Representative Lizzie Fletcher

Dear Neighbor,

After seven weeks of session in Washington, I was glad to be back home in Houston this week, and to see TX-07 neighbors across the district. Here are a few highlights from the week:

It was great to celebrate Pride this weekend, starting the Saturday in TX-07’s Levy Park at Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin’s Families With Pride festival.

Saturday also marked the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, overturning Roe v. Wade. This week, I visited Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast to discuss the impact of this decision—and other developments in Texas—on the patients and reproductive care providers in our area. I was glad to see that, despite the challenges, our local Planned Parenthood continues to provide quality, nonjudgmental health care to people across our community.

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of joining Southside Place Mayor Andy Chan, City of West University Place Mayor Susan Sample, Texas House District 134 Representative Ann Johnson, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, and Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Tina Petersen, as well as representatives from the offices of Texas State Senators Joan Huffman and John Whitmire, to announce that we have worked together to secure $32 million in funding to move forward with the reconstruction of Poor Farm Ditch in West U and Southside Place.

The partnership that has made funding for the Poor Farm Ditch Rehabilitation Project possible reflects what we can do when we work together. We have worked across all levels of government and across the aisle to secure funds for an important investment to keep our community safe from flooding. This has been a true collaborative process, and I am proud to have secured nearly $10 million in federal funds to move this project forward. You can read more about the project here.

It was hot this week, so I was also glad to welcome neighbors to our air-conditioned district office this week to talk about a range of issues—from the programs made possible in the Inflation Reduction Act, to diversity and inclusion in our business community, to the needs of refugees in our community, to health care policy and Medicare coverage matters.

Earlier today, I was glad to join with the team from Interfaith Ministries Meals on Wheels program to deliver food and to connect with some of our neighbors in TX-07.

And finally, I visited METRO’s Field Service Center to see the prototype of a new bus stop shelter with a solar-powered fan—a concept we have been discussing for several years. I was thrilled to see this idea come to life and to visit with the creative and committed METRO leaders who are working to improve transit options across our community every day.

This week, the Department of Commerce announced that Texas will receive more than $3.3 billion to expand high-speed internet access across our state. It is the highest award in the country. This investment is made possible by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program that Congress authorized in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. I’ve been working with the Department of Commerce to ensure a smooth rollout of these programs and to address issues raised in the letter I sent to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. You can learn more about the BEAD Program and the investments in Texas at InternetForAll.gov.

This week, Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) introduced in the House the bipartisan Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act to establish standards for registration, inspection, chain of custody, labeling and packing, and proper disposition of bodies donated for scientific research or educational use. Senators Chris Murphy and Thom Tillis introduced the bill in the Senate. Sadly, many families who choose to donate a loved one’s body for scientific research or educational have been taken advantage of by a largely unregulated industry. I am glad to partner with these members of Congress to ensure that donor bodies are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, while providing accountability and transparency.

I also added my name as a co-sponsor to two other bills this week:

H.R. 3183, the Enhance Access to SNAP (EATS) Act of 2023, to expand eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to students attending institutions of higher education; and
H.Res.557, a resolution honoring the struggle, sacrifice, and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community and fight for equality in Texas.

This week, Houston staff attended several community events, including Houston City Council Member Tiffany Thomas’ Public Safety Town Hall, Houston METRO’s Gulfton Corridor Project Public Meeting, the unveiling of a mini mural of Houston LGBTQI+ rights leader Monica Roberts hosted by Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin, and Fort Bend County Judge KP George’s Pride Table Talk Discussion.

Meanwhile, our team in Washington also kept busy, meeting with representatives from the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals, TORTURE Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition, and Texas A&M University.

It is the last day of June, and I am happy to share our district’s 2023 Mid-Year Report! Learn more about the work my team and I have done on behalf of TX-07 during the 118th Congress at fletcher.house.gov/2023-MYR.

Tuesday is Independence Day—a day to celebrate the principles and the promise in our Declaration of Independence. I wish all in TX-07 a safe and happy holiday, and look forward to seeing many of you at events across the district on Tuesday and throughout the week!

As always, I am proud to represent you and I am here to help you. While our office will be closed on Monday and Tuesday in observance of Independence Day, you can 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,