Dear Neighbor,

It has been an eventful week.  Like many of you, I have been closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan.  My thoughts have been first and foremost with our brave men and women who have deployed to Afghanistan to assist with the evacuation of Americans and our allies from the country.  Throughout the week, I have participated in briefings with the Secretaries of State and Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to members of Congress.  While there will be an opportunity in the future to assess what led us to the current situation—and there should be a thorough analysis—the focus right now is on the mission of evacuating Americans and our allies to safety as quickly as possible. 

For us in Houston, that means welcoming Afghan refugees to our community.  This week I met virtually with representatives from Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston and The Alliance for Multicultural Community Services, both of whom have a long and successful track record of refugee resettlement work here in our community, to hear about the situation here, and how we can be of help.

In addition to being home to many refugees, Houston is also home to one of the country’s largest veteran populations, many of whom served with honor in Afghanistan over the past 20 years.  The events unfolding in Afghanistan have been traumatic for people across our community.  My team and I are here to help.  We are doing all we can to help process Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants, to communicate with the Department of State, and to help connect veterans with the assistance they need at this time.  If you know of anyone who needs help, we can be reached at 713-353-8680. 

Although the House was not in session this week, legislative work continued.  This week, House leaders introduced H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in the House of Representatives.  I am proud to work with my colleagues in Congress to advance this vital legislation to protect the right to vote, and I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of this legislation.  It is critical that we move H.R. 4 forward as quickly as possible, working with our colleagues in the Senate to deliver the meaningful and important protections it provides voters in Texas and across the country

Also this week, I introduced the Broadband Incentives for Communities Act, to help communities across the country upgrade and expand their broadband infrastructure.  The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for high-speed internet to connect workers to jobs, students to online resources, and people to one another in every community across the country.  Developed in partnership with TX-07 residents who have unique knowledge of the opportunities and challenges this infrastructure investment can bring, my bill creates a grant program to support localities working to modernize this essential infrastructure for our communities.

TeamTexas07 was excited to join the ribbon cutting for METRO’s new Gulfton Circulator!  This new route will connect the Gulfton community to multiple destinations across TX-07, including the Bellaire Transit Center, Hillcroft Park & Ride, and the Westpark/Lower Uptown Transit Center.

Of course, I have also been focused on the impacts in our community of the highly transmissible delta variant of COVID-19.  With kids headed back to school, and many offices headed back to work, the spread of this dangerous variant  across our community and across our state is a vital public health issue.  Hospitalizations, new cases, and new deaths have all increased across Texas, nearly reaching our previous pandemic peak.  The City of Houston reported a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, and this week the Houston Health Department reported that more than 3,000 residents have died from COVID.  The Texas Medical Center reached an all-time high of COVID admissions this week.  Harris County is at Level One.

Medical professionals have made clear that getting vaccinated and wearing masks are critical to defeating this variant of the virus.  In case you missed it, you can read an open letter to our community from the leaders of the Texas Medical Center institutions here.  If you are not vaccinated or know someone who isn’t because of concerns about the vaccine, I urge you to speak with a trusted medical professional or to learn more from our public health officials.  You can find information and locations of free vaccination sites at HoustonHealth.org, vaccines.gov, or by calling the Houston Health Department at 832-393-4220.  Getting vaccinated is free and does not require ID, proof of residency, citizenship, or insurance.

With so much happening, the House of Representatives will return to Washington this week to vote on important legislation, including a congressional budget resolution and the bipartisan infrastructure bill, both of which have recently passed the Senate, as well as H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021.  I will be back in Houston later in the week, and look forward to continue visiting with many of you during this August work period.

As always, please do not hesitate to call on me and my team if there is anything we can do to assist you or anything you want me to know.  You can email here or call (713) 353-8680 or (202) 225-2571 at any time.

Best wishes,

P.S. – I want to hear from you!  Tell me what you think about my Weekly Wrap Up updates.  Your comments help inform my work.  

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