Copyright U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s Office and reproduced with permission

College is a transformative period where we expand our knowledge, prepare for a career and ultimately transition into adulthood. As a Longhorn, Austin and the Forty Acres will always be home. It’s where I met my wife, Libby, developed a passion for public service as UT student body president and left inspired by numerous professors and classmates. In the years since graduation, I’ve served as a Texas Senator, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and now, as your Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives.

 What starts here really does change the world. It’s time to come into your own and become a more civically engaged citizen.

 In Congress, I’ve worked to make college more affordable and accessible for every student and their families by increasing Pell Grants, simplifying the FAFSA process, and saving taxpayer dollars. To offset rising costs, including housing, and for some, child care, I authored a bill to expand Pell Grants on a tax-free basis and enhance coordination with the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Like previous student financial initiatives on which I have led, this is designed to provide just a little more help to students.

Due to bureaucratic delays and a botched FAFSA rollout, the Department of Education outrageously left many students in limbo on whether they could pay for college. I urge immediate fixes and am exploring how to prevent this from reccurring.

From free speech and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to reproductive freedom, climate change, gun safety and more, Republican politicians in Texas and across the nation are attempting to undermine progress on issues that impact us all. They terminated UT programs that sought more inclusion and effectively responded to racism. And they unreasonably narrowed student expression.

Unfortunately, Texas is ground zero for many attacks on freedom, including Gov. Abbott’s abortion ban. The ban continues to endanger lives and place unimaginable trauma on pregnant women and their doctors, like the horrific experiences of Kate Cox and Austinite Amanda Zurawski. Now, extremists are trying to ban many forms of contraception. With a 100% lifetime pro-choice voting record, I strongly support the Women’s Health Protection Act and will not stop working until we federally protect a woman’s right to choose and deny entitled politicians involvement in personal health care decisions. 

We’re also facing a growing climate crisis, with severe heat becoming the norm. While I was pleased to help pass the historic climate law during the previous Congressional session and continue to push for federal policies to hold big polluters accountable, our work is far from over. I successfully championed a $1.4 million federal investment to help UT climate researchers better understand how extreme weather affects our Austin neighborhoods and local infrastructure.

 In a democracy, your vote is your voice. We must hold elected officials at every level of government accountable. In an era where some unscrupulous politicians seek to weaken the sacred right to vote, you can and should register in Austin through several student groups on campus or at votetexas.gov. This year, our most basic freedoms are on the November ballot by those who prefer authoritarianism to democracy.

Visit my website, doggett.house.gov, to learn about internships in my Austin and Washington, D.C. offices. You can also share your federal priorities at doggett.house.gov/survey and follow me on Twitter, Threads, Instagram and Facebook @RepLloydDoggett.

U.S. Rep. Doggett serves in the House of Representatives for a district that includes UT and most of Austin. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Business and School of Law.