Dear Neighbor,

Like many in our community, I spent the beginning of this week preparing for Hurricane Laura.  It was not lost on me that as we remembered Hurricane Harvey, we prepared for yet another storm. 

As we watched Laura develop and make landfall this week, I was in communication with our Judge Hidalgo, Mayor Turner, and Governor Abbott, as well as with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Red Cross, all of whom coordinated and worked together – as we expect in times like these.

While the Houston area was fortunate not to have been in Laura’s path, we know all too well the loss and devastation that our neighbors to the east in Texas and Louisiana are experiencing.  One of the lessons that stands true three years after Harvey is the willingness of our community to help each other out in times of need, and I see it happening once again we work to support our neighbors to the east.  I know we will stand with our neighbors through the recovery process, and I remain committed to the working to improve disaster preparedness and response through my work in Congress.

In addition, I worked on several other matters of importance to our community this week.

On Tuesday, I hosted a roundtable discussion with local leaders to discuss the progress and efforts in the three years since Hurricane Harvey.  I was grateful to our participants who, while preparing for Hurricane Laura, were able to take time to discuss the lasting impacts of Harvey and the work we are doing in our community to respond. 

I was also glad to visit with several other groups and constituents by Zoom or over the phone, including the Cy-Fair Chamber of Commerce, the Bridgewater Homeowner’s Association, the Greater Houston Builders Association, the Alzheimer’s Association and the Texas Forensic Nurses Examiners Center of Forensic Excellence, among others.

Tomorrow, I will host another telephone town hall at 1:30pm.  I look forward to the opportunity to share an update on work in Congress and answer your questions.  You can RSVP here or by clicking the link below.

Once your RSVP, my office will send a dial-in number for you to join.  I look forward to speaking with you soon! 

With the many challenges our country is confronting this year, I co-sponsored several pieces of legislation recently to support our region and communities across the country:

• The Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020, legislation that addresses the threat COVID-19 poses to 2020 elections. It would require states and localities to create and administer plans to operate their elections in the event of quarantines advised by public health and government officials. The bill also requires states to offer voters the ability to vote by absentee ballot if a quarter of the states have declared an emergency related to COVID-19, another infectious disease, or a natural disaster.

• The Voter Notification of Timely Information about Changes in Elections (NOTICE) Act, which ensures that every voter is informed how to vote safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill would require that every state provide accessible information campaigns to inform voters of any election process changes that are made in response to COVID-19. In addition, the legislation will make certain that election officials can access funds immediately to provide these communications.

• The bipartisan Save Organizations that Serve America Act, which extends the charitable deduction to all taxpayers and provides loan guarantees to certain public charities. The bill would specifically help nonprofits of any size qualify for newly created Small Business Administration (SBA) loans.

• The bipartisan Access to Credit for Small Businesses Impacted by the COVID-19 Crisis Act of 2020, which temporarily provides credit unions with an exception to limits on outstanding member business loans. Specifically, loans used for recovery from COVID-19 for a three-year period do not count toward this limit.

COVID-19 is still very much a part of our lives, and I know its impacts have been difficult for families across our community this fall, especially those who are personally grieving the loss more than 1,300 of our neighbors.  Our district continues to have some of the highest numbers of cases in Harris County.

There are some positive developments here: In Harris County, a total of 88,511 patients with coronavirus have recovered.  Texas’ positive test rate fell to 12.31 percent.  The concerted efforts we are taking to mitigate the virus – social distancing and wearing masks – appear to be working.  We need to continue taking these measures.  That will be the only way we can move past decreasing the rate of COVID-19 increases, to lowering COVID-19 in our community.

After pausing operations in preparation for Hurricane Laura, the Houston Health Department's free COVID-19 testing sites are open again.  According to the Houston Health Department, test results are typically delivered within four days.  If you are concerned about COVID exposure or are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, you can find information below about testing in our region.