U.S. Representative — Texas's 31st District
John Carter
Republican · Texas
Republican U.S. Representative for Texas's 31st congressional district. Member of the 119th Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Legislative Record
Recently sponsored bills (50 on record)
- H.R.8469 — Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027, and for other purposes. (Introduced, Apr 23, 2026)
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027 This bill provides FY2027 appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and related agencies. The bill provides appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) for military… - H.R.7489 — Georgetown VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic Authorization Act of 2026 (Introduced, Feb 11, 2026)
- H.R.3944 — Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026 (Introduced, Jun 12, 2025)
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026 This bill provides FY2026 appropriations to several federal departments and agencies for activities and programs related to military construction, veterans, agriculture, and the legislative… - H.R.2360 — To permanently extend the exemption from the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirement for school bus drivers, and for other purposes. (Introduced, Mar 26, 2025)
This bill directs the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to permanently allow states to exempt school bus drivers from the “under-the-hood” testing requirement for a commercial driver's license (CDL). As background, on December 2, 2024, the FMCSA renewed an exemption through… - H.R.8580 — Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025 (Introduced, May 28, 2024)
- H.R.8041 — Driving Forward Act (Introduced, Apr 17, 2024)
- H.R.5184 — School Security Enhancement Act (Introduced, Aug 11, 2023)
Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards Act or the Affordable HOMES Act This bill rescinds Department of Energy (DOE) energy efficiency regulations applicable to manufactured housing and eliminates DOE’s authority to issue similar regulations. Specifically, the bill rescinds the DOE… - H.R.4366 — Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Signed into law, Jun 27, 2023)
Save Local Business Act This bill provides that a person may be considered a joint employer of the employees of another employer under federal labor law only if such person directly, actually, and immediately exercises significant control over the essential terms and conditions of employment. Such…
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 Nay 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 Yea 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 Nay 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 Nay on H.R.8800 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (Failed, Jul 22, 2026)
- Voted Aye on H.R.8800 — On Agreeing to the Amendment (Failed, Jul 22, 2026)
Recently cosponsored bills (12 on record)
- H.R.7932 — HONOR Gold Star Families Act (Introduced, Jul 20, 2026)
- H.R.9489 — GRACE for Military Survivors Act (Introduced, Jul 20, 2026)
- H.R.9743 — TRUTH in Coverage Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jul 16, 2026)
- H.R.9473 — Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Congressional Gold Medal Act (Introduced, Jun 25, 2026)
- H.R.8205 — Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Reauthorization Act of 2026 (Introduced, Jun 2, 2026)
- H.R.516 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the railroad track maintenance credit. (Introduced, May 12, 2026)
- H.R.8119 — HOPE with Fertility Services Act (Introduced, Apr 14, 2026)
- H.R.4700 — PRIME Act (Introduced, Jul 23, 2025)
Voting analysis
Three of the five bills displayed under John Carter's name are the same bill. Military construction and veterans affairs appropriations appears once for the coming fiscal year, once for the current one, and once folded into a larger package with agriculture and the legislative branch. He chairs that subcommittee, and a spending chair's filed record is mostly one annual document reissued.
Of the 50 most recent of those, 49 currently sit at Introduced.
The two that are not
A community outpatient clinic authorisation for veterans in Georgetown is the same subject at district scale — the retail end of what the subcommittee funds wholesale. The last is a permanent exemption for school bus drivers from the engine compartment portion of a pre-trip inspection test, which is the kind of provision that exists because someone brought a specific complaint to a specific office.
Sponsored bills carry the Congressional Research Service's own subject classification. John Carter's cluster into: Armed Forces and National Security (11), Immigration (6), Taxation (6), Crime and Law Enforcement (5), Education (5), Emergency Management (3).
Where he broke ranks
Six amendment votes, all lost. A rotorcraft safety measure he supported, which also lost. And a fuel retailing bill he opposed, which passed. For a member with a dozen terms behind him, the departures sit almost entirely on the working end of the process rather than on outcomes.
| Roll call | Date | Outcome | Their vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.R.8800 On Agreeing to the Amendment roll call 264 | Jul 21, 2026 | Failed | Aye (party: Nay) |
| H.R.8595 On Agreeing to the Amendment roll call 245 | Jul 15, 2026 | Failed | No (party: Yea) |
| H.R.8595 On Agreeing to the Amendment roll call 242 | Jul 15, 2026 | Failed | No (party: Yea) |
| H.R.1346 Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act On Passage · roll call 164 | May 13, 2026 | Passed | Nay (party: Yea) |
| H.R.7567 On Agreeing to the Amendment roll call 151 | Apr 30, 2026 | Failed | No (party: Yea) |
| S.2503 ROTOR Act On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass · roll call 72 | Feb 24, 2026 | Failed | Yea (party: Nay) |
| H.R.7148 On Agreeing to the Amendment roll call 44 | Jan 22, 2026 | Failed | No (party: Yea) |
| H.R.7148 On Agreeing to the Amendment roll call 43 | Jan 22, 2026 | Failed | No (party: Yea) |
Below the Texas Republicans
Texas fields two dozen House Republicans, and Carter breaks with the conference less often than that group does on average.
Among the 24 Republicans in the Texas delegation, the average rate of voting against the party majority is 6.0%. John Carter is below that average at 3.7%.
Tenure and attendance
Twelve terms, dating to the opening years of this century, place him deep inside the veteran band. He rarely misses a vote.
First elected in 2003, now serving across 12 terms. John Carter falls in the veteran cohort.
By the numbers
In the 119th Congress, John Carter has 143 bills sponsored, 2303 cosponsored, 100 recent floor votes recorded.
Committee assignments
- House Committee on Appropriations
- House Committee on Appropriations: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- House Committee on Appropriations: Defense
- House Committee on Appropriations: Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (Chair)
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