The gross federal debt is at $37 Trillion as of August 2025, and our debt-to-GDP is roughly ~100% for debt held by the public, with long-run projections worsening without critical but mindful policy changes.^{1 2} Current Statutory PAYGO law enforces budget neutrality for new laws—but does not require actual debt reduction, which is why debt can still grow under baseline spending.^{3 4}

In his first year in Congress, Steve will author and sponsor a bill called the “PAYGO 2.0 – Incremental Debt Down Act.” The proposal implements a new data-informed, incremental debt payment metrics logic that will force Congress to not only be deficit neutral, but also pay down our national debt.

Every new law, program, and/or spending (budget resolutions and/or appropriations bills) passed in Congress must pass each test in the following order;

Test 1. – Enforced every year, Reduce the prior year’s “Primary Deficit” (excludes debt net interest) by [ ≥ 5% x ((1 + CPI-U %** – U.S. pop. growth rate %) x prior year’s Outlays***)];

Test 2. – Enforced every 2 Years and not more than 4 times per decade, Debt-to-GDP Ratio**** must fall by ≥ 0.5% of prior year’s Debt-to-GDP Ratio, per year over a rolling 5-year glidepath;

Enforcement Step 1. – The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) will certify all numbers used are true and accurate. This proposal will become statutory law, and will remain in effect until the national Debt-to-GDP Ratio reaches 70% or better, and will turn back on if we exceed 80% again.

Enforcement Step 2. – The Executive Branch’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will track whether Congressional spending meets Tests 1 & 2. If OMB identifies a failure of either test in their respective year of enforcement, it will automatically trigger a “Sequestration Waterfall” where (a) all non-exempt spending (i.e., discretionary spending where spending is not mandatory) will be subject to an across the board -1% spending cut; but, if Tests 1 & 2 are still not passed, then (b) all exempt spending (i.e., mandatory spending) will be subject to an across the board -0.25% spending cut. This process will repeat until Tests 1 & 2 are passed, but not more than 5 repetitions.

Safety Backstop. – If the Sequestration Waterfall repeats 5 times without passing Tests 1 & 2, then Tax Expenditures (i.e. tax relief) will be reduced in increments of -0.1%, until Tests 1 & 2 are passed, but not more than a total 10% per year.

Waivers. – Annual waiver of this statutory law will be authorized in the event of (a) national emergency as declared by the President, or (b) national economic recession as certified by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), or (c) national unemployment is ≥ 5.25%.

Guardrails. – (a) All CHIMPs***** spending will be capped at cumulative $2 billion per year, (b) once created, no reclassification of accounts from exempt to non-exempt or vice versa, (c) annual Government Accountability Office (GAO) audits on adherence to the Incremental Debt Down Act, and (d) an annual Taxpayer Budget Summary will be produced by Congress showing the impact of the act to the individual household level in America.

** – CPI-U (Consumer Price Index – for all Urban Consumers). The 12-month measure of the average percentage change over time in the prices urban consumers pay for a basket of consumer goods and services. 2.7% in 2024. Chosen to ensure control measures keep up with inflation.
U.S. Population Growth Rate (%) chosen to ensure we temper spending cuts against new and growing population needs.
*** – Outlays. The actual total payments made by the federal government to liquidate or settle its obligations. $6.75 Trillion in 2024.
**** – Debt-to-GDP Ratio. Specifically, the Debt Held by the Public, the total federal debt held by entities outside of the US federal government, including individuals, businesses, banks, and foreign governments. 98% in 2024.
***** – Changes in Mandatory Programs. Provisions within appropriations bills that alter mandatory spending programs using the excuse of achieving “savings”, when in reality they are accounting gimmicks that mask the true cost of government spending.

If implemented in Steve’s second half of his term in 2028 (using 2024’s financial numbers), the following will be achieved:

Year 1 (2029): Overspending drops by $343 billion right away—the biggest one-year belt-tightening in modern history without a recession.

Year 2 (2030): More cuts and loophole trims add another $331 billion in savings.

Year 6 (2034): The yearly cuts have stacked up enough so that America flips from deficits to surpluses.

Year 13 (2041): The debt drops to 70% of GDP—our strongest fiscal position in over 50 years. Once we hit 70%, the law pauses automatically.

Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, VA benefits and healthcare, and Disability all continue to pay out—benefits keep coming, services stay open. The waste, not the essentials, takes the hit first. The debt finally starts falling, not growing. In 13 years, America is out of the danger zone and our great-grandchildren are born and raised fiscally responsible and not in debt-crisis.

The average age of the oldest third of Congress is over 75.⁵ The oldest current member is 91 years old.⁶ Sadly but predictably, several members in recent years have died in office from natural causes in their 80s, laying bare the need for maximum age limits. Not only because, eventually, their wisdom becomes more necessary and critical than their physical presence, but also because some cannot physically complete the job at the pace and with the fervor needed to serve the People. They paved the way for the rest of us, so we should honor and respect them by stepping up to the plate of serving in government earlier and often.

I will vote in favor of Senator Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) Joint Resolution (S.J.Res.1, Jan. 2025) setting term limits for Congress—a max of 3 terms for House Representatives and a max of 2 terms for Senators. Additionally, either if the bill still exists by my first term or, if not, I will propose an amendment (or new bill) adding maximum age limits for eligibility for any elected office at the federal level—the max age being the national life expectancy (by gender) plus 2 years. This will ensure leaders broadly are physically and mentally capable of serving and open the door for younger generations who are eager and willing to do their part and then swiftly return home after a job well done—the way our Founding Fathers intended.

TX-31 veterans face some of the longest delays in the VA system—hold times for VA call centers in TX-31 can exceed 60 minutes regularly.⁷ VA staffing shortages—especially in specialty clinics—persist, with over 30,000 unfilled positions nationwide.⁸ Malpractice claims remain a concern, with over $845 million in payouts between 2006 and 2021.⁹ Central Texas’s veteran population is expected to grow by more than 9% over the next decade, especially in Bell, Williamson, and Coryell Counties.¹⁰ There are also local reports that many of the issues at the Temple VA hospital are due primarily to the fact that many VA sites and practitioners create their own policies that do not follow or cause confusion with federal policy.¹¹ Many employees at the VA are committed to serving our Veterans above and beyond their job descriptions, but our local VA, and the VA nationwide, is in dire need of reform, modernization, and standardization as a whole.

I will vote in favor of any bill, budget resolution, or appropriations bill that achieves the following for our Veterans:

1. Modernize the VA’s administrative tools with AI to efficiently schedule and enable reserve capacity for last-minute/urgent specialty appointments, completely replace phone hold lines with more innovative and dynamic queues and ticketing systems that does not waste Veterans’ time, and give time back to providers to see more patients using AI-driven software that can automate the note taking and visit summary process while maintaining data privacy and security.

2. Standardize policies and procedures across all VA centers and hospitals nationally and ensure that federal policy is enforced.

3. Attract top medical talent and retain the best advocates for Veteran healthcare through financial incentives and possibly statutory benefits for superior performing, career VA healthcare workers that reflect a life of service to our Veterans.

4. Expand the VA’s authorization to coordinate with and refer Veterans into Care in the Community (CITC) to enable faster, closer, and better resourced care in the private sector.

5. Explore the need for the establishment of a satellite Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) research facility in TX-31 that is partnered with Texas-based university programs focusing on TBI-specific research.

One in five farms in Texas’s 31st Congressional District still lack reliable internet. Precision agriculture tools (sensors, GPS-guided equipment, data apps) need fiber or a strong satellite connection to maximize yields. 46% of our farms earn $2,500 or less a year, barely scraping by—and while inflation decreases, large companies keep prices of necessary implements and consumables (hay and feed, fertilizer, parts, etc.) high. The main pain today isn’t crop prices—it’s those high costs of inputs and the inability of slow, concentrated suppliers to reduce costs in turn with an improving economy. Meanwhile, government subsidies meant to offset those pains often leak directly back to suppliers (via high costs) instead of fixing the problem.

I will propose legislation that focuses on three lines of effort: (1) Keep costs low, by requiring clear, confidential delivered price reporting from fertilizer sellers to the USDA and publicly publish any extra rail or trucking surcharges during planting seasons, by directing the U.S. DOT and Surface Transportation Board (STB) to coordinate with rail and port of entry authorities to give temporary priority to intermodal, truck, or maritime carriers importing key farming supplies during planting season, and by fast-tracking tariff waivers on critical inputs during shortages to keep tariff-induced cost increases down. (2) Cut red tape for seasonal workers on H-2A visas, by creating a fast track option for returning workers from high-return/capable countries (example: farmers from trusted-source countries who show a willingness to integrate into our communities, know how to drive and operate machinery, and can do quality repairs on their own equipment) and amending law to expand eligibility from only seasonal/temporary jobs to also include year-round jobs for those workers (if a lack of qualified, willing Americans exists)—all within fee caps. (3) Bring high-speed internet to rural America, by amending programs to allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) ReConnect Loan and Grant Program to explicitly fund farm & ranch-lane fiber installations, or to offer satellite internet subsidies where fiber is too costly to install—without increasing any program funding (must be accomplished within current caps).

Additionally, I will vote in favor of any bill, budget resolution, or appropriations bill that achieves the following for our Farmers and Ranchers:

1. Increase USDA readiness to counter threats posed to ranches and communities by the New World Screwworm (NWS) or wildfires.

2. Expands landowner rights and generational ranches’ tax relief, ensuring heirs are not forced to sell acreage or livestock to pay estate taxes upon their ancestors’ deaths and that just compensation is strictly observed in the event of imminent domain cases (e.g., no excessive easements).

3. Enables DOJ interagency task force support to state/local border security, surveillance, and investigating cattle theft and fraud (e.g., hot checks).

4. Enables ranchers to protect their animals from predatory wildlife, including predators which are protected species (e.g., the black headed vulture), or, which explores the possibility of expanding federally authorized depredating actions that can be taken by farmers and ranchers to protect their livestock from predators.

1 in 4 Texas residents (nearly 8 million people) live outside city limits and many rely on rural water systems, some of which are run by unelected water companies that are only regulated by distant commissioners in Austin.¹² This practice is similar in many other states. Many of these systems have limited accountability to their customers which can drive rate hikes and distrust between water supply companies and citizens. In fact, even in our own district (TX-31) water conveyors (private water supply companies) see water loss rates as high as 43% due to either not having installed meters that monitor water volumes being transported within/outside of our district or due to freely mixing of hard-earned groundwater and surface water.¹³ This loss is unacceptable for a precious resource such as our water and should be treated no different than natural gas or power.

Federally (U.S. Army Corps of Engineer) operated reservoirs are losing ~0.22% of their storage each year to sedimentation; and in the central Great Plains, these reservoirs have already lost on average ~17% of their original capacity (as of 2016).”¹⁴ Lakes Belton, Stillhouse Hollow, and Buchannan may have lost 5%, 3%, and 2% respectively—roughly a 10% loss combined for TX-31. Meanwhile, our population and housing developments continue to increase every year.

Severe weather in Texas is also projected to become more frequent and intense, with extreme heat days expected to double by 2036.¹⁵ Without upgrades to our grid and without giving a powerful voice to our rural residents in how their water is managed, our grid and water systems will remain vulnerable to weather caused blackouts, water restrictions and rate hikes, and service disruptions as our population increases.

In his first year in Congress, Steve will author and sponsor a bill called the “My Water Act.” The proposal will require improved accountability of resource stewardship (state-led), direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to prioritize targeted dredging and erosion control, commission the USGS to conduct regular principal aquifer updates (nationally), water conveyor (private company) transparency, and updates to public dashboards for national water usage and status.

“My Water Act” Proposal:

1. Local Accountability. Require rural water companies nationally to compete for service contracts through periodic customer-driven votes or bidding, increasing accountability, lowering rates, and releasing direct management from the States’ utility commissions to local Citizens—and allowing States to focus on oversight and enforcement.

2. Prioritize Targeted Dredging & Erosion Control of Reservoirs. Direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to prioritize targeted dredging at federal reservoirs only where recent surveys show meaningful storage loss near intakes (highest acre-feet (AF) restored per dollar). This will be paired with upstream fixes by requiring a companion Watershed Protection Plan (WPP)—funded federally through USDA and EPA—for state/local governments to implement erosion-control best practices. This line of effort restores AF of usable capacity while respecting state water allocation authority (Clean Water Act §101(g)) and keeping costs capped and shared.

3. Aquifer Status Update. Direct the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to publish a biennial “State of the Aquifers” report on the nation’s 20 principal groundwater systems, by extending and stitching together existing datasets. The aim will be to integrate well data, satellite gravity and subsidence measurements, and water-quality trends into a single, public roll-up every two years to inform our States’ water development boards when they are making and enforcing their policies.

4. Incentivize Water Conveyor Transparency. Private water supply companies will be required to measure or accurately display how much water is lost when it is moved between districts, counties, or states. Recipients of federal funds would have a choice: either install meters to measure true water loss and improve their stewardship of our precious resources, or, pay back local citizens a statutory “water loss fee” on the total amount of groundwater transported regardless of actual water loss rate. This will also not infringe or replace the States’ authorities to allocate water quantities, as protected under the Clean Water Act §101(g).

5. Public Dashboard. Add an “intertie totals” and conveyance-loss layer to the existing USGS National Water Dashboard so taxpayers, local leaders, and water companies can see the health of their supply and collaborate to protect it while protecting the States’ authorities to allocate water quantities, as protected under the Clean Water Act §101(g).

Additionally, I will vote in favor of any bill, budget resolution, or appropriations bill that achieves the following for our Energy and Water Management:

1. Harden the Grid. Incentivize energy producers to strengthen our power grid against severe weather by expanding the DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program and aligning with existing Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved vegetation management standards (FAC-003-4) to avoid duplicative requirements. This includes regular power line and pole hardening (especially against straight-line winds), vegetation/tree clean-up on 2–3 year cycles, and alternate emergency operations centers staffed 24/7 during active storm seasons and periods of extreme temperatures—funded through existing eligible programs such as DOE’s GRIP or FEMA programs.

2. Diversify Energy. Support any efforts that seek to expedite permits for applications which diversify power generation into renewables, battery storage, and expanded base-load capacity.

Our I-35 corridor has long been cited by law enforcement as a primary northbound route for rising fentanyl and contraband—all sourced south of the border—which is then distributed into the U.S. threatening our families and communities. ^{16 17 18} CBP’s non-intrusive inspection (NII) tech historically scanned only a fraction of cargo traffic (e.g., earlier goals of ~15% for commercial vehicles), and DHS’s Inspector General has flagged deployment and utilization gaps that limit effectiveness while Border Patrol agent staffing hovers near only ~19,000 nationwide, with hiring/retention challenges. ^{19 20 21 22} Our border patrol officers can only do so much with the staffing and support they currently get, and they need our help.

I will vote in favor of any bill, budget resolution, or appropriations bill that achieves the following for our Borders and our Border Patrol officers and staff:

1. Fund and prioritize boots-on-the-ground hiring and retention (housing stipends, hardship pay, faster background checks, and support programs for our officers, their spouses, and their families—especially those in remote areas/postings).

2. Fund sustained high-throughput NII (multi-energy and multi-view scanners) at Texas POEs, capable of 24/7 utilization, and AI-assisted or autonomous targeting to raise scan rates and anomaly detection.

3. Fund counter-UAS (drone) & sensors tech, closing low-tech blind spots along key smuggling corridors and riverine segments.

4. Expand I-35 corridor joint federal-state-local law enforcement interdiction task forces targeting stash houses, commercial carriers, and parcel nodes.

5. Improve case-to-conviction timelines for offenders.

Small businesses create jobs. But small businesses—and as many as ~37% of veteran-owned businesses—report access to capital as a top barrier, and the Fed shows persistent financing shortfalls among small businesses. ^{23 24 25 26} Nationally, 20% of small businesses fail in the first year, and about 50% fail within five years. Among veteran-owned small businesses, access to startup capital is a major barrier—nearly 60% of veteran entrepreneurs report funding challenges as their top obstacle. ²⁷ Entrepreneurs are builders and they should be encouraged and supported with funds (with fair, not predatory, repayment terms and timelines) to pursue publicly beneficial, profitable, and customer-driven businesses that create jobs for the rest of us.
Similarly, established businesses are seeking to expand into our district, but are too often delayed unnecessarily by decades’ worth of federal regulation and requirements that are no longer meeting their original intent. Some businesses simply give up, or, select other countries either near or off-shore—where government approvals come faster, but may be more risky while also not providing any jobs or manufacturing capacity here domestically.

I will vote in favor of any bill, budget resolution, or appropriations bill that achieves the following for our Businesses:

1. Expands the Small Business Administration (SBA) lending programs, incentivizing local banks to offer low-interest capital loans to startups and small businesses, and continue to give preference to disabled veteran entrepreneurs.

2. Expands the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, accelerating and broadening our nation’s capabilities to out-innovate and out-perform foreign adversaries, and adding preference for veteran-owned businesses to receive SBIR/STTR funding (whose proposals meet critical national security needs).

3. Establishes a One-Stop Docket and Shot-Clock (time window TBD) for federal permits (across environmental statues such as NEPA, ESA, and Clean Water Act), ensuring all government agencies follow one timeline to speed up new project approvals and save businesses months or years, and auto-conditional approval for new projects if the federal government takes too long (shot-clock), allowing eligible companies (i.e., who are already permit compliant and who are considered low-to-medium-risk) to proceed with implementation without penalty—keeping Texas as the #1 ranked national leader in business growth.²⁸

4. Expands Permit-By-Rule for Common, Low-Risk Upgrades for industrial companies who are in good standing (i.e., permit compliant) and are making routine improvements to their facilities, enabling them to modernize equipment faster without requiring delay-inducing government reviews.

In order of priority:

1. House Committee on Veterans Affairs
a. Subcommittee on Health
b. Subcommittee on Technology Modernization

2. House Committee on Appropriations
a. Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies

3. House Committee on Foreign Affairs
a. East Asia & Pacific Subcommittee
b. Europe Subcommittee

• For Country Caucus: a bipartisan Veterans caucus that promotes reforms for defense and Veterans.
  
• Law Enforcement Caucus: a bipartisan caucus that promotes training, equipment, and wellbeing for our thin blue line.
  
• Defense Communities Caucus: a bipartisan caucus that promotes communities with military bases, ranges, and their local impacts.
  
• Small Business Caucus: a bipartisan caucus that promotes access to capital, lowers barriers to entry, and Veteran owned businesses.
  
• Western Caucus: a bipartisan caucus that promotes energy, minerals, land and water policy, and infrastructure in western States.
  
• House Army Caucus: a bipartisan caucus that promotes U.S. Army training, readiness, Soldier & Family wellbeing.
  
• General Aviation Caucus: a bipartisan caucus that promotes pilots, airports, airspace management, and our discovery of flight.
  
• Military Family Caucus: a bipartisan caucus that supports military spouses and children—housing, health care, childcare, PCS moves, education, and overall readiness.
  
• Problem Solvers Caucus: a bipartisan caucus committed to breaking gridlock and advancing common-sense solutions.
  
• DOGE Caucus: a bipartisan government-efficiency caucus focused on cutting waste and improving federal performance and accountability.
  
• U.S.–China Working Group: a bipartisan House working group that educates members and fosters informed engagement on U.S.–China issues through briefings and dialogue.