Editor’s note: This column was submitted to the Texan by a member of the UT community. 

Welcome! Whether you are learning your way around the Forty Acres or soon graduating, I salute Longhorns who work hard, seek what is right, tackle obstacles, and lead with skill and moral clarity — all while having a little fun along the way.

As a lifelong Longhorn who grew up near campus and met my wife here, I first developed a love of public service as UT Student Government president. In Congress, I strive to ensure opportunities for students by making higher education more affordable and by seeking a healthier climate, economy and democracy with stronger rights for all.

While “What starts here changes the world,” we won’t see that impact if too many find education unaffordable. Current and recent students are being overburdened with debt. Student loans now total more than $1.75 trillion. For over a decade, I’ve been working to reform the FAFSA, but it remains too complicated and underutilized. Provisions from an amendment I authored will soon facilitate more students qualifying for Pell Grants while reducing the number of questions and required tax information.

While education is vital for democratic opportunity, our very democracy remains greatly endangered. I was in Washington on Jan. 6. The damage, injuries and deaths certainly did not constitute “legitimate political discourse” as Republicans have claimed. This was a violent attempt to overthrow our government and replace it with an authoritarian, who had just been soundly defeated in a fair election. Together, regardless of political persuasion, we should work to ensure the cult of Trump cannot seize power and prevent free, fair elections.

For voting, reproductive rights and for protection from gun violence, Texas is central to the struggle for our country’s future. To the Republican officeholders who impair our liberty, health and safety by outlawing abortion, my message remains the same as I shared here in the Texan last fall: Stop messing with Texans’ reproductive freedom. The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade has created a five-alarm fire for our liberty. To meet this crisis, I’ve led colleagues in urging President Biden to issue national emergency and public health emergency declarations on abortion access, which would help ensure access to medication abortion. I am sponsoring the Women’s Health Protection Act to create a statutory federal right to abortion. Like so many other urgent priorities, this and related legislation is being blocked by the Senate Republican filibuster. If purportedly pro-choice Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Susan Collins would lead in creating a filibuster exception, we could protect reproductive freedom immediately. 

Though great challenges remain, we have progress to celebrate with a new law that truly is historic congressional action to combat climate change. This means more renewable energy, environmental justice, green jobs for a better Texas and a 40% reduction of overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. This includes provisions to build more electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which I helped author. Finally, we are taking the first of many steps essential to combatting the climate crisis and empowering more Americans to be a part of building a sustainable future for a livable planet. It engages more of us to lessen the heat we all feel when we step outside through affordable choices, as well as creating new job opportunities for future Longhorn graduates.

Throughout your time at UT, I encourage you to make your voice heard by registering to vote in Austin — where you now live — prior to the deadline, Tuesday, Oct. 11. Visit www.Register2Vote.org.

Since I represent most of Austin, I am eager to hear your federal priorities at https://doggett.house.gov/survey. For updates, follow me @RepLloydDoggett on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

U.S. Rep. Doggett represents Texas’ 35th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, including much of Austin. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business and the School of Law.