U.S. Representative for Texas's 36th District; Chair of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee

Brian Babin is a Republican who has represented Texas's 36th District since 2015 and chairs the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee¹. A dentist from Woodville, he served in the U.S. Air Force and was previously mayor, alderman and a school board member in Woodville¹. He won the March 2026 Republican primary and faces Democrat Rhonda Hart in November².

Where they stand

• Immigration: Secure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steady Voted · high confidence
  • Voted against the American Dream and Promise Act, which offered a path to citizenship for Dreamers. (2021-03-18) source
  • Voted against the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which offered legal status to long-time farmworkers. (2021-03-18) source
  • Voted for the Secure the Border Act, which funded border wall construction, tightened asylum rules and required E-Verify. (2023-05-11) source
  • Voted for the Secure America Act, which provides about $70 billion for immigration enforcement and border security through 2029. (2026-06-09) source
  • His official issue page says Congress must build the wall, end catch and release, deport criminal aliens, discourage sanctuary cities, end chain migration, and move to a merit-based legal immigration system. (2026) source
  • His campaign site calls securing the border his top immigration priority and cites his support for the border wall, vetting refugees, deporting criminal aliens and cutting funds for sanctuary cities. (2018) source
• Birthright citizenship: No, end it for children of parents here illegally or temporarily Official action · medium confidence
  • Sponsored the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2025 (H.R. 569), which would grant automatic citizenship at birth only when a parent is a citizen or national, a lawful permanent resident, or a lawful immigrant serving in the armed forces. (2025-01-21) source
  • In a Fox News op-ed promoted by his office, he urged Congress to pass his bill and said citizenship should not be an automatic entitlement for anyone who crosses the border. (2026-07-16) source
  • His official immigration page says the country must end birthright citizenship by returning to what he calls the original meaning of the 14th Amendment. (2026) source
• Healthcare: Private insurance with more competition and price transparency, keeping protections for pre-existing conditions Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted for the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, which expanded association health plans and required drug middleman (PBM) price transparency. (2025-12-17) source
  • Voted against restoring the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits for three years. (2026-01-08) source
  • His official health care page, written after the House passed the American Health Care Act in May 2017 and still posted, says he promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a plan that lowers premiums while protecting people with preexisting conditions, and says he would prefer allowing insurance sales across state lines and more consumer choice. (2017) source
• Social Security: A mix of changes, with no cuts for current retirees Said · medium confidence
  • His campaign site says he supports efforts to strengthen the solvency of Social Security and Medicare, but any plan must make sure no one in or nearing retirement sees changes to their plans. (2018) source
• Income taxes: Cut taxes across the board, including for top earners and corporations Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which set a 15% minimum tax on large corporations to help pay for energy and health programs. (2022-08-12) source
  • Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which made the 2017 individual tax cuts permanent, including the 37% top rate, and extended business tax breaks. (2025-07-03) source
  • His campaign site praises the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the House vote to make those cuts permanent. (2018) source
  • Said Congress must keep advancing policies that keep taxes low for American businesses. (2026-05) source
  • Cosponsored the Death Tax Repeal Act (H.R. 1301) in the 119th Congress. (2025-02-13) source
• AI regulation: One light-touch national standard that overrides state laws Said · medium confidence
  • Joined House Republican leaders in a statement pledging to enact a national AI framework after the White House released a framework that called for broad preemption of state AI laws. (2026-03-20) source
  • As Science Committee chairman, praised a bipartisan AI package built on voluntary standards that bars the new NIST AI center from regulatory or enforcement power. (2026-06) source
• Nuclear power: Back new reactors with public funds, tax credits, and streamlined approvals Said · medium confidence
  • At a hearing on advanced reactors, said federal research should support early-stage work and reduce barriers to deployment through public-private partnerships, while regulation should let breakthroughs thrive. (2026-09) source
• E-Verify mandate: Require it for all employers Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted for the Secure the Border Act, which would require all employers to use E-Verify. (2023-05-11) source
  • Cosponsored the Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 251), which would make use of electronic employment eligibility verification mandatory and permanent for employers. (2025) source
• Guns: Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a right Official action · medium confidence
  • Voted against the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022. (2022-07-29) source
  • Cosponsored the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 38) and the Hearing Protection Act (H.R. 404), which would remove silencers from federal firearm registration rules. (2025) source
  • His campaign site calls him a rock-solid defender of the Second Amendment and a 30-year NRA member. (2018) source
• Transgender athletes: No, and Congress should set a biological sex rule nationwide Voted · high confidence
  • Voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a federal rule basing girls' and women's school sports eligibility on sex at birth. (2023-04-20) source
  • Voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a federal rule basing girls' and women's school sports eligibility on sex at birth. (2025-01-14) source
  • Cosponsored the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (H.R. 28), which would set a federal sex-based rule for school sports under Title IX. (2025-01-03) source
• Abortion: Illegal in all cases Official action · medium confidence
  • Voted against the Women's Health Protection Act, which would protect abortion access nationwide before viability. (2021-09-24) source
  • Voted against the Women's Health Protection Act of 2022, which would protect abortion access nationwide before viability. (2022-07-15) source
  • Cosponsored the Life at Conception Act (H.R. 722), which declares a right to life for each human being from the moment of fertilization. (2025-01-24) source
  • His campaign site says he is a steadfast defender of the unborn and has voted to cut off taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. (2018) source
• Business regulation: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Said · medium confidence
  • His campaign site says he voted for laws repealing many late Obama-era regulations and wants more accountability for agencies like the EPA. (2018) source
  • Said Congress should streamline burdensome regulations. (2026-05) source
• Redistricting: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the For the People Act, which would require independent redistricting commissions. (2021-03-03) source
• Campaign finance: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the For the People Act, which created public matching funds for campaigns and stricter donor disclosure. (2021-03-03) source
• Qualified immunity: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would end qualified immunity for police officers. (2021-03-03) source
• Safety net programs: Keep them, but add work requirements for able-bodied adults Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted against the Build Back Better Act, which expanded aid for childcare, housing and paid family leave. (2021-11-19) source
  • Voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which added work requirements for able-bodied adults on Medicaid and expanded SNAP work requirements. (2025-07-03) source
• Childcare and pre-K: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the Build Back Better Act, which funded free universal pre-K and expanded childcare aid. (2021-11-19) source
• Paid leave: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the Build Back Better Act, which created a national paid family and medical leave program. (2021-11-19) source
• Drug prices: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would cap insulin costs at $35 a month. (2022-03-31) source
• Marijuana: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the MORE Act, which would legalize marijuana federally and clear past convictions. (2022-04-01) source
• Aid to Ukraine: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the $40 billion Ukraine aid package in May 2022. (2022-05-10) source
  • Voted against the $61 billion Ukraine security supplemental in April 2024. (2024-04-20) source
  • Voted against the Ukraine Support Act, which provides military aid to Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia. (2026-06-04) source
• Energy and climate: All of the above: oil, gas, nuclear and renewables, and let markets pick Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which used tax credits and incentives to speed a shift to cleaner energy. (2022-08-12) source
  • Voted for the Lower Energy Costs Act, which expanded oil, gas and mineral production and sped up permits for energy projects. (2023-03-30) source
• Mandatory minimums: Add or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl trafficking Voted · high confidence
  • Voted for the HALT Fentanyl Act, which permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I and applies mandatory minimum sentences to trafficking them. (2023-05-25) source
  • Voted for the HALT Fentanyl Act, which permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I and applies mandatory minimum sentences to trafficking them. (2025-06-12) source
• Student loans: Cap borrowing, simplify repayment, and skip broad forgiveness Voted · high confidence
  • Voted to overturn the Biden administration's broad student loan debt cancellation. (2023-06-21) source
  • Voted to overturn the SAVE income-driven repayment plan, which lowered payments and sped up forgiveness. (2023-12-07) source
• Aid to Israel: Keep full aid without new conditions Voted · high confidence
  • Voted for the $26 billion Israel security supplemental with no new conditions on weapons use. (2024-04-20) source
  • Voted for the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which would require delivery of weapons to Israel that the administration had paused. (2024-05-16) source
• Politicians trading stocks: No, ban it for members and their spouses Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted for the Stop Insider Trading Act, which bars members of Congress, their spouses and dependents from buying new individual stocks. (2026-07-22) source

No public position found on: National debt, Minimum wage, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Judges, Term limits, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Kids online, School vaccines, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.