Dear Neighbor,

It was great to be back home for this district work week.  Lots of great meetings and events around town to share!

This week, I was thrilled to be home to join community leaders on the banks of Brays Bayou on a beautiful day to announce that the Congress has authorized, and President Biden has signed into law, a grant for the Meyergrove Detention Basin as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, H.R. 2471.  The bipartisan funding bill includes critical investments for our community and our country, including $9,950,000 for the Meyergrove Detention Basin, which will be used to design and construct a 7.5-acre stormwater detention basin for the conveyance of more than 50 million gallons of stormwater away from nearby homes and businesses in Meyerland. 

Protecting our community from flooding is a collaborative effort, and I was glad to be joined by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner; Houston City Council Members Abbie Kamin, Sallie Alcorn, and David Robinson, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, and the new Director of the Harris County Flood Control District, Tina Petersen, as well as many of the people who work with all of us for our community, from professional staff to community advocates.  I am glad to bring these dollars back to Houston for this important work and to partner with our community in this effort.  You can watch the announcement here.

And I will continue to work so that our district receives its fair share of federal funds for flood mitigation.  You may have seen the news over the last week that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it would accept the Texas General Land Office’s (GLO) amended plan to distribute certain federal disaster mitigation funds that Congress authorized following Hurricane Harvey.  HUD’s approval of this plan comes after an investigation found the Texas GLO discriminated against Houston residents in this plan.  I am deeply disappointed that HUD has accepted the Texas GLO’s action plan. 

Houstonians deserve better.  Our state has not merely failed us, it has been found to have discriminated against its largest city and its millions of tax-paying residents who these funds were intended to benefit.  I will keep fighting to ensure that Houston receives a fair share of these funds, and that HUD’s actions and monitoring of this process will help ensure that future allocations reflect Congress’ intent for them.

It was great to get out and see people across the community this beautiful week.  One highlight was joining Interfaith Ministries' Meals on Wheels program to deliver meals to seniors in TX-07.  It was great to visit with seniors across the district!

On Monday, I was glad to join a Women’s History Month celebration as the keynote speaker, sharing observations about women making history here in our community and the example we set for others.  It was great to join with women leaders from across our area for this fun event.

On Wednesday, I was glad so many neighbors joined me for a webinar on tax filing with Arlene Good, Stakeholder Liaison for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  I was glad to provide an opportunity for our neighbors to ask questions about this year’s tax season, recent changes—including the Child Tax Credit, and more.  To view the webinar, click here.

On Saturday, I was glad to join with residents and leaders in the Gulfton area for the Gulfton Citizens Council’s March on Crime from Benavidez Elementary to Burnett Bayland Park in support of the “One Safe Houston” initiative that Mayor Turner and HPD Chief Finner announced at the beginning of this month.

Of course, I was glad to meet with our neighbors in the district in person and virtually again this week on issues ranging from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to immigration.  It was great to sit down with State Representative Gene Wu to discuss projects for our shared constituencies here in Houston and ways to collaborate in the future.  I am grateful for his strong leadership for our community. 

I was glad to meet virtually with officials and constituents, as well.  I met with Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright to talk about developments in the State of Texas’ orphaned wells program and the new funds made available from my bill, the REGROW Act, as well as efforts to monitor the program.  I also met with volunteers and groups, including TX-07 volunteers for UNICEF USA, to hear about their current work and discussed ways Congress can support it. 

We are definitely getting into meeting season, as groups plan their annual trips to D.C.  Some are in-person and some are virtual, and my team and I are always glad to hear from constituents about the work that matters to them and what they would like to see Congress doing.  Remember you can request a meeting through my website any time!

While we were away from Washington, I led members in the Texas delegation in a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to urge CMS to enforce Medicaid’s free choice of provider requirement and to require the State of Texas to reinstate Planned Parenthood as a qualified Medicaid provider.  You can read the full letter here. 

Tomorrow, March 28 at 7:05pm, I will host a Telephone Town Hall on the work I have done in Congress this first quarter of 2022.  Join me for a congressional update and an opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions.  To RSVP, click here. 

It’s time again for our annual Congressional Art Competition for students across our district!  The Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students in TX-07.  The winning artwork will be displayed for one year in the United States Capitol with artwork from contest winners in other congressional districts across the country.  Learn more and sign up here. 

I will head back to Washington this week for more legislative work, including voting on legislation to authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard. 

I am honored to represent you and I am here to help you.  Please call my office at (713) 353-8680 or (202) 225-2571 or email me at fletcher.house.gov/contact at any time to ask for assistance or share your thoughts.  My team and I are here to help.

With best wishes,