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.
As a doctor for over 25 years serving the people of North Texas, I know how important health care is to each individual. Now, serving as your United States Congressman, I am committed to reforming our health care system to make it more affordable and accessible. My seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee has allowed me to work toward those goals.
In 2009, at the start of the 111th Session of Congress, I founded the Congressional Health Care Caucus, which I chair. This organization educates and provides information to Members of Congress and their staff on pertinent issues related to health care and health care reform. To learn more about the caucus, events I've hosted, and other information, please visit the Congressional Health Care Caucus website.
Health care reform has been and continues to be my number one priority as a Member of Congress. In 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law. This massive government overhaul of our health care system creates more taxes, will increase costs, provides less access, and massively expands government bureaucracy.
I wholeheartedly support repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and replacing it with legislation that is aimed at reducing health care costs, improving choices, reforming liability laws to put the needs of patients first, and ensuring there are enough doctors to care for America’s patients. I believe we can accomplish these goals by empowering patients and doctors, instead of turning more control over to the federal government, and I will continue to push for the right kind of reforms.