About Me

  • About Me

     

    U.S. Representative John R. Carter represents Texas' 31st Congressional District, which includes Williamson and Bell counties. Congressman Carter is the Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Appropriations and also to serves on the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee and Defense Subcommittee. This is 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 Presidents Bush, Obama and Trump. Less than 10% of members can claim this feat.  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.

    high-res photo link 

    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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Military Modernization Essential to National Security

In America, we are the land of the free because of the brave. Yet for too long, inadequate defense spending has failed our military, impeding their ability to deter, defend and preserve our way of life.

After eight long years of shortsighted defense spending policies, I’m glad that President Trump and Congress are working to reinvigorate support of our men and women in uniform.

While our enemies continue to rapidly develop advanced technology to thwart our ability to project power, our troops remain outgunned, outranged and undermanned. Without investments in modernization and long-term innovation efforts, we cannot expect to continue to masterfully dominate in the growing complexities of 21st-century combat and global affairs.

Sadly, the Obama administration’s response to this changing landscape was to slash the defense budget by nearly one quarter over the last half decade, all while our troops have remained in steady combat. No branch has felt the hit as hard as our Army, where the impacts of reduced resources are many.

As a representative of Fort Hood and co-chair of the House Army Caucus, it is my top priority to ensure our Army receives what they need to maintain its position as the world’s ultimate fighting force.

We can no longer stand to cut defense resources. It is time to build.

Congress is turning the tide. The House Armed Services Committee, led by fellow Texan Mac Thornberry, recently released the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, which takes significant strides in returning our military back onto a trajectory for present and future readiness.

This bill authorizes a large troop increase and funding for defense at $695.9 billion, including a $28.5 billion increase for essential readiness recovery above the president’s robust budget request. The defense act also cares for our soldiers and their families, funding a 2.4 percent pay increase for our troops and safeguarding health care benefits. With this bill, we’re taking steps in the right direction.

While the strength of our Army comes from our soldiers, not high-tech equipment, we cannot risk sending soldiers into harm’s way without the resources they need to keep us safe.

Earlier this year I introduced a resolution encouraging the Army to expedite efforts to procure and field the next generation of ground combat vehicles. I’m proud to see this language has made it into the defense act. The longer we wait to modernize, the longer our soldiers cannot provide adequate deterrence. We must rebuild from the readiness crisis.

While important steps have been taken in this year’s defense act to recover from the damage inflicted by the previous administration, readiness will require steady, predictable funding over time, and we must continue to advocate for our soldiers. We must continue to fight for those who so selflessly fight for us.

To Central Texans, these men and women are more than just soldiers, they are our family, friends and neighbors. Texans look out for one other, and we must continue to look out for the needs of our troops both at Fort Hood and around the world. The men and women of our military serve our country at the highest standard of commitment, honor, and integrity. It is high time they received the same in return.

Rep. John Carter represents Texas District 31, which includes Fort Hood, the largest active duty armored military installation in the free world. He serves as Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, co-chairman of the Congressional Army Caucus, is on the Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice and Science and the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

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    1234 S. Courthouse
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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