While I was not in Washington this week and would not ordinarily send a Washington report, this week marked the fourth week of the government shutdown, and I want to be sure to share with you what I know and what I am doing to try and help resolve things. 

I am sorry to report that Congress has made no meaningful progress toward reopening the government and addressing the growing health care crisis this week.  The House was not in session again this week, and I stayed home in Houston to meet with people across our community about the impacts of the government shutdown and the growing health care crisis. 

Today is the 24th day of the shutdown and most federal government employees are either furloughed or are working without pay.  More than one million federal employees are working without pay.  And more harm will continue for all Americans if government funding is not restored.  My team is continuing to update information on my website, where you can find answers to frequently asked questions.

Health Care Crisis.  With open enrollment beginning on November 1, people looking to enroll in or change their health insurance plans through the Health Insurance Marketplace (aka Obamacare) will see an increase in monthly premiums unless Republicans decide to act.  As I have explained, Congress is at a legislative impasse on the expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) Premium Tax Credits (PTC).  When you buy health insurance through the ACA (Obamacare), the government provides funding to lower the bill through a PTC.  The PTC is set to expire on December 31, 2025, unless Congress acts and passes an extension.  If the PTC expires, ACA beneficiaries could see their monthly premiums more than double next year. 

In Texas, it is estimated that health care premiums will increase by 289% for people who are currently relying on the PTC.  In TX-07, that is 125,000 people.  But everyone, no matter what their insurance is and whether they rely on the PTC, is likely to see their health care costs go up.  

Without an extension of the PTC, experts also expect to see an increase in the uninsured rate in Texas and across the country because people cannot afford the increases and will decide to go without insurance.  Texas is expected to see the largest coverage loss of any state.  It is estimated that more than one million Texans will become uninsured if the PTC expires, resulting in Texas’ uninsured rate (which is already the highest in the country) increasing from 16% to 20%, the largest increase across our country.

Many of our neighbors have already received their health care coverage renewal notices announcing their increased premiums, and we expect more to receive them in the coming weeks.  This is why it is critical that Speaker Johnson bring the House back to address this health care crisis as soon as possible.

Cuts to Food Assistance.  With the government shut down, 42 million Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—previously known as food stamps—are at risk of losing access to funds starting November 1. 

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) notified Texas and other states to hold off on distributing SNAP funding until further notice because of insufficient SNAP funding for November.  Texas ranks second in the country for the highest number of SNAP recipients.  3.5 million Texans, including 1.7 million children, receive SNAP benefits.  In Houston, more than half of the recipients are children under the age of 18 and another 11 percent are seniors over the age of 65.  In TX-07, this means the 35,219 households participating in SNAP risk not being able to put food on the table next month.  (SNAP benefits also contribute $10.73 billion in economic growth to Texas and support more than 94,000 Texas jobs.)  This lapse in SNAP benefits will harm those in need and hard-working families trying to make ends meet. 

People should not be going hungry in this country, and certainly not because the government can’t get its act together.  In fact, USDA has SNAP contingency reserve funds of around $5 billion specifically intended for this purpose.  Although this reserve alone is insufficient to cover a full month of SNAP benefits, the executive branch also has statutory authority to cover the remaining funding needed as it did with the WIC program earlier this month.  If the shutdown continues, the Trump administration should, at a minimum, release these contingency funds to Texas and other states to cover the majority of November’s SNAP benefits.  To this end, I joined my Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, urging the USDA to fund November SNAP benefits by releasing the SNAP contingency reserves and using USDA’s statutory authority to cover the remaining portion.

Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have supported SNAP since Congress created it nearly 50 years ago.  But this year, President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R.1) includes a $186 billion cut to SNAP—the largest cut in history.  At a time when people are living paycheck to paycheck and food banks in Houston and across the country are experiencing record demand, we should be making it easier for families to make ends meet, not harder.

Demolition at the White House.  Construction on President Trump’s now $300 million White House ballroom took many by surprise this week, including me.  While President Trump had floated the idea, and repeatedly assured people that the addition of the 90,000-square-foot ballroom would not interfere with this historic building, it was not at all clear when or what would happen until after photos of the demolition of the East Wing appeared this week and the White House later announced that the entire East Wing would be demolished within days.  And it has been.  Of course, it’s still not clear what will be there, who is paying for it, and why it is a priority, especially at this moment when the government is shut down, people are losing access to health care, and Americans are struggling to buy groceries, a struggle that is about to get much, much harder.  With all these things going on, the White House spokesperson this week said that President Trump’s “main priority” is building this fancy ballroom.

Talk about misplaced priorities.  But it is also about more than that.  The cavalier and clandestine actions to tear down a significant, historic, and functioning part of the White House demonstrate visibly and tangibly the administration’s approach to governing.  Ignoring Congress, snubbing the courts.  Failing to consult the people, and ignoring them when they object.  Here, we all know that this house belongs to all of us, the American people.  It does not belong to any one President, and no one President should alter it irrevocably without getting the consent and the participation of the people.  Indeed, no other president ever has.

(Jacquelyn Martin, AP)

Following up on the important work Harris County has done in court challenging the revocation of the Solar for All grant that I wrote to you about in my last email, this week, I led an effort with Congressman Emanuel Cleaver to demand that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reverse its illegal termination of the Solar for All program.  One hundred of our House colleagues joined us in responding to the Trump administration’s latest action to dismantle a program Congress created and funded without legal authority or justification.  The Solar for All program is a $7 billion program investment to help families lower their electricity bills, strengthen local economies, and build more resilient infrastructure.  Harris County won one of the program’s largest awards: $250 million to deliver solar and battery storage to more than 28,000 households across Texas, saving families $468 per year in energy costs on average.  You can read our letter here.

I also joined my colleagues in sending the following:

• a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins urging the USDA to fund November SNAP benefits by releasing the SNAP contingency reserves and using USDA’s statutory authority to cover the remaining portion (discussed above);
• a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Acting Director O'Neill opposing the reduction in force notices sent to CDC employees and demanding the CDC reinstate these employees;
• a letter to Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Office of Management and Budget Director Rusell Vought condemning and urging the reversal of the reduction in forces of workers at the Department of Education dedicated to the education and support of students with disabilities and their families;
• a letter to Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressing concern regarding the Secretary's remarks and actions targeting women in the military and demanding the immediate reinstatement of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services;
• a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and National Park Service (NPS) Acting Director Jessica Bowron expressing concerns about the Trump administration altering the Stonewall National Monument; and
• a letter to Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano opposing the administration’s plan to remove or sharply reduce age as a factor in disability determinations and to overhaul vocational rules in a way that will deny benefits to many people age 50 and older with severe, documented impairments.

This week, I stayed home in Houston to meet with neighbors and learn more about how the government shutdown and the growing health care crisis are affecting people in our community.  I was grateful for the opportunity to visit with federal employees and people who rely on them to hear about the impacts of the shutdown—it is everything you can imagine and more.  I also met with small business owners to hear about how the shutdown in particular and policies in general are affecting them.  From tariffs to the visa fees, the Trump administration’s policies—and Congress’ failure to check them—are creating real problems here at home.  I spent much of the week focused on learning about the mounting health care challenges, and appreciated the opportunity to visit HCA Houston West Hospital in our district to learn more in depth this week.

I also had the chance to go out and celebrate American democracy — visiting with community groups and leaders, attending Councilmember Abbie Kamin’s annual Families with Pride event, and joining federal employees and retirees, elected officials, and members of our community in all kinds of places, assembling peacefully, speaking freely, and demonstrating vibrantly the freedom our Constitution makes possible.

There are a few important deadlines approaching that I want to make sure TX-07 families know about!

TX-07 middle and high school students have until next Thursday, October 30, to come up with an app idea and submit it to compete in the Congressional App Challenge.  Learn more about the competition by clicking here or on the graphic below.

Military service academy nomination applications are due next Friday, October 31.  Learn more about the nomination process by clicking here or below.

Applications to intern in my offices in Washington, D.C. and Houston are due November 21.  Learn more about the opportunity by clicking here or below.

Although Speaker Johnson has not called the House back into session, I will be back in Washington next week, ready to end the government shutdown and the health care crisis.  There is important work to do, and it is past time to do it.  I will report back to you on developments.  Until then, please remember that I am proud to represent you and I am here to help you.  Please call my office at (713) 353-8680 or (202) 225-2571 or email here at any time to ask for assistance or share your thoughts.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,