Over the weekend, I had the joy of attending the presentation at Malala Yousafzai Elementary School.  It was such an inspiring morning.  From the cheer team to the choir to the teachers and administrators, all of whom were so proud of their school and so thrilled to see its namesake in person, the enthusiasm and pride were unmistakable.  It was a joy to be with them and all of the community members who came together to create this magical school. 

As I mentioned in my last weekly wrap up, the House had important work to do this week: passing a bill to fund the government for the 2024 fiscal year.  I hurried back to Washington on Wednesday to cast my vote for the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (H.R. 4366).  After many months of standoffs and extensions of time, which I have chronicled in these email updates, the House finally took up the first of two government funding bills negotiated between Republicans and Democrats in the House and the Senate.  It passed by a vote of 339-85.

The bill, H.R. 4366, combines six out of the twelve annual appropriations bills to fund essential programs and important initiatives to boost the economy, protect the environment, honor our veterans, support the underserved, and build our infrastructure.  It also includes nearly $16 million for fourteen projects in our district that I requested through the Community Funded Projects process.  Here are some highlights, starting with the funding for projects in our district:

• $5,782,558 for the Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority’s Southwest Community Campus for redevelopment for a community senior center;
• $1,000,000 for the Sugar Land Regional Public Safety Center to add improvements for additional first responder training;
• $1,000,000 for renovations to the City of Houston Metropolitan Multiservice Center for People with Disabilities on West Gray;
• $963,000 for the City of Houston Forensic Science Center’s Forensic Evidence Data System to improve the collection, tracking, management, and processing of forensic evidence through the criminal justice system;
• $959,752 for the Harris County Flood Control District project to construct a dry bottom detention basin with green stormwater infrastructure features to reduce flooding along Keegans Bayou near Old Richmond Road ;
• $850,000 for METRO’s Gessner BOOST Bus Stop to improve the transit experience for METRO riders on one of the busiest transit corridors on the 46 Gessner route;
• $360,000 for Fort Bend County Transit to fund a new scheduling and dispatch system for local transit users.
• $850,000 for the Memorial Heights Safe Sidewalk and Path Connections for multimodal improvements in Harris County Precinct 1;
• $833,470 for the International District Beechnut and Cook Intersection Safety Program for street and safety improvements in Harris County Precinct 4;
• $850,000 for the Westchase District’s Meadowglen West Complete Streets Project for street and safety improvements;
• $573,300 for historic preservation of the City of Houston’s Rasmus Park Heritage House in Alief;
• $963,000 for the Rice University / Houston ISD Planetary and Space Exploration Education Project to create a space and planetary science pilot program for students exploring planetary sciences and related careers through innovative programming at local schools;
• $500,000 for the University of Houston at Sugar Land Artificial Intelligence & Manufacturing Technology Center to drive collaboration and innovation in emerging technologies; and
• $500,000 for improvements and reconstruction of facilities at Fort Bend ISD’s Mission Bend Elementary School.

These projects touch every corner of our district, and I look forward to continuing my work with local leaders and advocates on these projects and building on our partnerships to deliver for people across our district. 

As a compilation of six of twelve annual appropriations bills, the bill more broadly funds programs and critical investments in our community and across the country, including:

Food and Nutrition Programs

• $7.03 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC);
• $119 billion for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); 
• $33 billion for child nutrition programs; 
• $389 million for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP); and
• $80 million for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

Support for Veterans

• $16.2 billion for veteran mental health care, including $559 million for suicide prevention outreach;
• $3.1 billion for veteran homeless assistance programs;
• $231 million for substance use disorder programs;
• $715 million for opioid misuse prevention and safety programs;
• $943 million for veterans medical and prosthetic research; and
• $1.3 billion to continue modernizing VA electronic health records.

Commerce and Justice

• $4.5 billion in grants for state and local law enforcement; 
• $713 million for Violence Against Women Act prevention and prosecution programs to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking while improving access to essential support services such as health care and safe housing for all survivors; 
• $560 million for the Legal Services Corporation to help expand the availability of free legal aid for underserved communities; and
• $68.3 million for the Minority Business Development Agency.

Energy and Water Infrastructure

• $8.7 billion for Army Corps of Engineers water infrastructure projects; and
• $15 billion for the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of clean energy and secure, domestic energy supply chains.

Transportation and Infrastructure

• $60.8 billion for the Federal Highway Administration to improve the safety and long-term viability of our highway systems;
• $252 million for the Federal Transit Administration to assist transit agencies in purchasing low and no emission buses, improving transit systems, and carrying out local projects; and
• $3.3 billion for the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program for the long-term housing, infrastructure, and economic recovery needs for areas impacted by a natural disaster.

Environment and Conservation

• $1.7 billion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;
• $3.3 billion for the National Park Service;
• $3.9 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) science and environmental programs; 
• $6.1 billion for Wildland Fire Management programs; and
• $900 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

You can find a more detailed summary here.  For the full text of the bill, click here.

While this was the priority bill this week, the House also considered other legislation.  On Thursday, the House voted on the Laken Riley Act (H.R. 7511), a bill named after the victim of a tragic murder last month.  While I support addressing the underlying concerns for public safety the bill attempts to address, the overly broad bill requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to indefinitely detain any migrants suspected of shoplifting, theft, or burglary without access to bail, even those not charged with a crime, including Dreamers, asylum seekers, and those with Temporary Protected Status, contains provisions that are in conflict with the Constitution.  It also contains problematic provisions giving standing to state attorneys general to sue the federal government over immigration policy and enforcement.  For these reasons, I voted against this bill, but it passed by a vote of 251-170.  On Friday, the House considered the Expanding Access to Capital Act of 2023 (H.R. 2799), a bill to loosen securities regulations for registration and disclosure requirements for investors, companies, advisers, and brokers.  While expanding access to securities markets has the potential to strengthen our economy, I have concerns about eliminating disclosures required to protect investors.  For these reasons, I voted against the bill which passed by a vote of 212-205.

This week, the House also passed a number of bills under suspension of the rules, including the Action for Dental Health Act of 2023 (H.R. 3843), which reauthorizes a program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that provides grants to states to help them address workforce shortages in dental care; the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3838), which provides federal support for states to address disparities in maternal health outcomes and preserve the health of mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period and requires the Centers for Disease Control to work in consultation with the HRSA to disseminate best practices to prevent maternal mortality to hospitals and other health care providers; and the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 (H.R. 3391), which reauthorizes funding for the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program and requires coordinating federal efforts related to pediatric cancer research.  Each of these bills passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support.

On Wednesday, I introduced the LNG Coordination Act of 2024, H.R. 7556 with Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14) to establish a working group to improve the safety of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities and to make federal oversight of LNG facilities more efficient.  Under current law, LNG operators must comply with regulations from multiple agencies with inconsistencies in processes and regulations.  The LNG Coordination Act would create a working group to ensure coordination of safety and regulation of the LNG industry.  

The LNG Coordination Act creates a whole-of-government approach that improves and ensures coordination, safety, and efficiency, which is important for our competitiveness and reliability.  Today, large LNG export facilities often fall under the jurisdiction of multiple federal agencies with inconsistencies in processes and conflicting safety regulations, which can complicate and prolong the oversight of operators.  I am glad to join Congressman Weber in introducing this legislation to improve and ensure coordination in this vital area, which will benefit our national security and our economy.  

In addition to introducing this bill, I co-sponsored several pieces of legislation on issues important to our community this week, including:

• the Access to Family Building Act, H.R. 7056, to provide a statutory right to access assisted reproductive technology;
• the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024, H.R. 6929, to provide $7 billion in funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), allowing the ACP to operate through the end of the year;
• the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, H.R. 2474, to provide an annual inflation-based Medicare physician payment update to physicians, as measured by the Medicare Economic Index;
• the Armenian Genocide Education Act, H.R. 2803, to require the Library of Congress to maintain a public website and support educational initiatives to promote understanding about the Armenian Genocide; and
• a resolution recognizing and celebrating the significance of Black History Month, H.Res. 1040.

On Wednesday, I joined my colleagues on the Regional Leadership Council for a meeting with Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small to discuss implementation of programs for the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program and the importance of the summer EBT program which funds grocery-buying benefits for families with school aged children to prevent child hunger when school meals are not available.  I am disappointed that Texas recently declined to participate in this program, rejecting $450 million that could have fed 3.8 million eligible children throughout the state.  I will continue to work to make sure that we get these resources back home to Texas to help address need in our district and our state.

Each year, the President must fulfill his Constitutional duty to "give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union.”  President Franklin D. Roosevelt referred to it as the "State of the Union Address," a title that stuck and became official during the Truman administration.  On Thursday evening, President Biden addressed the Congress and the country in his State of the Union address, and I was there on behalf of our district.

Inside the House chamber, where members of the House, the Senate, the President’s Cabinet, the Supreme Court, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and invited guests listened to the address, there was so much energy in response to the President’s strong and forceful address.  President Biden outlined his priorities and shared his vision for our country.  He reminded us about recent bipartisan accomplishments since he has been in the Oval Office—more than 400 bills signed into law to support our infrastructure, domestic semiconductor manufacturing, energy future, make our communities safer, and so much more.  The President also spoke about the work left to do, and implored the Congress to do it, including asking us to pass the bipartisan bill for border security and the national security bill with aid to our allies and humanitarian assistance for those in harm’s way.  He spoke forcefully of the threat Russia poses to the West and the importance of supporting Ukraine.  He detailed his efforts to respond to the crisis following Hamas’ October 7 attack, affirming his commitment to freeing the hostages taken that day, to Israel’s defense, and to providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in harm’s way, including efforts to broker an immediate six-week ceasefire and a lasting, two-state solution.

He spoke forcefully about the threats to democracy and freedom at home and abroad.  With humor and forceful responses, he shared a hopeful vision and belief in our country.  And he concluded with what freedom and democracy means to him and the values that define America: “honesty, decency, dignity, equality.  To respect everyone.  To give everyone a fair shot.  To give hate no safe harbor.”  If you missed it, you can watch the speech here.

I know many of you were watching at home judging from the number of people I heard from who saw me chatting with the President following the address!  Thanks to all who captured the moment on their TVs and sent them to me!

This year, I invited our TX07 neighbor Dr. Damla Karsan to be my guest at the State of the Union address. 

Dr. Karsan is an OB/GYN and one of two physician plaintiffs in Zurawski v. State of Texas, a case before the Texas Supreme Court brought forward by 22 women who were denied abortion care in the face of severe and dangerous pregnancy complications.  The case seeks to clarify the scope of Texas’ “medical emergency” exception under the state’s current abortion ban.  As a leader at the forefront of the fight for women’s reproductive rights and health in Texas, Dr. Karsan represents the best of our community.  She has seen firsthand how our state’s draconian laws have put the health and well-being of women and their families at risk and how the criminalization of abortion has affected our OB/GYNs, preventing them from providing the care their patients need and deserve.  I am so glad that she joined me at President Biden’s State of the Union address as the President and members of Congress work to restore and protect the health, dignity, and freedom of women and families across our state and our country.

A few highlights from Team TX-07 in Washington: meetings with representatives of the National Bleeding Disorders Association; TMAC; FARE Food Allergy Research Education; and First Service Credit Union. 

And in Houston, Team TX-07 visited the Stolen Lives Memorial at Bering United Methodist Church and met with Alex W. who stopped by our Houston Central Office to thank us for assisting him with the U.S. Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan application for his business. 

The House will be back in session next week.  We expect to consider and vote on the Utilizing Space Efficiently and Improving Technologies Act, H.R. 6276, and other bills and resolutions.  

As Ramadan begins this week, I extend my warmest wishes to all those observing the holy month of Ramadan across #TX07.  May this month be a time of spiritual reflection, inspiration, and healing for you and your families.  Ramadan Mubarak!

As always, I am proud to represent you and I am here to help you.  Please call my office at (713) 353-8680 or (202) 225-2571 or email here at any time to ask for assistance or share your thoughts.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,