children—in that order—are significantly less likely to fall into poverty. That’s why I will always support policies that will promote the stability and sanctity of the family unit.
More Americans have lost their lives to the opioid crisis than all of the military deaths in the Vietnam War. The human tragedy is staggering and heartbreaking. I’m fighting for more treatment in the areas of our district that are hardest hit, as well as new prevention methods to intervene before someone gets addicted.
As the owner of a gun store, I have a unique perspective on one of our Constitution’s most cherished rights. I believe that one of the solutions to violence in our country is a well-trained and responsible citizenry. I will never allow our Second Amendment rights to be infringed.
Supporting our critical infrastructure is a key priority for me in Washington, DC. I will always make sure that the citizens of NC-13 are fully supported at the federal level when it comes to providing resources to our local communities.
The men and women of our armed forces have sacrificed more than we can repay. They have been sent to all corners of the globe to defend our way of life to defeat tyranny and terrorists. When they come home, they should be the first people in line when they need help. It is a travesty that so many of our veterans still lack quality healthcare from the VA. I will strive every day to provide more choice and accountability at the VA, so that each and every vet gets the highest standard of care. They deserve nothing less.