United States Representative, District 8: Steven David

Kevin Brady - Republican Party: ★★1/2

Steven David - Democratic Party: ★★★

ENDORSEMENTS: The Houston Chronicle editorial board recommends...

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A Democratic candidate hasn’t run for the 8th Congressional District since 2012, so no doubt this will be an uphill battle. Nevertheless, voters should back challenger Steven David for this sizable north Houston seat, which stretches north from The Woodlands to Trinity, Houston, Grimes, Madison and the southern half of Leon County.

David, 34, is a Houston City Hall staffer who has focused on rooting out waste and abuse in local government. He’s running to ensure that Congress protects the best parts of the Affordable Care Act, including guaranteed coverage for maternity and newborn care, and chronic disease management.

For David, health care is a personal matter. He and his wife were foster parents of an infant child whose mother had done ecstasy, a methamphetamine, while pregnant. The baby was born with digestive and skin problems and needed routine medical care. However, the Medicaid program that paid to help keep the infant healthy and alive would have been cut under 11-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady’s plan to repeal and replace the ACA, David told us.

That’s why he jumped into this race.

He also wants to expand student loan forgiveness programs and improve government efficiency — similar to his job at City Hall. It’s a solid agenda worth endorsing.

What really convinced us, however, is a quote from President Lyndon Johnson.

After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the newly ascendant Johnson made it his top priority to pass Kennedy’s civil rights bill. When his aides tried to dissuade him from pursuing such a politically risky agenda, he replied, "Well, what the hell is the presidency for?"

We find ourselves asking a similar question about the chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee. The position offers an abundance of opportunity to deliver for local constituents, so Houstonians had reason to celebrate when Brady took the gavel for that vastly powerful role.

Imagine our surprise — and deep disappointment — when Brady’s first major policy initiative involved a tax on trade. His so-called “Border Adjustment Tax” proposal would levy an extra 20 percent surcharge on all imports into our country. As we said at the time, “He might as well propose a tax on Shiner Beer and Blue Bell ice cream.”

No state benefits more from international trade than Texas, from the Port of Houston to border factories dependent on a transnational supply chain.

The underlying purpose of the BAT was to raise billions in revenue to pay for a corporate tax cut. The reality, however, would be a pipeline that ships cash from Texas to Wall Street.

It was a plan so bizarre — so un-Texan — that even Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick opposed it. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, says he had “concerns.” Local representatives were pressured by industry groups to oppose the plan. Eventually it fell apart.

Brady could have pursued a revenue-neutral corporate tax cut by filling loopholes and lowering the tax rate. That sort of plan would have even attracted a few Democrats. Instead he ended up pushing through the Trump administration’s reckless tax bill. The result? Handouts to the wealthiest, stock buy-backs for Wall Street and a skyrocketing national debt for the next generation of Americans.

The whole scheme can only make you wonder: What the hell is the House Ways and Means chair for?

There was once a time when we could trust Brady to fight for Texas and represent our specific Lone Star interests in Washington. Now, it seems, he’s abandoned Team Texas for Team Trump.

Brady’s fallen silent on free trade. When Texas needed him the most after Hurricane Harvey, he instead used precious time before the media to whip support for Trump’s tax bill.

We have routinely endorsed Brady for this seat, but he wouldn’t meet with us this election cycle.

Power reveals something in people, and we don’t like what we’ve seen over the past two years. All Texans should be disappointed in Brady’s performance.