Michael McCaul (R-Texas)

Homeland Security

McCaul drafted two 2005 border security bills. One would allow volunteer groups such as the controversial Minuteman Project, a vigilante group that targets illegal immigrants, to patrol U.S. borders. The other would have required any captured illegal immigrant to remain incarcerated until he or she is deported to his or her countries of origin.

In 2006, McCaul voted to build a 670-mile border fence along the U.S.-Mexican border. McCaul was among those disagreeing with President Obama's 2009 decision to shelve plans to further extend the barrier along the nearly 2,000-mile border.

McCaul has also highlighted Mexican drug cartels. As chairman of the Homeland Security Investigations subcommittee, he authored a 2006 report entitled "A Line in the Sand." The report called for enhancing border control with new technology, physical barriers and increased patrols as well as increasing information sharing with the Mexican government.

McCaul co-sponsored H.R. 4088, introduced by Rep. Heath Schuler (D-N.C.) in 2007, that would have increased the U.S. border patrol agents by 8,000 and required all businesses to verify the legal status of employees.

As the then-chairman of the Homeland Security subcommittee on Investigations, McCaul led the 2006 inquiry into to the roughly $1.4 billion in fraud involving FEMA in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.McCaul helped insert language into the 2006 homeland security spending bill creating a disaster aid applicant database and requiring FEMA to verify identity and damage before doling out funds.

In December 2008, a bipartisan group, co-chaired by McCaul and created after a 2007 breach of government computers including the Pentagon that was traced to China, released a report calling on President-elect Obama to create a White House office on cybersecurity.

Science

In 2005, after the House passed a bill reauthorizing NASA programs, McCaul said the U.S. "must adopt the same enthusiasm" for space exploration as it had when man first landed on the moon.

In 2007, McCaul voted for legislation he initially opposed that would increase fuel economy standards on automobiles after tax hikes on oil companies and renewable electricity requirements were removed in the Senate. He said there is a "man-made component" to global warming and is open to establishing a cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions, though he is concerned about such a program's effect on consumers.

In 2006 and 2007, McCaul has voted against lifting a ban on federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research.

Economy

Though McCaul supported provisions to raise the ceiling on federally-insured bank deposits from $100,000 to $250,000, he voted against both versions of the fall 2008 $700 billion financial bailout bill. McCaul said the final bill didn't include enough reforms that would prevent from the crisis from occurring again.

McCaul joined all other House Republicans in voting against the February 2009 $787 billion stimulus package, saying "We cannot spend our way out of debt."

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