American public policy advocate, state legislator, and congressional leader specializing in energy policy, national defense, labor relations, voting rights, and regional economic development.
His career in federal and state public service includes serving as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas (since 2013), holding legislative assignments on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the House Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Small Business, and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. In congressional leadership, he served as an Assistant and Regional Whip, a Whip for the Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce, founder of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus, co-founder of the Blue Collar Caucus, and representative on the U.S. Helsinki Commission. He previously served four terms as a Member of the Texas House of Representatives (2005–2013), where he held roles as Democratic Whip and Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, following earlier service as a congressional staffer.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication from Texas Wesleyan University.