Dear Neighbor,

It was another busy week!  I was in Washington, Philadelphia, and Houston meeting with constituents and colleagues on all kinds of matters.

You may have seen in the news that the House passed the Funding for the People Act, the bipartisan government funding bill for fiscal year 2022 that funds essential programs, addresses many of the challenges we face at home and abroad, and provides more than $13 million for six community projects that I requested through the Community Funded Projects process.  The Senate passed it later in the week, and the President signed it into law on Friday.

I am glad to report to you that the bill includes funding for projects that I specifically requested: nearly $10 million for Harris County Flood Control’s Meyergrove Detention Basin, the replacement and repair of waterlines in Bellaire and Jersey Village, and support for our Houston Fire, Health, and Police Departments to provide emergency telehealth services, a mobile stroke unit, and nine full-time crime victim advocates who help provide a trauma-informed response for victims of violent crime.  You can find more detail on these projects here.

In addition to these Community Funded Projects, this legislation reflects many of the priorities our neighbors have asked me to support. 

The bill invests our resources in medical resources and research, establishing a new federal health agency to drive biomedical breakthroughs; the implementation of many new programs in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; and in protecting our democracy at home and abroad.  

There is so much in this annual government spending bill, and you can find detailed information, summaries, and data on each of the appropriations bills in the omnibus package here.  I have highlighted a few additional priorities below.  The bill:

• Provides $13.6 billion in emergency funding for security and humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine;
• Funds our nation’s defense, increasing spending for military personnel, operations, research, and equipment and increasing funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to prevent cyberattacks and protect critical infrastructure and communications systems;
• Releases some of the funding authorized in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act;
• Establishes the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to improve the U.S. government’s capabilities to speed research and drive breakthroughs in for diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and more to improve the health of all Americans; 
• Reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act to enhance tools to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking while improving access to essential support services such as health care and safe housing for all victims;
• Increases federal funding to high-poverty K-12 schools, increases funding for Head Start, and expands the Pell Grant Program;
• Provides additional resources to the IRA to help improve its customer service, increase enforcement, and modernize its technology; and
• Provides $75 million for election security grants to bolster state efforts to improve the security and integrity of elections for federal office.

In addition to the Funding For The People Act, the House also passed H.R. 6968, the bipartisan Suspending Energy Imports From Russia Act, to ban Russian oil imports and implement further sanctions against Russia, holding President Vladimir Putin accountable for his unprovoked and unconscionable war against Ukraine, and further isolating Russia.  In this historic moment, the United States must respond to President Putin’s aggression with strength.  Our energy independence makes it possible for us to take this action, and we must continue to ensure energy independence remains an American priority.

Last week, I shared with you that the House had passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which would make lynching a federal crime.  I am glad to report that the Senate passed the bill this week, and sent it to President Biden’s desk for signature.

On Tuesday, I introduced the American Gas for Allies Act to allow U.S. Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) to receive expedited approval from the Department of Energy to export LNG from the U.S. to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries. 

In this historic moment, the United States and our NATO allies must respond to President Putin’s aggression with strength.  Helping reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian natural gas—now and in the future—is an important part of that effort to show that Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified war of choice in Ukraine will not go without serious repercussions.  I am proud to have introduced this legislation to boost our federal response by working with our NATO allies to expedite the exportation of American Liquefied Natural Gas to help secure Europe’s energy supply and defense. 

You can read more about the bill here and find a link to the text here.

I also cosponsored three bills on issues important to our community this week:

• H.R. 6842, To provide for the imposition of sanctions on members of parliament of the Russian Federation who voted on February 15, 2022, in favor of the appeal to President Vladimir Putin to recognize the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in southeastern Ukraine as one or more independent states; 
• H.R. 6853, the Russian Travel Sanctions for a Democratic Ukraine Act, to impose sanctions on certain citizens of the Russian Federation and their family members as a result of the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine; and 
• H.R. 6538, the Active Shooter Alert Act, to establish an Active Shooter Alert Communications Network regarding emergencies involving an active shooter.

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

• A letter to United States Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Shalanda Young requesting expedited approval of federal funding for the Galveston Harbor Channel Extension project.
• A letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting Department of Justice take action to protect voting rights.
• A letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer urging the replenishment of the Small Business Administration's Restaurant Revitalization Fund in any upcoming COVID supplemental legislation.

On Tuesday, I attended a full committee hearing for the Science, Space, and Technology Committee titled Climate Adaptation and Resilience for the 21st Century, where witnesses shared with the committee their insights on additional research and development at the federal level that would be helpful to provide the best options to protect coastal states like Texas from climate change. To view the full committee hearing, click here. 

On Wednesday, I participated in our Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce’s hearing on a topic I know matters to a lot of us — Daylight Savings Time.  At the hearing, titled Changing Times: Revisiting Spring Forward, Fall Back, witnesses testified about how a permanent switch to Daylight Savings Time would improve our economy and our health.  To view the subcommittee hearing, click here.

Between votes and hearings, I had a few great meetings.  I had the pleasure of meeting with Members of the German Parliament to discuss transatlantic cooperation on many matters, including energy security for Europe and American energy exports, as well as regulating and strengthening the transparency of online platforms.  Here is a picture of me with two of the women members of parliament in our meeting—fittingly, on International Women’s Day. 

You may have seen the great news that Harris County moved the COVID-19 threat level from significant to moderate, meaning a further demonstrated reduction in transmission and the local healthcare system is well within capacity.  As a reminder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new framework for COVID-19 guidance that includes masking guidance and a “county check tool” that allows you to see whether we face a low, medium, or high virus level in our area.  To use the tool, click here or call 800-232-4636. 

Harris County is currently at low level, meaning you should stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if you have symptoms.

Several of our neighbors have written to me recently about nutrition standards and access to healthy food for children. I agree that all children should have access to nutritious food.  Unfortunately, more than ten percent of households in the United States are food insecure; and in Texas, that number is 18 percent.  Addressing this issue is a priority for Congress, where I am working with my colleagues to ensure access to regular and healthy meals for children both at home and at school.

The omnibus appropriations bill we passed this week provides $26.9 billion in funding for child nutrition programs, an increase of $1.77 billion above what was approved for fiscal year 2021.  It also authorizes funds so that more fruits and vegetables can be included in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children food packages.  Knowing the importance of these issues to our district, I have also co-sponsored and supported other legislation to reduce food hardship among school-age children, including H.R.4379, the School Food Modernization Act, which requires the Secretary of Agriculture to make loan guarantees and grants to finance certain improvements to school lunch facilities to provide more healthy and nutritious meals to students. I am committed to supporting our children and ensuring their access to nutritious meals, and I will continue to look for opportunities to do so. 

I’m glad to have a day at home this week before heading back to Washington for more votes, hearings, meetings, and more.

Save the Date!  Next week, I will host a webinar on tax filing season where we will be joined by a representative from the IRS to answer questions before the tax filing deadline, this year it’s April 18.  If you have questions about filing, extensions, how or where to file, or any other new changes, sign up for the webinar here! 

I am honored to represent you and I am here to help you.  Please call my office at (713) 353-8680 or (202) 225-2571 or email me at fletcher.house.gov/contact at any time to ask for assistance or share your thoughts.  My team and I are here to help.

With best wishes,