Cuellar, Henry

Henry Cuellar represents Texas's 28th congressional district and serves as Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, the minority party's leadership role on the panel that oversees border security, immigration enforcement, and domestic counterterrorism. As ranking member, Cuellar shapes the committee's opposition priorities, questions witnesses during hearings, and leads Democratic strategy on homeland security policy. His position carries significant influence over how the committee investigates executive branch agencies and which oversight matters receive attention.

Cuellar's background makes him particularly suited to this role. He practiced law in Laredo for decades and became a licensed customs broker, giving him direct experience with border commerce and operations. He spent 14 years in the Texas House of Representatives, where he served on committees addressing state budgets, the U.S.-Mexico border, and international trade. In 2001, Governor Rick Perry appointed him Texas Secretary of State, making him the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Texas. This combination of border-region roots, legal expertise, and prior government service has established him as a leading voice on cross-border issues.

Cuellar has built a reputation as one of the House's most conservative Democrats and a centrist willing to work across party lines. He has comfortably won reelection since first entering Congress in 2005, though he has faced competitive primary challenges in recent cycles, including in 2020 and 2022. His legislative focus includes border modernization, tariff policy, and workplace safety. In May 2024, he was indicted on federal charges alleging he accepted nearly $600,000 from the Azerbaijani government and a Mexican bank to influence U.S. policy. President Donald Trump pardoned him in December 2025 before trial.