Congressman Michael T. McCaul is currently serving his eighth term representing Texas’ 10th District in the United States Congress. The 10th Congressional District of Texas stretches from the city of Austin to the Houston suburbs and includes Austin, Bastrop, Colorado, Fayette, Harris, Lee, Travis, Washington and Waller Counties.

Republican Leader of the Foreign Affairs Committee

At the start of the 116th Congress, Congressman McCaul became the Republican Leader of the Foreign Affairs Committee. This committee considers legislation that impacts the diplomatic community, which includes the Department of State, the Agency for International Development (USAID), the Peace Corps, the United Nations, and the enforcement of the Arms Export Control Act.

In his capacity as the committee’s Republican Leader, McCaul is committed to ensuring we promote America’s leadership on the global stage. In his view, it is essential the United States bolsters international engagement with our allies, counters the aggressive policies of our adversaries, and advances the common interests of nations in defense of stability and democracy around the globe. He will continue to use his national security expertise to work to counter threats facing the United States, especially the increasing threat we face from nation state actors such as China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, among others.

Former Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security

Prior to being term-limited, Congressman McCaul served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security during the 113th, 115th, and 116th Congresses. As Chairman, McCaul introduced numerous bills to ensure to the Department of Homeland Security has the best policies and resources to carry out its vital mission of protecting the American people.

A list of Congressman McCaul’s most recent accomplishments from the 115th Congress:

• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Act: This legislation was signed into law on November 16, 2018 to streamline the current structure of the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) and re-designate it as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) to more effectively execute cybersecurity and critical infrastructure related authorities.
• Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction: This legislation was signed into law on December 21, 2018, to re-designate the Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office as the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD Office). This Office will coordinate with other Federal efforts and develop a strategy and policy to plan for, detect, and protect against unauthorized chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear materials or devices in the United States.
• Preventing Emerging Threats Act: This legislation was signed into law as part of FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 on October 5, 2018 to provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) with the authorities they need to protect communities and buildings from security risks posed by unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or more commonly referred to as a drone.
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Blue Campaign Authorization Act: This legislation was signed into law on February 14, 2018 to help protect victims of human trafficking by providing the right tools to federal, state, and local law enforcement, as well as private sector organizations to increase awareness and better defend against this heinous threat by requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue Department-wide guidance and develop training programs as part of the Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign.
• International Narcotics Trafficking Emergency Response by Detecting Incoming Contraband with Technology (INTERDICT) Act: This legislation was signed into law on January 10, 2018 to provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) the necessary tools, such as hi-tech chemical screening devices, to help detect and interdict fentanyl and other illicit synthetic opioids.
• Securing America’s Future Act: This legislation was introduced on January 10, 2018, to bolster the enforcement of existing immigration law, make important reforms to our legal immigration programs, secure the border, and provide a legislative solution for the current beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
• Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) Authorization Act: This legislation passed the House on September 4, 2018, to establish in the Department of Homeland Security the Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) to help prevent potential terrorists and dangerous criminals from entering our country.

Fighting Childhood Cancer

Shortly after he was first elected to Congress, McCaul founded the Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus to give a voice to the nearly 16,000 children diagnosed with cancer every year; and the survivors who face long-term health issues stemming from the treatments they received as children. In the 115th Congress, there have been two major accomplishments in the fight against childhood cancer. First, the RACE for Children Act (Research to Accelerate Cures and Equity for Children Act) was signed into law in January of 2018. RACE now requires the most innovative adult treatments for cancer to be studied for use in children.

Then, the Childhood Cancer STAR Act was signed into law in June of 2018. The STAR Act is the most comprehensive childhood cancer bill ever signed into law. It addresses the four major concerns facing the pediatric cancer community: Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research, and will elevate and prioritize the fight against childhood cancer at the National Institute of Health (NIH).

In the 112th Congress, McCaul’s legislation, the Creating Hope Act, was signed by the president and became law in October 2012, creating incentives for pharmaceutical companies to create new treatments for pediatric cancer patients.

High Tech Leadership

With many NASA employees, universities, and high tech companies in the 10th District, Congressman McCaul’s leadership as co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional High Tech Caucus and the Cybersecurity Caucus provides him the ability to enhance Texas’ role as a global leader in technology.

Personal

Prior to Congress, Michael McCaul served as Chief of Counter Terrorism and National Security in the U.S. Attorney’s office, Western District of Texas, and led the Joint Terrorism Task Force charged with detecting, deterring, and preventing terrorist activity.  McCaul also served as Texas Deputy Attorney General under current U.S. Senator John Cornyn, and served as a federal prosecutor in the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section in Washington, DC.

A fourth generation Texan, Congressman McCaul earned a B.A. in Business and History from Trinity University and holds a J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law. In 2009 Congressman McCaul was honored with St. Mary’s Distinguished Graduate award.  He is also a graduate of the Senior Executive Fellows Program of the School of Government, Harvard University. Congressman McCaul is married to his wife, Linda.  They are proud parents of five children: Caroline, Jewell, and the triplets Lauren, Michael, and Avery.