Dear Neighbor,

It was another busy week in Washington!  I’m glad to be home this week to catch up with neighbors and visit people across the district.

On Thursday, the House passed the Relief for Restaurants and Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act of 2022, to provide $55 billion in relief for restaurants and other businesses that continue to struggle to recover from the impacts of COVID-19.  Helping Houston restaurants and small businesses recover from the pandemic continues to be a top priority for me in Congress.  I was glad to vote for the American Rescue Plan last year to provide much-needed relief for them, but unfortunately, not all restaurants that needed it were able to access the Restaurant Revitalization Fund because the funds ran out.  I was glad to vote to provide the assistance we promised, and to co-sponsor the bill to make sure we did.  Now, we need to get the Senate to pass the bill, as well.

Also on Thursday, the House passed revised versions of two bills we sent to the Senate a few weeks ago.  On Thursday, we passed with broad bipartisan support legislation to revoke Russia’s trade status with the U.S. and to ban the import of Russian oil and energy products into the U.S.  The House passed several other pieces of legislation on a bipartisan basis this week, including:

• The Ukraine Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act, H.R. 7276, expresses the sense of Congress that the Russian Federation, under the direction of President Vladimir Putin, has committed war crimes in Ukraine. The bill also requires the President to provide Congress with a report describing the process the United States Government will undertake to collect, analyze, and preserve evidence of war crimes and other atrocities.
• The Resilient AMERICA Act, H.R. 5689, will help communities better prepare for and recover from natural disasters and extreme weather events by increasing the amount of pre-disaster mitigation funding available to municipalities and local and state emergency management agencies. The bill also establishes a new program through which states and localities may award grants to individuals for retrofitting private residences with appropriate hazard mitigation measures.
• The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act, H.R. 1916, will require health insurance plans to cover diagnoses and medical treatments for individuals born with congenital anomalies and birth defects.
• The School and Daycare Protection Act, H.R. 6387, will ensure the safety of America’s students by directing the federal government to establish a School Security Coordinating Council to develop anti-terrorism plans and practices for daycares and schools across the country. 

On Tuesday, the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee held a legislative hearing—Communities in Need: Legislation to Support Mental Health and Well-Being—to review mental health legislation, including a bill I introduced last year, the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner (COCM) Act, H.R. 5218.  Our mental health is as vital to our well-being as our physical health, and it is critical that we improve mental health care access for those who need it.  My bill invests in an evidence-based model that integrates behavioral health into the primary care setting to ensure Americans can access the mental health care they need when they need it.

More than 90 published trials have shown this Collaborative Care Model improves patient outcomes, lowers total costs of care, and reduces stigma related to mental health.  I am glad that my bill is moving forward!  

I also co-sponsored several pieces of legislation this week on issues important to our community, including: 

• The 9-8-8 Implementation Act, H.R. 7116, to fund a 24/7 national hotline for mental health and substance use emergencies and nation-wide community-based crisis care services.
• The Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act, H.R. 962, to provide equal pay and retirement benefits to all federal law enforcement officers.
• The Saracini Enhanced Aviation Safety Act of 2021, H.R. 911, to require the Federal Aviation Administration to issue an order requiring installation of a secondary cockpit barrier on commercial passenger aircraft.
• The Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, H.R. 6398, to increase the rates of pay under the statutory pay systems and for prevailing rate employees by 5.1 percent.

I also joined my colleagues in a letter to President Biden and Secretary Blinken to express support of efforts to hold Russia responsible for alleged war crimes committed in Bucha and other locations by removing Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.

On Wednesday, I participated in the Energy and Commerce’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing about the complex dynamics of the energy market and resulting high gasoline prices in recent weeks.  Witnesses included executives BP America Inc., Chevron Corporation, Devon Energy Corporation, ExxonMobil Corporation, Pioneer Natural Resources Company, and Shell USA, Inc.  I had a few minutes to speak at the end of the hearing and addressed the need for Congress to adopt thoughtful energy policy that allows us to remain energy independent.  As a representative of the energy capital of the world, I will continue to push for forward-looking, durable energy policy.  To watch my comments at the hearing, click here. 

I try each week to keep you up to date on what I am doing as your representative in Washington.  Of course, there is so much happening each week, and I want to make sure to share what I’m seeing in Washington with you, as well.  Two important notes from this week.  On Wednesday, President Biden extended the pause on federal student loan repayments through August 31 of this year.  And on Thursday, it was a joyous in the Capitol as the Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice.  With her exceptional qualifications and her record of and commitment to impartial justice, Justice Jackson will protect the rights of all Americans and demonstrate through her service on the Court our founding principles of freedom and equality for all.

I always enjoy hosting Houstonians in my office and this week was no different!  It was great meeting with several groups from Houston, including representatives from Ocean Power Technologies to discuss how the US can grow its leadership in the blue economy, science, technology, maritime security, and renewable energy pictured below.

As I headed back to Houston on Thursday, I joined representatives from United Airlines to tour George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), while discussing the ways IAH and Houston area airports will benefit from federal investments from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will invest $1.2 billion for infrastructure development at Texas airports in the next five years, including more than $55.6 million for Houston area airports this year alone.  These airport upgrades will expand economic development opportunities in our community while making our airports safer and more efficient by addressing repair and maintenance backlogs to reduce congestion.  I was glad to tour IAH and discuss IIJA’s impact with airline representatives.

On Friday, I joined with a bipartisan group of members from our Houston delegation for a meeting with representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District, Harris County Flood Control District and other stakeholders to discuss regional flood mitigation efforts and policy changes we need for our area as we prepare to authorize the 2022 Water Resources Development Act.

On a related note, this Thursday, I’m holding our annual Community Conversation on flooding.  This will be a virtual event with Col. Timothy Vail, Galveston District Commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Lt. Col. Rhett A. Blackmon, the incoming Galveston District Commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Alan Black, Deputy Director of Engineering and Construction at Harris County Flood Control District; and Steve Costello, Chief Recovery Officer at City of Houston for an update on flood mitigation efforts in our district.  I hope you will join us!  To RSVP, click here. 

And another important date for your calendars: The Congressional Art Competition has begun, and I’m looking forward to seeing this year’s submissions.  All high school student artists in TX07 are eligible to enter their art into the competition.  If you win, your art will hang in the Capitol for people from across the country to enjoy.  Learn more and fill out the form here to begin the submission process—and have it done by April 22!

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,