We spent much of the week in Washington focused on the possibility that the U.S. could default on its debt as soon as next week if Congress does not act.  I am deeply concerned that the United States is on the verge of a catastrophic default on its debt. 

Negotiations between House Republicans and the White House have continued throughout the week.  I am very sorry to report, however, that it appears some Congressional Republicans are prepared to default on our debt and are not interested in negotiating a resolution in good faith.  These politics over people are unconscionable. 

While there are uncertainties about exactly how things might unfold, experts we have heard from are unequivocal in the view that failure to pay our debts would have devastating consequences for our country.  In our history, we have never defaulted on our debt payments.  These partisan games have already had an impact.  It is critical that we prevent further damage and default.

As I wrote last week, I have signed on to legislation that allows a bipartisan solution that prevents default.  If five House Republicans sign on to our discharge petition, this impasse can be solved.  I am prepared to support other negotiated legislation that addresses the debt limit and spending in rational, reasonable ways.  As of today, no deal has been reached, but some news reports of progress today are hopeful.  I will continue to do all I can to avoid a disastrous default, and will keep you posted as we move forward.

The House took up several measures this week.  On Monday, I voted for the Veterans’ Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Act, S.777, to increase compensation benefits for veterans with service-connected disabilities and military survivors under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  The bill passed the Senate earlier this year, and now it heads to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. 

On Tuesday, the House voted on a resolution expressing disapproval of an Environmental Protection Agency rule to modify emission standards to reduce air pollution from 18-wheelers.  Passing this legislation would undo efforts to reduce pollution and protect public health, and for these reasons I voted no. 

On Wednesday, the House voted on two resolutions.  First, the House voted on House Joint Resolution 39 for the second time this year—this time, to override the President’s veto.  This is another resolution expressing disapproval of the suspension of tariffs on solar panels from certain countries.  Concerned about retroactive impacts to the domestic solar industry if the two-year waiver of tariffs is not maintained, I voted against the resolution both times.  While it passed the House the first time, it failed to garner the votes needed to override a veto (two-thirds of the House).  

The House also voted on a resolution to repeal the student loan payment pause and student loan debt forgiveness plan that the Biden administration implemented last year, H.J. Res. 45.  If successful, this resolution would overturn the seventh payment pause, which expired in December 2022, and force borrowers to repay immediately, adding potentially thousands of dollars in payments and accumulated interest to their loan balances.  This administrative action was designed to help students and families in need during the pandemic—not unlike the PPP loan program, enhanced unemployment insurance, and other efforts to address the financial burdens facing American families during this difficult period.  This resolution’s immediate and punitive measures are not the right way to address concerns over the program, which is also being challenged in the courts, and I voted no.  I do believe, however, that Congress should continue to examine the structural issues of higher education costs—many imposed by the federal government—and address them to help current and future borrowers and make education more affordable.  I recently met with a group of medical residents working in the Texas Medical Center to discuss this issue, and I know this matters to people across our district.

Finally, the House debated and voted on the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act, H.R. 467, which would classify all fentanyl-related substances (FRS), a class of substances that have chemical structures similar to fentanyl but are not identical, as Schedule I Controlled Substances. 

There is widespread agreement and concern about the need to combat the supply of illicit fentanyl across the country.  I agree and this legislation supports the idea in concept.  In practice, however, it does not actually make the changes we need, and makes some changes that we do not.  It does not provide law enforcement or public health agencies with any additional resources to detect and intercept illicit drugs entering the country.  It does not provide any resources for research, prevention, treatment, recovery, or harm reduction, and could impede promising research showing that at least one FRS may behave similarly to naloxone, a life-saving drug that counteracts the effects of opioid drugs.  It also imposes mandatory minimum sentences, deeply problematic public policy that, in my view as a lawyer, we should be working to reverse, not enact.  For all of these reasons, I voted no on this bill, but I am working with my colleagues on other legislation to meaningfully address and combat the supply of illicit fentanyl in our community and across the country.

It was a busy week of committee work.  On Wednesday, I participated in the Energy & Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing with National Telecommunications and Information Administration Administrator Alan Davidson, where I had a chance to talk to him about my bill to ensure first responders can communicate with each other in times of crisis, the FirstNet Reauthorization Act, H.R. 3366.  It was also great to visit with the first responders who came to the hearing (as you can see below).  You can view our Q&A here.

On Thursday, our full Energy & Commerce Committee marked up 19 bills in an all-day session.  We began with seven bipartisan health care bills that improve transparency and lower health care costs for the American people.  I am glad to report that the Strengthening Community Care Act, which I introduced with Representatives Joyce, Blunt Rochester, and Stefanik, to reauthorize federal funding for Community Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps through 2028, was included in the legislation we marked up.  It provides a much-needed increase in funding for Community Health Centers, which play an essential role in providing health care to vulnerable populations—more than 322,000 patients in Houston alone, and more than 30 million people across our country.

While I was glad to see the bill included in a larger bill, I offered an amendment to strike the language applying the Hyde Amendment to the Community Health Center Fund and National Health Service Corps from the bill.  While my amendment did not pass, I explained to my colleagues why it should have. You can see my remarks here:

Every woman in the United States of America should be able to access the full range of reproductive health care services and to make her own decisions about her care with autonomy and dignity.  The Hyde Amendment stands in the way of this ability and of the fundamental equality of those to whom it is applied.  This is an issue of equality, fairness, and justice, and I will keep working to end the use of the Hyde Amendment in Congress. 

We also marked up seven bills from the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, six of which are bipartisan, including the Spectrum Auction Reauthorization Act, which restores the spectrum auction authority of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and authorizes it for three years.  And we marked up several bipartisan energy bills as well. 

This week, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and I reintroduced the Toxic-Free Beauty Act, H.R. 3619, which prohibits the use of certain hazardous chemicals from personal and professional care, beauty, and salon products sold in the United States. 

Many people assume that the personal care and beauty items they use are safe, but with minimal oversight, many of the care, beauty, and salon products sold across the country actually contain toxic chemicals.  I’m glad to partner with Congresswoman Schakowsky to reintroduce the Toxic-Free Beauty Act to protect the health and safety of people across the country by banning chemicals known to cause significant harm in beauty products.

This week, I also co-sponsored several pieces of legislation on issues important to our community, including: 

• a resolution recognizing the significance of Jewish American Heritage Month as a time to celebrate the contributions of Jewish Americans to the society and culture of the U.S., H.Res. 382;
• The U.S. Citizenship Act, H.R. 3194, to provide an earned path to citizenship for immigrants, address the root causes of migration and responsibly manage the southern border, and reform the immigrant visa system;
• a resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives relating to the commemoration of the 190th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Thailand, H.Res. 234; and
• The Tribal Gaming Regulatory Compliance Act, H.R. 2873, to ensure the full applicability of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to gaming activities on Indian lands of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Indian lands of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe.

I also joined my colleagues in sending letters on issues important to our community, including: 

• a letter to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin inquiring and highlighting the national security risks of a potential default on the national debt; and
• a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra urging HHS to take swift action to address the growing public health crisis of patient boarding, the practice of keeping patients in emergency rooms after they have been admitted because no inpatient beds are available. 

Wednesday marked one year since the tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, and the Texas Delegation led the House in a moment of silence Wednesday evening to honor the 21 children and teachers who were killed.  They remain in our hearts, and their memory must guide us as we work to keep our communities safe from gun violence.

Later on Wednesday, I joined my colleagues in the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus at an Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month event honoring Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about AAPI hate through the culinary arts.  Texas has the largest concentration of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the South, and the Houston metro area has one of the top ten largest Asian American populations in the U.S.  I am so proud to represent our diverse and dynamic community, and to work with my colleagues in CAPAC to make sure these voices are heard in Washington. 

On Tuesday, I joined my colleagues in the New Democrat Coalition for a meeting with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to talk about the Fed’s efforts to reduce inflation (which is now down to 4.9 percent), recent bank failures and market issues, unemployment, and other matters. 

It was great to welcome several Houstonians to the Hill this week, including representatives from the American Society for Radiation Oncology and ConocoPhillips.  It was fun to have impromptu visits with neighbors who stopped by because we had helped arrange tours and gallery passes.  Please remember that we can help you if you are planning a trip to D.C.!

In Washington, our team met with representatives from NASTAD and the Houston Health Department; the Armenian National Committee of America; the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors; and Citizens for Space Exploration. 

In Houston, our team made a visit to the HOPE Clinic and attended the Greater Houston Law Enforcement Appreciation Gala, the National Public Works Week celebration in West U, and the Alief Super Neighborhood Meeting. 

As companies have begun eliminating AM radio receivers from electric vehicles (EVs), I have heard from many of our neighbors–whether via phone, email, or a letter–on the importance of AM radio.  Communities across the country rely on AM radio services for local news, weather reports, and other critical information.  It is also a key tool for our country’s emergency communications infrastructure, especially when other communication services are not available.  Last week, I sent a letter to auto manufacturers expressing concerns and requesting information about which vehicle models have had AM radio receivers removed or are planning remove them and what alternatives manufacturers have explored to removing AM radio receivers from EVs.  The Energy and Commerce Committee has now announced plans to hold a hearing on this issue, which I will attend and where I will share our community’s concerns.

Save the Date!  Our District Team and I are excited that our Sugar Land office is finally ready to open!  We are busy planning a ribbon cutting and open house Saturday, June 10.  We look forward to seeing you there!  To sign up, click here. 

Also, June is time for our quarterly town hall update.  Mark your calendars for our Mid-Year Telephone Town Hall on Thursday, June 22 at 7:05PM for an update on the work of the Congress so far this year.  To register, click here. 

On Monday, we 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.  In these difficult times, I hope you will take the time, as I will, to think about the sacrifice of our brave soldiers and their families and about how we can honor their sacrifice by committing ourselves to one another and to our country. 

As always, 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,