Dear Neighbor,

Like people across our community, I am heartbroken over the tragedy at the Astroworld Festival in Houston this weekend.  I join those across our community tonight thinking of the families and loved ones of those who died and of the many who were injured.  I am grateful to all of the first responders and our local leaders for their response, and for the thorough coverage from the Houston Chronicle as our community works to understand what happened and why it did.  I am committed to working together to heal and to support all those affected by this tragedy. 

And I am glad to be home at this time, after another eventful week in Washington.

Hopefully, you saw the news that the House took major steps forward this week, passing transformative legislation.  I am glad to share that included two of my bills! 

Late Friday, the House passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the bipartisan infrastructure bill that has already passed the Senate and went directly to the President’s desk for signature.  Finally, it really is infrastructure week! 

This legislation makes the largest, long-term investment in the country’s infrastructure in nearly a century, helping to grow the economy, create new jobs, and enhance the country’s competitiveness for the 21st century.  The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will repair highways, develop infrastructure at airports, expand broadband coverage, and improve water infrastructure throughout Texas. 

Composed of several important pieces of legislation, it includes in its provisions the REGROW Act, my bill to plug every documented orphan well in the country by investing $4.6 billion toward cleaning up these sites, creating tens of thousands of energy jobs for skilled oil and gas workers. I outlined many of the benefits for Texas in an email to you a few weeks ago, but you can see them again at this link.

On Thursday, the House passed the first original bill I introduced in Congress, the HELP Act, with overwhelming bipartisan support, 409-16.  We passed it in the House last Congress, but it did not get through the Senate.  Now, we will try again in the Senate this year.  I am so proud of the HELP Act and all it represents: bipartisan, common-sense, meaningful legislation that was born out of conversations and a partnership with local officials at home in our district that will benefit all Americans by allowing certain eligible disaster mitigation projects to begin without the risk of losing potential federal funds. 

In addition to the HELP Act, the House passed several other bills with overwhelming bipartisan support, including:

• Investing in Main Street Act of 2021, H.R. 4256, allowing banks and federal savings associations to invest more money into small business investment companies, helping promising startups grow and succeed by expanding their access to capital.
• Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2021, H.R. 3469, a bill to bolster veteran business development by authorizing the Boots to Business program within the Small Business Administration.  This program assists transitioning servicemembers in starting and growing their businesses in communities throughout the United States.  
• Eliminating Barriers to Rural Internet Development Grant Eligibility (E-Bridge) Act, H.R. 3193, to provide grants to eligible entities through a High-Speed Broadband Deployment Initiative to expand high-speed internet access in underserved communities across the United States.  

This week, I also co-sponsored the following bills:

• Keeping Our Promise Act, H.R. 3548, a bill to require the Secretary of State to reissue the diversity visas that were not honored to successful recipients because of the policy directives of the last administration banning entry for people from Muslim-majority countries.
• Mental Health Workforce and Language Access Act, to establish programs that provide benefits to mental health professionals serving in Federally Qualified Health Centers and increase language access to mental health services at community health centers.
• Social Media DATA Act, H.R. 3451, to mandate online marketing transparency by large digital platforms and expose false advertising as well as social media misinformation and disinformation campaigns.

Always fun to see Houstonians on the Hill!  I was glad to meet with TX07 residents and leaders in the geological data industry to discuss infrastructure and renewable energy issues.

I was also glad to receive Singapore’s Ambassador to the U.S., Ambassador Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, to continue our discussion about the U.S.-Singapore relationship and trade, including the digital economy, clean energy, and emerging technologies. 

Children as young as five can now get vaccinated against COVID-19 at Houston Health Department vaccination sites.  Vaccination of children at health department sites requires parental consent, available at the time of vaccination.  Visit houstonhealth.org or call 832-393-4220 to find a nearby free vaccination site or schedule an appointment.

Spring internship applications are due on November 22.  College students and recent graduates who are interested in gaining valuable insight about congressional work are welcome to apply!  Our interns receive the opportunity to work closely with our team.  If you or someone you know is interested in interning in our office this Spring, you can begin the application process here. 

And to all those who are celebrating victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance, in TX07 and everywhere, Happy Diwali!

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.  My team and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,