YOUR VOICE MATTERS!

Real solutions start with listening, especially to the people who live, work, and raise families here in East Texas. Too often, Washington pushes policies without understanding the unique needs of communities like ours. Politicians settle into their office and the connection with their home district erodes while chasing their next career move.

"The people are the only legitimate fountain of power, and it is from them that the constitutional charter, under which the several branches of government hold their power, is derived.”

— James Madison 

Travis is committed to making sure East Texas has a voice at the table. He will prioritize local concerns, and fight to return control to the counties, towns, and families who know their communities best. In Congress, he won’t be simply a mouthpiece for party leadership, but rather a megaphone for the people who sent him there.

Being in the district and available to take meetings and calls is important. He believes in an open door policy for anyone that wants to come by with questions, thoughts, or concerns. Travis will take the time to listen before taking action on any legislation and vote accordingly to the will of the people. 

ABOLISH THE I.R.S

The Internal Revenue Service has become a bloated, unaccountable bureaucracy that intrudes far too deeply into the lives of everyday Americans. What began as a means to fund the federal government has grown into a powerful agency capable of seizing assets, auditing citizens without warning, and enforcing an impossibly complex tax code that even professionals struggle to interpret. 

The IRS costs billions to operate each year, yet it often fails to efficiently collect taxes or prevent fraud. More importantly, it violates a core principle of a free society: that citizens should not live under constant financial surveillance by their own government.

Abolishing the IRS would allow for a complete overhaul of the tax system, replacing it with a simpler, fairer alternative that empowers individuals and businesses rather than punishing them. Proposals like a flat tax or national sales tax would eliminate the need for yearly filings, audits, and invasive income tracking. 

With the IRS out of the picture, we could reduce wasteful spending, restore personal privacy, and eliminate the fear many Americans feel every April. It's time to reassert the idea that the government serves the people,  not the other way around. Ending the IRS is overdue and is exactly what this country needs as a step towards restoring our Republic. 

SMALLER GOVERNMENT

The federal government has grown far beyond its constitutional limits, with agencies and departments that do little to serve the everyday American while burning through taxpayer dollars. It's time to rein in this unchecked expansion by cutting unnecessary bureaucracies that burden our freedoms without improving our safety or prosperity. One example is the TSA, a post-9/11 creation that has cost over $100 billion while consistently failing to stop real threats. A 2015 internal investigation by the Department of Homeland Security revealed that TSA agents failed to detect banned weapons and fake explosives in 67 out of 70 tests conducted by undercover agents, resulting in a 95% failure rate.

Americans are forced to undergo invasive screenings and surrender basic dignity at airports, all in the name of "security theater" rather than true protection. It’s a textbook case of government overreach: high on cost, low on results.

Shrinking the federal government means more than just saving money — it’s about restoring freedom and returning power to the states and the people. By eliminating or drastically reforming agencies like the TSA, Department of Education, and countless alphabet-soup bureaucracies, we can reduce federal interference in our daily lives and free up resources for local solutions that actually work. Smaller government isn't just a conservative talking point, it's a path back to individual liberty, fiscal sanity, and a republic where Washington answers to the people, not the other way around.

NATIONAL DEBT

The national debt is not just a number on a spreadsheet but a ticking time bomb, and it’s already over $36 trillion. That’s more than double what it was just a decade ago, and it’s growing faster than our economy can keep up. Every year, we now spend more than one trillion just to cover the interest on that debt. That’s money we could be using to secure our border, rebuild our infrastructure, care for our veterans, or invest in American energy. Instead, it goes to lenders, many of them foreign governments like China, just so Washington can keep the spending spree going. That’s not sustainable, and it’s not patriotic. It’s a betrayal of future generations who’ll be stuck paying the price for today’s recklessness.

We got here because career politicians from both parties have abandoned fiscal discipline. They've promised everything under the sun, from endless foreign wars to massive entitlement programs, without ever asking how we’re going to pay for it. Meanwhile, they’ve grown the federal bureaucracy to historic levels, propping up wasteful agencies like the TSA and IRS that do more to harass Americans than protect them. 

What’s worse, many of these same politicians preach conservatism back home while living high on the taxpayer’s dime in Washington. For example, Lance Gooden's office spent nearly $379,000 in taxpayer-funded travel between January 2023 and March 2024. That is more than any other member of the House and five times the average! Further, he also reimbursed himself over $280,000 from his campaign for expenses like meals and travel to places like Las Vegas and Switzerland. That’s not leadership, but hypocrisy. If we’re going to get serious about cutting spending and shrinking government, it starts by holding our own side accountable. The American people deserve better than politicians who talk conservative and spend like liberals.

HELPING VETERANS

Veteran homelessness is more than a statistic, it’s a moral failure. Every night, tens of thousands of American veterans are sleeping on sidewalks, in cars, or in shelters, including right here in East Texas. Many face serious challenges like PTSD, substance abuse, or lack of access to medical care. These problems are made worse by red tape, underfunded services, and the lack of rural support. As a combat medic who served during the global war on terrorism, Travis Edwards understands the cost of service and the duty we owe to those who’ve worn the uniform.

Travis is committed to veteran homelessness by demanding real accountability at the VA, promoting policy which encourages housing and mental health programs in rural communities, and pushing for job training and reintegration programs that work. He’ll fight for faster benefit processing and stronger partnerships with local organizations and federal resources. Reducing regulations which govern shelters and the nonprofit sector will help in more efficiently delivering assistance by spending less on bureaucracy. No veteran should have to battle the system just to survive. Demanding accountability from current veterans programs, while creating regulation that is friendly towards nonprofits is a step in the right direction. If you served this country, this country should serve you. That’s a promise Travis will never back down from.

EDUCATION & TEACHER PAY

Our schools are full of amazing teachers working in a broken system. It’s  time to stop treating education like a government expense and instead like the foundation of our future. Across East Texas, teachers are underpaid, overworked, and expected to do more with less, while administrative overhead continues to grow. Travis is committed to serious education reform that starts by raising teacher pay, especially in rural districts where dedicated educators are too often driven out by low wages and lack of support.

At the same time, he’ll fight to cut top-heavy administrative costs that drain resources away from the classroom. The focus must return to students, parents, and teachers, not bureaucrats and consultants. That means local control of curriculum, transparency in spending, and holding school boards accountable for how funds are used. Travis supports policies that equip students with practical skills like trades, financial literacy, and civics classes, not just standardized test prep. Every child deserves a chance to succeed, and every teacher deserves the tools and respect to help them get there. For Travis, fixing education isn’t only policy, but a moral responsibility.

School vouchers recently passed. This is not good for public schools, especially in rural areas. There was strong opposition on both sides to vouchers. Although a state issue, he will push back wherever possible to offset the impact on our school system.

IMMIGRATION & BORDER

Securing our border is essential to national security and public safety, but it must be done lawfully and humanely. The current immigration system is broken, with overwhelmed resources and policies that fail to protect both citizens and those seeking a better life. Travis supports strong border enforcement, including increased resources for stopping illegal crossings, drug trafficking, and human smuggling. However, he also believes immigration must remain legal, orderly, and in line with American values which means protecting due process and ensuring every person is treated fairly.

We must streamline legal immigration pathways, reduce the backlog, and create efficient systems for processing visas and citizenship applications. At the same time, we must ensure that those seeking refuge or a better life have a fair opportunity to do so without relying on executive orders or political expediency. Border security and compassion can coexist. Travis will work towards comprehensive immigration reform that strengthens our borders, upholds the rule of law, and respects human dignity, ensuring that the U.S. remains both secure and just.