Op-Ed by Jordan Wheatley, TX-03 Democratic Candidate for Congress
Editor’s Note: The following opinion piece was submitted to TX3DNews by Jordan Wheatley, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in Texas’ 3rd Congressional District. The views expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of TX3DNews.
On the Final Version of the Reconciliation Bill
When I found out this bill passed, it felt like a gut punch.
I grew up relying on Medicaid, SNAP, and the Pell Grant just to survive—just to have a shot. These programs weren’t handouts. They were lifelines. And when I think about this bill, I don’t think about politics—I think about the families in TX-03 walking a similar path to the one mine did. Families doing everything right. Working hard. Stretching every dollar. And still struggling to stay afloat.
After the vote, I called some childhood friends—people who, like me, depended on those same programs. I asked them, “Would we be where we are today without that help?” The answer came quick: “No.”
This bill puts families like ours in jeopardy. It doesn’t just threaten programs—it threatens futures. It threatens survival.
Let’s call it what it is: a patchwork mess that tries to do everything, ends up doing too little for working people, and kicks the real costs down the road for political convenience.
Keith Self called it “fiscally criminal,” then turned around and voted for it. That’s not leadership. That’s a sellout—and a slap in the face to the people of this district who trusted him to fight for them.
Sure, it includes tax breaks—but here’s what they don’t tell you: the ones that benefit working families are temporary. The ones for corporations and billionaires? Permanent. That’s not policy—it’s a payoff.
On Green Energy and Manufacturing
I’ve lived through what happens when politicians push green energy bills with no plan for working people.
My dad was one of thousands who lost his job when the coal industry collapsed in our area. We weren’t offered retraining. We weren’t offered new jobs. We were handed silence—and told to figure it out ourselves. I watched my family struggle—not because we didn’t work hard, but because no one in Washington thought through the human cost of their “clean energy” policy.
That’s why I’m not blindly for or against anything. I’m doing it right.
This bill guts the very clean energy and advanced manufacturing incentives that could have brought good-paying, blue-collar jobs right here to TX-03. These are real jobs already beginning to appear in places like McKinney, Plano, and Frisco—jobs for electricians, solar techs, factory workers. Jobs that pay well and don’t require a college degree. Now they’re at risk—because Keith Self voted to rip the rug out from under them.
We should be building an energy future that includes solar, wind, oil, gas, and coal. The truth is, our energy demand is rising—and we’re going to need it all. A real plan balances investment in the future with respect for the industries that powered this country for generations.
This vote wasn’t leadership—it was a betrayal. One that will be felt in paychecks, utility bills, and job prospects across our district.
On Delayed Spending Cuts and Political Timing
Let’s be real—delaying cuts until after the 2026 midterms isn’t sound policy. It’s not leadership. It’s just more political games.
If you’re going to cut something, own it. Don’t sneak it in after midnight. Don’t bury it in the fine print and hope voters don’t notice. That’s exactly the kind of thing that’s broken Washington—and Keith Self is playing right along.
This bill isn’t “big and beautiful.” It’s a Big Betrayal—and once again, working families are being asked to pay the price.
On Side Deals and Legislative Transparency
Let’s not dance around it—Keith Self made shady backroom deals to get this bill across the finish line. Deals the public wasn’t allowed to see. Deals that weren’t debated in the open. And he did it knowing full well that the bill would hurt the very people he was elected to represent.
He sold us out—for influence, for political cover, for whatever he thought he stood to gain. That’s not representation. That’s self-interest. And it’s exactly why so many people in this district—and across this country—don’t trust politicians anymore.
If you can’t put it in writing and defend it in front of your constituents, it has no business becoming law. Period.
On Job Creation and Deficit Reduction
We can absolutely do both—but it starts with leaders who are honest and willing to invest in the people they represent.
Right now, we’ve got a tax system where a schoolteacher like me is capped at a $250 deduction for classroom supplies—while billionaires write off private jets. I don’t know about you, but I—and most people in TX-03—can’t afford a private jet.
We need a tax system that works for working families and small businesses—the people actually holding this country together. Yes, we should eliminate government waste. But slashing programs with no plan isn’t leadership—it’s recklessness.
We need a nonpartisan audit of government spending with honest recommendations about what to cut and what to protect. And let me be clear: I do not believe we should be cutting education, Medicaid, or Social Security. Not now. Not ever.
It’s time for representatives who are willing to sit down, have the hard conversations, and get the damn job done. That includes bringing corporations to the table—not to attack them, but to partner with them to build a stronger, fairer economy.
That’s the difference between me and Keith Self. He’s spent his time in Congress protecting the wealthy and cutting deals in the dark.
I haven’t forgotten where I come from. I’m here to fight for the families like ours that have been kicked around by a system that wasn’t built to work for them in the first place.
These seats don’t belong to politicians. They belong to the people. And the people are done being sold out.
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