Biography

Biography of Congressman Michael T. McCaul
112th Congress
Updated January 5, 2011

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

Known for his unwavering commitment to national security and restoring trust in government, Congressman McCaul has been a tireless champion of the causes that his constituents care most about.

HOMELAND SECURITY
Congressman McCaul has spent six years as a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security.  He currently serves as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Management. The subcommittee has oversight jurisdiction of all Department of Homeland Security operations.  Rep. McCaul plans to hold hearings and investigate the major aspects of the DHS to identify waste, fraud and abuse, as well as any gaps and unnecessary redundancies in operations including border security, intelligence gathering and risk assessment, air travel and cybersecurity.

“Our first responsibility is to ensure all operations are functioning at a high level to secure the border and prevent terrorist attacks,” said Rep. McCaul.  “Scrutinizing every dollar we spend will help to ensure both fiscal and operational effectiveness.”
During the 110th Congress, Congressman McCaul served as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence where he was charged with assessing classified intelligence that determines the risk of a terrorist attack.  Previously, Rep. McCaul authored the report “A Line in the Sand: Confronting the Threat at the Southwest Border”, which exposed the increasing threat of Mexican drug cartel violence and the potential to smuggle weapons of mass destruction across the US-Mexico border.
Also serving on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Congressman McCaul works with other nations to open new markets and protect America's interests abroad. In 2005, Congressman McCaul was named Vice Chairman of the U.S.-Mexico Inter-Parliamentary Group (I.P.G.) by then Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL). Every year the Group meets to discuss issues and events involving the two nations. These meetings give both American and Mexican lawmakers the opportunity to address the challenges facing our two countries.

WASHINGTON REFORMER
Congressman McCaul has a strong track record as a leading fiscal conservative in the Congress.  He never forgets that every dollar the Congress appropriates is the People’s money, not the government’s.  As such, Congressman McCaul has fought against the failed $787 billion stimulus, the $700 billion bailout, and the Cap and Trade national energy tax. In addition to his conservative voting record, Congressman McCaul led the charge against earmarks which was adopted as the official policy of the House of Representatives during the 112^th Congress.

In recognition of his pro-growth, pro-jobs voting record, Congressman McCaul has been awarded the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Spirit of Enterprise Award each year he has served.  Congressman Michael McCaul's stand against unprecedented government expansion and out of control spending has also been recognized by the American Conservative Union, which presented McCaul its coveted ACU Ratings Award. 

HIGH TECH LEADERSHIP
With many NASA employees, universities and high tech companies in the 10th District, Congressman McCaul's service on the Committee on Science and Technology provides him the ability to enhance Texas' role as a global leader in technology.

In addition to his service on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, Congressman McCaul is also co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional High Tech Caucus and the Cybersecurity Caucus.  In 2008, Rep. McCaul co-chaired the Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency which, along with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), developed and presented recommendations to President Obama to secure cyberspace and protect our national interests. 

The Information Technology Industry Council awarded Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX 10) its coveted Legislator of the Year Award for 2009 for his support of congressional policies that benefit American technology companies.  TechNet, the bipartisan political network of CEOs that promotes the growth of the innovation economy, also awarded Congressman McCaul its annual Founders Circle Award, one of four members of Congress recognized by the organization for their outstanding leadership to champion the nation’s innovation economy.

COMMITTEES AND CAUCUSES
Congressman McCaul is a member of the House Committees on Homeland Security, Foreign Affairs, Science, Space and Technology, Ethics.  He is also founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional High Technology Caucus, Congressional Cyber Security Caucus, and the Childhood Cancer Caucus.

PERSONAL
Prior to coming to Congress, Michael McCaul served as Chief of Counter Terrorism and National Security in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Texas, and led the Joint Terrorism Task Force charged with detecting, deterring and preventing terrorist activity. Congressman 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, D.C.
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.