After spending nearly three decades practicing medicine in North Texas I have served the constituents of the 26th District since 2003 in the United States House of Representatives.
I currently serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, House Rules Committee, and House Budget Committee.
As of the 115th Congress, I am the most senior medical doctor, on both sides of the aisle, serving in the House of Representatives. Because of my medical background, I have been a strong advocate for health care legislation aimed at reducing health care costs, improving choices, reforming liability laws to put the needs of patients first, and ensuring there are enough doctors in the public and private sector to care for America’s patients and veterans. I have voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act over 50 times, and have played an important role in bipartisan efforts to reform the Food and Drug Administration.
I believe that the number one issue facing the federal government is the federal budget, which has ballooned out of control. I support sensible, common sense measures to keep the federal budget in check.
One of Congress’ primary functions is to oversee the executive branch’s actions, and review agency regulations to ensure they are following the laws passed by Congress. This is an essential core to the notion of Separation of Powers. As a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, I take my responsibility to oversee the executive branch seriously, and have called for greater transparency at the Departments of Health and Human Services, Energy, and Commerce, as well as at the Environmental Protection Agency, and will be following their implementation of recent legislation closely.