Daniel Betts

Daniel Betts earned a high school diploma from the Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh, a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago in 2007, and a law degree from the University of Texas in 2010. His career experience includes working as a lawyer. He has been affiliated with the Federalist Society and the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.[1][2]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a Christian, a husband, and a father, and I have lived in Central Texas for almost two decades, having come here for law school in 2007. I practice criminal defense and regularly fight David vs. Goliath fights against government overreach, experience that will be invaluable in Washington. My wife Piper and I are homeschooling our three boys at our home in Dripping Springs, and we have a passel of animals we take care of as well including our potbelly pig Winston, our three cats, and a frog. I am an amateur botanist and an avid gardener with two greenhouses full of plants and cactuses. I am active in my church and have been the lay president for the past three years. In my spare time I hunt on my property, play the saxophone, and enjoy board games. Before I was a lawyer I got my degree in Chemistry from the University of Chicago, and I intend to apply that expertise to enacting effective methods of keeping poisons like methamphetamine and fentanyl out of our schools and communities.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

As a defense attorney with over 15 years of experience, Daniel Betts has consistently fought to defend constitutional rights and stand up to government overreach. He is committed to bringing that same resolve to Washington to protect individual liberties and limit federal government interference in Texans' lives.Raised with pro-life values and inspired by attending the March for Life as a child, Daniel continues that fight today. He and his wife, Piper, are raising their three young boys in the Hill Country, where they are active in their church and community. Daniel is dedicated to representing families and upholding the sanctity of life in Congress.A lifelong Republican and committed Christian, Daniel Betts is running to represent Texas' 21st Congressional District with principled leadership. He knows how to stand his ground in the courtroom and will bring that resolve to Washington for Texas.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Fair Tax Reform, Energy Independence, Criminal Justice, Drug Policy

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

First and foremost, an elected official needs to be a good listener. A congressman is a representative, an advocate, and is there to further the interests and goals of their constituents, and without listening to them, they cannot know what they are fighting for. An elected official must be selfless, putting the interests of their constituents before themselves at all times. An elected official must be transparent, making sure their constituents know what they are doing and why. An elected official must be intelligent and willing and able to learn, so that they can work for their constituents not just on the issues they know about but new issues that come up. An elected official must be indefatigable; the demands of the job are very high, and they must be ready to meet those expectations at all times. An elected official should be a people person, as one of their largest jobs will be to negotiate solutions to problems with other officials and stakeholders. They must be creative, not getting stuck in ways of thinking that no longer serve their constituents. An elected official should be sober, so that they can think clearly and at all times be ready to serve in their capacity when the need arises. An elected official must have integrity, so that they are above reproach in their job and can adhere to all of these other principles without being influenced.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Be available and readily accessible to your constituents, advocate strongly for their interests, be open and responsive to criticism. Draft and help pass legislation that makes the lives of those constituents easier and reduces the burden that the government places on them. Make their lives better than when you took office.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first major historical event I recall as a child was the dissolution of the USSR, I was six years old at the time.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My parents made me focus on school until I graduate high school, but for the first summer before college I worked at Boston Market for three months. I am forever grateful for being on the front lines of a minimum wage job that helped me interact with people of all stripes.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin. He paints a compelling picture of the makeup of our galaxy and how life is always hard and why, and seems to solve Fermi's paradox.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The House is for the people, and while the Senate is to be a slower and more deliberative body, the House needs to be reactive, constantly changing to match the needs of its populace. Representatives need to be in constant communication and touch with their voters if they want to remain in office.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Previous experience in government can be an asset for a representative as it allows them to have the contacts and context necessary to be effective, but it can never be at the expense of not having experience in the private sector, which is much more important. A Representative needs to be close to the people they represent, and to be like them, to know how they live, even to struggle with them, not live in an ivory tower and hand down edicts from on high. Previous experience can be a double edged sword, because the longer someone is in politics, the more likely they are to be susceptible to all types of corruption.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

We must secure our borders, achieve full energy independence, protect American economic interests abroad, and continue to give our men and women in uniform the best tools available to counter all threats foreign and domestic, so that those enemies will be deterred from engaging with us at all and we can keep American lives safe. We can maintain peace through strength on the international stage and prevent wars of aggression by China and Russia, and incentivize countries to work with us by deploying our soft power effectively and providing the world an example of what humanity can achieve when given the God-given freedom to which they are entitled.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes, it is a feature as much as it is a bug that Representatives need to be almost constantly campaigning, as it keeps them in touch with their voters and with their finger on the pulse of their citizens.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Members of Congress should be limited by law to no more than 6 terms, or 12 years, and Senators should be limited to two terms, or 12 years. The longer someone stays in Washington the more out of touch with their constituents they are and the more invested they are in staying in power. Term limits allow legislators to focus more on legislating and less on campaigning, and less beholden to special interests.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Jim Jordan

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

In a nation that is comprised of states and groups of people with vastly differing interests, we should expect that no one person will get their way, that would be a dictatorship, and while we might like our politicians to say they would never compromise, then we would never get any of the things we want. Unfortunately that means that everyone is not 100% happy all of the time. The key for any individual legislator is making sure that they do their best to represent and fight for their constituents interests in that tug of war.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

Aggressively. As a defense attorney, my primary skill is cross examination, which requires active listening. Matters of public import need to be brought before committees and members of Congress must not just grandstand, but probe, listen, and reframe questions to get responsive answers for the public. Follow-up is key, and transparency should be the goal.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

Raising and homeschooling my three boys to be deeply in touch with the rural natural beauty of the Hill Country with my wife Piper.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Daniel is a University of Chicago educated Chemist who came to Austin to get his JD from The University of Texas School of Law, and he has lived in Austin ever since.

Daniel has practiced criminal defense for the past 14 years and is a skilled trial attorney and managing partner of the firm Blackburn Betts for the past 10 years.

Daniel is president of his church, Hope Lutheran on the east side of Austin and has been married to his wife Piper for 8 years. They have two boys together and a beloved pet pig named Winston.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

The District Attorney should not be a political position.We need more jury trials to help reinvest the public in justiceWe must rebuild trust among the stakeholders if we are going to be able to protect victims.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Criminal justice, drug policy, prison and sentencing reform

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I'm a Christian and hence do my best to model my life after Christ, but am still a fallen being

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Hayek's The Road to Serfdom

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, transparency, and accessibility

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I'm a born leader, able to inspire people, and a creative problem solver

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

An public and elected public official is first and foremost a servant of the people. They must go in eyes open knowing that power corrupts, and do everything they can to make sure that they are transparent in their actions, accountable to their voters, and accessible so that they do not become ossified in their own beliefs, but rather represent those beliefs of those they represent.

What legacy would you like to leave?

End the War on Drugs

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Fall of the Soviet Union, 6 years old

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Boston Market, for the summer before college

What is your favorite book? Why?

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Walter White

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Con Te Partirò

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Humility

Tell us your favorite joke.

Women multiply at MIT

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Combined Law Enforcement Agencies of Texas, Latinos United for Conservative Action

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

The public should have free access to exactly how each agency spends its dollars because ultimately those dollars are still th taxpayer's and the public servant is merely a steward of them.