Representative Lizzie Fletcher

Dear Neighbor,

Congress was back in session in Washington this week. And it was a very busy week. Newly elected members of Congress were in town for orientation, the Republicans and Democrats organized for the 118th Congress, and we continued with important official business.

On Monday, the House passed a bill many of you have written to me about, the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, H.R. 5441, to make it illegal to inflict pain on a horse to exaggerate its leg motion. I have received more than 400 letters and emails expressing concern about the treatment of horses and support for this bill, which I was glad to cosponsor and to vote for this week.

The House also voted for the Disaster Survivors Fairness Act of 2022, H.R. 8416, to make federal disaster assistance more accessible to disaster survivors. Both bills passed the House on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis.

Being back in DC means lots of meetings on the Hill! I enjoyed meeting with members of the Iranian American Community of Texas, a local chapter for the Organization of Iranian American Communities, to discuss the recent protests in Iran related to women’s rights.

It was also great to meet with the Greater Houston Korean American Public Action Committee to brainstorm ways to strengthen the Korean and Asian communities in Houston.

And on Wednesday I met with a group of DACA recipients who were visiting from Texas to discuss a permanent solution for DREAMers.

While I was in Washington, our team in Houston was out and about. Fatimah attended the SBA and the Texas Gulf Coast SBDC’s annual Small Business Economy meeting where Patrick Jankowski of the Greater Houston Partnership gave a presentation on the metro Houston outlook as well as an analysis of our local economy.

Spencer attended the Mandarin Immersion Magnet School SPARK Park Ribbon Cutting and presented them with an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol as well as a certificate from our office.

And Bricen presented a certificate to McGee Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in celebration of its 146th Anniversary.

On the other side of the Capitol this week, the Senate made significant progress in protecting the rights of Americans to marry by formally adopting a motion to proceed on the Respect for Marriage Act. The House passed this legislation earlier this year, and though bipartisan negotiations over the last several months, the Senate has now advanced similar legislation to ensure Americans’ right to marry is protected in federal law. The Senate will most likely vote on this bill the week after Thanksgiving, and I look forward to voting for the Senate version when it returns to the House and to seeing President Biden sign it into law.

I am thrilled to announce that Houston ISD is receiving more than $6 million for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program rebate competition. Last year, Congress authorized this funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and this is another example of how those investments are being made in our community!

The health insurance marketplace is now open! You have until December 15 to browse plans at healthcare.gov and get quality, affordable health insurance for you and your family. Be sure to get covered!

We are now accepting applications for Spring 2023 internships for our Houston and DC offices! Our interns have an opportunity to work closely with our team. If you or someone you know is interested in interning in our office this Spring, you can apply here.

Spring 2023 Internship Application Deadline

Congress is in recess this week. I look forward to spending this week in Houston visiting with neighbors and for the Thanksgiving holiday, and returning to Washington the following week to take up many important issues before the end of the year.

As always, 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 look forward to hearing from you.

With best wishes,