Tonight, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) hosted a roundtable discussion to listen to Houstonians and Texans about the real state of the union rather than listen to President Trump’s State of the Union Address. Community members and representatives from Houston organizations including the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, the Houston Area Urban League, FIEL Houston, the ACLU of Texas, and HOPE Clinic joined Congresswoman Fletcher to share their perspectives on priorities and issues affecting people in the greater Houston area.

“I have not missed a State of the Union address since I have been elected to Congress.  This year, however, is not like any other,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “Over the last year, President Trump has ignored, defied, and dismissed the Congress, the courts, and the Constitution, doing real and lasting harm to the people and the principles of the United States of America.  As a result, I cannot treat this year’s address—or what is happening this year in Congress—as normal.

“Instead, I spent my evening listening to community members who shared with me their experiences and observations about the state of the union,” continued Congresswoman Fletcher.  “I am grateful to them for doing so.  Our discussion made clear that the challenges of this moment are great—from affordability to accountability.  Costs are rising, wages are not.  People are struggling to afford food, housing, and healthcare.  Our community’s important support system cannot meet all these needs.  Systems that once worked are failing, and people are living in fear.  At the same time, our discussion highlighted the incredible work of people in Houston who devote their lives and work to serving our community and country, and it reminded me that, despite the challenges we face, when we work together, there is nothing we can’t do.”

The virtual discussion centered on four key themes that are on the minds of Houstonians:

• Affordability: The cost of living crisis is at the heart of the state of the union.  Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation Executive Director Hany Khalil emphasized the importance of fighting for fair wages and workers’ right to organize as important pillars of the effort to make life more affordable.  Houston Urban League President Judson Robinson III echoed the point that wages haven’t kept up with the cost of living—in Texas, the minimum wage is still $7.25 per hour—and shared the story of a 100-year-old service-disabled veteran struggling to pay utility bills.  Other participants who work on affordability issues drew attention to food insecurity and the Trump administration’s cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  39% of Houston and Harris County households are food insecure, well above the national average of 14%.  Many participants echoed the concerns that wages are simply not keeping up with costs, and the social safety net does not have the resources to meet demand.  Participants spoke about retirement-age seniors in our community needing to find roommates to afford rent, and working-age Houstonians needing to find supplementary sources of income to make ends meet, since one job increasingly will not pay the bills.

• Health Care:  Affordability and access to health care remain major challenges for our community, and again our social safety net faces great challenges.  Health care providers shared information about changes in its patients’ health insurance premiums since Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid and refusal to renew the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Enhanced Premium Tax Credits, noting that premiums are rising, many patients are losing health coverage, and many are choosing to pay health care costs out of pocket, hoping they don’t get sick.  Houston has the highest rate of uninsured people in the country, and hospitals are facing enormous financial pressure.  Currently, 790 hospitals in the United States have reported that they are at risk of closure, and 82 of those hospitals are in Texas.  Texas’ policy decisions coupled with the laws passed in this Congress are creating a crisis for patients and providers in Houston and across our state.

• Immigration Enforcement:  Houston is a city that welcomes immigrants, but the people in our community are concerned about the Trump administration’s immigration policies and increasingly brutal immigration policing.  From increasing detention to slower processing to delayed naturalization, people are experiencing new challenges and seeing little accountability.  Fear and uncertainty are impacting our restaurants and small businesses, as workers and patrons adjust to economic and other uncertainty.
  
  
• Americans’ Rights and the Rule of Law:  People at home are also concerned about the Trump administration’s actions relating to our rights and liberties, including the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict the right to freedom of speech, of assembly, and of association; the right and ability to vote in free and fair elections; and the implementation of a surveillance state that Houstonians and Texans have opposed for generations.  People expressed concern about the importance of protecting the Constitution, the separation of powers, and the rule of law from abuses, like the President’s imposition of unlawful tariffs that have driven up costs for all Americans.