Across our community, people have worked this week to recover from the storm—and that recovery will take some time.  While power is restored to many, several parts of our district were hit hard by the storm and have a long recovery ahead.

As I mentioned in my last email, I returned home from Washington last Friday to visit areas of our district hit hard by Thursday’s storm and to hear from those affected and those working to help respond to this emergency.  Over the weekend, I spent time visiting affected neighborhoods and meeting with local leaders and first responders at Harris County’s TranStar command center and the City of Houston’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) about immediate and long-term needs, meeting with city and county leaders.

Last Friday, President Biden responded to the emergency quickly, signing a Major Disaster Declaration for our area in response to the request from Governor Abbott.  By Tuesday, 400 FEMA employees had arrived in Houston, and FEMA had issued $1 million in assistance. 

Earlier this week, I shared information about federal and other resources, which I hope was useful.  You can find that information on my website at this link or by clicking on the image below.  I encourage you to share it with anyone who may need it.  We are working on putting together more resources and ways for you to get information and I send more information as soon as I have it.

This week, the House considered and passed several bills under suspension of the rules on a bipartisan basis.  On Tuesday, I voted in favor of the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023, H.R. 5863, which provides tax relief for victims of presidentially declared disasters, including the recent storms in our district.  Specifically, the bill allows affected taxpayers to deduct losses from presidentially declared disasters without itemizing deductions on their tax returns.  I also voted in favor of the Federal Prison Oversight Act, H.R. 3019, which overhauls federal prison oversight and strengthens security at federal prisons by establishing an inspections regime for the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

We also debated and considered bills and a resolution relating to the regulation of cryptocurrency.  First, we considered the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act H.R (4763), which, if enacted, would provide a new regulatory framework for the issuance and trading of digital assets (or cryptocurrencies).  The bill sets out a framework for determining whether digital assets are securities regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or are commodities that fall under the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), classifying any asset based on a decentralized blockchain system a commodity.  In short, it means that many popular digital assets, such as Bitcoin and Ether, would move to the jurisdiction of the CFTC.  Essentially, it would deregulate a substantial portion of the crypto industry, taking most out of the jurisdiction of the SEC and providing major exemptions from critical securities laws for those that remain.  It also included provisions to include even some traditional securities, weakening regulation and enforcement that presents a loss of protections for consumers and investors.  The CFTC is generally designed to deal with sophisticated institutional investors and traders and does not have the same kind of protections that the SEC has for retail investors and consumers.  Certainly, we should work to ensure a comprehensive and balanced regulatory framework for digital assets, but this bill does not provide it.  For these reasons, I voted against this bill which passed by a vote of 279-136.

The House also voted on the CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act, H.R. 5403, which, if enacted, would prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing any form of a digital currency (CBDC).  This bill would have broad negative consequences, including hampering the primacy of the U.S. dollar and creating an opportunity to evade U.S. sanctions.  For these reasons, I voted against this bill.  It also passed the House by a vote of 279-136.

Finally, the House considered another resolution relating to Washington, D.C. this week.  This resolution, H.R. 192, overrules Washington, D.C.’s Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022, which extends voting rights in local (non-federal) elections to non-citizens.  I have voted in the past in support of D.C.’s right to govern itself (also called home rule), and because this resolution undermines the decision-making authority of nearly 700,000 residents in Washington, I voted against the bill, which passed the House by a vote of 262-143.

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

It was a short but very full week on Capitol Hill, where House committees held hearings and marked up important bills, including the Farm Bill in the Agriculture Committee and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the Armed Services Committee, both of which I expect the full House to consider later this summer.

In my Energy & Commerce Committee, I participated in our Communications and Technology Subcommittee’s legislative hearing on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which was important to the growth of the internet in its early stages, but the law has remained unchanged for decades.  The provision—which some have called “the 26 words that created the internet”—was intended to provide technology companies with immunity from liability for third party content and the removal or restriction of obscene, violent, or other dangerous content.  It has become a shield for liability for content on the internet—even content that creates real and demonstrable harm.  While many on Capitol Hill agree that Section 230 needs reform, we have not seen meaningful progress in that effort.  As a result, our Subcommittee considered a bipartisan resolution to create a “Sunset” provision for Section 230 to encourage platforms and other internet ecosystem stakeholders to work with Congress to determine how we can make the internet safer and healthier for everyone.  It is important that we address Section 230 not only because of the harms it has allowed to proliferate on the Internet but also because of new technologies like artificial intelligence that will test its limits and applications.  You can see my comments and questions from the hearing by clicking on the image below, and you can watch the archive of the entire hearing at this link.

On Wednesday afternoon, I participated in the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee’s hearing on energy efficiency and building codes.  This hearing explored the importance of effective codes for residential and commercial buildings, which represents nearly 40 percent of our total energy consumption and 70 percent of electricity usage.  Energy efficiency in buildings is key to reducing electricity consumption as energy demands continue to grow and, on average, help Americans save on heating and cooling costs.  State and local jurisdictions maintain primary authority to regulate commercial and residential construction related to building codes and take into account regional variance, geography, and climate, but our hearing focused on balancing the need for improved efficiency with an affordable housing market.  The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) included nearly $1 billion in grants to states and local governments to help adopt building codes and standards.

This week, I co-sponsored several pieces of legislation on issues important to our community and recognition of our fellow Americans, including:

• the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, H.R. 3018, to implement a nationwide red flag law to prohibit individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others from possessing a gun; 
• a resolution recognizing the significance of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the significant contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States, H.Res. 1228;
• the Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act, H.R. 1015, to provide a Congressional Gold Medal to helicopter air ambulance crews of the Vietnam War, commonly known as Dustoff crews, in recognition of their heroic military service;
• the Hello Girls Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023, H.R. 1572, to provide a Congressional Gold Medal to the female telephone operators of the Army Signal Corps, commonly known as the Hello Girls, in recognition of their military service, devotion to duty, and 60-year struggle for veterans’ benefits and recognition as soldiers; and
• a bill to direct the Joint Committee on the Library to procure a statue of Benjamin Franklin for placement in the Capitol, H.R. 6969.

As always, it was great to see Houstonians on the Hill this week, including representatives from the Heating, Air-Conditioning Refrigeration Distributors International, Pappas Restaurants, and the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, to talk about things that matter to people in our district like energy efficiency, coastal fishing and food supply, affordable housing, and much more. 

In Washington, Team TX-07 participated in more than two dozen meetings this week with representatives from the City of Houston’s Department of Public Health, American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), American Heart Association, OnCall4Kids, Performance Plastics Association, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and Seasonal Employment Alliance. 

And in Houston, Team TX-07 worked with city and county officials and federal response agencies to respond to the storm, and also managed to attend some important community events, including the 75th anniversary celebration for Three Brothers Bakery, a luncheon honoring scholarship recipients from our district, and a Gulfton neighborhood association fair and public safety event.

This week, President Biden announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has granted more than one million claims arising under the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.  During the last Congress, I voted for and President Biden signed into law the PACT Act, to deliver health care coverage to veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances.  The PACT Act is the most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic exposed veterans in more than 30 years. 

TX-07 is home to more than 20,000 veterans.  Here are examples of how veterans might qualify:

• If a veteran with no dependents served in Afghanistan, was exposed to burn pit fumes during their service, has been diagnosed with cancer, and is unable to work, the veteran would now be presumptively eligible for free medical care at a local VA medical center and to receive $43,460 in annual disability benefits.
• If a married veteran with one child and dependent elderly parents served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, is suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory disorders, and is unable to work, the veteran would now be able to receive free medical care through the VA and could potentially receive annual disability benefits up to $51,550.

Survivors of veterans are also eligible to reapply for benefits that may have been unavailable to them, including retroactive payments.  For example:

• If a widow in the district who was married to a Vietnam Veteran who died from lung cancer was previously denied survivor benefits, the widow could now reapply and receive retroactive benefits as well as a minimum monthly survivor benefit payment of $1,562.17. 

To apply for care or benefits, visit VA.gov/PACT or call 1-800-MYVA411.  For more information about how the PACT Act is helping veterans and their survivors, visit the VA’s PACT Act Dashboard. 

This week while I was at home, I had the opportunity to join students, faculty, and some very proud parents at Alief ISD’s Liestman Elementary in #TX07 to celebrate the launch of a book they wrote together: Courage to be Kind.  I loved celebrating the book and its important lessons about encouragement, compassion, and respect.

Today, I had the honor of representing our district at a service to celebrate and honor the life and legacy of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Founding Pastor Emeritus William A. Lawson.  Reverend Lawson shaped our community profoundly, leading collaborative efforts to desegregate Houston, championing justice and equality, advocating for the poor and disenfranchised, and building connections across communities, faith traditions, and our city.  He will be missed, but his work will live on.

The House will not be in session next week, and I look forward to spending time at home in the district visiting with neighbors and attending events across the district.  Among them, I will be attending graduation ceremonies, and I want to take a moment to congratulate the graduating seniors and their proud families who will be celebrating their accomplishments in the weeks ahead. 

I’m sharing the message above reminding recent graduates to register to vote.  And it is with that in mind, I also want to remind you that we have runoff elections taking place next Tuesday, May 28.  If you have not yet voted early, make a plan to vote in elections in Harris and Fort Bend Counties.  No matter who you plan to vote for, it’s important to participate and make your voice heard.  It is a privilege and a responsibility of citizenship.

On Monday, we will observe Memorial Day, to remember and honor the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country.  It is an important and solemn day of remembrance and reflection.  It is a time to think about the sacrifice of our brave soldiers and their families.  We honor their sacrifice by committing ourselves to one another and to our country, doing our part to carry on their commitment to, and belief in, our country.

Today and every day, 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,