In addition to concerns about the war in Iran, the following issues were top of mind in Washington this week.

DHS Shutdown.  This week, the lapse in funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reached its 60th consecutive day, the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history.  On March 28, the Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan compromise bill to fund most of DHS, excluding additional funding for enforcement activities of U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol (which Congress funded last year in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)” with more than $100 billion.)  Members of the House Republican Conference have objected to the compromise and the House has yet to take up the bill.  DHS remains unfunded and little progress has been made in the House on this issue.

Resignations in the House.  As you may have seen in the news, Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Congressman Tony Gonzalez (R-TX) resigned from Congress following allegations of sexual harassment and assault, including with members of their staff.  The House Ethics Committee had opened investigations into both members.  People across the country and many members of Congress had called for the House to vote to expel them following the deeply troubling allegations.  As House Democratic leaders stated on behalf of our caucus, the alleged behavior is unacceptable of anyone—certainly of elected officials—and must be taken seriously and the courage of the women sharing their experiences is commendable. In this and all circumstances, we must ensure that those who come forward with allegations of sexual assault and harassment are heard and respected. All perpetrators of sexual assault and harassment must be held accountable.  Following their resignations, the whole number of the House of Representatives stands at 431, with four vacancies. 

This week, House Democrats made meaningful inroads to rein in the lawless actions of the Trump administration by forcing the House to take up legislation on issues important to the American people.

On Thursday, the House voted on a bipartisan resolution (H.Con.Res.40) to direct President Trump to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran.  This “war powers resolution,” like the one we considered last month, requires the President to come before the Congress and the people of the United States to make the case for war, as the Constitution requires.  The United States Constitution provides that Congress has the sole authority and solemn responsibility to declare war.  President Trump, however, has consistently disregarded the Constitution, as has this Republican Congress.  For more than a month, the President has acted unilaterally and unchecked, starting a war without presenting evidence of an imminent threat to the United States, while spreading inflammatory rhetoric that threatens to escalate this war of choice.

Just this past week, President Trump announced a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, threatened more strikes on Iran’s infrastructure and energy supply if Iran does not agree to a peace deal, and sent thousands of additional U.S. troops to the Middle East.  This erratic behavior and unauthorized military engagement is exactly what the war powers resolution is designed to prevent. 

I voted in favor of this war powers resolution, but it failed to pass the House by a very close vote of 213-214-1.  House Republicans—for the second time since the beginning of this conflict—have ceded their Constitutional authority to the President, rather than doing the job they were sent to Washington to do.  As I have said before, this Republican Congress is not merely a do-nothing Congress; it is a do-harm Congress: harm to the Constitution, to the separation of powers, and to the principle that the government is one of, by, and for the people rather than a king.

On a brighter note, the House considered a discharge petition (H.Res.965), led by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), to force a vote on legislation (H.R. 1689) to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians for three years–an important issue I have heard about from people across our community.  (Procedural refresher: a discharge petition is a legislative tool that allows a majority of members to force a bill to the floor for a vote by the full chamber, even if the Speaker of the House, who is in charge of what is brought to the floor, opposes it.)  In February, I signed the discharge petition, which recently reached the required number of signatures (218) to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. 

Our Haitian neighbors in Texas’ Seventh Congressional District and across our country have sought refuge and contributed to our communities.  Sending them back to Haiti—into an ongoing humanitarian, economic, and political crisis—would be cruel and unjust.  I am glad to see Congress act to protect more than 350,000 Haitians across the country from losing their ability to live and work in the United States.  They deserve stability, not deportation.  This is a big victory for the safety and dignity of our Haitian neighbors and is a rebuke of President Trump’s cavalier decision to end TPS designations for Haiti.  H.R. 1689, which passed the House by a vote of 224-204, now heads to the Senate for consideration. 

(On a related note, this week, I added my name to an amicus brief expressing Congress' support for Haitian and Syrian TPS recipients and affirming lower court rulings blocking the Trump administration's termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti and Syria in the cases of Trump v. Miot and Mullin v. Doe, which are now before the U.S. Supreme Court.)

This week, the House also considered legislation (H.R. 8035) to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA.  Authorization for Section 702—which is a critical tool to protect our national security and advancing U.S. foreign policy interests—expires on Monday.  I attended several meetings and briefings regarding the program this week.  Republicans initially proposed extending the program for 18 months without changes to the law, but members of their own party and many Democrats raised concerns with potential privacy and due process concerns with the program.  Rather than engaging with Democrats on this issue, Republicans chose to deliberate amongst themselves and the White House, leaving Democrats in the dark until nearly midnight on Thursday, when the Speaker called us back to the House to vote on a last-minute amendment to the bill.

Just before midnight, Speaker Johnson and House Republicans introduced a different bill that extended FISA for 5 years—not 18 months—with several changes related to the concerns mentioned above, and notified us we would vote between 2:00 and 3:00am!  The amendment’s changes were unvetted, and there simply was not enough time for me or anyone to analyze and debate them.  I voted against this amendment, which failed to pass the House by a vote of 200-220.  Ultimately, the House agreed by unanimous consent to pass a bill to extend FISA for two weeks, H.R. 8322, to prevent it from lapsing while allowing for further negotiations.

On Thursday, the House considered a resolution that Republicans introduced congratulating themselves for the bill they passed last year in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), calling is a resolution “expressing support for tax policies that support working families.” (H.Res. 1156)  The evidence shows the opposite.  And it’s so unpopular, they are trying to change the name of the bill after the fact and pretend it does something it doesn’t.  I voted against it, but it passed the House 219-207.  

Also on Thursday, the House considered two bills amending the Clean Air Act.  The FENCES Act, H.R. 6409, allows states to ignore pollution impacting their population that comes from outside of the state’s jurisdiction when creating plans to comply with Clean Air Act pollution standards.  The RED Tape Act, H.R. 6398, removes the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to provide optional guidance on the environmental reviews conducted by other agencies.  I voted against these bills, which passed the House 220-208 and 222-205, respectively.

As a reminder, you can always find a list of all of the votes I have taken for the district on my website.

As I mentioned above, I have heard from so many of you with deep concerns about the statements President Trump has made relating to the war in Iran and about his capacity to serve.  This week, I joined Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin as an original cosponsor of legislation formally calling for the establishment of a Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office, H.R. 8275.  Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution empowers Congress to establish a permanent “body” that, with the concurrence of the Vice President, can declare that the President is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”

I also cosponsored several pieces of legislation on issues important to our community, including:

• the Restoring Economic Lifelines for Independent Enterprises and Family Businesses (RELIEF) Act, H.R. 7736, to mandate tariff refunds for small and family-owned businesses;
• the Homeland Security Continuity and Accountability Act, H.R. 7844, to provide the Secretary of Homeland Security with the authority to transfer funds between accounts under the Department of Homeland Security during a lapse in appropriations, and for other purposes;
• the Reproductive Healthcare Leave Act, H.R. 8158, to allow Americans to receive paid leave time to address symptoms related to reproductive health conditions and reproductive health care procedures;
• the Gynecological Pain Management Study Act, H.R. 8159, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study to assess barriers to pain management methods during gynecologic procedures
• the Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) Awareness and Research Act, H.R. 8160, to expand research, improve awareness, and increase access to treatment for individuals affected by Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder;
• a resolution to recognize the history of ignored pain and absence of autonomy in women’s healthcare, H.Res.1147;
• a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of International Transgender Day of Visibility, H.Con.Res. 23; and
• a resolution expressing support for the recognition of April as "National Arab American Heritage Month" (NAAHM) and celebrating the heritage and culture of Arab Americans in the United States, H.Res.1181.

I also joined my colleagues in sending several letters to Congressional leaders and Trump administration officials recently, including:

• a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow urging DHS to reduce delays in processing DACA renewal applications, which prevent DACA recipients from maintaining their work permits—risking their jobs and making them vulnerable to detention and removal;
• a letter to the House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, and Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Chairman Robert Aderholt rejecting the FY27 President's Budget eliminating Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP); and
• a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin opposing the construction of a border wall and detection technology in and around Big Bend National Park.

I also joined my colleagues in filing an amicus brief in the case of Center for Taxpayer Rights v. IRS, before the District Court of Appeals, challenging the IRS' implementation of its policy of bulk sharing of confidential taxpayer address records with ICE and calling on the appellate court to affirm the district court's injunction and uphold the rule of law. 

On Wednesday, the Energy & Commerce's Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on legislation focused on authorizing and reauthorizing critical research and health care programs. I support these important bills that support important work, and I used my time to highlight that the Trump administration has cut funding and staff relating to these programs.  You can watch my full remarks below.  

On Thursday, the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) fiscal year 2027 budget with Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.  As you may expect, the conversation focused on the impact of President Trump's war with Iran on energy prices.  I pressed Secretary Wright about the administration's lack of adequate planning for the energy challenges that were not only predictable but predicted.  You can watch my full remarks below.  

I am always glad to see Houstonians on the Hill.  This week, I was glad to welcome Houstonians with the American Immigration Lawyers Association for a discussion of immigration policy challenges and what they and their clients are seeing and experiencing at home in Houston.

Although I believe that the Congress should have been in session over the last two weeks with all that is going on at home and abroad, I was glad to have the opportunity to connect with constituents and community members at home.  From delivering meals on wheels with IM Houston’s Meals on Wheels team to meeting with folks our district office, the time at home gave me a great chance to see and hear from people about what is happening in their lives and how I can help.  A few highlights of my time at home:

I had the joy and a privilege of joining Judge Keith Ellison at a naturalization ceremony, where I got to address our neighbors and newest U.S. citizens.  It was inspiring to witness nearly 1,500 new American citizens, hailing from 87 countries, including 10 U.S. military servicemembers and veterans, take their Oath of Allegiance to the United States, and an honor to be among the first to congratulate them.  By choosing to become American citizens, they remind us all of the power and promise that comes with citizenship, of why it matters, and of the possibility it holds—and the privileges and responsibilities we all hold together to make ours a more perfect union.

I also spoke at the Houston Consular Corps meeting while I was home.  Did you know that Houston is home to one of the largest consular corps in the United States, with more than 90 countries represented by consulates and honorary consuls?  The Houston Consular Corps plays a vital role in advancing diplomatic, economic, and cultural relationships between foreign governments and the Greater Houston region.  Consular officials support international trade and investment, facilitate business and scientific collaboration, and serve as key resources on global markets and cultural exchange.  They also provide essential services to their citizens abroad, including issuing travel documents, assisting individuals in emergencies, and coordinating with local authorities when needed.

And I was over the moon to join the amazing team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center for the Artemis II splashdown last Friday evening.  From liftoff to splashdown, I was filled with pride and awe.  It was wonderful to be able to thank the team at JSC and recognize their remarkable achievement.  I know all of us in Space City are so proud of this work—and people around the world are inspired and connected from the magical Artemis II Crew and the work of the entire team that worked to make it happen for years and years.  They make us so proud!

The House will be back in session next week, and I will be there to cast my vote and to question Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who will testify before the House Energy & Commerce Committee.  The House will also take up a variety of bills, including on protecting endangered species, deploying broadband, and more.

As always, 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,