About Me

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    U.S. Representative John R. Carter was re-elected in a landslide in November 2014 to his seventh term representing Texas' Thirty-First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Carter was selected as Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations and also to serve on the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee and Defense Subcommittee. This is also Congressman Carter's fourth term to serve as Co-Chairman of the bipartisan House Army Caucus. He has been a member of the House Appropriations Committee since 2004.

    Since his first election in 2002, Congressman Carter has established himself as a leader in Congress who has the foresight and courage to author and support numerous pieces of legislation that would increase the protection of U.S. citizens and bring justice to those who threaten our freedom and way of life.

    Congressman Carter is one of the few House Members who has authored legislation signed into law under both Presidents Bush and Obama. In spite of now being a veteran Congressman, John Carter is still known as "Judge" for having served over 20 years on the district court bench in Williamson County, which he won as the first county-wide elected Republican in Williamson County history. Before becoming a Judge, Congressman Carter had a successful private law practice and continued to practice law while serving as the Municipal Judge in Round Rock.

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    Congressman Carter's leadership ability has been recognized by his colleagues and others. During his first term, Congressman Carter was named one of the "Top Five Freshman" in Congress by Capitol Hill's leading newspaper.

    In July 2004, President Bush held a signing ceremony for Congressman Carter's Identity Theft bill at the White House. The law lessens the burden of proof making identity theft easier to prove and prosecute and also defines and creates punishment for aggravated identity theft.

    A true Texan at heart, Congressman Carter was born and raised in Houston and has spent his adult life in Central Texas. Carter attended Texas Tech University where he graduated with a degree in History and then graduated from the University of Texas Law School in 1969.Congressman Carter and his wife, Erika, met in Holland and have been happily married since June 15, 1968. Since then they have built a home and raised a family of four on Christian beliefs and strong Texas Values. Congressman Carter and Mrs. Carter are also a proud grandparents to six precious grandchildren.  

     

     

    To stay connected with Chairman Carter:

    Email - http://carter.house.gov/contact-john-nav
    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/judgecarter
    Twitter - https://twitter.com/JudgeCarter
    YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/RepJohnCarter 
    Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/repcarter/
    E-Newsletter - http://carter.congressnewsletter.net/mail/util.cfm?mailaction=profile 
    House Appropriations Committee - http://appropriations.house.gov/

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We Must Not Reward Terrorists by Gutting our Constitution

During their recent sit-in on the House floor, Democrats used obstructionist methods, fear, and chants of “No fly no buy” to try to strip the fundamental right of Americans to bear arms.  While the commitment to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists and criminals is shared across party lines, we must steer clear of catchy slogans that don’t address the real challenges we face to keep our nation safe.

“No fly no buy” is sound-bite politics at its worst.  House Democrats argue that if you’re on Uncle Sam’s Terrorist Screening Database, shouldn’t that be enough to prevent you from purchasing a firearm?  Sounds reasonable when you first hear it; but dig a bit and you’ll see that it’s a troubling policy.

The Terrorist Screening Database is a SECRET list compiled and administered solely by the Executive Branch.  The No Fly List, a subset of that database, is a list of known or suspected terrorists who are prohibited from flying to and from the United States and over U.S. airspace. 

But there are many innocent civilians on the Terrorist Screening Database.  Some have the misfortune of sharing the name of a known terrorist.  Others are on the list due to clerical and administrative errors. 

Yet House Democrats insist that if you’re on the Terrorist Screening Database that you shouldn’t be able to buy a firearm.  They want to use your mere presence on that list to revoke of your constitutional right to own a firearm. These people have not been charged or convicted of any crime.  While we should do all we can to prevent terrorists from obtaining firearms, we must allow for those merely on a list to have the right to due process.

As a retired judge, I know you can’t revoke a person’s rights without due process.  Protected by the Constitution, due process ensures fair treatment through the judicial system.  It’s critical to the stability of our laws and keeps Americans from becoming victims of tyranny. Our priorities must be the preservation and protection of our constitutional freedoms for all American citizens.  “No fly no buy” is not the answer.

We already have robust laws in place to stop the mentally ill, convicted felons, persons under indictment, persons under restraining orders, or any person on the terrorist no fly list from purchasing a firearm without law enforcement being alerted.  Existing laws also prohibit the sale of fully automatic assault and military grade rifles to the general public. 

When policies work within existing laws, due process is preserved.  When the Second Amendment is ignored through “no fly no buy,” due process is destroyed.

I will not let the terrorists win.  We must remain vigilant, we must remain relentless, and we must not fail in our pursuit to defeat terrorism.  Destroying our freedom is not winning; it is the epitome of letting the enemy win.   

Representative John Carter represents Texas District 31, which includes Fort Hood, the largest military installation in the free world. He serves as Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, is on the Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice and Science and the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. 

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    repName John Smith  
    helpWithFedAgencyAddress Haverhill District Office
    1234 S. Courthouse
    Haverhill, CA 35602    		  
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    academyUSCitizenDate July 1, 2012  
    academyAgeDate July 1, 2012  
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  • Office Locations Push

    Office Name Location Image Map URL
    Washington DC
     
    2110 Rayburn H.O.B.
    Washington, D.C. 20515
    (202) 225-3864
    		 http://goo.gl/ZwFDsc
    Round Rock Office
     
    1717 North IH 35
    Suite 303
    Round Rock, TX 78664
    (512) 246-1600
    		 http://goo.gl/maps/NNJtv
    Bell County Office
    6544B S. General Bruce Drive
    Temple, TX 76502
    Located next to the DPS office
    (254) 933-1392
    		 https://goo.gl/maps/fcvH3