Outspoken U.S. Republican Rep. Lance Gooden has been making waves since joining Congress in 2019.
Gooden’s 5th Congressional District in Texas includes parts of Dallas and Dallas County, and he’s been using a ‘megaphone’ to represent its more than 650,000 residents.
The former state legislator, 40, has made headlines in recent weeks for his work on the debt ceiling, border issues, and artificial intelligence. He endorsed former President Donald Trump for president in 2024 and criticized a California congresswoman for her ties to China.
The debt ceiling bill passed the House and Senate in June and was signed by President Joe Biden, who avoided a last-minute default.
“I voted no on the Biden Debt Deal. Here’s why: A vote in favor of this debt ceiling increase would have been a vote for bigger government, higher taxes, and lower accountability,” Gooden wrote in an op-ed published by TexasInsider.com.
Gooden cited a short-term spending freeze, weak work requirements for social programs, expansion of the IRS, and no border security measures as some of his reasons for opposition to the bill.
“I’m disappointed in the cheerleading that I witnessed from my Republican colleagues in support of this bad bill, and I could not in good conscious come home and defend a yes vote,” Gooden said.
Gooden has been proactive on border issues. On Monday, he proposed a bill to require DNA testing for children accompanying an illegal border crosser. He said it would cut down on human trafficking of children, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
“Every child deserves protection, particularly those most vulnerable,” Gooden told The Dallas Express. “The exploitation of underage aliens by human traffickers is one of the most sickening results of the border crisis. This legislation will ensure that young children are no longer viewed as ‘skip the line’ tickets by cartel members.”
In an interview with Fox News, Gooden expressed concern about the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence as more companies move to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and reliance on AI grows. More than a thousand business leaders wrote an open letter to Congress, urging a six-month pause on AI initiatives.
“This is something that is going to sneak up on us, and we’ll get to the point where we’re in too deep to really make meaningful changes before it’s too late,” Gooden told Fox News Digital.
In April, Gooden endorsed Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. That was before Trump was arraigned on a 37-count indictment for alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Trump hosted Gooden and his family, including his wife, Alexa, at his Mar-a-Lago resort in May. Gooden announced his support for Trump on the same day in April that he met with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Washington. DeSantis went to the capital to gauge support before announcing his presidential run in May.
“While DeSantis’ day may come, it is not today,” Gooden told the Daily Mail.
Gooden was involved in a spat with U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) and Democrats earlier this year. Gooden questioned her loyalty to the country.
“I question her either loyalty or competence,” Gooden said. “If she doesn’t realize what’s going on, then she’s totally out of touch with one of her core constituencies.”
Chu, a Chinese American, said his comments were “xenophobic.”
“Democrat @RepJudyChu: Voted AGAINST committee to investigate China. Named ‘Honorary Chairwoman’ of CCP front group. It’s not ‘xenophobic’ to question where her loyalty lies,” Gooden wrote on Twitter.
Gooden has been working on issues large and small in his congressional district. He just introduced a bill to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Plano after former Congressman Sam Johnson.
Johnson, who served in the House from 1991 to 2019, died in 2020.
Gooden is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services, where he serves as the Vice Ranking Member on the Housing, Community Development, and Insurance Subcommittee.
The former insurance broker and risk management consultant served three terms in the Texas House before winning his first congressional race in 2018. He was reelected in 2020 and 2022.
