U.S. Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. 26th District of Texas

One of the most important things I do as your U.S. Representative is help you gain access to and information about the Federal government.  Below you will find links and information about a few of the many federal government offices, agencies, and bodies of government.  

If you need assistance with a federal agency, please submit a Congressional Inquiry.  Fill out the Review-Only
Request for Congressional Inquiry Form and send to my Lewisville office.  If you cannot find the information you are looking for below, please visit my site's Federal Government Resources Locator for further assistance. 

The White House
President George W. Bush
Learn more about the duties of President George W. Bush and Vice President Cheney, the policy initiatives of the White House, the President's budget, and view videos, photos, fact sheets and other relevant informaion about our nation's executive branch.

U.S. House of Representatives

Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Made up of 435 members from the 50 states, District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, this body is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress and meets for business in the United States Capitol.

U.S. Senate
Senator Harry Reid
The Senate, along with the House of Representatives, makes up the United States Congress and houses 100 Senators, two from each of the 50 states.  Also residing in the United States Capitol, the Senate and House comprise the Legislative Branch of the Federal government.

U.S. Supreme Court
Chief Justice John Roberts
Rounding out the three branches of the Federal government - the Judicial Branch - the United States Supreme court consists of nine justices and is the highest court in the nation.

Department of Agriculture
Secretary Ed Schafer
Primary duties: to develop and execute policy on farming, agriculture, and food; meet the needs of America's farmers and ranchers; promote agricultural trade and production; work to assure food safety; protect natural resources; foster rural communities; and end hunger, in America and abroad.

Department of Commerce
Secretary Carlos Gutierrez
Mission: "to promote job creation and improved living standards for all Americans by creating an infrastructure that promotes economic growth, technological competitiveness, and sustainable development."  Among this entity's tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for business and government decision-making, issuing patents and trademarks, and helping to set industrial standards.

Department of Defense
Secretary Robert M. Gates
The Department of Defense provides the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country. The department is headquartered at the Pentagon.

Department of Education
Secretary Margaret Spellings
In 1980, the U.S. Department of Education was created by bringing together offices from several other departments. Its original directive remains its mission today — to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation.

Department of Energy
Secretary Samuel W. Bodman
This department's overarching mission is to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States; to promote scientific and technological innovation in support of that mission; and to ensure the environmental cleanup of the national nuclear weapons complex.

Department of Health and Human Services
Secretary Michael O. Leavitt

HHS is our country's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.

Department of Homeland Security
Secretary Michael Chertoff
Established in 2002, DHS serves to mobilize and organize our nation to respond to natural disasters and secure the homeland from terrorist attacks.
Note: The current National Threat Advisory Level is Elevated, or Yellow.

Department of Housing and Urban Development
Acting Secretary Roy A. Bernardi
Mission: support community development and increased access to affordable housing and increase homeownership.  Owning one's home is a vital part of the America dream, and HUD's goal is to help make that attinable for every American.

Department of the Interior
Secretary Dirk Kempthorne
The Interior Department manages and conserves most federally owned land - about one fifth of the land in the United States - as well as water and underwater resources.  Their jurisdiction includes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the National Park Service, among others. 

Department of Justice
Attorney General Michael Mukasey
Headed by the chief law enforcement officer of the Federal government, DOJ enforces the laws of the counrty, ensures public safety against both foreign and domestic threats, ensures fair and impartial justice for all Americans and just punishment for those who break the law.

Department of Labor
Secretary Elaine Chao
The Department of Labor fosters and promotes the welfare of the job and employee seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States by improving working conditions, advancing opportunities for profitable employment, and protecting retirement and health care benefits. In carrying out this mission the department works to guarantee workers’ rights to safe and healthful working conditions, minimum hourly wage and overtime pay, freedom from employment discrimination, unemployment insurance, and other support.

Department of State
Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Overseeing and maintaining foreign affairs is the State Department's primary duty.  This is done by advancing U.S. objectives and interests in the world through developing and implementing the President's foreign policy.

Department of Transportation
Secretary Mary E. Peters
The Department of Transportation seeks to serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and in the future.

Department of the Treasury
Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr.

The mission of the Department of the Treasury is to promote the conditions for prosperity and stability in the United States and encourage prosperity and stability in the rest of the world.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Secretary Dr. James Peake
The Department of Veterans Affairs was established on March 15, 1989, succeeding the Veterans Administration. It is responsible for providing federal benefits to veterans and their dependents. The VA is the second largest of the fifteen Cabinet departments and operates nationwide programs for health care, financial assistance and burial benefits.

Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is made up military and civilian engineers, scientists and other specialists who work hand-in-hand as leaders in engineering and environmental matters. 

Postal Service
The United States Postal Service delivers mail to almost 138 million homes, businesses, and post office boxes. About 1.7 million new addresses are added each year. They handle more than 200 billion pieces of mail a year, or five pieces per address per day.

Citizenship and Immigration Services
This government entity is responsible for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and establishing immigration services policies and priorities.

Internal Revenue Service
The IRS is the nation's tax collection agency and administers the Internal Revenue Code enacted by Congress. In 2001, the IRS collected more than $2 trillion in revenue and processed nearly 228 million tax returns.

Social Security Administration
The SSA administers the United State's social security program.  Social security provides benefits to retired workers and their families and to the survivors of deceased workers, and benefits to disabled workers and their families. At the end of December 2000, there were 45.4 million Social Security recipients.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 
EEOC allows you to file claims against discrimination in the workplace.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
The FDIC preserves and promotes public confidence in the U.S. financial system by insuring deposits in banks and thrift institutions for at least $100,000, identifying, monitoring and addressing risks to the deposit insurance funds, and by limiting the effect on the economy and the financial system when a bank or thrift institution fails.

Federal Trade Commission
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers recognize, stop, and avoid them.

Federal Communications Commission
The FCC is an independent United States government agency, directly responsible to Congress and charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC's jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions. 

U.S. Courts
The federal courts often are called the guardians of the Constitution because their rulings protect rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution. Through fair and impartial judgments, the federal courts interpret and apply the law to resolve disputes.

Government Web Resources
A comprehensive list of links to the homepages of federal organizations, from the CIA and the Social Security Administration to the Department of Commerce and the White House.

FedWorld Information Network
A searchable database of federal government information.

Government Printing Office
Provides free, searchable electronic access to a wealth of important information published by the federal government. The information provided on this site is the official version of government documents. 

USA.gov
Whatever you want or need from the U.S. government, it's here on FirstGov.gov. You'll find a rich treasure of online information, services and resources.