• Securing America from Epidemics Act, authorizing U.S. participation in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Initiatives, which is seeking to develop, produce, and distribute vaccines for emerging infectious diseases—including COVID-19;

• Aircraft Certification Reform & Accountability Act, which is the culmination of our Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s investigation into the failures leading to the tragic 737 MAX crash, strengthening the FAA's aircraft certification process and improving air travel safety;

• Improving Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, requiring the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to submit reports on patient safety and quality of care at VA Medical Centers; and

• National Apprenticeship Act of 2020, expanding access to apprenticeships to create one million new opportunities over the next five years. 

Since the Capitol has been closed since March, I haven't had the chance to see many Houstonians on the Hill in 2020.  I was so glad to have a chance to visit with TX-07 neighbors who were visiting D.C. outside the Capitol this week.

I also enjoyed the opportunity to continue to visit virtually this week with our neighbors.

Last Sunday, we held a telephone town hall on the Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries Resiliency Study (BBTRS) Interim Report, and I was glad to submit my own public comment to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  In my letter, I called on the Army Corps to continue accepting feedback from our community, past the new deadline for the public comment period, and to increase transparency in the process, including making the data used in the study available to the public.

You can read my full letter here.  And if you missed our telephone town hall, this summary provides a good outline.

As a reminder, the ACA Marketplace is now open.  You can review plans for health insurance that will work best for you and your family until December 15.  You can get started here.

COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to increase across our state and the country.  There are more than 12 million cases of the coronavirus across the United States, and more than 250,000 people have died from the virus, including more than 20,000 Texans.  November accounts for almost a quarter of COVID-19 cases.

In Texas, the number of average new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have all increased over the past week, according to this analysis by the Texas Tribune.

As of yesterday, there were at least 8,245 Texans are hospitalized for COVID-19.  On Friday, Texas DSHS reported 11,738 new cases on Friday, the second highest single-day count since the pandemic began.

Our region is not bearing the brunt of these increases, but we must still be careful – especially as we prepare for the holidays.  The positivity rate in our region is at 8.7 percent, and there are nearly 17,000 active cases in Harris County.

A vaccine for the coronavirus in on the horizon, but the pandemic is still expected to get worse before it gets better.  It is critical we come together in this moment.  Prevention is still the best defense against the virus, as Texas DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt emphasized this week.  We must be united in our response.

I am proud to represent you, and I am here to help you.  At this important and challenging time, I hope you will let me know how I can.  You can contact me and my team through my website, by email, or by calling (713) 353-8680 any time.

I am proud to represent you, and I am here to help you.

Best wishes,