It was November 2023, the middle of the filing period for the next primary election. Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Chairman of the Rules Committee, looked around and realized he might not face serious competition for the next term—ensuring that his 22-year run of representing his hometown in Washington would continue if he chose to seek re-election.
All that was left was to run the idea by his devoted wife, Laura, who didn’t waste time expressing her thoughts.
“I think the phrasing was, ‘You know how you said Joe Biden is too old and that you wished someone who loved him—like Jill or Hunter—would tell him he doesn’t have to do this anymore? I’m telling you, I love you, and you don’t have to do this anymore,’” Burgess said.
At 73, Burgess, who grew up in Denton and had no previous political experience when he first won Texas’ 26th Congressional District seat in 2002, was already leaning toward not seeking re-election long before he posed the question to Laura. After all, the Founding Fathers never intended these to be permanent jobs. At some point, the best decision is to step aside and let the next generation finish what you started. That’s what happened when Burgess ventured into politics all those years ago. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, who previously held the seat since the mid-1980s, retired—Burgess then defeated Armey’s son for the seat.
Despite being an obstetrician by trade, Burgess quickly emerged as a key GOP voice on healthcare issues and energy policy.
Burgess’ final day in office is slated for January 3, 2025. Burgess is one of several long-serving Texans who left Washington in recent years. This includes Kay Granger of Fort Worth at the end of this term and Kevin Brady of Houston, who retired at the end of 2022.
Looking back on the opportunity, the mild-mannered Burgess said he is one of the luckiest people around.
“I’ve managed to get a lot done, but there’s so much more I hoped to have accomplished. There’s still a lot of work to be done here, but I don’t have any regrets,” Burgess said. “You need new people to come in, and I have been blessed to have been able to do this for as long as I have. I got to practice medicine in my hometown for 25 years and represented my hometown for 22 years in the House of Representatives. I couldn’t ask for anything more … I’m good.
“I hope I’m remembered as an ordinary person in an extraordinary time who stepped up and did what was asked of him. You see that play out over and over again in our country, and I hope I played a small role in that during the time that I was part of it.”
Few would deny that he made the most of his time in office as a staunch conservative focusing on fiscal responsibility, limited government, and healthcare reform. Along with being the current Chairman of the Rules Committee, Burgess serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Budget Committee. He also chairs the Health Care Task Force on the Budget Committee and serves on the Health, Energy, and Oversight and Investigations subcommittees of Energy and Commerce.
As the most senior medical doctor on both sides of the aisle serving in the House of Representatives, Burgess has earned a reputation as a problem-solver who seeks sensible solutions. According to his website, he has voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act over 50 times and played an important role in bipartisan efforts to reform the Food and Drug Administration in 2017. A few of his honors over the years include the Guardian of Small Business award by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the Spirit of Enterprise award by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Taxpayer Hero award from the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste. In 2013, he was named to Modern Healthcare’s 50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders.
More importantly, he was committed to supporting his district, including southern and northeastern Denton County, all of Cooke County, and parts of Tarrant and Wise Counties. A few of his accomplishments include overseeing the design-build for a new outpatient veterans clinic on Campus Drive in south Fort Worth and a separate first-class veterans facility in Denton. His office was also instrumental in Dallas’ selection as the official site for The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Customer Experience Hub at Pegasus Park. He campaigned for local infrastructure (most notably the ongoing expansion of Interstate 35E) and preserving the Lake Lewisville Dam with various structural and cosmetic fixes.
“Many people today may not realize I was part of those initiatives, but I was, and they meant something to me,” Burgess said. “That type of work and making a difference for people is important.”
Regarding the current state of affairs, Burgess said the November elections will be “a decisive moment in our nation’s history” as major issues loom, including inflation and record high illegal border crossings.
“At this critical juncture, we need to improve enforcement of our immigration laws and support provisions that make the legal immigration process viable,” Burgess stated.
He said the administration’s monetary policy is hurting Texans’ pocketbooks.
“Reckless spending is one of the biggest problems currently plaguing our federal government and has contributed to the growing budget deficit. Since the current administration took office, food prices are up 21.2%, energy has risen 31.8%, and housing prices are up 21.2%. Texans shouldn’t be making daily sacrifices on essential household items to have just enough to pay for a roof over their head.”
As for his future, Burgess said he’s looking forward to spending more time with family. That said, he admitted that he’s worked his entire life and can’t imagine not stumbling into a new role at some point soon.
“I didn’t have anything lined up when I decided not to seek re-election, and I still don’t,” he said. “But I’m sure there will be a need for someone with my knowledge to help serve and guide. There are things I’d still like to accomplish.”
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