Dear Neighbor,

It was a packed week in Washington, with lots of votes, meetings, and hearings.  Here are a few of the highlights.

The House took several votes and passed several important bills this week, including the Affordable Insulin Now Act, a bill I co-sponsored, which caps patients’ out-of-pocket costs for insulin at no more than $35 per month in Medicare Part D and commercial health insurance.  It also requires private health plans to cover at least one of each type and dosage form of insulin and caps cost-sharing for a 30-day supply at the lesser of $35 or 25% of a plan’s negotiated price.  It passed the House and is on its way to the Senate.  As you know, I have been working in Congress to help lower drug costs and this is one important piece but there is much more work to do and I am hopeful we will see more progress in the next few months. 

The House passed the Better Cybercrime Metrics Act, which will help law enforcement better protect Americans’ data, finances, and personal information by improving the reporting and tracking of cybersecurity crimes in the United States.  The Senate already passed the bill, so it is on its way to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

The House passed the FEMA Caseworker Accountability Act.  In TX-07, we know the importance of working with FEMA after disasters, and the challenges that accompany the work.  That is why I was glad to support the effort to investigate and reduce turnover at the agency by voting for the bill requiring a report to Congress regarding disaster case management staff turnover and any agency plans designed to reduce that turnover.

The House passed the Securing a Strong Retirement Act, which will help more Americans better prepare for retirement by expanding automatic enrollment in specific retirement plans, strengthening coverage for part-time workers, and providing more flexibility for workers looking to save more as they near retirement. The bill will also help safeguard retirement savings by creating a national online Retirement Savings Lost & Found Database for workers and retirees to find retirement accounts from previous employers.

The House also passed the Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment in Transportation Act to establish sexual assault and harassment standards for the transportation industry by requiring passenger carriers, including airlines and rideshare companies, to develop formal policies, training, and reporting structures regarding sexual assault and harassment.

On Friday, the House passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which decriminalizes marijuana at the federal level by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act.  It will require courts to expunge prior marijuana-related convictions and arrests and authorizes the assessment of a 5% sales tax on marijuana and marijuana products to create an Opportunity Trust Fund. The bill will establish a Cannabis Justice Office within the Department of Justice to administer the Community Reinvestment Grant Program to support individuals who have been adversely affected by the war on drugs. In addition, the bill includes two programs administered by the Small Business Administration to provide assistance to socially and economically disadvantaged small business owners and minimize barriers to marijuana licensing and employment.

On Wednesday, I introduced the Federal PFAS Research Evaluation Act to implement a federal per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) study to uncover the health hazards PFAS exposure presents to communities.  PFAS chemicals pose a threat to people and to our environment, and it is critical that we understand the depth of the health implications they pose for our communities.  

I also co-sponsored a number of bills this week, including:

• The Summer Meals Act of 2021, to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to improve the efficiency of summer meals;
• The Air America Act of 2021, to establish the service of Air America employees as qualifying service for purposes of the Civil Service Retirement System; 
• The DISCLOSE Act, to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to provide for additional disclosure requirements for corporations, labor organizations, Super PACs and other entities; 
• The Abandoned Well Remediation Research and Development Act, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary of Energy to carry out a research, development, and demonstration program with respect to abandoned oil or gas wells;
• The Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act, to establish a dedicated NSGP grant office to provide outreach, engagement, education, technical assistance, and support to eligible nonprofits, with attention to those in underserved communities; and
• The Ethiopia Stabilization, Peace, and Democrat Act, to impose sanctions on entities in Ethiopia that undermine efforts to end the civil war and limit U.S. security assistance to Ethiopia until a permanent ceasefire has been implemented.

This week, I participated in two Energy and Commerce Committee hearings.  On Wednesday, the Health Subcommittee heard testimony from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and from medical device manufacturers, doctors, and technologists regarding user fees that fund research and development at the FDA.

And on Thursday, I took part in the Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing on Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), where Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and FCC commissioners provided testimony.  You may remember that I introduced the Broadband Incentives for Communities Act last year, which aims to support broadband infrastructure expansion across the country by providing grant funds for communities to help with the permitting process, modeled on a successful program right here in Houston.  We also discussed resiliency, which is top of mind for Texans, following last year’s freeze.  You can watch my exchange with Chairwoman Rosenworcel below.

This Monday, I hosted our first quarter Telephone Town Hall – the first general town hall of the year!  Following up on our monthly town halls on particular topics, I was glad to share three-month lookback on what I have done, and what the Congress has done, since January of this year.  I was also glad to be able to highlight the federal funding I’ve brought to TX-07 this month, including nearly $10 million for the Meyergrove Detention Basin, the legislation I’ve introduced on energy-related matters, and the issues our neighbors care about most.  I am grateful to everyone who joined and am always glad to hear from our neighbors about their observations and concerns. 

We are already planning our next community conversations and June Town Hall – you’ll hear about them here, and I hope you will join us!

This final week of Women’s History Month, I led my colleagues in the pro-choice caucus in a special hour on the House Floor celebrating the Women of the Reproductive Rights Movement.  In House procedure, this is called a “special order hour,” and it is an opportunity for members to speak on a particular issue. 

In my opening remarks, I celebrated the life and legacy of Sarah Weddington, a trailblazing Texas woman whose work brought us the framework to protect the health, privacy, dignity, equality, and freedom of women and families across this country in the case of Roe v. Wade.  You can watch my opening statement below.

It’s “fly-in” season in Washington, a time when groups typically fly-in to Washington to meet with each other and with their representatives to discuss issues that matter to them.  This week, I had lots of great meetings with Houstonians about issues affecting people in TX-07.

I was glad to meet with Bishop James Dixon, UTHealth President Giuseppe Colasurdo, and other community leaders to discuss Texas’ Medicaid program, supplemental funding, and challenges we face at home in providing access to health care for those in need in our community.

I met with American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1633, whose members work at the VA, where we discussed pay concerns, including nurse and hazard pay during the pandemic.  I also met with several AFGE members from across our area, including those who work at NASA and the EPA.

I also met with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, including some Houstonians who work at our airport system.  We discussed aviation safety and the Aviation Funding Stability Act, which I co-sponsored.

I met with representatives from the National Association of Postal Supervisors, where we discussed pending postal legislation, the future of the agency, and protecting the earned retirement benefits of postal employees.

And, even with a lot of meetings on the Hill, I am still doing virtual meetings – a great way for me and the team to stay in touch with people at home.  Among the many helpful virtual meetings was one with officials from the Houston Housing Authority participating in an advocacy day organized by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) to discuss the importance of continued funding to support the preservation of our community’s affordable housing supply and other issues affecting us in Houston.

And on Thursday, I joined members of the Texas delegation at the Texas State Society’s Salute to Congress, where I got to meet several of our TX07 neighbors who are working on the Hill, including several Archer fellows from UT! 

A special shout out to these Houstonians on the Hill, who are leaders of tomorrow!

On Tuesday, I met with White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients and members of his team and my colleagues in the New Democrat Coalition to discuss U.S. COVID preparedness and the administration’s request for additional COVID funding from Congress.  We are continuing to work on the response to the request, and members of the House and Senate have been negotiating additional coronavirus support and resources.

Also this week, I hope you saw that the FDA authorized a second mRNA booster shot for people over the age of 50 in an effort to prevent further spread of COVID-19 and its variants, which continue to affect people across the country and here in our community.  And the White House launched COVID.gov as a one-stop shop for all the ways to keep yourself, your family, and our community safe.  Although the pandemic may feel like it’s over, it is wise to be ready in the case of another variant, and this new website provides resources and information for all the ways to prepare.

The Congressional Art Competition is open again and I’m looking forward to seeing more of the incredible art I have had the joy of viewing these last four years.  I invite all high school student artists to enter their art into the competition.  If you win, your art will represent TX-07 in a display at 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 in Washington this week for more votes, meetings, and hearings, including one that will include one of my bills to increase access to mental health resources.

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,