Dear Neighbor,

Another week has passed.  Another week in which I am grateful for the many selfless workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic – health care providers, local officials, grocery store workers, postal workers, bus drivers, and so many more.

I want to share with you this week the work I am doing for our district, and information on how I can help you.  I know that these have been trying times for each of us in so many ways.  Whether I am in Washington or in Houston, I am working for you.  Here are a few highlights from the past week – and a few things to look forward to. 

This week in particular, I heard from many small business owners frustrated and angry that $349 billion in Small Business Administration (SBA) assistance loans ran out in just 14 days.  Having worked with many small business owners since the beginning of this pandemic on these issues, I understand the frustration and I am working to make sure that we provide additional funding for the to the SBA programs as soon as possible.  The good news is that, as I write this, it appears that the message has been received and Congress will move forward additional funding for SBA and other programs this week.

On Friday, I held my third Small Business Webinar with our Houston SBA director to provide updates on the resources available to small business owners through these programs and others.  I know how much small businesses throughout our community are struggling – and I am committed to helping.  If you have a small business and need help, let me know.

This week I participated in multiple meetings by telephone to ensure we move forward with legislation on the issues affecting our region and the country.

Our Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a telephone briefing with the Federal Emergency Management Agency about COVID-19 response and other matters, like preparation for hurricane season.  Our Science, Space and Technology Committee met by telephone this week, as well.  It is critical we prioritize science and scientific research in our public policy, and our committee is working on several matters to move forward.

We have scheduled many calls among members of Congress to talk about the urgent heath and economic needs of our constituents with our Houston delegation, our Texas delegation, the New Democrat Coalition, Congressional leadership, and briefings from the White House and others, including a very good call with Mayor Turner and our Houston Congressional delegation as well as Senators Cornyn and Cruz.

I was glad to speak with a number of individuals and groups this week – whether by phone, on Zoom or on Teams, we are learning how to connect in new ways.  I was glad to give an infrastructure projects update to the American Council for Engineering Companies (ACEC) Houston and to do a surprise meeting with advocates from our local Alzheimer’s Association chapter with Congressman Pete Olson.

I was proud to introduce legislation this week with Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán to help protect Medicaid funding for hospitals across our region.  Our legislation would postpone for two years the Trump Administration’s Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Regulation (MFAR), which proposes a number of highly technical changes in the way state governments finance and report their Medicaid programs.  It includes new restrictions on state payments that experts believe would lead to severe cuts to Medicaid programs in many states, including Texas.  This is critical legislation for the hospitals in our area (as well as across the country) and we have worked closely with our local hospitals on this issue.  As our communities face a global health crisis, we must do everything possible to ensure our hospitals have more resources – not less. 

I also cosponsored two other bills this week: the Reopen America Act of 2020, which designates a comprehensive, science-based national plan to reopen the U.S. economy while helping states safeguard public health, and the Price Gouging Prevention Act, which prohibits the sale of consumer goods at excessive pricing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are writing a lot of letters these days.  I led a bipartisan effort to expand the types of providers eligible to provide telehealth services under the CARES Act to include physical therapy practitioners, occupational therapy practitioners, speech language pathologists, and audiologists.  As co-chair of the New Democrat Coalition Trade Task Force, I also sent a letter to Larry Kudlow asking the Administration to suspend duty payments—which are due this week—as a way to help businesses get relief.

In addition, I joined my colleagues in letters in support of:

• Urging the SBA and Treasury to act and prevent banks from providing relief intended for small businesses to only their highest-value, existing customers.

• Removing restrictions on credit unions that prevent them from fully serving small businesses in their communities during this pandemic.

• Supporting a proposal to expedite approval of a vaccine using existing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority.

• Asking FEMA Administrator Gaynor what specific steps the agency is taking to ensure that it is adequately prepared to respond to a natural disaster during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

• Providing further federal support for transit agencies to acquire additional personal protective equipment and protect our frontline transit workers.

• Including increased funding for the U.S. Postal Service, which has been a lifeline to our communities during this time, in the next coronavirus relief legislation.

• Requesting relief for our nation’s children’s hospitals in the next COVID-19 response package.

• Ensuring that Texans have access to affordable, time-sensitive, and essential health care they need, including abortion procedures, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Ensuring that any CARES 2.0 package includes additional funding to support shelter and transitional housing services for survivors of domestic violence and their companion animals.

• Urging the President to eliminate the FEMA non-Federal cost share required by the disaster declaration to help state, local, tribal and territorial governments fight this global pandemic.

I’m excited to announce that Dr. Peter Hotez will join me for my fourth COVID-19 telephone town hall, a community conversation about the virus.

Dr. Hotez is Professor and Dean at Baylor College of Medicine and Co-Director of Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development.  This will be a great opportunity to ask questions about the virus and the path forward of one of the world’s leading experts on contagious diseases and vaccine development, who also happens to our neighbor.  Dr. Hotez testified before our Science, Space & Technology Committee last month, and I am delighted he has made time to talk with me again – and, more important, all of you.

The town hall will be this Wednesday afternoon, April 22 at 3:10pm.  You can RSVP here or by clicking the link below.