Congressman Dan Crenshaw represents the 2nd Congressional District of Texas. He is a former Navy SEAL and proud 6th generation Texan. In Congress, he serves on the Intelligence Committee and the Energy & Commerce Committee. Between these two committees, he is front and center in the fight over every major policy debate: border security, energy independence, trade, big tech, healthcare, and much more.

In 2018, without any political experience, political connections or personal wealth to fund a campaign, Dan was faced with a rare opportunity to run for Texas’s Second Congressional District. As a Lieutenant Commander (retired) and former Navy SEAL, he saw this as another opportunity to serve his country, a worthy goal despite the challenges he would face as  a new candidate. He advanced from the crowded primary into a two-way runoff, which he decidedly won with nearly 70% of the vote. He went on to defeat his Democrat opponent and was sworn into Congress in January 2019. 

Ever the public servant, Dan knew from a very early age that he wanted to serve in the most elite military force in history: the U.S. Navy SEALs.  His father’s career in the Texas oil and gas industry moved his family all over the world, including Ecuador and Colombia, but his desire to serve America deepened while he lived outside the US. Everything Dan did was to ensure he became a SEAL.  After graduating from Tufts University, where he earned his Naval officer commission through Navy ROTC, he reported for SEAL training in Coronado, CA. This is where he met his wife Tara. 

Dan was first deployed to Fallujiah, Iraq as part of SEAL Team Three. This was his first of five total deployments. On his 3rd deployment, Dan’s life changed forever. While on a mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Dan was hit with an IED blast. He was evacuated and put into a medically induced coma. When he awoke, he learned that his right eye was completely destroyed and that his left eye was still intact but severely damaged. He was told he would never see again. 

Dan refused to accept that fate. With Tara by his side every day, Dan never gave up. They prayed  he would see again and remained hopeful. Despite the high risks that accompanied them, Dan opted for several difficult surgeries that could potentially bring back his vision in his left eye. In what the head surgeon described as a medical miracle, Dan eventually regained his vision in his left eye, although it was badly impaired and would need a rare contact or glasses.

Dan’s first move when he regained his vision back was to get back with the teams. He had to retrain everything he had previously mastered, but this time as left-hand dominant. He went on to deploy twice more,  first back to the Middle East in 2014 and then South Korea in 2016.

To Dan’s chagrin, he was medically retired in 2016, after ten years as a SEAL. He left service with two Bronze Stars (one with Valor), the Purple Heart, and the Navy Commendation Medal with Valor, among many others. 

Shortly after being retired, Dan attended the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. After completing his Master in Public Administration, he returned to Houston. It was during this time that Hurricane Harvey destroyed the community he knew as home. Dan did what he’s done his entire life, and jumped into action to serve others. He volunteered in areas of Katy.  He saw first-hand the unimaginable loss that his family, friends and neighbors endured. More importantly he saw what makes Texans so special: the refusal to give up, the dedication to helping others, the unshakable determination, or Texas grit. With that in mind, that November Dan and Tara decided that they would continue their life of public service and run for office. 

In Congress, Dan Crenshaw has been a leader on key issues like health care, energy, and big tech for the Republican Party since he was elected. Now, he serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over these and many other important public policy issues. In fact, the Energy and Commerce Committee has the broadest jurisdiction of any committee in Congress – if it moves, it’s energy, if it doesn’t, it’s commerce.

Here are Dan’s top priorities on the Energy and Commerce Committee:

PERSONALIZED HEALTH CARE: Dan knows that America’s health care system is broken. Obamacare diminished choice, increased costs, and gave the government more control over your care. Dan believes the patient – not the government – should be in the driver seat when it comes to health care. That’s why Dan is fighting to give Americans better access to affordable, personalized health care that gives them the power to choose where, how, and when they receive care.

LOWERING DRUG COSTS: Prescription drug prices are simply too high. That’s a fact. Americans shouldn’t be breaking the bank to get the drugs they need. That’s why Dan wants Congress to pass legislation to lower drug costs by ensuring pharmaceutical companies aren’t engaging in unfair or uncompetitive behavior and giving patients price transparency. Importantly, Dan believes we can lower drug costs while protecting American medical innovation and preserving patient access to the life saving drugs they need.

PROTECTING AMERICAN ENERGY INDEPENDENCE: As a son of Texas and a son of an oil and gas worker, Dan knows how important it is to protect American energy independence. For Dan, American energy independence is more than a slogan, it means better American jobs, a better American economy, and American strength abroad. That’s why Dan is working to protect the energy industry from the attacks of the Biden Administration and radical Democrat policies in Congress. Dan knows that American energy is the cleanest in the world and employs millions of Americans in good paying jobs, which is why America should produce and export MORE energy, not less energy.

COMMONSENSE CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS: Dan believes that a false choice has been offered to the American people when it comes to climate change: inaction or economy crushing regulations. Dan knows that we can protect the environment AND the economy AND American energy independence all at the same time. That’s why he passed two bipartisan bills into law last year to boost carbon capture technology, which makes natural gas plants cleaner and more environmentally friendly. And Dan is working to boost nuclear energy, which is our only emissions-free power source. Dan believes American innovation is the key to combating climate change, which is why he’s working on legislation to boost energy innovation in Congress.

STOPPING TECH CENSORSHIP: Dan knows that big tech companies like Twitter have a bias against conservative voices. That’s just a fact. They censor and silence conservatives and face no consequences. That’s why Dan is working on legislation to hold big tech companies accountable, protect free speech on the internet, and ensure consumers are getting what they signed up for when they join these platforms. Importantly, Dan believes we can do this without punishing internet innovation or harming small businesses that rely on the internet for their operations.

Dan is also fighting for additional legislative priorities that impact Americans. Here are Dan’s additional priorities in Congress:

SECURING OUR BORDER: Dan has seen the crisis on our southern border first hand, and he knows this crisis is made worse by the left’s radical open border policies. That’s why Dan is fighting for commonsense policies to reduce illegal immigration. Dan believes we should reinstitute the remain in Mexico policy, which simply states that asylum seekers should wait in Mexico, not the United States, as their claim is adjudicated. Dan is also fighting for actual enforcement of our immigration laws from the federal government, so that states like Texas aren’t paying hundreds of millions every year to do the federal government’s job. And, yes, Dan believes we should complete President Trump’s border wall because he’s heard from law enforcement at the border that walls do work in discouraging illegal immigration.

PROTECTING THE HOMELAND: As a former Navy SEAL, Dan knows what it takes to keep America safe. That’s why he’s fighting to ensure our military is strong and our warfighters have what they need to protect the homeland. Dan also believes that we should continue the foreign policy objectives of President Trump, increasing deterrence against our enemies like Iran by making it clear that attacking American soldiers will not be tolerated.

REDUCING THE DEBT FOR OUR KIDS: Our national debt is out of control. Democrats in Congress have lost any interest in fiscal responsibility, taking advantage of the pandemic to pour trillions of taxpayer dollars into unrelated progressive priorities. That’s why Dan believes we need to add a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, ensuring that we maintain fiscal responsibility so that our kids are not saddled with crippling debt.

CHOICE IN EDUCATION: If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that public teachers unions and politicians don’t act in the best interest of our school children. Dan has always believed parents, not the government or teachers unions, should be in the driver seat when it comes to their kids’ education. That’s why Dan has fought for school choice, so parents can tailor education to their children’s needs. Dan has also fought for alternatives to expensive college degrees that don’t produce good-paying jobs for young people. Boost vocational training for young people is a top priority for Dan, so that kids graduating from high school can obtain the skills that businesses need.