Representative Lizzie Fletcher

Dear Neighbor,

It’s the first weekend of Spring, which I know we are all glad to welcome. I also want to begin by wishing a Happy Nowruz to those in our community who celebrate!

It was a busy week at home and in Washington, D.C., and I am glad to provide some of the highlights below:

The House took several historic votes this week. We started by voting in favor of a resolution to remove the arbitrary deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. I was glad to have co-sponsored this resolution and to join my colleagues on the steps of the Capitol to show there should be no time limit for equality.

The same day, the House passed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021, another bill I co-sponsored, to reauthorize the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). VAWA provides essential support for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and its reauthorization now is vitally important. You can watch my floor speech on the critical need for this legislation in Houston and communities across the country here.

The House passed American Dream and Promise Act of 2021, another bill I co-sponsored, which secures protections and establishes a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders who are an essential part in the fabric of our community in Houston and across the country. The House also passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021 to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for terms and conditions for nonimmigrant workers performing agricultural labor or services.

The House also voted to award the Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Congress' highest honor: the Congressional Gold Medal. On January 6, Capitol Police risked their lives to defend our Capitol and our democracy itself, and we are forever in their debt.

At the conclusion of the week, the House voted to protect Medicare funding from across the board spending cuts, and passed a resolution condemning the military coup that took place on February 1, 2021, in Burma and the Burmese military detention of civilian leaders.

You can see a full list of this my votes on my website.

Following last month’s winter storm, I was glad to re-introduce my first original bill, the Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects (HELP) Act, to help expedite disaster mitigation projects after natural disasters. As this year’s winter storm reminds us, the ability to respond quickly after a disaster is so important for communities. I was glad to reintroduce my original bill with Congressman Michael McCaul joining me as an original co-sponsor of the bill to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic delays to beginning recovery projects by allowing certain eligible disaster mitigation projects to begin without the risk of losing potential federal funds. In the last Congress, the HELP Act passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support, 409 to 7, and it was introduced in the Senate by a bipartisan group of Senators but did not pass. We will work to get it through both chambers and signed by the President in this Congress.

Reintroduced: The HELP Act, the Hazards Eligibility and Local Projects Act

I also introduced legislation to modernize clinical labs and help increase COVID-19 testing capacity. My bill establishes a pilot program at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants that support the improvement, renovation, or modernization of infrastructure at clinical laboratories and help laboratories meet the increased demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been included as a part of the LIFT America Act, a legislative package to invest in our nation’s infrastructure. The LIFT America Act will be considered by our Energy and Commerce Committee next week.

I also co-sponsored a dozen bills and resolutions this week:

H.Res.151, Condemning all forms of anti-Asian sentiment as related to COVID-19.
H.R. 1333, the NO BAN Act, to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion and restore the separation of powers by limiting overly broad executive authority to issue future travel bans.
H.R. 346, the SUPPLIES Act, to establish a temporary grant program to assist small businesses in producing materials like ventilators and surgical masks to address the COVID-19 crisis.
H.R. 885, the Small Business PPE Tax Credit Act, to allow certain small businesses a tax credit for qualified personal protective equipment expenses
H.R. 526, the Ensuring Coverage in Public Health Emergencies Act of 2021, to require private health insurance plans to provide a 30-day special enrollment period for eligible individuals after a public health emergency is declared.
H.R. 350, the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021, to establish new requirements to expand the availability of information on domestic terrorism, as well as the relationship between domestic terrorism and hate crimes.
H.R. 958, the Protecting Moms Who Served Act, to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement a maternity care coordination program and report on maternal mortality among pregnant and postpartum veterans.
H.R. 1447, the COAST Research Act, to help coastal communities respond to the effects of climate change on our oceans and estuaries by expanding scientific research and monitoring of ocean and coastal acidification.
H.R. 1140, the Juror Non-Discrimination Act of 2021, to ban lawyers from discriminating against prospective jurors because of their sexual orientation or gender identity during the jury selection process.
H.R. 707, the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act, to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133d Signal Service Company in recognition of service during World War II.
H.R. 903, the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act of 2021, to grant TSA employees full federal sector collective bargaining rights and due process and whistleblower protections and tie their pay to the General Schedule.
A resolution to recognize March 24, 2021 as the day on which women finally catch up to the earnings men made last year.

Our House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing regarding the Texas power grid failures during last month’s devastating winter storm. It is important for those of us in Texas and for the entire country to understand what happened and to craft legislation to invest in and encourage research and development in grid technology and reliable generation technology. You can watch my questions and testimony here.

The Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on protecting access to health care in the U.S. territories. It is critically important that all Americans, whether living in a state or a territory, have access to quality, affordable health care.

In the week ahead, the Energy and Commerce Committee will hold five critical hearings that I will participate in. Watch my social media for links to follow the hearings.

I returned to Houston this weekend, and was glad to join members of our community at Discovery Green for the Stop Asian Hate Vigil & Rally organized by OCA – Greater Houston. In the last year, there has been a dramatic increase in discrimination toward our AAPI neighbors, stoking fear for many in our community. I was glad to stand in solidarity with the AAPI community here in Houston.

Currently, the COVID-19 positivity rate in our community is at 10.1 percent. While we see the positivity rate slowly going down, experts warn that our country is in a race against time between vaccinations and the new and more contagious variants. This is true in Houston, where researchers at Houston Methodist Hospital found that cases of the U.K. COVID-19 variant are doubling by the week. They estimate that it will soon be the dominant COVID-19 variant in our region. Nationally, coronavirus cases, which are significantly down since the U.S. peak in January, have plateaued this month at about 55,000 new infections a day, a level public health officials say is still too high.

As a reminder, my office has compiled a guide with information about how to get your COVID-19 vaccine for those who qualify. As we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, we all must do our part to wear a mask, social distance, and stay vigilant. Until we have enough vaccines to reach herd immunity though, it is vital that everyone continues to wear masks to protect against infection.

A reminder of some important dates for Texas’ Seventh Congressional District:

Paycheck Protection Program applications are open and will close Wednesday, March 31. Begin the process now; consult my Small Business Resource Guide for details or contact my office with questions. This week, we passed legislation in the House that would extend the application deadline for the PPP by three months to June 30, but until this is passed by the Senate, it is important to get your applications ready.
Texas’ Seventh Congressional District Internship Program applications are due by Monday, April 26. University students and recent graduates who are interested in gaining valuable insight about congressional work are welcome to apply Our interns receive the opportunity to work closely with our team. If you or someone you know is interested in interning in our office this Summer, you can begin the application process here.
Texas’ Seventh Congressional Art Competition submissions are also due by Monday, April 26. Each year, talented young artists have produced beautiful art that reflects the diverse experiences and beauty across our district, and I am looking forward to seeing their submissions this year. You can learn more and submit artwork here.
Special enrollment to sign up for health care is open through Saturday, May 15. As the pandemic has shown, access to health care is critical. You can explore options for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace at HealthCare.gov.

I am proud to represent you, and I am here to help you. Please do not hesitate to call me to share your thoughts and concerns or to let me know how my team and I can help. You can email here, or call my office at (713) 353-8680 any time.

Best wishes,