Dear Neighbor,

I returned to Washington this week for another busy week.  The House of Representatives passed several important pieces of legislation, and I was glad to connect with many across our community during my Mid-Year Telephone Town Hall on Monday.  These and more highlights are expanded in detail below!

This week, I was proud to vote for and help pass legislation to help protect women veterans, older workers, LGBTQ+ business owners, and our environment: 

• The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act restores workplace protections that were weakened by the 2009 Supreme Court ruling in Gross v. FBL Financial Services Inc., which imposed a higher burden of proof for older workers seeking recourse against discrimination in court.  This legislation amends existing civil rights laws to lessen the burden of proof on workers and ensure that older workers can work and age with dignity and respect.

• The Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act ensures women veterans receive the health care they have earned and deserve.  The bill creates limits on contraceptive co-payments to ensure veterans have access to the same no-cost contraceptive care as non-veterans.
• The LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act requires financial institutions to collect self-identified sexual orientation and gender identity of the principal owners of small businesses, as well as their sex, race, and ethnicity, as a means to enforce fair lending laws.  Additionally, this bill adds a definition for businesses owned by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.
• Senate Resolutions 13, 14 and 15, using the Congressional Review Act to review and disapprove of rules issued during the Trump Administration, including the rule submitted by the Office of the Comptroller of Currency relating to national banks and federal savings sssociations as lenders; the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to methane emissions (see Shell President Gretchen Watkins’ op-ed for an overview); and the rule submitted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission relating dispute resolution procedures.  These resolutions are now before President Biden for consideration.

In addition, the House also passed the following bills with overwhelming bipartisan support:

• The Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2021 to impose a fine or imprisonment or both for defrauding veterans.  Currently, it is against the law for unauthorized agents to charge veterans a fee in exchange for assistance with claims or appeals with the Department of Veterans Affairs. However, this crime carries no penalty, which this bill remedies.
• The Elder Abuse Protection Act of 2021 to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial fraud by expanding elder justice activities within the Department of Justice. The bill will also make the National Elder Fraud Hotline permanent.
• The Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2021 to help eliminate preventable newborn deaths and severe disabilities by reauthorizing federal programs that help states improve and expand their newborn screening tests and parent and provider newborn screening education. 
• The STURDY Act to help protect children from furniture tip-overs by directing the Consumer Product Safety Commission to revise safety standards for freestanding clothing storage units such as dressers, bureaus, or chests of drawers.
• The Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021 to ensure the safety of babies and toddlers by adding certain inclined infant sleepers and crib bumpers to the list of banned hazardous products under the Consumer Product Safety Act. This bill is in response to several reports of infant deaths tied to inclined sleep products and crib bumper pads. 

Our Energy and Commerce Committee held a markup for three bills to ensure the quality and safety of our drinking water, including the PFAS Action Act of 2021.  I am pleased that my bill to protect first responders from PFAS chemicals was included in this legislation and is one step closer to passing.  First responders put their lives in danger to protect us.  We should do everything we can to protect them.  In addition, the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on social determinants of health and legislation designed to address them.  In our hearing, one of the witnesses gave Houston a shout out as a great center of collaboration on these issues with public and private sector coordination.

The Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing this week on President Biden’s budget proposal for NASA.  Next week, the House will vote on two bills that we passed out of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee critical to the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy.

Connecting with people across our district is an important part of my job, and it helps inform my work in Washington.  That’s why I am grateful to everyone who joined me on Monday for my Mid-Year Telephone Town Hall!  I was glad to provide an update on my work for the first half of this year, hear about your concerns, and answer your questions.  For those who may have missed this event, you can access a recording of the telephone town hall here. 

I was also glad to join the Energy Workforce and Technology Council for an Energy Policy Roundtable discussing the state of the energy industry. 

I was very pleased to announce this week that the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has been awarded nearly $10 million in FEMA funds to help repair the Barker Reservoir Watershed from damages from Hurricane Harvey.  Our community has worked together to recover from Hurricane Harvey’s devastating impacts, and now more help is on the way.  The funding will help restore capacity of this critical drainage system in our district to pre-storm levels.

I was also honored to receive the Abraham Lincoln Leadership for America Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for working to bring people together to craft common-sense policies that strengthen our economy.  Houstonians know the value of working together.  I am proud to bring that spirit to Congress.

Our incredible TX-07 team has hit another milestone: we have closed 5,000 cases on behalf of our district!  Congressional offices can provide services to families with matters before federal agencies, and it is one way we can provide tangible support to members of our community.  It is a privilege for me and for our district team to be able to help, especially in these difficult times.  We are glad to receive the calls, and we are dedicated to serving our neighbors in every way we can.

We can help with many agencies. Call us at 713-353-8680 or fill out our online form to get started!

New cases, hospitalizations and deaths are as low as they were before the first wave of the outbreak last summer.  A total of 40% of Texans are fully vaccinated.  If you have yet to be vaccinated, I strongly urge you to do so.  A new Associated Press analysis of available government data found that nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now are of people who weren’t vaccinated. 

Everyone age 12 and older is eligible for the vaccine in Texas, regardless of occupation or health status.  Only the Pfizer vaccine is available to people ages 12 to 17.  You can go to vaccines.gov to search or text GETVAX (438829) to locate one near you.  The vaccine is safe, and it’s free.  Protect yourself and protect our neighbors—get vaccinated.

I am proud to represent you, and I am here to help you.  Please do not hesitate to call me to share your thoughts and concerns or to let me know how my team and I can help you.  You can email here, or call my office at (713) 353-8680 or (202) 225-2571 any time.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,