Dear Neighbor,

Another busy week has ended.  I am back home in the district after returning to Washington this week to vote on the House of Representatives’ fourth major piece of legislation in response to COVID-19: The Heroes Act.

While we were in Washington, we also passed a resolution that will allow Members of Congress in the House to hold hearings and cast votes remotely for the first time in our country’s history.

I snapped these photos as I was leaving the Capitol Friday evening.  Not only does it look different because members are wearing masks (like this one my sister made for me), but also because the steps of the Capitol have been unmasked from the scaffolding that has covered this entrance during my time in Congress.  It is truly breathtaking.

Before I returned to Washington, I hosted my fifth COVID-19 Telephone Town Hall on Tuesday.  We were lucky to have Harris County Public Health Executive Director Dr. Umair Shah and the leaders of the  Recovery and Relief efforts for Harris County and the City of Houston, State Representative Armando Walle and Marvin Odum to discuss recovery efforts across our district and answer questions about how we can address the health concerns and re-engage in our community safely.  If you did not get a chance to join, you can listen to a recording of the conversation here and stay tuned for our next telephone town hall!

On Wednesday, Elijah Williams, the Executive Director of the Energy Corridor District, and I held a virtual small business roundtable with entrepreneurs from the Energy Corridor.  Restaurateurs, hoteliers, medical professionals, and real estate professionals shared their experiences, including their experiences navigating federal relief programs and their concerns and expectations on reopening the economy.  It was a great discussion.

The Port of Corpus Christi asked me to share my thoughts on the importance of the Texas energy sector during this global pandemic, particularly around energy production, and infrastructure needs during its virtual program “Managing the Critical Importance of Energy in America in a COVID-19 World.”  I was glad to join Senator Cornyn and other members of our delegation to talk about these issues.

And I enjoyed sharing my thoughts on our COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery efforts with the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council during last week’s  L.E.A.D Conversation.  I was glad to share the federal government perspective and to hear from State Senator Carol Alvarado and Massey Villarreal, and Patrick Jankowski of the Greater Houston Partnership, who shared insights from you can find here.

In my office’s continued efforts to keep our neighbors across our district informed, we posted updated versions the COVID-19 Community Resource Guide and the Small Business Resource Guide—nearly 50 pages on testing, financial assistance, education, immigration, travel, unemployment, and how to navigate small business recovery programs, including Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.  We will continue to update these guides as legislation becomes law and resources become available.

Do you have a tip on something we should include in the next update to our resource guides?  Or do you have a question for me on how to find a certain resource?  My team and I want to help!  Click below to suggest an addition to the resource guide. 

With everything going on in our community and around the world, please remember that my team and I are here for you.  Share your thoughts and concerns – and let us know how we can help.  You can email here, or call my office at (713) 353-8680 any time.

I am proud to represent you, and I am here to help you.

Best wishes,