Last Saturday, the House debated and considered four bills that provide critical aid to our allies and address national security concerns: the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 8035), the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 8034), the Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 8036), and the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act (H.R. 8038).

Since October, President Biden has requested, and I have supported, emergency funding for pressing national security needs, including assistance for our allies in Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel and for the timely delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza and around the world.  The United States has a responsibility to respond to Russia’s unprovoked and unconscionable war against Ukraine, to help Israel protect against threats from Hamas, Iran, and other proxies, to provide vital humanitarian assistance for Gaza, and to help maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.  On Saturday, Democrats and Republicans came together to pass bipartisan bill to assist and support our allies and the people who need us at this challenging time.

For Ukraine, the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 8035) provides:

• $23.2 billion to replenishment of U.S. weapons, stocks, and facilities;
• $11.3 billion for current U.S. military operations in the region;
• $13.8 billion for the procurement of advanced weapons systems, defense articles, and defense services;
• $481 million for resettlement and support services, such as emergency housing, English language classes, job training, and case management, and extends eligibility for certain benefits to Ukrainian arrivals and refugees to the U.S.; and
• $99 million for the State Department and USAID to respond to the situation in Ukraine.

For Israel and Gaza, the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 8035) provides:

• $13 billion to aid in the defense of Israel and to support our military personnel deployed to the region, including $4.4 billion to replenish U.S. stocks of equipment sent to Israel through Presidential drawdown authority;
• $2.4 billion for Central Command operations and related activities, and $5.2 billion for Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Iron Beam defense systems;
• $9.15 billion to address the dire need for humanitarian assistance for Gaza as well as other vulnerable populations around the world; and
• $3.6 billion in security assistance to Israel and partners in the Middle East. 

For the Indo-Pacific, the Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 8036) provides:

• $5.6 billion to support the integrated deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and for augmentation of the U.S. submarine industrial base;
• $281.9 million for Navy military construction to support SIOP dry dock construction, to increase the maintenance capacity of the U.S. Navy’s public shipyards;
• $2 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to partners in the Indo-Pacific region, to expand the use of FMF loans to certain countries; and
• $250 million to the World Bank’s International Development Association, to provide rapid financing and grants to vulnerable countries experiencing crises.

The 21st Century Peace Through Strength Act (H.R. 8038) contains national security provisions from several pieces of legislation, the majority of which had already passed the House with bipartisan support.  The bill authorizes the President to impose comprehensive sanctions against Iran, Russia, and China, provides assistance to Ukraine using assets confiscated from Russia, and addresses national security concerns arising from foreign adversary-owned apps in a modified version of legislation that passed the House earlier this year.

The House passed each of these bills on Saturday, and I voted in favor of all of them.  The House then combined all of these bills into one and sent it to the Senate to consider.  The Senate passed the bill on Tuesday, and President Biden signed the bill into law on Wednesday. 

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

After these votes, I returned to Houston this week to spend time in the district.  It was great to see so many constituents and community leaders at events and meetings across the district.  I was glad to join in a community Seder celebrating the second night of Passover, to participate in the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce’s “Show Your Pride” campaign, to meet with constituents and community groups in the office, and to get out of the office to visit with community leaders.  I enjoyed visiting with Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman and seeing Houston Mayor John Whitmire this week.  And I had a great visit to Houston City Hall where I met with Councilmember Tiffany Thomas to talk all things Alief!  I appreciated opportunities to share my thoughts and an update on what is going on in Washington in multiple places and to hear about the priorities and concerns of people at home.

With spring in the air and graduations around the corner, I particularly loved the opportunity to see so many of our district’s high school students this week and to celebrate some big accomplishments.  I was proud to be honored at the Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Association of Greater Houston’s 50th Anniversary Scholarship Dinner.  I enjoyed my “fireside chat” with fellow honoree Texas Supreme Court Justice Evan Young and Frederick Lawrence, the CEO and General Secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.  The highlight, as always, was getting to see the students from high schools across Houston—including many from our district—receive scholarships from the association.  How wonderful to celebrate their achievements in academics and community service with them and their families this week and to celebrate the PBK Houston alumni’s commitment to students in our community.

I also loved getting the chance to stop by Lamar High School’s annual FFA Livestock Show to see the results of the hard work of Lamar students in the agriculture track.  Did you know that TX-07 is home to two of the three HISD schools with their own livestock shows for students?  Yes, that’s Lamar and Bellaire High Schools, and Lamar hosts its show on the front lawn each year.  The festivities continue at Lamar at the Livestock Auction on Saturday and all are welcome to attend!

On Thursday evening, I was thrilled to host a reception in our district office for the finalists for our annual Congressional Art Competition along with their proud families and teachers.  We had a huge number of submissions from students at eleven high schools in TX-07 this year.  Our panel of judges from the Houston art community judged the entries anonymously and selected the ten finalists.  It was wonderful to hear from the students about their work and their inspiration.  I am delighted to announce that Danica Du from St. Agnes is the winner of our sixth annual Congressional Art Competition.  I am looking forward to seeing her art hanging in the Capitol for the next year and to seeing the art of our nine finalists on the walls of our district offices.  As is true each year, I am impressed by the creativity and talent of TX07 students who submitted their artwork and I am grateful to all who participated.

Although the House was not in session this week, on Tuesday, I introduced the Heirs Empowerment and Inheritance Rights (HEIR) Act (H.R. 8117) to allow heirs’ property owners to use alternate forms of documentation to prove property ownership to receive disaster aid.  I introduced this bill with my colleagues Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05) as part of a two-bill legislative package seeking to assist heirs’ property owners as they seek assistance with disaster relief, clearing title, and estate planning.  The second bill in the package, the Heirs’ Estate Inheritance Resolution and Succession (HEIRS) Act, incentivizes states to adopt the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act and provides grant funds for legal assistance for heirs’ property owners to clear title.

Heirs’ property is family land inherited without a will or legal documentation of ownership.  Heirs’ property owners are particularly vulnerable to speculators and developers who can use laws and loopholes to acquire their property.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recognized heirs’ property as the leading cause of Black involuntary land loss, having contributed to land loss ranging from 4.7 million to 16 million acres over the last hundred years.  Heirs’ property is estimated to make up more than a third of Southern Black-owned land — 3.5 million acres, worth more than $28 billion.

These bills are meaningful steps toward increasing resources and access to justice for heirs’ property owners.  To read more about our bills, you can click here.

In addition to filing these bills, this week, I also joined some of my colleagues in sending a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan urging the FTC to finalize a proposed rule to ban non-compete agreements, which it did the next day.  I have worked for many years litigating non-compete agreements, and the FTC rule strikes a fair balance between protecting legitimate business interests and minimizing restraints on trade and on working Americans.  I also joined my colleagues in two other letters this week: (1) a letter to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure leaders supporting language in the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act that will safeguard our environment and public health by transitioning away from firefighting foams with PFAS at our nation’s airports and (2) a letter to the U.S Office of Personnel Management urging it to require Federal Employees Health Benefits Program carriers to cover in vitro fertilization for plan year 2025.

Over the last two weeks, our team has said goodbye to our Spring 2024 interns in Houston and in Washington.  They have done important work for our district, and we are so grateful to them!

As always, Team TX-07 has been hard at work, meeting with people in Houston and Washington and working on matters critical to our district.  At home, Team TX-07 joined board members from the Southwest Management District for the grand opening of a new business in Chinatown, attended a small business meeting with the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, and celebrated Rice University’s announcement of a $90 million grant from the National Science Foundation!

Another thing I’m doing while I am home is voting!  You may not know it, but we have two elections in May on May 4 and May 28.  On May 4, some residents have a special election to complete Mayor Whitmire’s 2024 Senate term, and all residents in Harris County and Ft. Bend County have elections for newly created positions on the appraisal district boards.  Early voting has already started. 

Your vote is your voice in our democracy.  Please make sure you have a plan to vote and get to the ballot box for these elections.  To learn more about voting in these elections, you can go to the websites for Harris County and Ft. Bend County. 

The House will be back in session next week, and I will return to Washington to consider legislation related to natural resources and wildlife protections, to participating in committee hearings of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and submit priorities for the upcoming year’s appropriations process. 

I look forward to sharing an update with you on these activities and more next week.  Until then, please don’t hesitate to call my office at (713) 353-8680 or (202) 225-2571 or email here to ask for assistance or share your thoughts.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,