I spent this week in Washington, D.C., where the House passed several critical bills and worked to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which are discussed in more detail below.

The House passed another Heroes Act this week.  The magnitude of the coronavirus pandemic, its profound effect on our lives and livelihoods, and the need across our communities require us to do all we can to bring thoughtful, targeted legislation.  I have been frustrated in recent weeks with the lack of movement towards an agreement between the House and the Senate, which is why I joined 22 of my colleagues in urging House Leadership not to give up on bipartisan negotiations.  I have heard from leaders and neighbors across our district who have expressed the deep need in our community for additional relief, and we were sent to Congress to find solutions for the American people—and we are in a moment now where that could not be more important.  The updated Heroes Act:

• provides a second round of direct impact payments to Americans;
• restores $600 federal unemployment payments, helps preserve health coverage for workers who have lost their job during the pandemic;
• bolsters housing assistance;
• honors our heroes; and
• supports the testing, tracing, and treatment to get the virus under control. 

I am also glad that two of my bills to specifically address concerns from people in our district was included in the updated Heroes Act: the Stop COVID-19 Test Surprise Medical Bills Act of 2020, legislation to end surprise medical billing for COVID-19 tests; and the LIFT UP Act, bipartisan legislation to expand debt forgiveness for small businesses that have previously received SBA loans to see them through other setbacks, like Hurricane Harvey.  This bill reflects a compromise, addresses the many needs of our communities, and maintains key priorities from the original Heroes Act to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. The Senate should pass it now.  And if it won’t, I urge our leaders in Congress and the Administration to keep working until they reach a bipartisan deal.

We also passed other vital pieces of legislation in the House this week, including a resolution I co-sponsored condemning medical practices at the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia, that may have resulted in forced, medically unnecessary hysterectomies and gynecological procedures without the informed consent of the women.  We passed another resolution condemning QAnon and other groups spreading unfounded conspiracy theories and encouraging the FBI, federal law enforcement, and the intelligence community to work to uncover and prevent domestic and foreign violence, threats, harassment, and other criminal activity motivated by conspiracy theories.  We also passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act of 2020 to require publicly traded companies to report on their annual imports from Xinjiang in China and ensure human rights violations are met with the strongest scrutiny.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a full committee markup this week, where we advanced several critical bills, including the bipartisan Aircraft Certification Reform and Accountability Act, legislation to strengthen the FAA certification process for new aircraft designs.  The bill meaningfully addresses the gaps in the regulatory system uncovered following the Boeing 737 MAX crashes to ensure the safety of air travel.  We also passed the FEMA Assistance Relief Act of 2020 to increase the federal share of FEMA assistance to combat emergencies and major disasters like hurricanes.  You can read more about the legislation passed during this week’s markup here.

Important Update: On Friday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District released the Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries Resiliency Study Interim Report.  This study evaluates both upstream and downstream alternative plans to reduce flood risk, including increased conveyance along Buffalo Bayou, added storage upstream, and real estate acquisition.  I have been working with the Army Corps of Engineers since I arrived in Congress, and am glad to see this interim report made available to for our district so we can move forward with this work.

It’s important to participate in the Corps’ comment process.  USACE will host a series of virtual public information sessions throughout the public comment period from October 2 to November 2, 2020.  After the end of the public comment period, USACE will evaluate the public feedback and incorporate into a draft report.  It is vital we provide feedback to continue engagement with our community in this process.  You can download the report and learn more about participating in the public comment period here.

Every week, we are reminded of the profound risks that COVID-19 brings to our lives.  We know that this virus is easily transmitted and that far too many in our community have been infected.  This week, we saw that anyone can be affected, including the President of the United States.  My thoughts and prayers are with the President, First Lady, and the many Americans across the country who are battling COVID-19.  I wish them a full and swift recovery.

In Harris County, there have been more than 147,000 confirmed cases of the virus, with more than 20,000 people who currently have the virus and 124,577 recovered.  Our county remains the county in Texas with the most COVID-19 cases, and statewide, Texas has surpassed more than 760,00 cases with an estimated 71,000 active cases. 

As a reminder, you can sign up for COVID-19 testing at mobile and stationary testing locations through covidcheck.hctx.net,or surge testing site through www.doineedacovid19test.com.  Harris County Public Health’s COVID-19 testing site hours have been updated to better serve the community.  Find new hours here.  Testing will remain key to slowing the spread of the virus and helping our community and our neighbors stay safe.

During these difficult times, we are continually reminded of the values we share and the things we can accomplish together.  I am honored and proud to represent you, and I am here to help you.  Please let me know what my team and I can do for you by emailing here or calling (713) 353-8680 any time.

Best wishes,