Veronica Escobar — Democrat Candidate for U.S. House in Texas, 2026

Veronica Escobar voted against the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, citing concerns about codifying the misuse of the military for immigration enforcement. She introduced the Stop ICE Election Militarization Act to prevent federal agents from interfering with the electoral process through immigration enforcement. Escobar also co-sponsored the Dignity Act and supports the American Dream and Promise Act to create legal immigration pathways, including for DACA recipients, emphasizing a fair and humane approach to the immigration system.

“Our immigration system is broken and hasn’t been meaningfully updated in decades. That’s why I reintroduced a comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform bill known as the Dignity Act. Together with Congresswoman Maria Salazar and a group of our Democratic and Republican colleagues, we’re trying to address an issue Congress has ignored for so long." — Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, "I Reintroduced the Dignity Act - Here's Why", July 16, 2025.”

Veronica Escobar voted against the 2026 Republican Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill, citing concerns about privatizing veterans' medical care, VA workforce reductions, and limited abortion access for women veterans. She supported legislation to restore Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits, aiming to lower health insurance costs for millions, including El Paso residents. She also opposed cuts to addiction and mental health services funding and other government funding bills she stated would increase healthcare premiums.

““Republicans have controlled every lever of government for an entire year and instead of focusing on lowering costs for the American people, they have cut life-saving programs and supported policies that make life more expensive and difficult,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “It took the courage of four Republicans to join every single Democrat in forcing a vote to extend the ACA tax credits that help millions of Americans buy their health insurance. As Republicans ignore the concerns of Americans and focus on supporting their billionaire donors and every boondoggle Donald Trump pursues, Democrats remain clear-eyed about our priority of helping hard-working Americans. We will continue to do everything possible to make life more affordable for you.” — Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, January 8, 2026”

Representative Veronica Escobar supports climate action and a transition to clean energy, emphasizing the urgency of addressing climate change. She served on the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and helped secure investments through the Inflation Reduction Act. Escobar voted for the FY2026 government funding package, which allocated funds for clean water, energy efficiency, the EPA, electric grid infrastructure, and renewable energy projects. She also actively works to preserve natural resources like Castner Range.

“Climate change is real and we must act urgently to find solutions to this threat. I proudly served on the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and helped secure our nation’s largest investment in addressing climate change in history through the Inflation Reduction Act. I will continue to support our transition to a clean energy future and provide resources to both industry and everyday Americans to lower those costs. — Veronica Escobar, escobar.house.gov”

Veronica Escobar strongly supports abortion and reproductive rights, advocating for the freedom of individuals to make personal health decisions without political interference. She champions legislation such as the Women's Health Protection Act to enshrine abortion access into federal law and co-introduced the HHS Reproductive and Sexual Health Ombuds Act to combat misinformation. She also supports bills to protect travel for care, ensure abortion coverage through the EACH Act, and maintain federal funding for Planned Parenthood via the Restoring Essential Healthcare Act.

““The Women’s Health Protection Act ensures women across this country have the freedom to make their own decisions about their bodies and futures. On behalf of countless women across the country who live the painful consequences of the Dobbs decision, including infertility or having to face the loss of their own lives resulting from lack of access to care, I again join my Democratic colleagues in declaring that abortion is healthcare and calling for the Women’s Health Protection Act to be brought to the House floor with the urgency this moment requires,” said Rep. Escobar.“Republicans think they know better than women and their doctors. They’re wrong.” - Veronica Escobar, from https://escobar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1886”

Veronica Escobar voted against the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), citing concerns about potential misuse of the Department of Defense. However, she voted for a separate Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Defense funding bill to invest in Fort Bliss and increase servicemember pay. She prioritizes servicemembers, their families, national defense, and her El Paso community. She also opposed the DHS Funding Bill, raising concerns about its impact on U.S. citizens and the Department of Homeland Security.

“The annual National Defense Authorization Act has always been the product of serious bipartisan negotiation, leading to a bill that prioritizes our service members, their families, and our national defense. In determining how to vote on the final bill, I have always weighed a number of factors: the overall positive impact, the compromises needed for a solid bipartisan outcome, and any aspects of bad policy included in the bill. Fort Bliss, our military families, and my community of El Paso are my priorities. Today, I voted against the NDAA for the first time in my congressional career. [...] I don’t take a no vote lightly, particularly when a piece of legislation has the ability to do so much good. This legislation still contains some major wins for service members, families, and institutions like UTEP that I helped secure, but I refuse to be a part of a voting bloc that enables the Trump Administration to expand its abuse of our military, making it an arm of the Department of Homeland Security. Congress should not permit the misuse of the DOD, particularly when this administration has so blatantly shown its disregard for the rule of law." - Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, Statement on the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, December 10, 2025.”

Veronica Escobar supports increased federal funding for education and workforce development, emphasizing that high-quality education, from universal Pre-K to affordable college, is crucial for national success. She has committed to uplifting public schools, creating affordable higher education options, and expanding universal Pre-K. Escobar also voted for a Minibus Funding Bill, securing millions in federal funding for El Paso, and condemned actions to withhold $7 billion in education funding.

“High-quality education is our nation’s best path to success. From affordable college education to universal Pre-K, every dollar spent on expanding education to our nation’s students is an investment in our nation’s future." - Veronica Escobar, veronicaescobar.com/issues/”

Research pending more substantial sources.

“For 12 hours my Democratic colleagues and I submitted amendment after amendment to try and mitigate the damage of this bill - almost all were rejected by Republicans. We are left with a piece of legislation that enables VA workforce reductions, further limits access to abortion care for the women veterans in my state, and recklessly allows firearms to be accessed by those who pose a risk to themselves or others during their most vulnerable moments. Our troops and veterans are not a political football. I’m fighting alongside House Democrats to protect servicemembers, veterans, and their families so I cannot in good faith support this bill.” – Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, Statement on the Fiscal Year 2026 Republican Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill, June 25, 2025”