Michael McCaul
Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Preceded byGregory Meeks
Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
In office
January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2023
Preceded byEliot Engel
Succeeded byGregory Meeks
Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee
In office
January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2019
Preceded byPeter King
Succeeded byBennie Thompson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 10th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2005
Preceded byLloyd Doggett
Personal details
Born
Michael Thomas McCaul

(1962-01-14) January 14, 1962
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseLinda Mays
Children5
EducationTrinity University (BA)
St. Mary's University, Texas (JD)
WebsiteHouse website

Michael Thomas McCaul Sr. (born January 14, 1962) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Texas's 10th congressional district since 2005. A member of the Republican Party, he chaired the House Committee on Homeland Security during the 113th, 114th, and 115th Congresses. His district stretches from Austin to Houston.

McCaul became the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the 118th Congress in 2023.

Born in Dallas, the son of Frances Jane (Lott) and James Addington McCaul, Jr., McCaul has English, Irish, and German ancestry.[1] He graduated from Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas and earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from San Antonio's Trinity University in 1984 and a Juris Doctor from St. Mary's University three years later. McCaul also completed a Senior Executive Fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School.[2][3]

McCaul worked as an attorney and federal prosecutor before entering politics. He was the Chief of Counterterrorism and National Security for Texas's branch of the US Attorney's office, and also worked under the Department of Justice's Public Integrity Section. After he left, McCaul took a position as a Deputy Attorney General in 1999 with the Texas Attorney General's Office and served in this capacity until 2002.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

McCaul first ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004 and won a crowded Republican primary in the newly created 10th District. The district, which included part of Austin, the western part of Harris County and several rural counties in between, was thought to be so heavily Republican that no Democratic candidate even filed, effectively handing him the seat.

In 2006 he defeated Democratic nominee Ted Ankrum and former Libertarian presidential candidate Michael Badnarik with 55% of the vote. McCaul was reelected again in 2008, against Democratic candidate Larry Joe Doherty and Libertarian candidate Matt Finkel,[4] 54% to 43%.

Four years later, he was reelected to a fourth term with 76% of the vote against Ankrum (22%) and Libertarian candidate Jeremiah "JP" Perkins (1%). McCaul won a seventh term in 2016 with 179,221 votes (57.3%) to Democratic nominee Tawana W. Cadien's 120,170 (38.4%). Libertarian Bill Kelsey received 13,209 (4.2%).[5]

In 2018, McCaul won an eighth term in the House with 157,166 votes (51.1%) to Democratic nominee Mike Siegel's 144,034 (46.8%) and Libertarian Mike Ryan's 6,627 votes (2.5%). It was the closest race of McCaul's career.[6]

He was elected to a ninth term in 2020, defeating Siegel again.[7]

Political positions

Cybersecurity

Congressman McCaul addressing cybersecurity at Rice University

On December 11, 2013, McCaul introduced legislation to require the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct cybersecurity activities on behalf of the federal government and codify DHS's role in preventing and responding to cybersecurity incidents involving the information technology (IT) systems of federal civilian agencies and critical infrastructure in the U.S.[8][9] McCaul said the bill was "an important step toward addressing the cyber threat."[10]

Donald Trump

On December 18, 2019, McCaul voted against both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Of the 195 Republicans who voted, all voted against both impeachment articles.

Congressman McCaul led House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security to visit ISAF Headquarters

Foreign affairs

McCaul chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee.[11]

In April 2019, McCaul spoke out against a resolution that would end U.S. involvement in the Yemeni Civil War, saying it would "disrupt US security cooperation agreements with more than 100 countries."[12]

In 2021, McCaul strongly supported President Joe Biden's airstrikes on Iranian targets in Syria.[13]

McCaul said he supports heavily arming Ukraine with the weapons they need to win the Russo-Ukrainian War.[14] He believes the United States should send fighter jets and more missiles to Ukraine.[15] In February 2023, McCaul met the President of Ukraine in Kyiv and advocated for the United States to send more military aid to Ukraine, especially ATACMS.[11]

In April 2023, during a meeting with Taiwanese officials, McCaul compared Chinese President Xi Jinping to Hitler.[16]

Immigration

McCaul supported President Donald Trump's proposals to build a wall along the Mexico–United States border.[17] He supports the Remain in Mexico policy.[18]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Personal life

McCaul is married to Linda Mays McCaul, the daughter of Clear Channel Communications founder and former chairman Lowry Mays and sister of its former CEO Mark Mays. In 2011, Roll Call named McCaul as one of the wealthiest members of the United States Congress, surpassing then U.S. Senator John Kerry. His net worth was estimated at $294 million, about 300% higher than it was in the previous year ($74 million).[23] In 2004, the same publication estimated his net worth at $12 million. His wealth increase was due to large monetary transfers from his wife's family.[24]

McCaul and his family live in West Lake Hills, Texas, a wealthy suburb of Austin, Texas.[25]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "michael mccaul". RootsWeb.com. Ancestry. September 22, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul '80 Named Jesuit Dallas Distinguished Alumnus". Jesuit Dallas News. October 16, 2014. Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  3. ↑ "U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul '80 Named Jesuit Dallas Distinguished Alumnus". jesuitdallas.org. Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas. October 15, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  4. ↑ "State of Texas 2008 General Election Returns". Texas Secretary of State. November 5, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Election Results". Texas Secretary of State. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Michael McCaul". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  7. ↑ "Texas Election Results: 10th Congressional District (2020)". The New York Times. November 29, 2020.
  8. ↑ "CBO – H.R. 3696" (PDF). Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  9. ↑ "H.R. 3696 – Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  10. ↑ Waddell, Melanie (July 29, 2014). "House Panel Passes Cybersecurity Bills". ThinkAdvisor.com. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  11. 1 2 Laco, Kelly (February 21, 2023). "House Foreign Affairs Chair McCaul leads GOP delegation to Kyiv". Fox News. Retrieved February 21, 2023. Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul traveled to Kyiv Tuesday with a congressional delegation to see 'first-hand' what is happening on the ground in Ukraine and conduct oversight to gain better insight on the Russia-Ukraine war. 'It's good President Biden visited Ukraine, but a photo op isn't enough,' said McCaul. 'He needs to get Ukraine the weapons they need to win now, especially ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System), instead of slow-rolling them.'
  12. ↑ George, Susannah (April 4, 2019). "House votes to end support for Yemen war; Trump expected to veto". The Times of Israel. Associated Press. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  13. ↑ Keene, Houston (February 26, 2021). "Biden's Syria airstrike earns applause from prominent Republicans". Fox News.
  14. ↑ Herridge, Catherine; Kazarian, Grace (December 9, 2022). "Incoming House Foreign Affairs chairman favors heavily arming Ukraine '100%'". CBS News. Retrieved December 10, 2022. I think going with the amount of investment we've had is very small relative to destroying the Russian military," he told CBS News in an interview Friday. "And that's what we've done without one American soldier being attacked, killed or in country. To me, that's a pretty good investment." Asked if he would favor more heavily arming the Ukrainians to bring the war to a faster conclusion, McCaul responded, "100% because the longer you drag this out, the more bloodshed."
  15. ↑ Mueller, Julia (February 19, 2023). "Top GOP lawmaker urges US to send fighter jets, missiles to Ukraine". The Hill. Retrieved February 21, 2023. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) on Sunday said he's hopeful the U.S. will send more missiles and move to supply fighter jets to Kyiv as Russia's war with Ukraine approaches its one-year mark.
  16. ↑ "US Lawmaker Compares Xi to Hitler in Meeting With Taiwan’s VP" Bloomberg News. April 6, 2023. Accessed 15 April 2023.
  17. ↑ McCaul, Michael (December 2, 2016). "Rep. McCaul: Yes, We Will Build a Wall, Put Mexico on a "Payment Plan" and Enforce the Law". Fox News. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  18. ↑ Fox, Lauren; Alvarez, Priscilla (April 27, 2022). "Republican lawmakers slam Homeland Security secretary over the border". CNN. Retrieved December 10, 2022. McCaul cited the "remain in Mexico" policy, a program launched under the Trump administration that required non-Mexican migrants to stay in Mexico until their US immigration court date. "Don't rescind what was working," he said.
  19. ↑ "Committees and Caucuses". Congressman Michael McCaul. December 13, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Our Members". U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Kinzinger, Republican Governance Group Members Call on President Biden to Reject Partisan Efforts and Advance Bipartisan COVID Relief". Congressman Adam Kinzinger. February 3, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  23. ↑ "The 50 Richest Members of Congress (2011)". Roll Call. 2011. Archived from the original on September 17, 2011.
  24. ↑ Yachnin, Jennifer (August 18, 2011). "McCaul Leaps to Top of 50 Richest Members of Congress : Roll Call News". Roll Call.
  25. ↑ Oppel, Rich (September 26, 2018). "Meet the Texas Republican Going After the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairmanship (2018)". Texas Monthly.
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