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• Graduated from the United States Naval Academy (Annapolis)
• Retired U.S. Navy at the rank of Captain

• Graduated from Boston College Law School (Boston)
• Registered United States Patent Attorney able to practice in all states
• Teaches Law at a Catholic University Law School in San Antonio, Texas

• Graduated from The Catholic University of America with a Masters Degree in Congressional Studies (Washington, D.C.)
• Is now running to replace Ted Cruz as the next U.S. Senator from Texas

The border wall is a failed U.S. policy, and there are better ways to keep our southwest border intact and provide functional border control. Immigrants, including asylum seekers, migrants, and/or people who have had to move from their home countries due to climate change, insecurity in their country, or a simple aspiration to participate in the American dream should be treated in a more humane, ethical, and respectful way.

Steve has seen up close the heinous use of razor wire disguised in bushes along the U.S.-Mexico Border.

There were no caution signs alerting people to this horrible danger. The practice of putting giant dangerous buoys in the Rio Grande River is also dangerous. Both of these actions are illegal according to International Law. It is not acceptable to do whatever a state government wants on an international border that is within the jurisdiction of the federal government. Improvements to stop illegal entry, to rapidly sort out (and deport) those who do not qualify for legal entry, and increased funding for the federal agencies responsible for border control are the core actions I support.

Steve supports Law Enforcement, and use of extensive technology to protect our Border areas.

Steve strongly supports legislation to provide prompt citizenship for those people who are here under the DACA program (“Dreamers”).

 As your next U.S. Senator, I will also fight for changes to the immigration laws and rules. In my launch speech, I identified the following actions that can occur immediately to benefit all those involved:

• Surge resources for immigration processing of people seeking legal entry, starting with CBP One interview personnel;

• Improve oversight and funding of the Shelters and Service Program administered by FEMA to ensure border area communities (and inland destinations in the U.S.) are properly funded to handle arriving migrants;

• Expedite work authorization from six months to immediately for those entering legally;

• Reduce the backlog of immigration court hearings with more judges, staff and resources;

• Investigate asylum ruling disparities among immigration judges, which see some cities turning away the vast majority of asylum-seekers;

• Modernize the family visa system in which family members can be forced to wait over 20 years to be reunited depending on their country of origin;

• Update the Green Card Registry from 1972 to a more recent date in order to bring people into the workforce again as tax-paying, productive, legal members of society.

These actions can be done immediately. Additionally, Steve will promote Senate versions of House legislation concerning more comprehensive changes to improve and modernize the U.S. immigration laws and border control.

Every person has the right to body autonomy, without any interference by others. All patients should have access to competent physicians who are subject to patient confidentiality and who are loyal to that patient. Steve believes strongly that no one else should be involved with patient decisions regarding their bodies.

 It is my goal to introduce Federal legislation to indemnify physicians and staff who are prevented by State officials or other entities from fulfilling these medical duties to patients. 

Please also reference “Health Care For All” for further information.

Abortion health care, and all reproductive medical procedures, is health care. Steve's wife is a highly experienced doctor, and she is currently the director of a free health clinic. They have four adult daughters, and abortion health care is very important to him and his family.

Nothing and no one should get between patients and their doctors.

Mental Health is health care. Ever since Ronald Reagan defunded mental health in the 1980’s, states have struggled to finance their own mental health programs. Texas needs to provide readily accessible mental health as a preventative and therapeutic resource to all communities.

I believe this is best done through county and local facilities, with little or no state interference.

There must be better health care access for Veterans. Steve believes there should be more clinic access for Veterans so that they are not required to travel long distances for different types of care.

Steve will also be seeking to roll back prior legislation that allowed sizable co-pays for all prescription medications.

Steve supports expansion of Medicare and Medicaid. Also, the efforts by the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices with Medicare is exemplary and he will ensure that continues.

Dental health is health care. The number one impediment to military readiness, surprisingly, is poor dental health.

Our State and our Country have enough resources to provide strong dental health care to all our students through their college years as part of our health care system. This is a tremendous legacy that we can provide for all of our young citizens.

All federal health care funding should be delivered directly to appropriate hospitals and clinics to provide the care to their communities. This is designed to avoid improper and corrupt interference by State government or certain County officials.

The ultimate goal should be to provide as much health care as possible to the greatest number of people given our national resources. 

Steve has a plan to reduce the number of Health Care Deserts in Texas. This plan focuses on many of the current top health care procedures that require distant travel to receive that care.

Steve supports Unions. Unions in America have been instrumental in building and strengthening our country and will continue advancing these goals in the future.

As a teacher, I am a member of the Texas AFT (American Federation of Teachers), and I support my union brothers and sisters in education and across other parts of our economy.

There are many elements to national security that your United States Senator must fully understand. Steve believes that the overall national security of the United States is built upon economic security, health care security, digital security, and physical security.

We must have members of Congress who have first- hand knowledge of the operations of our military forces, as well as significant experience within the civilian national security infrastructure. My life experiences include both of those core competencies and have provided me with a clear understanding of how the National Security of the United States is actually achieved.

For example, Steve is a retired U.S. Navy Captain who has led and worked closely with thousands of military service members. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy (Annapolis) he served as a Submarine Officer during the height of the Cold War. Later, as a civilian, he was directly involved with confronting global terrorism over many years.

President Bill Clinton appointed me as a Special Advisor to the President’s Threat Reduction Advisory Committee responsible for assessing and countering nuclear threats to America. My presidential-level appointment was then re-affirmed by the Administration of President George W. Bush. I was continuing to work on those nuclear deterrent issues for the President up until the attacks of  9/11, at which time my prior experience as a senior submarine officer was required.

Steve brings these and other Security-related experiences to the U.S. Senate on Day 1.

The United States is a great country because of its people and the strength of its economy.  Steve's goal is to promote and strengthen our economy, and to ensure jobs are available to our citizens at all levels of industry and service.

I will be active in infrastructure planning, support, and growth. My credentials in the international trade arena are strong, well informed, and essential to this effort as your United States Senator.

Steve watches consumer prices very closely. He understands the Federal Reserve system very well. He believes in fairness towards workers, and high ethical standards for corporations.

As a teacher, he takes an active interest in the quality of and access to our education system. This is the essence of “People Power” and the continued success of our economy and Democracy.

I have personally seen the negative impact of international conflicts on economies of countries and regions. Therefore, I will do everything in my power to prevent conflicts, wars, and other events from disrupting the United States economy.

Human trafficking is a form of slavery, forced labor, and sexual exploitation. Attacking this problem is particularly critical in areas with large vulnerable immigrant populations and international travel hubs. However, it affects every State in the United States.

I will do everything in my power to support the Federal and State Governments in efforts to interdict, rescue, and provide recovery resources to all victims of these crimes. I will support law enforcement and our courts to ensure that perpetrators of these crimes face accountability with the highest possible penalties.

Steve supports a well-regulated militia and the right to safely and responsibly bear arms. However, that is not the situation that exists now in America. Rather, there is a dangerous chaos due to the false supremacy that has been built around the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Adjustments can be made that are acceptable to responsible gun owners and that maintain compliance with the Constitution. We must protect all citizens and re-establish a sense of community safety and well-being.

As a young naval officer I served as the primary bodyguard for the most senior admirals in our U.S. Navy, particularly when they traveled internationally. In that role as a protector I employed many of the best practices that are understood by experienced law enforcement officers. A key skill that I acquired was judgment in the use of force as well as judgment in focusing on protection of innocent civilians.

His real-life experience with weapons is a distinguishing attribute over other candidates, some of whom even boast or mouth off about all the guns they own. He believes that most gun owners are responsible gun owners. Also, responsible gun owners (across a wide range of political views) know that there are changes that can and should be made to make our communities safer regarding guns. Some progress has been made but more is needed. Here are some of his suggestions for additional actions.

Adopt Red Flag Laws: These laws protect communities from a gun owner who is temporarily unstable due to life events, such as mental or physical health issues or other problems. Red Flag Laws are properly designed to separate an unstable person from dangerous weapons, though usually with a chance to regain access to their weapons upon recovery of their health. If the State of Maine would have had a Red Flag Law in 2023 it could have saved the lives of many people from the recent tragic mass shooting there.

Get Weapons of War out of our communities: No responsible gun owner wants to be anywhere near an untrained and/or immature gun owner who is toting a high volume, high velocity weapon designed for armed combat. Indeed, even the operators of gun ranges are very uncomfortable around these people. Also, the presence of such weapons induces fear into regular unarmed civilians who are otherwise going peaceably about their business. Often these high powered weapons are being carried by folks who are young and/or troubled, or people who have irrational grievances. These are all dangerous combinations. Sadly, when such gun owners commit murder with these guns they often turn the weapons on themselves or die from wounds when refusing to surrender. A tragedy all around.

He will seek to close liability loopholes for the manufacturers of these types of weapons who distribute them for non-military use. These are highly dangerous articles that should be regulated appropriately by Congress. Age and training requirements should also be enacted for all gun owners at the point of sale of any weapons. “Gun show loopholes” should also be closed, as well as liability loopholes for those who sell guns without a Federal firearms license.

I strongly support all of the efforts of the organization known as Moms Demand Action. Their efforts provide valuable training to gun owners on the basics of protecting children and youth from improperly stored guns and ammo.

Numerous provisions of Federal law expressly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex/gender. Federal courts and agencies have correctly interpreted these prohibitions on sex discrimination to include discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex stereotypes. In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States held in Bostock v. Clayton County, 140 S. Ct. 1731 (2020) that the prohibition on employment discrimination because of sex under title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 inherently includes discrimination because of sexual orientation or transgender status.

Despite existing legal protections, individuals who are LGBTQI, or are perceived to be LGBTQI, continue to be subjected to a pattern of persistent, widespread, and pervasive discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation and gender identity by both private sector and Federal, State, and local government entities, including in employment, housing, and public accommodations, and in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance. This discrimination inflicts a range of harms, sometimes even including serious physical injury or death. An explicit and comprehensive national solution is needed to address this discrimination, including the full range of remedies available under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The right to an impartial jury of one’s peers and the right to jury service are fundamental to the free and democratic system of justice in the United States and are based in the Bill of Rights. There is, however, a long-documented history in the United States of attorneys discriminating against LGBTQ+ individuals, or those perceived to be LGBTQ+, in jury selection. Failure to bar peremptory challenges based on the actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of an individual not only erodes a fundamental right, duty, and obligation of being a citizen of the United States, but also unfairly creates a second class of citizenship for LGBTQ+ victims, witnesses, plaintiffs, and defendants.

There are many examples of ongoing discrimination despite laws that are already in effect. Therefore, in addition to my strong support for existing laws, I will also support Senate efforts to ensure equal protection to citizens in the LGBTQIA community through efforts similar to the Equality Act of 2021. These efforts must focus on prohibiting discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas including federal funding, employment, housing credit and the jury system, as well as public accommodations, facilities and education. Any such Bill should include federal Department of Justice enforcement authority.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was signed into law in 1965 by President Johnson, who believed that "full educational opportunity" should be "our first national goal." The ESEA was actually a civil rights law. I support that principle, and the federal laws that are in place to further that goal.

The ESEA offered new grants to districts serving rural and low-income students, federal grants for textbooks and library books, funding for special education centers, and scholarships for low-income college students. Additionally, the law provided federal grants to state educational agencies to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education.

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2002 represented a step forward for our nation’s children in many respects, particularly as it shined a light on where students were making progress and where they needed additional support, regardless of race, income, zip code, disability, home language, or background. However, that law had issues that led to a new approach.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015. This bipartisan measure revitalized the nation’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students. ESSA intended to create a better focus on the clear goal of fully preparing all students for success in college and careers.

Although most education policy is decided at the state and local levels, there are multiple areas of federal involvement. The ESEA has been amended and is still in effect. There have been numerous federal civil rights acts that affect education and students, as well as federal laws involving family education rights and privacy (FERPA). The rights of disabled students are also federally protected under various statutes, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

I support the various student debt relief efforts that the Department of Education has authority to allow. In addition, I believe there should be a new law that prevents valid student debt from being used to lower credit ratings of current or former students for a reasonable period of time after incurring that debt. I plan to sponsor such a proposal upon arrival in the U.S. Senate.

Man-made climate change is primarily driven by the oil and gas industry and related industries. The solutions proposed to date are inadequate to stop the extensive damage to our environment that is happening daily.

In order to address problems such as oil coming out of water wells and highly toxic “produced water” (dirty fracking-related water) lakes, Steves states that there is a need for a combined effort from the federal and state governments.  That effort must include thousands of new jobs focused on identifying and cleaning up the vast areas of Texas that are home to toxic waste sites.

The good news is that if we use the tremendous resources of Texas Colleges and Universities, combined with federal resources, then the collective effort with private industry will lead to a healthier environment. This will also result in a more vibrant oil and gas related economy- which Texas will need for some time.

Of course, Steve will actively support the ongoing efforts to increase wind and solar energy, as well as other alternative sources of power that do not cause serious environmental problems.

Several of the most critical issues facing the United States today in the area of foreign policy are:

1. Maintaining a world in which international trade continues unaffected by regional conflicts.

2. The global tectonic engagements of free Democratic nations with those countries that are fascist or otherwise anti-democratic and willing to attack and undermine the Democratic nations.

3. The high volume of migration that is occurring (for various reasons) around the world- and how to address the consequences of millions of people on the move.

4. Global climate change and the of collapse of environmental systems- often caused by man-made actions.

I am well versed in these areas and will thoughtfully represent the best interests of Texas and our country in the U.S. Senate on Day 1.

As an American citizen, Annapolis graduate and retired Navy Captain, Steve believes that we have a sacred obligation to care for our nation’s Veterans and their families.

We owe Veterans a debt we can never fully repay.

As noted by President Biden, supporting those who wear the uniform is a commitment that should unite all Americans – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.

I will work closely with state, county and municipal Veterans offices and organizations to ensure federal and moral accountability to our Veteran brothers, sisters and family members.

Upon entry into the U.S. Senate, Steve will be fighting to roll back excessive charges for co-pays of prescription pharmaceuticals. He will also seek greater access to medications for Veterans who are traveling away from their normal suppliers of those medications.

On Day 1 in the U.S. Senate, I will be focused on reducing Health Care Deserts for all Texans- including for Veterans. For example, I will be working with the Administration to identify improvements needed in many parts of Texas that will make it easier for Veterans to access healthcare in their communities.

He is also very concerned about the fragile lives that many Veterans live. The risk to Veterans of housing loss is great nationwide. This is why in August 2023 the VA issued $1 billion in funding to community organizations to help homeless and at-risk Veterans through rapid rehousing, transitional housing and case management, and to prevent housing loss.

I will be watching very closely over the adequacy and use of this funding and related services for unhoused Veterans- which is a very serious issue that can arise quickly for anyone.

The recent efforts by the Veterans Administration to expand eligibility for low- or no-cost health care to all living World War II Veterans is the right thing to do, as well as the VA now also covering health care costs associated with Parkinson’s disease under the Camp Lejeune Family Member Program. It is similarly important to ensure all toxic exposed Veterans get the health care they deserve, including accelerating the eligibility timeline for Veterans under the authorities granted by the PACT Act. Under this accelerated timeline, all remaining service members that are toxic exposed Veterans will be eligible to enroll in VA health care in early 2024.

I am pleased with the Biden Administrations efforts to protect Veterans and their families from predatory actors and scams. This includes the new Veteran Scam and Fraud Evasion (VSAFE) Initiative and Task Force to better protect Veterans and their families against these scams. The Task Force brings together leaders from VA, the Department of Education, Federal Trade Commission, Social Security Administration, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of State, and Department of Defense to kick off an all-hands effort to safeguard Veterans and their families.

He will continue to support the efforts to reduce Veteran suicide. The VA has provided no-cost life-saving care to more than 33,000 Veterans at risk of suicide since January 2023. The VA has awarded $105 million in grants for community-based organizations to deliver or coordinate suicide prevention programs and services for Veterans and their family members- and I will ensure that funding continues. And, since launching the 988 Veterans Crisis Line, the VA has fielded more than 1.1 million calls, texts, and chats to ensure access to confidential counseling to Veterans in crisis.  

Some of the many other Veteran-related programs and initiatives that he supports include:

• Improving Equity. Women are the fastest growing group of Veterans who use VA services, and the Administration is committed to addressing and providing resources for their specialized health care needs.

• To ensure that all LGBTQ+ Veterans can access the benefits they have earned, the Department of Defense announced it would proactively review and consider discharge upgrades for Veterans who were discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. I support those efforts and will monitor the progress in this area.

• VA is making it easier for Veterans to access and manage their benefits. Veterans are now able to receive notifications of claims decisions through a mobile application, receive Veteran benefit payments through automatic deposit, and submit their applications online. However, I believe that more training for online access must be made available to Veterans, along with up to date software and devices for their use.

• Advancing economic security for military and Veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors.  Enhancing career stability, expanding employment resources, and improving transition assistance support for military-connected spouses.

• Improving access to child and long-term care options through the VA system. As a goal, by the end of Fiscal Year 2024, each VA medical center will have begun to create self-directed care options through the Veteran Directed Care program. 

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