Chip Roy

In 2018, Roy ran for the United States House of Representatives in Texas's 21st congressional district to succeed Lamar Smith, who did not run for reelection. During the campaign, Politico likened him to Ted Cruz.[6] During the campaign, Roy said that President Donald Trump was doing a good job, citing as an example Trump's decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accords, and praising Trump for attacking "the swamp."[8][6]

Roy defeated Matt McCall in the Republican Party primary election, and faced Joseph Kopser in the general election.[9] Roy defeated Kopser 50%–48% in a closer-than-expected victory.[10]

Roy was reelected in 2020, defeating Democratic nominee Wendy Davis[11] by seven percentage points and winning eight of the district's ten counties.[12][13]

In May 2019, Roy was the only member of the U.S. House to raise procedural objections delaying unanimous consent for passage of a $19.1 billion disaster aid package for damage caused by Hurricane Harvey. The bill was stalled for 11 days before passing in June 2019 by a margin of 354–58, with Roy voting against it.[14] He received bipartisan criticism for his objection to the bill. He said he voted against it because it added to the national debt and did not include additional spending for federal operations along the U.S.-Mexico border.[15][16]

On June 28, 2019, in response to the humanitarian crisis involving migrant children at the southern border, Roy proposed legislation to amend the Antideficiency Act (ADA) to allow the United States Border Patrol to accept donations from people who want to help migrant children directly. The bill was filed after Border Patrol officials turned away people attempting to donate supplies such as diapers, toys, and hygiene items, saying they could not accept donations due to the ADA, which prevents the government from accepting "any donations other than what Congress has allocated to it."[17][Notes 1][18][19]

On December 18, 2019, Roy voted against both articles of impeachment against Trump. Of the 195 Republicans who voted, all voted against both impeachment articles.[20]

Roy was one of seven Republicans who did not support their colleagues' efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election on January 6, 2021. These seven signed a letter that, while giving credence to Trump's election fraud allegations, said Congress did not have the authority to influence the election's outcome.[21] On January 3, 2021, he objected to the seating of 67 incoming representatives, all from battleground states, saying, "it would confound basic human reason if the presidential results were to face objection while the congressional results of the same process escaped without public scrutiny."[22]

Roy is a member of the Freedom Caucus.[23]

In March 2020, Roy was one of 40 representatives to vote against a COVID-19 relief bill.[24] In July 2020, he blamed surging coronavirus cases in Southern Texas on "people coming across our border" from Mexico. At the time, the border with Mexico had been closed for all nonessential activity since March.[25] Roy argued that Texas was holding coronavirus numbers down; at the time, cases were surging in Texas.[25] Later that month, Roy said he would not isolate himself even though he had had a lengthy maskless interaction on the House floor with Representative Louie Gohmert, who tested positive for the virus.[26]

In May 2020, Roy said, "We need immune systems that are strong. We need immunity systems that can fight this", and "We need herd immunity." Asked whether acquiring such immunity would entail unnecessary deaths, he said that the countrywide lockdown and attendant delays in accessing cancer screenings or entering into addiction treatment, as well as mental health problems precipitated by unemployment, had increased indirect deaths and suffering.[27] He also said Maine's stay-at-home orders were reminiscent of the Nazis.[27] As of 5 January 2021, 28,219 COVID deaths and 1,843,153 COVID infections have been registered in Texas.

• Committee on Oversight and Reform
• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs

• Freedom Caucus[28]