U.S. Representative — Texas's 28th District
Henry Cuellar
Democrat · Texas
Democrat U.S. Representative for Texas's 28th congressional district. Member of the 119th Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Legislative Record
Recently sponsored bills (50 on record)
- H.R.7865 — American Consumer Tariff Rebate Act of 2026 (Introduced, Mar 9, 2026)
- H.R.1297 — LPOE Modernization Trust Fund Act (Introduced, Feb 13, 2025)
LPOE Modernization Trust Fund Act This bill establishes the Land Port of Entry Modernization Trust Fund and addresses other issues related to U.S. ports of entry. The bill transfers specified amounts, including a portion of certain collected customs fees, to the trust fund each year. It also… - H.R.9006 — Hazardous Workplace Accountability Act of 2024 (Introduced, Jul 11, 2024)
- H.R.6377 — ARCC Act (Introduced, Nov 13, 2023)
- H.R.6240 — To modify a certain commercial zone in Texas to include Zapata County, and for other purposes. (Introduced, Nov 6, 2023)
Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act of 2025 This bill temporarily allows additional hospitals to qualify as critical access hospitals (CAHs) that receive special payment under Medicare. Currently, in order to qualify as a CAH under Medicare, a hospital must either (1) be located more than 35 miles (or… - H.R.6183 — Office of Colonias and Farmworker Initiatives Establishment Act of 2023 (Introduced, Nov 2, 2023)
- H.R.4540 — Water Infrastructure Enhancement Act of 2023 (Introduced, Jul 11, 2023)
- H.R.3569 — Starr–Camargo Bridge Expansion Act (Reported, May 22, 2023)
Recent floor votes (100 on record)
- Voted Yea on H.R.8884 — Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act (Passed, Jul 23, 2026)
- Voted Yea on H.Con.Res.89 — Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran (Passed, Jul 23, 2026)
- Voted Nay on H.Con.Res.113 — Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2027 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2028 through 2036 (Passed, Jul 22, 2026)
- Voted Yea on H.R.7008 — Stop Insider Trading Act (Passed, Jul 22, 2026)
- Voted Yea on H.R.7008 — Stop Insider Trading Act (Failed, Jul 22, 2026)
- Voted Yea on H.R.8800 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (Passed, Jul 22, 2026)
- Voted Yea on H.R.8800 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (Failed, Jul 22, 2026)
- Voted No on H.R.8800 — On Agreeing to the Amendment (Failed, Jul 22, 2026)
Recently cosponsored bills (12 on record)
- H.R.8990 — Protect Domestic Oil and Gas Small Business Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jul 27, 2026)
- H.R.9904 — Deputy Darren Almendarez Act (Introduced, Jul 23, 2026)
- H.R.9535 — Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jul 23, 2026)
- H.R.5563 — DRIVE-SAFE Act (Introduced, Jul 20, 2026)
- H.R.8842 — FAST Act (Introduced, May 15, 2026)
- H.R.1787 — Roberto Clemente Commemorative Coin Act (Introduced, May 12, 2026)
- H.R.6992 — EB–5 Regional Center Program Advisory Committee Authorization Act (Introduced, May 11, 2026)
- H.R.4749 — Texas Flood Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2025 (Introduced, Jul 23, 2025)
Voting analysis
Henry Cuellar breaks with House Democrats more often than any other member of the caucus. Where most cross-party voting is episodic, his is structural: on the measures where a Democratic majority formed, he lands with Republicans at a rate no colleague matches.
Where he crosses
The direction is consistent. He voted for the annual defense authorization when most Democrats opposed it, supported the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act on final passage against the caucus position, and backed the Stop Insider Trading Act on the same terms. These are not procedural stray votes; they are final-passage decisions on contested bills.
| Roll call | Date | Outcome | Their vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.R.8884 Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act On Passage · roll call 283 | Jul 23, 2026 | Passed | Yea (party: Nay) |
| H.R.7008 Stop Insider Trading Act On Passage · roll call 280 | Jul 22, 2026 | Passed | Yea (party: Nay) |
| H.R.8800 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 On Passage · roll call 278 | Jul 22, 2026 | Passed | Yea (party: Nay) |
| H.R.8800 On Agreeing to the Amendment roll call 273 | Jul 22, 2026 | Agreed to | Aye (party: Nay) |
| H.R.9770 Making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2027, and for other purposes On Passage · roll call 272 | Jul 21, 2026 | Passed | Yea (party: Nay) |
| H.R.6955 Main Street Act On Passage · roll call 271 | Jul 21, 2026 | Passed | Yea (party: Nay) |
| H.R.8800 On Agreeing to the Amendment roll call 268 | Jul 21, 2026 | Agreed to | Aye (party: Nay) |
| H.R.8800 On Agreeing to the Amendment roll call 267 | Jul 21, 2026 | Agreed to | Aye (party: Nay) |
| H.R.8800 On Agreeing to the Amendment roll call 265 | Jul 21, 2026 | Agreed to | Aye (party: Nay) |
| H.R.8800 On Agreeing to the Amendment roll call 262 | Jul 21, 2026 | Failed | Aye (party: Nay) |
An outlier in a large delegation
Texas sends one of the largest Democratic delegations in the House, which makes the comparison unusually well populated. Cuellar's rate of departure is several times the average of his state party colleagues — this is not a delegation that votes as he does.
Among the 13 Democrats in the Texas delegation, the average rate of voting against the party majority is 7.1%. Henry Cuellar is above that average at 27.8%.
What he legislates on
His sponsored bills cluster around the machinery of government, with immigration the second-largest area — unsurprising for a member whose district runs along the border — followed by international affairs and labor. He is also a notably heavy cosponsor, attaching his name to a volume of colleagues' bills far exceeding his own output.
Sponsored bills carry the Congressional Research Service's own subject classification. Henry Cuellar's cluster into: Government Operations and Politics (10), Immigration (8), International Affairs (6), Labor and Employment (4), Crime and Law Enforcement (3), Public Lands and Natural Resources (3).
Unlike most members, several of his sponsored bills have been signed into law rather than dying in committee, which is the ordinary fate of legislation in either chamber.
Of the 50 most recent of those, 43 currently sit at Introduced.
Tenure and attendance
Cuellar has served since the middle of the last decade and counts among the chamber's veterans, with no change of party affiliation while in office. His attendance is close to the middle of the House.
First elected in 2005, now serving across 11 terms. Henry Cuellar falls in the veteran cohort.
By the numbers
In the 119th Congress, Henry Cuellar has 123 bills sponsored, 2499 cosponsored, 100 recent floor votes recorded.
Committee assignments
- House Committee on Appropriations
- House Committee on Appropriations: Defense
- House Committee on Appropriations: Homeland Security (Ranking Member)
- House Committee on Appropriations: Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
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