As expected, this week, the House considered and voted on three appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2025: the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2025 (H.R. 8752), the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2025 (H.R. 8771), and the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2025 (H.R. 8774)—all of which are intended to invest in our national security, address challenges at our borders, strengthen our nation’s diplomatic leadership, support our men and women in uniform.

I am sorry to report to you that it still appears that the leaders in control of the House have not learned anything from last year’s appropriations process.  Once again this week, the bills and amendments politicize the appropriations process, limit women’s access to reproductive health care, discriminate against LGBTQI+ people, and weaken our national security.

First, the House debated the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2025, H.R. 8752, along with 61 proposed amendments to the bill.  When it comes to Homeland Security, we need to pass legislation that addresses the very real concerns in our community, treats migrants humanely and fairly, and honors our country’s principles and obligations to allow those fleeing persecution and human rights violations in another country to seek asylum.  Unfortunately, this year’s appropriations bill fails in each of these areas and fails to reflect our values.  The legislation does not meaningfully address challenges in our immigration system and border security.  In fact, the bill the House considered cuts $2.1 billion in critical funding from the Border Security Operations budget, which is a 25% cut from Fiscal Year 2024.  The bill spends $600 million on an ineffective and outdated border wall, wasting money that could be otherwise used on more effective strategies to address challenges.  The bill also eliminates funding for the Shelter and Services program, slashes funding for family reunification, and fails to provide funding for application processing for refugee and asylum operations—all of which hurt border communities and cities across the U.S.  This bill also underfunds cyber-defense programs, leaving Americans vulnerable to cyber-attacks at a time when our adversaries are increasing their efforts to interfere in the 2024 elections.  Instead of working with House Democrats to invest in effective strategies and aid border communities that are receiving migrants, House Republicans are pushing a partisan bill that fails to secure our border, weakens our national security, and makes our communities less safe and more vulnerable to terrorism and violent extremists.  For these reasons, I voted no on the bill.

The House also took up the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2025, H.R. 8771 along with 75 proposed amendments to the bill.  At a time where America’s adversaries threaten peace and prosperity of the free world, we need legislation that reaffirms the United States’ global leadership, invests in essential diplomatic and development programs, and delivers humanitarian assistance across the globe. This bill, however, cuts critical funding for global programs, putting our national security and global health at risk.  The bill contains a 12% overall cut that leaves the U.S. State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development vastly underfunded, eliminating funding for the United Nations, and prohibits funding for UN entities that provide critical aid, including the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).  The legislation also cuts $362 million in funding from programs to improve maternal and child health, slashes funding for bilateral family planning by $114 million, and prohibits funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which helps improve reproductive and maternal health worldwide.  This bill also hinders the U.S. response to climate change by prohibiting funding for the Clean Technology Fund and the Green Climate Fund, preventing implementation of the Paris Agreement, and eliminating support for programs that allow communities to adapt to weather changes, sustainable landscapes, and clean energy.  Overall, this bill diminishes the global standing of the United States and is antithetical to what our nation stands for—allowing our competitors and adversaries to take our place and replace our influence on the global stage.  Again, I voted no.

Finally, the House debated the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2025, H.R. 8774 along with 193 proposed amendments to the bill.  While this $883 billion bill included a slight increase in spending, it cuts or reduces funding for important programs, with a focus on eliminating programs and support for things like diversity, equity, and inclusion effort, LGBTQ+ rights, and reproductive rights.  The bill also eliminates $300 million in funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, weakening Ukraine’s ability to fight for their right to self-determination against ongoing Russian aggression.  And it eliminates funding for critical climate change mitigation and preparation programs our military needs to prepare for changing severe weather.  Instead of investing in our national security and supporting our men and women in uniform, this partisan bill undermines democracy at home and abroad, and harms military readiness with divisive provisions that fail to support our service members.  

As I said last year, a bipartisan process is the only way to produce appropriations bills that meet the needs of our country.  Once again, the House does not appear to be on the right track.  Once again, we will look to the Senate to work on bipartisan appropriations legislation that reflects both the real needs and priorities of Americans and the process they want us to undertake.

As usual, however, we did take up a few bipartisan bills that passed the House with broad bipartisan support.  These include a resolution expressing support for democracy and human rights in Pakistan (H.Res. 901) as well as the Korean American Divided Families National Registry Act (H.R. 7152), to create a new national registry of Korean Americans and their families to reunite families separated by the Korean War, and the American Cooperation With Our Neighbors Act (H.R. 2789), to direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy on efforts to strengthen subnational cooperation between the U.S., Mexico, Caribbean, and countries in Central America. 

As a reminder, you can always find a list of all of the votes I have taken for the district on my website.

On Thursday, the Energy and Commerce Committee was scheduled to hold a full-day committee markup on 11 bills, including the American Privacy Rights Act of 2024 (H.R. 8818), a bipartisan, bicameral comprehensive national data privacy standard, and the Kids Online Safety Act (H.R. 7891).  That morning, however, the markup was cancelled, giving me a little extra time to visit with some Houstonians on the Hill, but delaying consideration of several important bills.  This last-minute cancellation was unusual, but my colleagues and I on the Committee will continue to work on legislation to implement comprehensive data privacy policies and advance some other key bills that were to come before us that are priorities for our district, including the Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Product Safety Act (H.R. 7188), the Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024 (H.R. 7623), and the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (H.R. 8449).

On Wednesday, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a full committee markup on the Water Resources Development Act of 2024.  Every two years, that committee considers a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) to authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ water infrastructure and conveyance projects.  As I mentioned last week, Congressman Wesley Hunt (TX-38) and I met with representatives from Harris County Flood Control and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to discuss the Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries Resiliency Study, which Congress authorized after Hurricane Harvey to study flood mitigation options along Buffalo Bayou.

On Wednesday, the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 passed out of the committee and included language that Congressman Hunt and I jointly requested that instructs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete the Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries Resiliency Study by December 31, 2025.  The completion of this study will allow for the full evaluation of an underground water conveyance tunnel concept to alleviate the potential for flooding around the Addicks and Barker reservoirs and along Buffalo Bayou.   

Since my last week in Washington, I have cosponsored several pieces of legislation on issues important to our community, including: 

• the Border Workforce Improvement Act, H.R. 8794, to conduct an assessment of staffing needs at the southern border of the United States; 
• the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023, H.R. 926, to create ethical standards and a code of conduct for Supreme Court justices; 
• the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, H.R. 8426, to establish in law the right of public sector employees to join a union and bargain collectively; 
• the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act, H.R. 4818, to expand Medicare coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity; 
• the Safe Step Act, H.R. 2630, to require group health plans to establish an exception to medication step-therapy protocol in specified cases;
• the LGBTQI Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act, H.R. 6652, to prohibit credit discrimination for LGBTQ+ business owners by amending reporting requirements to include sexual orientation and gender identity;
• the Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act of 2023, H.R. 2909, to require federal law enforcement to coordinate efforts to prevent the importation and trafficking of “auto-sears,” illegal gun modification devices that can convert semi-automatic weapons into automatic-weapons; and 
• the Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act, H.R. 6394, to provide for the creation of a Congressional time capsule in commemoration of the semiquincentennial of the United States; and
• a resolution recognizing June 19, 2024, as this year’s observance of the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day, H.Res.1308.

Monday marked the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade.  Since the Dobbs decision, the health care crisis in Texas and around the country has only gotten worse.  Women experiencing pregnancy complications like miscarriages are being turned away from hospital emergency rooms until they are “closer to death” because of the extreme abortion ban Texas legislators have passed.  I have met with many of these women and their doctors over the last two years.  In Texas, we have even seen some cities and towns pass ordinances blocking people from traveling on their roads if the purpose of their travel is seeking an abortion.

These attacks on women’s health have generated fear and confusion for women and their loved ones, and it is critical that we find a way to protect them.  Access to abortion in Texas has been virtually eliminated—including in cases of rape or incest.  That is why this Congress, I reintroduced the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, which protects the constitutional right to travel across state lines, including for abortion.  Republicans in the House have refused to bring my bill to the floor to protect this constitutional right. 

It is critical that Congress act and restore the framework to protect women’s rights to make their own decisions about their bodies, their families, and their futures that Americans have relied on for the last 50 years.  I will continue doing everything I can to restore the health, privacy, dignity, and freedom of women in Texas and across our country.

To mark the anniversary this week, I joined some of my colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus on the East Capitol steps in standing for the freedom of American women to make their own reproductive health care decisions and laying out our plans to protect them and to restore their rights.

Also this week, I spoke at a reception at the Belgian Ambassador’s residence to mark the end of Belgium’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union and bid farewell to the Ambassador of Belgium to the U.S., His Excellency, Jean-Arthur Régibeau.  I had the privilege of getting to know the Ambassador through my role as Co-Chair of the Congressional Friends of Belgium Caucus.  The Ambassador of the European Union to the U.S. Jovita Neliupšienė joined me in thanking Ambassador Régibeau for his great service in strengthening the diplomatic, military, economic, and cultural ties between the United States and Belgium.

I was glad to see several Houstonians on the Hill this week, including representatives of Walmart and one of its Houston-based suppliers PhoLicious, AARP Texas (with some special guests you may recognize), high school student Ryan in Washington for a summer leadership program, and Danica Du, this year’s Congressional Art Competition Winner!  Another special Houstonian on the Hill was our District Director Shirley Martinez, who was in town for a meeting of district directors from across the country.

And I was delighted to see more Houstonians at the White House Pride Month Celebration.  As we wrap up this joyous Pride Month, I am proud to represent TX07’s LGBTQI+ community, from its historic heart in Montrose to every corner of our district.  I’ll always keep working toward a more equal United States.

Before I returned to Washington, I had the joy of presenting Congressional Award to two outstanding young neighbors from Sugar Land, Ryan and Bryant, for their voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition.  I was glad to help them celebrate this special achievement and present their medals!

In Washington, in addition to the usual monitoring of the floor debate and preparing for the markup, Team TX-07 held more than two dozen meetings with Houstonians and people advocating for them, including with representatives from the University of Houston, the National Network for Arab American Communities, the National Women’s Political Caucus, Center for Law and Social Policy, Internet Infrastructure Coalition, Rebuilding Alliance, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Vibrant Body Company. 

And in Houston, Team TX-07 continued assisting constituents and participating in civic club meetings, briefings, and community events, including the City of Houston’s Meet and Greet and the City of Houston’s press conference commemorating the 12th anniversary of DACA. 

We are one week away from the deadline to apply for fall internships.  If you or someone you know are interested in applying for an internship in my office in Washington or Houston for the fall semester, click here. 
The deadline is Friday, July 5!

Save the date!  I will host a telephone town hall on Tuesday, July 9 to review the developments since our last town hall and answer questions.  You can sign up here to participate and submit questions for me to address. 

Next week, the House will be in recess as the country observes and celebrates Independence Day and the promise in our Declaration of Independence.

On a related note, our office will be closed for the holiday on Thursday July 4 and Friday, July 5.  The weekly wrap up will be on vacation next Friday, too. 

The House will be back in session on Monday, July 8, and I will be back in Washington.  I look forward to sending you an update at the end of that week.

Wishing you a safe and happy Independence Day holiday. 

Best wishes,