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Kevin Brady
RDeputy Whip, United States House of Representatives (2003 - Present)
To be claimed
Kevin Brady (Republican) is the representative from Texas' 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House.
Brady was first elected to Congress in 1996, and he most recently won re-election in 2018.
As chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee during the 115th Congress, Brady sponsored and helped secure passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on December 22, 2017. The law lowered tax rates for individuals and corporations, among other things. According to The Wall Street Journal, it was "the biggest transformation of the U.S. tax code in more than 30 years."
Brady began his political career in the Texas House of Representatives, where he served from 1990 until his election to the U.S. House in 1996.
Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Brady is an average Republican member of Congress, meaning he will vote with the Republican Party on the majority of bills.
Brady was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. He earned his B.A. from the University of South Dakota in 1990.
Below is an abbreviated outline of Brady's academic, professional, and political career:
Member, Army Caucus
Member, Congressional Missing and Exploited Children Caucus
Member, Congressional Rural Caucus
Member, Congressional Sportsman's Caucus
Member, International Conservation Caucus
Former Chair, Joint Committee on Taxation, United States Congress
Former Member, Joint Economic Committee, United States Congress
Member, Republican Study Committee
Member, Army Caucus
Member, Congressional Missing and Exploited Children Caucus
Member, Congressional Rural Caucus
Member, Congressional Sportsman's Caucus
Member, International Conservation Caucus
Former Chair, Joint Committee on Taxation, United States Congress
Former Member, Joint Economic Committee, United States Congress
Member, Republican Study Committee
Member, Joint Committee on Taxation
Ranking Member, Ways and Means Committee
Astrological Sign:
Aries
— Awards:
Hometown Hero, The Woodlands, Texas
Spirit of Enterprise Award
Guardian of Small Business Award
Golden Bulldog Award, Watchdogs of the Treasury
Special Recognition, Citizens Against Government Waste
— Father's Occupation:
Hobbies or Special Talents:
GOP House Baseball Team
1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-life
1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- No
2. Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
- No
1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Unknown Position
1. Do you support the protection of government officials, including law enforcement officers, from personal liability in civil lawsuits concerning alleged misconduct?
- Unknown Position
Do you support increasing defense spending?
- Yes
1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes
2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes
3. Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19?
- Yes
1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- No
1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
- No
2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- No
1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- No
1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- Yes
2. Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19?
- Yes
1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- Yes
2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- Yes
1. Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)?
- Unknown Position
2. Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts?
- No
1. Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
- Yes
1. Abortions should always be legally available.
- No Answer
2. Abortions should be legal in all circumstances as long as the procedure is completed within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer
3. Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape or when the life of the woman is endangered.
- X
4. Abortions should be legal only when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer
5. Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and notification requirements as decided by each state government.
- No Answer
6. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer
7. Other
- No Answer
1. The federal government should consider preferences to minority-owned businesses in granting government contracts.
- No Answer
2. The federal government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the public sector.
- No Answer
3. The federal government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the private sector.
- No Answer
4. The federal government should provide affirmative actions programs as long as such programs do not include quotas.
- No Answer
5. The federal government should not provide any affirmative action programs.
- X
6. Other
- No Answer
Do you support amending the US Constitution to require an annual balanced federal budget?
- Yes
1. AIDS Programs
- Maintain Status
2. Arts funding
- Eliminate
3. Education (K-12)
- Maintain Status
4. Environmental programs
- Slightly Decrease
5. Housing projects
- Greatly Decrease
6. Job training programs
- Slightly Decrease
7. Law enforcement
- Yes
8. Medicaid
- Yes
9. Medicare
- Yes
10. NASA
- Maintain Status
11. Student loan programs
- Maintain Status
12. Welfare (AFDC)
- Slightly Decrease
13. Other
- Yes
14. Agriculture
- Yes
15. Education
- Yes
16. Farm subsidies
- Yes
17. Food stamps
- Yes
18. School lunches
- Yes
19. Welfare
- Yes
20. Transportation/Highway funds
- IRS
1. Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
- No Answer
2. Establish spending limits on congressional campaigns and provide public funding for complying candidates.
- No Answer
3. Support legislation that would increase the federal limits on individual contributions.
- X
4. Pass legislation that would encourage full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information.
- X
5. Remove all legislative limits on campaign financing.
- No Answer
6. Other
- X
1. Broaden use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
- X
2. Increase spending to build more federal prisons.
- No Answer
3. Impose "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve full sentences with no chance of parole.
- X
4. Support the use of "boot camps" as alternative sentencing for adult first-time felons.
- X
5. Limit the number of appeals allowed to inmates on death row.
- X
6. Fund programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- No Answer
7. Expand funding for community policing programs.
- No Answer
8. Increase penalties for the possession of any illegal firearms.
- No Answer
9. Prosecute youths accused of murder as adults.
- X
10. Increase funding for local Boys & Girls Clubs and other independent organizations in communities with at-risk youth.
- No Answer
11. Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
- No Answer
12. Deport all permanent resident aliens convicted of a felony.
- X
13. Other
- X
1. CIA appropriations
- Maintain Status
2. Defense plant conversion
- Maintain Status
3. Military hardware
- Maintain Status
4. Military space shuttle missions
- Maintain Status
5. Pay for active duty personnel
- Slightly Increase
6. Development of new weapons
- Maintain Status
7. Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
- Maintain Status
8. Armed Forces personnel training
- Maintain Status
9. Other
- No Answer
1. Do you support amending the United States Constitution to allow voluntary prayer and/or moment of silence in public schools?
- Yes
2. Do you support funding the National Service Program (Ameri-Corps) in which young people receive money from the federal government for college in return for performing community service?
- No
1. Maintain the national standards and goals set forth in "Goals 2000".
- No Answer
2. Provide parents with vouchers to send their children to any publicly funded school.
- No Answer
3. Provide parents with vouchers to send their children to any participating school: public, private or religious.
- X
4. Implement charter schools where teachers and professionals receive authorization and funding to establish new schools.
- X
5. Eliminate the Department of Education, thereby giving state and local government greater control over educational issues.
- X
6. Other
- No Answer
1. Transfer public lands, such as federal forests and range lands, to the jurisdiction of state and local governments.
- X
2. Require the federal government to reimburse citizens when environmental regulations limit use of privately owned lands.
- X
3. Strengthen the Clean Water Act.
- No Answer
4. Change the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to limit the number of habitats eligible to be designated as endangered.
- X
5. Utilize cost-benefit analysis to determine economic impacts of proposed environmental protection and cleanup legislation.
- X
6. Increase fees charged to ranchers who graze cattle on federal lands.
- No Answer
7. Revise the 1872 mining law to increase the amounts charged to mining companies using federal lands.
- No Answer
8. Encourage development of alternative fuels and electric cars to reduce pollution.
- No Answer
9. Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline or diesel powered engines, including cars and trucks.
- No Answer
10. Increase federal taxes on gasoline and diesel fuels to promote conservation and alternative fuel development.
- No Answer
11. Require that a percentage of purchases made by federal agencies include recycled components.
- No Answer
12. Promote the selling of pollution credits to encourage industries to decrease amount of pollution.
- X
13. Other
- No Answer
1. Border security
- Federal
2. Civil rights enforcement
- Federal
3. Education
- Local
4. Environmental cleanup
- Federal
5. Job training
- Local
6. Law enforcement
- Local
7. Low-income housing
- State
8. Medicaid
- State
9. Medicare
- State
10. Welfare (AFDC)
- State
11. Other
- No Answer
1. Should the US have diplomatic relations with the government of Cuba?
- No
2. Should the US have diplomatic relations with the government of Vietnam?
- Undecided
3. Should the US recognize and extend full diplomatic relations to Taiwan?
- Yes
4. Should the US continue funding for Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty?
- Yes
5. Should the US continue funding for Radio Marti and TV Marti?
- Yes
6. Should the US continue funding for Radio Free Asia?
- Yes
7. Do you support the deployment of US troops to the former Yugoslavia?
- No
1. Economic aid to Russia and the former republics should be increased to facilitate democracy and market reforms.
- No Answer
2. Economic aid to Russia and the former republics should be continued unless Russia exports nuclear weapons or related technology.
- X
3. Economic aid to Russia and the former republics should be decreased and/or eliminated.
- No Answer
4. Other
- X
5. Foreign aid should only be given when extraordinary circumstances and disaster threaten the lives of civilian populations.
- No Answer
6. Foreign aid should be given to countries only when it is in the security interests of the United States.
- X
7. Foreign aid should be eliminated from any nation with documented human rights abuses.
- No Answer
8. Foreign aid should be maintained at current levels.
- No Answer
9. The US should contribute more funding and troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions.
- No Answer
10. The US should participate in UN peacekeeping missions only when vital US interests are directly threatened.
- X
11. The US should use military force only when the US border or territories are attacked or American citizens are in danger.
- No Answer
12. The US should pay the money it owes to the United Nations.
- No Answer
13. The US should withdraw from the UN completely.
- No Answer
1. Expand the nationwide ban on the sale or transfer of assault weapons to include all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
- No Answer
2. Increase restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- No Answer
3. Maintain all federal registration procedures and restrictions on possessing firearms.
- No Answer
4. Ease procedures on the purchase and registration of firearms.
- No Answer
5. Repeal all bans and measures that restrict law-abiding citizens from owning legally-obtained firearms.
- X
6. Allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms that are legally owned and registered.
- No Answer
7. Other
- X
1. Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all Americans regardless of income.
- No Answer
2. Provide vouchers to the working poor so they can buy into a private health care plan.
- No Answer
3. Implement a government-financed, single-payer national health care system similar to that of Canada.
- No Answer
4. Support a "managed competition" health care plan to contain costs and improve access that does not include mandated health alliances, government cost control powers, or employer/employee mandates.
- X
5. Provide tax incentives for small businesses to help provide health care to their employees.
- X
6. Allow middle and low income families to deduct yearly health care costs from their taxable income.
- X
7. Establish limits on the amount of damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- X
8. Encourage tax-free medical savings accounts, which would be taxed if used for any purpose other than medical costs.
- X
9. The federal government has no responsibility in providing health care.
- No Answer
10. Other
- No Answer
1. Increase penalties for selling illegal drugs.
- X
2. Impose mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
- X
3. Impose capital punishment for convicted international drug traffickers.
- X
4. Require drug testing for federal employees in sensitive positions (Air Traffic Control, National Park Police, Secret Service, etc.).
- X
5. Strengthen current laws dealing with non-controlled substances, including inhalants and commercially available pills.
- X
6. Increase funding of federally-sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs.
- No Answer
7. Decriminalize the possession and private use of marijuana.
- No Answer
8. Other
- X
1. Further limit the number of immigrants allowed into the country.
- No Answer
2. Prohibit states from passing laws that deny human services (medical care, education) to illegal immigrants or their children.
- No Answer
3. Ease citizenship requirements in order to make it easier for immigrants to become United States citizens.
- No Answer
4. Establish English as the official and recognized language of the United States.
- No Answer
5. Provide extra federal aid to states with higher numbers of immigrants for necessary medical and social services.
- X
6. Restrict the eligibility of legal immigrants for certain social programs (i.e. AFDC, HUD housing, food stamps, etc.).
- No Answer
7. Children of illegal immigrants, born in the United States, should not automatically receive US citizenship.
- X
8. Other
- X
Should the President be allowed to veto certain items of legislation while signing spending or tax bills into law?
- Yes
1. Provide tax incentives for companies to hire and train homeless people who want to work.
- X
2. Increase funding of homeless shelters and low income housing projects.
- No Answer
3. Increase funding of programs that help alcoholics and drug addicts recover and find steady work.
- No Answer
4. Increase the minimum wage.
- No Answer
5. Provide homeless families with apartment vouchers they can use to supplement the cost of an apartment.
- X
6. Provide government jobs for those who wish to work and cannot find a job in the private sector.
- No Answer
7. Increase the income tax deduction on individual contributions made to charities that help the poor and homeless.
- X
8. Implement enterprise zones in communities with high unemployment.
- No Answer
9. Other
- No Answer
1. Retiree income over $40,000
- No Answer
2. Family income less than $25,000
- No Answer
3. Family income $25-75,000
- No Answer
4. Family income $75-150,000
- No Answer
5. Family income over $150,000
- No Answer
6. Alcohol Taxes
- No Answer
7. Capital Gains Taxes
- No Answer
8. Charitable deductions
- Greatly Increase
9. Cigarette Taxes
- No Answer
10. Corporate income taxes
- No Answer
11. Earned Income Tax Credit
- Maintain Status
12. Estate taxes
- Eliminate
13. Medical expense deductions
- No Answer
14. Mortgage deductions
- Maintain Status
15. Other
- No Answer
16. Do you support replacing the US income tax structure with a flat income tax?
- Yes
17. Do you support replacing the US income tax structure with a broad-based consumption tax?
- Yes
Do you support amending the Constitution to limit the number of terms which members of Congress can serve?
- Yes
1. Relax current guidelines that forbid the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from investigating terrorist groups when there is a "reasonable indication" of terrorist activities.
- X
2. Relax wiretapping restrictions to give the FBI broader authority to investigate terrorist suspects.
- No Answer
3. Require that chemical tracing agents be added to commercially-sold products that can be used to produce explosives.
- No Answer
4. Implement tighter restrictions on firearm sales in an effort to hinder terrorist groups from stockpiling weapon arsenals.
- No Answer
5. Grant broader authority to the US Immigration and Naturalization Service to deny entrance visas to terrorist suspects.
- X
6. Maintain limits on the authority of federal agencies investigating suspected terrorists.
- No Answer
7. Restrict the investigative authority of the FBI and other governmental agencies.
- No Answer
8. Other
- No Answer
1. Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
- Yes
2. Do you support broadening NAFTA to include other countries?
- Undecided
3. Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?
- Yes
4. Do you support the World Trade Organization (WTO)?
- No
5. Do you support lifting the trade embargo imposed against Cuba?
- Yes
6. Do you support imposing tariffs on products imported from nations that maintain restrictive trade barriers on American products?
- Yes
7. Should a nation's human rights record affect its "most favored nation" trading status with the United States?
- No
1. Provide tax credits for companies that move job-creating industries into areas with high unemployment.
- X
2. Increase funding for national job-training programs.
- No Answer
3. Increase funding for public works projects such as the repair of roads and bridges.
- No Answer
4. Eliminate government regulations of the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- X
5. Establish enterprise zones in areas with large numbers of unemployed people.
- No Answer
6. Overhaul the current unemployment system by focusing on training and education in skills needed in certain industries.
- X
7. Eliminate any governmental programs designed to reduce unemployment.
- No Answer
8. Other
- No Answer
1. Strengthen child support collection procedures and increase penalties for parents who do not pay child support.
- X
2. Impose a two-year limit on welfare benefits for recipients who are able to work.
- X
3. Require welfare recipients to accept some form of government-sponsored job after two years if unemployed in the private sector.
- No Answer
4. Require that unwed teenage mothers live with a parent or guardian (if possible) and attend school to receive benefits.
- X
5. Limit the benefits given to single women if they have additional children while receiving welfare benefits.
- X
6. Provide child care services to welfare recipients who work or attend school.
- X
7. Provide rent or housing supplement vouchers for low-income families.
- No Answer
8. Make no substantial changes at this time.
- No Answer
9. Increase funding of programs that prevent teen pregnancy and family break-up.
- No Answer
10. Support programs that give incentives for employers to hire and train welfare recipients.
- X
11. Other
- No Answer
Should your priorities require additional government funding, please explain how you intend to obtain the additional funding.
- No Answer
1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-life
1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- No
2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- No
1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Unknown Position
1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No
2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes
1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- No
1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes
2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- No
1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes
1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- Yes
1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- Yes
2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- Yes
Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- No
1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- Unknown Position
2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- Yes
Latest Action: House - 06/21/2019 Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Tracker:Latest Action: House - 06/21/2019 Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Tracker:Latest Action: Senate - 06/13/2019 Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
Tracker:
Incumbent Kevin Brady (R) defeated Steven David (D) and Chris Duncan (L) in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 8 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Kevin Brady (R) |
73.4
|
200,619 |
|
|
Steven David (D) |
24.9
|
67,930 | |
|
|
Chris Duncan (L) |
1.7
|
4,621 | |
|
|
Total votes: 273,170 |
Steven David advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 8 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Steven David (D) |
100
|
13,183 |
|
|
Total votes: 13,183 |
Incumbent Kevin Brady advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 8 on March 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Kevin Brady (R) |
100
|
67,593 |
|
|
Total votes: 67,593 |
rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Kevin Brady (R) faced no opposition in the general election on November 8, 2016. Brady defeated Steve Toth, Andre Dean and Craig McMichael in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016. No Democratic candidates filed to run in the race.
| U.S. House, Texas District 8 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Kevin Brady Incumbent |
100% | 236,379 | |
| Total Votes | 236,379 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
| U.S. House, Texas District 8 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|
Kevin Brady Incumbent |
53.4% | 65,059 | ||
| Steve Toth | 37.3% | 45,436 | ||
| Craig McMichael | 5% | 6,050 | ||
| Andre Dean | 4.3% | 5,233 | ||
| Total Votes | 121,778 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State |
||||
Brady won re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. He defeated Craig McMichael to win the Republican nomination in the primary election on March 4, 2014. He defeated Ken Petty (L) in the general election on November 4, 2014.
| U.S. House, Texas District 8 General Election, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Kevin Brady Incumbent |
89.3% | 125,066 | |
| Libertarian | Ken Petty | 10.7% | 14,947 | |
| Total Votes | 140,013 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
| U.S. House, Texas District 8 Republican Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|
Kevin Brady Incumbent |
68.3% | 42,368 | ||
| Craig McMichael | 31.7% | 19,687 | ||
| Total Votes | 62,055 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State | ||||
Brady won re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Texas' 8th District. He defeated Larry Youngblood in the Republican primary on May 29, 2012. He then defeated Neil Burns (D) and Roy Hall (L) in the general election on November 6, 2012.
| U.S. House, Texas District 8 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Kevin Brady Incumbent |
77.3% | 194,043 | |
| Democratic | Neil Burns | 20.3% | 51,051 | |
| Libertarian | Roy Hall | 2.4% | 5,958 | |
| Total Votes | 251,052 | |||
| Source: Texas Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
| U.S. House, Texas District 8 Republican Primary, 2012 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|
Kevin Brady Incumbent |
76.1% | 48,366 |
| Larry Youngblood | 23.9% | 15,181 |
| Total Votes | 63,547 | |
2010
On November 2, 2010, Kevin Brady won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Kent Hargett (D) and Bruce West (L) in the general election.
| U.S. House, Texas District 8 General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Kevin Brady incumbent |
80.3% | 161,417 | |
| Democratic | Kent Hargett | 17.3% | 34,694 | |
| Libertarian | Bruce West | 2.5% | 4,988 | |
| Total Votes | 201,099 | |||
|
2008 On November 4, 2008, Kevin Brady won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Kent Hargett (D) and Brian Stevens (L) in the general election.
2006 On November 7, 2006, Kevin Brady won re-election to the United States House. He defeated James Wright (D) in the general election.
2004 On November 2, 2004, Kevin Brady won re-election to the United States House. He defeated James Wright (D) and Paul Hansen (L) in the general election.
2002 On November 5, 2002, Kevin Brady won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Gil Guillory (L) in the general election.
2000 On November 7, 2000, Kevin Brady won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Gil Guillory (L) in the general election.
1998 On November 3, 1998, Kevin Brady won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Don Richards (L) in the general election.
1996
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By Reps. Kevin McCarthy and Kevin Brady As former Vice President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress advocate for tax hikes on the wealthy and intrusive regulation on small businesses and workers, Americans know you can't "Build Back Better" by dragging down the economy. We know this based on recent experience. Following the 2008 financial crisis, the Obama-Biden Administration regularly lowered expectations for recovery, claiming that slow growth would be the new norm. Democrats wanted to pick and choose which jobs grew and how, while calling for cumbersome taxes that made recovery even slower. But those claims were shattered by common-sense, pro-growth policies, which cut corporate tax rates and reduced the regulatory burden on small businesses and workers. In just three years, these Republican reforms accomplished more than the Obama-Biden administration did in eight. The economy surged after the Trump tax cuts, unemployment for American workers dropped to record lows, and poverty declined by historic rates in 2019. Minorities, females, and those without a college degree saw some of the biggest wage gains. And while take-home pay increased, business closures became rarer. Some companies stopped fleeing overseas. This approach created new jobs for all Americans, strengthened consumer confidence and optimism, and fostered breakthrough innovations here in America. Successful Republican policies put American workers in the driver's seat before the coronavirus hit. Today, we can help these same workers rebuild the greatest economy in a generation. But they deserve more than regaining their lost prosperity -- they deserve growth. And as we pursue that growth, we can, and should, end our dependence on China and address significant vulnerabilities in our medical supply chain. That starts with helping Americans return to work safely in healthy workplaces -- many of which are moving in the right direction. Our Healthy Workplace Tax Credit makes the health of American workers a major priority. This is a refundable tax credit against payroll taxes for 50 percent of the costs incurred by businesses for Covid-19 testing, disinfecting, extra cleaning, and office reconfiguration. As workers and families safely resume work, we will still find ourselves relying on critical goods from China, despite the instability that causes. That is why we must also take steps to rebuild American leadership in innovation and manufacturing. The good news is Congress has already prioritized innovation's ability to drive economic growth. In 2017, Congress allowed businesses to deduct research and development (R&D) costs immediately in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Today, we can foster greater innovation by making this provision permanent, doubling the R&D tax credit, and making it easier for American companies to hold and return to the U.S. intellectual property developed abroad. We can go even further than innovation to achieve greater manufacturing resilience. We can rebuild a stable supply of medicine and other necessities, with an Advanced Medical Manufacturing Equipment tax credit. We can encourage the domestic manufacture of ingredients for medicines, vaccines, and other countermeasures with a Domestic Medical Drug Manufacturing tax credit, which would cut the corporate tax rate in half on eligible profits. These smart, targeted policies are part of Republicans' Commitment to America to rebuild the greatest economy in history. We've done it before, and we will do it again, by enhancing Americans' medical security, growing manufacturing jobs, and putting us back in front on a global scale. Sadly, former Vice President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats have rejected this approach. Their job-killing tax increases and a raft of heavy regulations would send manufacturing fleeing abroad while keeping workers at home indefinitely, preventing them from safely providing for their families. Both parties should agree that nothing is more important than keeping Americans healthy and making our country more resilient for the future. The best path to rebuilding the economy is pro-growth policies, not tax hikes and intrusive regulations. Democrats should adopt House Republicans' ideas to rebuild and ensure that a pandemic like this will never have such a terrible impact on our economy ever again. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is the House minority leader; Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas is the ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee.
By Rep. Kevin Brady Following the largest emergency aid package in American history, Congress is working to craft a smaller, more targeted follow-on package to help accelerate a return to healthy lives and a healthy economy. The May and June monthly jobs reports smashed expectations, but the U.S. faces immediate economic headwinds from COVID flare-ups, extended lockdowns by Democratic governors and mayors, looting and violence in major cities, and uncertainty about the economic recovery. In contrast to the $3 trillion liberal grab bag rammed through the House by Democrats, Senate Republicans are countering with the HEALS Act (the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools Act), unveiled last week at an estimated cost of $1 trillion. The proposal includes more targeted funding -- including for testing, telehealth expansion, and new flexibility for workers' health savings accounts. It also allows state and local governments to use up to 25 percent of their federal COVID relief for lost tax revenues if they comply with Congress's original intent of sharing relief funds with smaller cities and rural communities. The HEALS Act includes a number of COVID-related tax incentives to help local businesses keep and hire workers, while creating healthy workplaces for customers and employees. It also helps the unemployed reconnect to their job by transitioning the $600-a-week federal unemployment supplement to one based on state unemployment formulas that better reflect actual wages and regional salaries. Another round of stimulus checks that send $2,500 to a family of four will also make the transition smoother. These are practical, immediate solutions that give immediate support to prevent the 30 million Americans temporarily unemployed from becoming permanently unemployed. However, Congress needs to include two more key elements to restore a strong, post-COVID economy that expands paychecks and increases the number of U.S. jobs: First, we must make America medically independent from China. Second, we must use pro-growth policies that will foster real prosperity beyond just getting through the next few months. During this crisis, we have learned about America's vulnerability to China when it comes to crucial medicines, medical supplies, ingredients, and technology. Yet Congress, despite spending trillions to deal with the fallout from that vulnerability, has not acted on this cruel COVID lesson. Working with House Republicans, the Ways and Means Committee GOP have developed and introduced legislation to make America medically independent from China. Our approach establishes resilient supply chains anchored in the U.S. and running through reliable trading partners. These bills include aggressive, smart tax incentives to on-shore the research and manufacturing of crucial medicines, medical supplies, ingredients, and technology. We offer new tax incentives for developing more infectious-disease drugs while cutting the corporate tax rate in half for advanced manufacturing done here in the U.S. This will protect lives and create good-paying American jobs. We need growth, too. While the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) helped restore the U.S. as the most competitive economy on the planet, we must do more to spur growth for the long-term post-COVID -- especially in the area of innovation. The nation that wins the innovation race wins the future. So House Republicans have introduced pro-growth legislation that brings back to the U.S. intellectual property held overseas, permanently doubles the research-and-development tax credit, repeals an upcoming tax deadline that discourages research in America, and makes permanent one of the most pro-growth policies of the TCJA: expensing. Including these pro-growth policies in the current COVID package will ensure that American businesses can invest now with certainty in the equipment, research, technology, and software to expand our economy beyond the pandemic. This next step should safeguard the health, medical security, and financial needs of the American people, both now and well into the future. They deserve these tools to help them resume their livelihoods and take care of their families. COVID-19 presented unexpected challenges, and Americans are doing their part to beat this virus. They deserve Congress's best effort to build a stronger, healthier, and more prosperous America.
By Rep. Kevin Brady & Rep. Jackie Walorski Families have been the biggest winners in the Trump economy, with more jobs and higher wages, particularly for women. But, working parents shouldn't have to choose between financial security and keeping their families strong. They should be able to do both. That's why greater access to paid family leave is smart pro-family, pro-growth policy. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created the family leave tax credit to encourage businesses of all sizes to offer paid leave policies tailored to their workers. Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee followed that up with the creation of the new baby savings provision in the bipartisan SECURE Act recently signed by President Trump that allows millions of parents to borrow from their savings plan to pay for expenses, including leave from work, for new babies and adoptions. In December, Congress and Trump achieved one of their major priorities by extending 12 weeks of paid family leave to 2.1 million federal workers. And, of course, due to the GOP tax cuts, the average family of four in America keeps $2,000 more of their hard-earned dollars each year. Higher wages due to the strong economy have added another $4,000, and the doubling of the child tax credit has provided more than 39 million families with an average benefit of $2,200. All that makes it easier for families to pay for medicines, child care, and family leave. House Republicans aren't stopping there. Recognizing that workers in many small- and medium-sized businesses have less access than workers in larger companies, we are developing a fresh approach to paid family leave that combines conservative free market values with individual choice to empower more businesses to offer tailored leave plans for their employees. Paid leave has real benefits for families and businesses. In 63% of homes with children, all parents work. Paid family leave allows parents to balance the competing demands of work and family. Currently, Washington is considering one-size-all paid family leave mandates on local businesses that hike taxes and permanently shrink paychecks for working parents. Those solutions won't work. Republicans and Democrats should work together to increase the availability of paid leave without reducing families' economic independence, hurting small businesses, or interfering with employees and employers working together to design flexible solutions that fit them. Without expensive mandates or higher payroll taxes, Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee are exploring incentives to encourage expansion of employer-provided paid leave through permanent extension of the employer-paid family and medical leave tax credit. We also know that, while 25% of workers in larger businesses have access to paid family leave, that's not the case with small- and mid-sized businesses that can't afford, financially or structurally, to offer formal paid leave benefits. For these small employers, increasing access to private insurance options could help defray costs. Low-wage workers are also at a disadvantage and the least likely to have access to paid leave through an employer. That means taking on debt or putting off bills to cover lost wages after the birth of a new baby. Federal efforts should focus on low-income families, particularly families in at-risk communities where paid leave can contribute to better health for new mothers and their babies. Not since enactment of the Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993 has there been such a focus on the importance of supporting new parents in that pivotal period of life after the birth or adoption of a new child. Thanks to the leadership of the Trump administration, more Republicans are giving a serious look at proposals to expand access to paid family leave. The president was the first ever to include a paid leave proposal in his budget request and, during each of his State of the Union addresses, has called on Congress to come up with innovative solutions to help families. In the new year, we're excited to partner with the Trump administration to continue the momentum and craft additional pro-family and pro-worker policies that strengthen communities across our country. Let's build on our economic progress and work together to find solutions that increase the availability of paid leave for families.
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103 N Thompson St, Conroe, TX 77301-2847, United States
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7506 County Road 204, Plantersville, TX 77363-8335, United States
