Dear Neighbor,

I hope this email finds you safe and warm.  Of course, the arctic blast reaching our district tonight is on everyone’s minds.  We are just beginning a challenging few days for our region. Many roads are already closed and unfortunately, there are already accidents from ice on the roads.  So, please stay safe and follow guidance from our local officials.

I’ve been following the weather as well as the events in Washington, and I am glad to send you a summary of news from this week.  It was a busy week, and there is much to report.

Of course, yesterday, the Senate voted to acquit former President Trump against the Article of Impeachment for inciting violence against our democracy.  The second impeachment trial against former President Trump has been one of the most important and somber responsibilities of this Congress.  It is a responsibility I take seriously, and I did when I co-sponsored and voted in favor of the Article of Impeachment.

Throughout the trial this past week, House impeachment managers presented a clear and compelling case to the Senate, laying out the overwhelming and undisputed evidence that that former President Trump incited an insurrection against the government of the United States resulting in an unprecedented attack on the symbolic and functional heart of our democracy, our Capitol.  And, once he had, President Trump failed to defend the Capitol or the government as the attack took place.  There is no greater violation of the Presidential oath to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

As you know, I was present in the Capitol that day, in the House Gallery, and I saw firsthand the real threat to our country.  I followed the evidence of this week’s trial to see the presentation of the events as they unfolded, including my own evacuation from the Gallery.  The House impeachment managers showed the very physical danger we faced on January 6 as well as the ongoing danger that our country faces and the danger of not holding the former President—or any future President—accountable for actions against our country.

As I told you almost immediately after the events of January 6, I supported addressing the insurrection with the seriousness and immediacy it deserved, including co-sponsoring the Article of Impeachment we passed in the House on January 13.  Many of you agreed, and many of you called or emailed my office asking me to support impeachment.  I also know that some of you did not support impeachment, for multiple reasons.  I appreciate hearing from all of you.

I hope those who agreed and disagreed had the opportunity to see the House impeachment managers present the case this week.  Even Senator McConnell admitted after the trial that “[t]here’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.”  I was disappointed in the final vote in the Senate, but note that in both the House and the Senate, this was the most bipartisan impeachment in the United States history – with 10 Republicans Representatives and 7 Republicans Senators voting to impeach and convict.  I was proud of the work the House managers did to present the case and the constitutional issues as I see them.

At the same time that the impeachment trial took place in the Senate, the House of Representatives worked to respond to the crisis presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.  And that was my primary focus this week.

The House of Representatives is working to enact President Biden’s American Rescue Plan as quickly as possible.  The Energy and Commerce Committee “marked up” the legislation to end the health and economic challenges caused by the coronavirus for two full days—more than 20 hours debating the provisions in our jurisdiction.  We voted to pass several items to provide relief for families and communities across the country, which will be included in a budget from the House very soon, including:

• investing in a national vaccination program;
• implementing a national testing strategy;
• addressing health disparities for vulnerable populations; and
• increasing internet access as families continue remote working and learning.

I am glad that my bill to incentivize Medicaid expansion for Texas and other states that have not yet done so was included as a part of the COVID-19 relief package.  No one should have to worry about affording the health care they need—especially as we face this pandemic.  You can watch my statement during the markup on the vital need for our state to expand Medicaid here.

In addition to my work on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I was appointed to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology this week, where I will build on the work I did there in the 116th Congress.

In addition to committee work, I was glad to co-sponsor several critical bills this week, including:

• The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, to prohibit employment practices that discriminate against making reasonable accommodations for qualified employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions;
• The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, to end racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes and achieve maternal health justice;
• The Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act, to restore the rights of workers and consumers by prohibiting corporations from forcing individuals into forced arbitration;  
• The Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act, to provide $25 billion to award to various universities and research institutions to continue their work on ongoing federally funded projects;
• A resolution to award the Congressional Gold Medal to U.S. Capitol Police.
• A resolution expressing support for the Iranian people's desire for a democratic, secular, and nonnuclear Republic of Iran and condemning violations of human rights and state-sponsored terrorism by the Iranian Government.

I also joined my colleagues in sending several letters on matters of concern, including:

• A letter to House and Senate leadership opposing the narrowing of eligibility for Economic Impact Payments in budget reconciliation
• A letter to HHS Secretary-Elect Becerra urging HHS to take immediate action to restore many covered entities’ access to lawful drug discounts under the 340B program.
• A letter to Facebook regarding concerns about its advertising practices with my colleagues on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

And my team and I met with dozens of people virtually and over the telephone to talk about their concerns and legislative priorities.

You can see all the bills I have cosponsored at Congress.gov and you can view my full voting record on my website.

Mark your calendars for this Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 6:05pm!  I am hosting another COVID-19 Telephone Town Hall.  As Congress and the new administration ramp up vaccine distribution, I want to make sure all your questions are answered.  I will be joined by representatives from the Texas Department of State Health Services and Harris County Public Health. 

You can SIGN UP HERE to make sure you are on the call.

In the last two weeks, there have been nearly 19,000 new cases of COVID-19 in Harris County.  The positivity rate for our region is 15.5%, a slight decrease from last week.  There is still a high concentration of COVID-19 around Cy-Fair, with more than 3,442 active cases as of Friday.  More than 40,000 people across our state Texas have passed away due to coronavirus—about half of them passed in the last three months.

Vaccinations are picking up across our state and our country, with the average number of vaccines administered daily increasing steadily since December.  Experts continue warn that most Americans won’t be vaccinated until the end of the summer.  With more contagious variants spreading across the country, it is as vital as ever that we continue taking precautions necessary to slow the spread of the virus: wear a mask and limit social gatherings.

As a reminder, because of the winter storm in our region, Harris County COVID19 testing sites and vaccination sites will be closed until Tuesday, February 16. 

This week, I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting virtually with outstanding students from across our district who I had the honor to nominate for an appointment to U.S. military service academies.  I am inspired by their patriotism and desire to serve.  It represents the best of our community and country. 

We were so happy to organize our second annual Valentines for Vets this year, THANK YOU to everyone who participated!  We had an incredible response from our TX-07 community, and our team delivered all the cards to veterans at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, thanking them for their service!

And I wish you all a happy Valentine’s Day today and a Happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate!

As always, my team and I are here to serve you, and I hope you will let us know how we can, especially during these challenging times.  We are just a phone call or an email away—you can reach us at (713) 353-8680 or through email here.  I look forward to hearing from you!

With best wishes,