Henry Cuellar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Cuellar
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2017
|
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 28th district |
|
| Assumed office January 3, 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Ciro Rodriguez |
| 102nd Secretary of State of Texas | |
| In office January 2, 2001 – October 5, 2001 |
|
| Governor | Rick Perry |
| Preceded by | Elton Bomer |
| Succeeded by | Geoff Connor (acting) |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives | |
| In office January 13, 1987 – January 2, 2001 |
|
| Preceded by | W. N. Hall |
| Succeeded by | Richard Raymond |
| Constituency | 43rd district (1987–1993) 42nd district (1993–2001) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Enrique Roberto Cuellar
September 19, 1955 Laredo, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Imelda Cuellar |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Laredo College (AA) Georgetown University (BS) University of Texas, Austin (JD, PhD) Texas A&M International University (MA) Naval War College (MS) |
| Website | |
Enrique Roberto "Henry" Cuellar (born September 19, 1955) is an American politician and lawyer. Since 2005, he has been a U.S. representative for Texas's 28th congressional district. His district stretches from the Rio Grande river to the suburbs of San Antonio. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Before joining Congress, Cuellar was a member of the Texas House of Representatives for 14 years, from 1987 to 2001. He also served as the Texas Secretary of State in 2001.
Cuellar is known as a moderate or conservative Democrat. He first won his seat in Congress in 2004. Since then, he has won every election, sometimes facing close races in the primary elections, which decide who will be the party's main candidate.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Henry Cuellar was born in Laredo, Texas. His parents were Mexican-American. His father, Martin, was born in Mexico and moved to the United States. His mother, Odilia, was born in Texas.
Cuellar has earned many college degrees. After high school, he received degrees from:
- Laredo College
- Georgetown University
- Texas A&M International University
- University of Texas at Austin (where he earned a law degree and a Ph.D.)
- Naval War College
Career Before Congress
In 1981, Cuellar started his own law firm in Laredo. He also worked as a professor at Texas A&M International University, where he taught about international trade law.
Texas House of Representatives
From 1987 to 2001, Cuellar was a member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing the Laredo area. He worked on important committees that handled the state's money, higher education, and scheduling laws.
Texas Secretary of State
In 2001, Governor Rick Perry chose Cuellar to be the Secretary of State of Texas. The Secretary of State is one of the top officials in the state government. Cuellar was the last Democrat to hold a statewide office in Texas.
U.S. House of Representatives
.jpg)
Elections
Cuellar first ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002 but lost. In 2004, he ran again in a different district and won a very close primary election by only 58 votes. Because the 28th district was strongly Democratic, he easily won the main election in November.
Since then, Cuellar has been reelected many times. He has often won without a challenger from the Republican party. In recent years, he has faced tough competition in the Democratic primary elections.
- In 2020, he won a close primary against a more progressive challenger, Jessica Cisneros.
- In 2022, he faced Cisneros again. The race was so close that it required a recount, but Cuellar won by 289 votes.
- In 2024, Cuellar won the closest general election of his career, defeating Republican Jay Furman.
What He Does in Congress
As a representative, Cuellar serves on important committees. For the 119th Congress, he is on the Committee on Appropriations. This committee decides how the U.S. government spends its money. He is on subcommittees that focus on:
- Defense
- Homeland Security
- Military Construction and Veterans Affairs
He is also a member of several groups in Congress, called caucuses, including:
- Blue Dog Coalition (a group of fiscally-conservative Democrats)
- New Democrat Coalition
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Political Views
Cuellar is considered a "moderate centrist" Democrat. This means his views are often in the middle of the political spectrum. During the Trump administration, he voted with his party about 88% of the time. As of August 2023, he had voted with President Joe Biden's position 96% of the time.
Working with Both Parties
Cuellar is known for working with both Democrats and Republicans. In 2021, he was ranked as one of the most bipartisan members of the House. He was one of nine moderate Democrats who helped pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This major law provided $1.2 trillion for roads, bridges, and other projects across the country.
Funding for His District
Using his position on the Appropriations Committee, Cuellar has brought a lot of federal money to his district for local projects. This is sometimes called "earmarking." For example, he helped get funding for a new health clinic for veterans in Laredo. In 2020, he secured $1.2 million to help his community fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Immigration
Cuellar has been very involved in issues about the U.S.-Mexico border. He has opposed building a large border fence, calling it an old solution to a modern problem. He believes it is important to remember the strong economic ties between the U.S. and Mexico.
He has also supported laws to increase security at the border and to punish immigrants who re-enter the U.S. after being deported.
Foreign Policy
Cuellar supports the U.S. providing aid to Ukraine after it was invaded by Russia. He also voted to give support to Israel after the October 7 attacks.
San Antonio to Monterrey Train
Cuellar is a major supporter of a proposed passenger train that would connect San Antonio, Texas, to Monterrey, Mexico. He believes the train would take only two hours and would help the economies of both cities. He has worked with officials in both the U.S. and Mexico to study the idea.
Personal Life
Cuellar is one of eight children. His father was a migrant worker who came to the U.S. from Mexico. His brother, Martin, is the sheriff of Webb County, and his sister, Rosie, is a judge.
Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, have two daughters. He is Roman Catholic. In 2014, he had the honor of playing the part of George Washington in Laredo's annual celebration of Washington's birthday.
In October 2023, Cuellar was carjacked at gunpoint outside his apartment in Washington, D.C.. The robbers stole his car and luggage, but police recovered everything a few hours later. Cuellar was not hurt.
See also
