Also on Thursday, the House passed the Mental Health Matters Act, H.R. 7780, to strengthen school-based behavioral health care, ensure access to mental health and substance use disorder benefits for youth and adults, and assist college students in accessing disability support services.  I was glad to vote for this important legislation.

On Friday, the House passed the Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, H.R. 6833, a bill to continuing funding the government while the Congress continues to work on the annual appropriations.  Among other things, the bill:

• Funds the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) program, which Harris County utilizes, to allow first responders to quickly and seamlessly communicate with each other, particularly during disasters;
• Extends the authorization of the National Flood Insurance Program;
• Allows the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to continue to expand suicide prevention services, including the use of call, text, and chat messaging, and behavioral health services associated with the lifeline;
• Provides additional funding ($1 billion) for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help underserved families cover the costs of home heating and cooling; and
• Renews FDA user fees to prevent the review slowdown of innovative drugs and medical devices and keep thousands of federal employees working to approve lifesaving drugs from being furloughed.

This week, the House also passed a number of bills on a bipartisan basis.

In addition to my bill to expand veterans’ access to modified vehicles, we also passed three other bills to serve those who have served our country.

• According to recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, working-age veterans, ages 18-64, have a greater risk of experiencing food insecurity than non-veterans.  I voted for the Food Security for All Veterans Act, H.R. 8888, which will help address this issue through the creation of an Office of Food Security within the VA.

• Under current law, National Guard service members must perform full-time duty for at least 90 days, of which 30 are consecutive, to be eligible for VA Home Loans. The Expanding Home Loans for Guard and Reservists Act, H.R. 8875, will expand VA Home Loan eligibility to National Guard and Reservists who are currently ineligible, due to their nontraditional Active Duty or training schedules.

• The Solid Start Act of 2021, S. 1198, requires the VA to contact veterans at least three times by phone in the first year after they leave active duty service to check in and help connect them to VA programs and benefits, making permanent the Solid Start Program established by the VA to help transition servicemembers to civilian life.
  
  
• The REMOVE Copays Act, H.R. 7589, will make mental health services more affordable for veterans and their families by prohibiting the VA from imposing co-payments for the first three mental health outpatient care visits in a calendar year for enrollees of the VA health care system. 

We also passed:

• The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Extension Act of 2022, S. 4900,  will extend programs that help U.S. entrepreneurs engage in high-tech innovation through competitive research and development grants.  In response to a Department of Defense review that found China was exploiting this program to steal U.S. technology, the bill institutes new requirements for companies seeking support to safeguard national security and American investments in research and technology. 

• The SPEED Recovery Act, H.R. 5641, to simplify the review process for small disaster relief projects, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to disperse federal recovery assistance more quickly to states and localities, in certain instances. 

• The John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act of 2022, H.R. 8681, will establish the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship program within the U.S. State Department’s Fulbright program. The John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship program will promote studies, research, and international exchange in the subject of nonviolent civil rights movements around the world. 

On Thursday, I introduced the Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems (RISEE) Act, legislation to help protect coastal communities by creating a new stream of funding for coastal infrastructure and flood resiliency projects and help incentivize new clean energy projects. 

Along the Texas Gulf Coast, we know all too well the devastating impacts of flooding and disasters as well as the way that visionary projects can help protect our communities.  The RISEE Act will help make it possible for us to invest in these vital, visionary coastal protection projects by providing a more permanent funding source for them.

I was glad to lead with bill to protect our communities, our ecosystems, and our economy in the House along with a bipartisan group of my colleagues, Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14), Congressman Tom Rice (SC-07), and Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02).

Also this week, Congressman Dan Crenshaw (TX-02) and I led a group of Texas colleagues in sending a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm urging the Department of Energy to establish a new hydrogen hub in Houston.  In the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law last year, Congress authorized the development of at least four hydrogen hubs to advance the country’s clean hydrogen sector, and the U.S. Department of Energy will select six to ten regions to establish these hydrogen hubs.  Read our letter here.

As we closed out September, my colleagues and I met on the Capitol Steps to recognize Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. 

It was particularly important to me to be there, as my beloved grandmother died of ovarian cancer after being misdiagnosed until it was too late.  It’s important for women to know the symptoms and be aware.

I also spoke to members of the U.S. Oil & Gas Association to share insights and updates on Congress’ work on energy issues, including the REGROW Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.

This week, I was glad to welcome Port of Houston representatives to discuss progress on Project 11 and get an update on operations at the port.

I also met with Dr. Bhavik Kumar, who testified before the House Committee on Oversight & Reform about the effects of Texas’ abortion ban on patients in our community.

I also met with Huntsman Corporation CEO Peter Huntsman who was in town for meetings.

Our team is happy to help coordinate tours for constituents visiting Washington.  Our neighbors, Wanda and Steven, sent this photo from their recent tour of the White House that we helped set up!

Good news this week: Harris County reduced its COVID-19 Community Level to its lowest level!  While many have already returned to life as usual, this is a good development.  Of course, Harris County Public Health still recommends getting tested when you’re symptomatic and getting vaccinated and boosted.  Find a booster near you at vaccines.gov/search!

I’m glad to be home for a few weeks, and working on setting up several events in the district.

On Saturday, October 15, I'm hosting a resource fair for students interested in attending U.S. military service academies where they can learn more about the application and nomination process and can talk to reps from the academies.  It’s at Lamar High School any time from 10:30a.m. to 12:30p.m.  Learn more, download the application, and get the flyer here.