August Pfluger | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2020 | |
| Chair of theRepublican Study Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Kevin Hern |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's11th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Conaway |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August Lee Pfluger (1977-12-28)December 28, 1977 (age 47) Harris County, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Camille Cole |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 2000–2020 (active) 2020–present (reserve) |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | Air Force Reserve |
| Commands | 380th Expeditionary Operations Group |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Air Medal (with 3oak leaf clusters) |
August Lee Pfluger[1] (/ˈfluːɡər/FLOO-gər; born December 28, 1977)[2] is an American politician andAir Force officer serving as theU.S. representative forTexas's 11th congressional district since 2021. A member of theRepublican Party, his district includes much ofWest Texas.
Pfluger's four-times-great-grandfather, German immigrant Henry Pfluger Sr. (1803–1867), foundedPflugerville, Texas.[3] His maternal grandfather, a member of theUnited States Army Air Corps in World War II, inspired Pfluger to become a pilot.[3]
Born in Harris County in 1977,[2] Pfluger attendedCentral High School inSan Angelo, Texas, where he played quarterback for the school'sfootball team.[4][5] He is anEagle Scout.[6] He earned aBachelor of Science degree inpolitical science from theUnited States Air Force Academy.[7] Pfluger then earned aMaster of Science degree in aeronautical science fromEmbry–Riddle Aeronautical University, a Master of Science in military and operations science fromAir University, and a Master of Science in international business and policy fromGeorgetown University.[3]
Pfluger earned his commission to theUnited States Air Force in 2000.[3] He served in active duty for 20 years, flying theNorthrop T-38 Talon,F-15C Eagle andF-22A Raptor aircraft, He commanded380th Expeditionary Operations Group inAl Dhafra Air Base He then deployed inSyria and NorthernIraq.[8] During his service Pfluger earned several medal and awards includingMeritorious Service Medal with threeoak leaf clusters,Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster andAir Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster. He completed 2,000 hours including the over 300 combat hours and was progressively promoted to the rank ofcolonel.[9]
Pfluger later served on theUnited States National Security Council (NSC) duringDonald Trump's first presidency.[10] He remained in theAir Force Reserve after leaving active duty.[11] He also appeared briefly in theFighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag IMAX film in 2004.
Pfluger resigned from the NSC to run for theUnited States House of Representatives forTexas's 11th congressional district.[12] RepresentativeMike Conaway, who had represented the district since its creation in 2005, was retiring after eight terms. Pfluger cleared 50% of the vote in a crowded 10-way Republican Party primary, enough to win the nomination in a single round.[13][14] He facedDemocratic nominee Jon Mark Hogg andLibertarian Wacey Alpha Cody in the November general election. However, with Republicans having a nearly 10-to-1 registration advantage in the district, Pfluger was heavily favored to win in November.[3] Indeed, Hogg was only the fifth Democrat to run in the district since its creation in 2005.
As expected, Pfluger easily defeated Hogg in the general election.[15][16]
Pfluger ran unopposed, winning a second term.[17]
Pfluger ran unopposed again, winning a third term.[18]
Pfluger took office on January 3, 2021. On January 6, the day of thestorming of the United States Capitol, he and 146 of his fellow congressionalRepublicans voted to block certification of President-electJoe Biden's2020 victory, as part of theTrump-led effort tooverturn the 2020 United States presidential election.[19] Specifically, he voted against certifyingArizona's andPennsylvania's electoral votes.[20]
In August 2021,Business Insider reported that Pfluger had violated theStop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012, a federal transparency and conflict-of-interest law, by failing to properly disclose stock trades made by him or his wife worth between $10,007 and $150,000.[21]
On July 18, 2023, he proposed acongressionalnon-binding resolution which stated that “the State of Israel is not aracist orapartheid state", that Congress rejects "all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia" and that “the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel." It passed with support from 217 Republicans and 195Democrats.[22]
In March 2024, Pfluger, RepresentativeDon Davis, and a news reporter wrote an opinion piece in theWashington Examiner. The piece criticized the push by many members of Congress to condition U.S. aid to Israel.[23]
Pfluger opposes amoratorium onfracking or on issuing new oil and gas permits for drilling onfederal lands.[28][29][30] According toOpenSecrets, Pfluger has received over $1.9 million from the oil & gas industry.[31]
Pfluger supported theImpeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas.[32]
Pfluger voted for theProtecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.[33]
Pfluger sponsored H.Con.Res. 57 "Expressing the sense of Congress supporting the State ofIsrael" which states[34]
That it is the sense of Congress that—
(1) the State of Israel is not a racist orapartheid state;
(2) Congress rejects all forms ofantisemitism andxenophobia; and
(3) the United States will always be a staunch partner andsupporter of Israel.
Pfluger voted for theAntisemitism Awareness Act of 2023.[35]
Pfluger voted to censorRashida Tlaib.[36]
Pfluger voted for theStop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.[37]
Pfluger voted for the "Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024" which was incorporated intoPublic Law 118-50.[38]
Pfluger voted to sanction the International Criminal Court after it issuedarrest warrants for Israeli leaders.[39]
Pfluger voted against thePRO Act.[40]
Pfluger voted for theOne Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Pfluger opposes efforts to repeal theHyde Amendment and opposed the Biden administration rescinding theMexico City policy.[41]
Pfluger voted against theWomen's Health Protection Act of 2022.[42]
Pfluger voted against funding theNational Science Foundation.[43]
Pfluger voted against theEquality Act of 2021.[44][45]
Pfluger voted against the Equal Pay for Team USA Act of 2022 which "guarantees equal pay and benefits forall athletes who represent the United States in global athletic competitions (...) regardless of gender".[46][47]
Pfluger voted against theRespect for Marriage Act.[48]
Pfluger voted against theSpeak Out Act.[49]
In 2024, Pfluger voted to reauthorizesection 702.[50]
Pfluger voted against theHonoring our PACT Act of 2022.[51]
Pfluger and his wife Camille have three young daughters.[7][6] They live inSan Angelo, Texas.[52] His brother is the president of an oil and energy company inMidland, Texas, and an investor inTruth Social.[53]
Two of Pfluger's daughters were atCamp Mystic during theJuly 2025 Central Texas floods. Both were successfully rescued.
Pfluger’s first cousin once removed, Zachary Pfluger, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after shooting a man three times on October 31, 2021, inCollege Station, Texas. During the investigation process, authorities recovered text messages supporting violence against African Americans and members of the LGBTQ, which led to a hate crime charge.[54]
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| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's 11th congressional district 2021–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chair of theRepublican Study Committee 2025–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 278th | Succeeded by |
