Like the rest of the country, Washington was consumed this week with talk about President Trump’s tariffs and their impact on our economy, President Trump’s deportations of legal immigrants and related court rulings, as well as President Trump’s budget request from Congress. 

Trump Tariffs.  On Wednesday—after the chaos in the economy, the stock and bond markets, and the world—President Trump announced a 90-day pause the sweeping additional tariffs he announced last week, except for tariffs on China, which the President increased to 125 percent, raising the total tariffs on Chinese goods to 145 percent.  China raised its retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods to 125 percent, which begin Saturday, and the European Union placed a 90-day hold on its own tariffs on $23 billion in U.S. imports.  If you’re having trouble keeping track of which tariffs have been imposed, you’re not alone.  Currently in effect: the 10 percent baseline tariffs in place for all countries, 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum, and 25 percent tariffs on non-U.S. automobiles and auto parts.  Earlier this week, President Trump also announced new tariffs on pharmaceutical products.  It has people across the Capitol talking and working to take back Congress’ authority over tariffs. 

Disappearance and Due Process.  This week, in a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to comply with a district court’s ruling that it must facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father and husband who was removed to El Salvador despite having lawful protected status in the United States.  Abrego Garcia has never been convicted of a crime, and—despite an unsupported assertion by Vice President J.D. Vance—the United States has presented no evidence that he is a convicted MS-13 gang member.  Abrego Garcia is among the hundreds of individuals the Trump administration has alleged are members of criminal gangs and deported to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador.  In court, the Trump administration acknowledged deporting Abrego Garcia, claiming it was an “administrative error,” but now insists it has no authority to order his return since he is in the custody of El Salvador.  Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, as of Friday, the Trump administration has not complied with a federal judge’s orders to share what they are doing to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia.  This case, like several others in the news, is deeply troubling.  The administration’s repeated and flagrant violations of due process for people living in the United States—which is guaranteed in our Constitution and a founding principle of this country—is not merely a failure, it is a threat to everyone, including United States citizens.

This was a busy and full week in the House.  Congressional Republicans’ budget-related legislation dominated much of the discussion again this week, as the House considered the Senate’s changes to the bill the House passed a few weeks ago.  Passing this budget resolution is the first step in the budget reconciliation process, a legislative process in Congress that fast tracks consideration of the President’s policy priorities with a simple majority vote in both the House and Senate.  This resolution directs certain House committees to make cuts to programs under their jurisdiction, at least $1.5 trillion in government spending cuts in the House and at least $4 billion in the Senate.  Among the provisions, it directs:

• The House Energy & Commerce Committee (the committee I serve on) to find at least $880 billion in cuts, most of which are expected to come from Medicaid, which provides health care to nearly 80 million Americans, most of whom are children;
• The House Committee on Agriculture to find at least $230 billion in cuts, most of which are expected to come from food assistance for underserved Americans, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program;
• The House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure to find at least $10 billion, which could include restricting Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding.  The Houston region has received more than $1 billion in federal funding from the IIJA.  These cuts could also result in increases to the tonnage tax on cargo—and Port Houston is the largest port in the U.S. for waterborne tonnage;
• The House Committee on Financial Services to find at least $1 billion in cuts, which are expected to come from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a governmental agency that protects Americans from unfair financial practices and was established in response to the Great Recession in 2008; and
• The House Committee on Education & the Workforce to find at least $330 billion in cuts, most of which are expected to come from Head Start programs, school meal programs, and federal student aid.

At a time when families across our community and our country are struggling with rising costs, the Congressional Republican budget plan directs devastating cuts to programs that people in Texas’ Seventh Congressional District rely on every day in order to give tax breaks to President Trump’s billionaire buddies.  Rather than setting out to make meaningful investments to foster economic growth, this irresponsible budget plan hurts children, seniors, and hardworking Americans, while increasing our debt limit to pay for tax cuts.  For these reasons, I voted against this bill, which passed the House on party lines by a vote of 216-214.

On Wednesday, the House voted on the “No Rogue Rulings Act,” H.R. 1526, a bill to prevent federal judges from issuing injunctions that apply nationwide.  House Republicans introduced this bill after federal judges across the country have issued injunctions against the Trump administration’s unlawful and unconstitutional actions, consistent with their authority under the Constitution.   In response to these orders, House Republicans are not conducting oversight or asserting the authority of Congress over these actions.  Instead, they are trying to stop the courts from exercising their authority in the same way that Congress has failed to use its authority to check this reckless administration.  The genius of our American system of government laid out in our Constitution is a separation of powers contained in three branches of government.  This bill sets a dangerous precedent by undermining the authority of the courts.  Rather than weaken our courts, we should strengthen our institutions, reaffirm our commitment to the rule of law, and work within the constitutional framework that has guided our country for more than two centuries.  I voted against this bill, which passed the House on party lines by a vote of 219-213.

On Thursday, the House voted on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, H.R. 22, a bill to require a passport or a birth certificate paired with a current photo identification to demonstrate proof of citizenship from every American seeking to register or re-register to vote, including those who have moved, changed parties, or changed their names.  We all agree that only American citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections, and that only American citizens should vote in those elections.  And that is why that is already the law.  The bill’s proponents did not provide convincing evidence that this concern is an actual problem.  It was really more of a solution in search of a problem.  And, worse, it is a solution that creates problems.  It creates problems for women who have gotten married and whose birth certificate needed to prove citizenship no longer matches their legal name.  It creates problems and adds expense for the 50 percent of Americans who do not have passports to prove citizenship.  Of course, I support efforts to ensure our elections are safe and secure and that all American voters can cast their votes safely, securely, and without obstruction, but this bill does not do that.  It is a modern-day poll tax, which the Supreme Court has found unconstitutional.  For these reasons, I voted against this bill, which passed the House 220 - 208.

This week the House also considered two resolutions under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows Congress to overturn recently finalized federal agency rules.  I voted against both: (1) S.J.Res. 28 to nullify the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) final rule that subjects large, nonbank companies that offer peer-to-peer payments, digital wallets, etc. to supervision by the CFPB, and (2) S.J.Res. 18 to nullify the CFPB final rule that limits what big banks can charge in overdraft fees to $5 per transaction.  These bills remove common-sense protections for consumers.  S.J.Res. 28 passed by a vote of 219-211, and S.J.Res. 18 passed by a vote of 217-211.

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

On Wednesday, I re-introduced the American Gas for Allies Act, H.R. 2769, a bill to allow U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to receive expedited approval from the Department of Energy (DOE) to export LNG from the U.S. to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries and Ukraine.  At a time when President Trump's policies are upending global trade and abandoning our allies, Congress must send the opposite message to our allies and partners around the world.  Helping reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian natural gas—now and in the future—is an important part of demonstrating our commitment to our allies in NATO and Ukraine.  You can read more about the bill here.

This week, I co-sponsored several other pieces of legislation on issues important to our community, including:

• the Nobody Elected Elon Musk Act, H.R. 1145, to ensure that DOGE is liable for any claims against the federal government relating to any unlawful or unconstitutional actions;
• the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, H.R. 2736, to establish federal minimum collective bargaining rights for public employees;
• the No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act, H.R. 2692, to ensure employers cannot deduct costs used to conduct anti-union activities from their taxes by preventing corporate interference in worker organization campaigns from being considered an ordinary and necessary business expense;
• the Correcting Guam’s History in the PACT Act, H.R. 2149, to expand the dates in which veterans qualify for presumptive service connection for herbicide exposure under the PACT Act, which would extend healthcare to veterans who served in Guam and were exposed to herbicides from 1958-1980;
• a resolution recognizing the cultural and historical significance of Nowruz, H.Res.244;
• a resolution establishing the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, H.J.Res.80; and
• a resolution reaffirming the Twenty-Second Amendment, H.Res.171, which limits the President of the United States to two terms in office. 

I also joined my colleagues in sending the following letters:

• a letter to President Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. urging the restoration of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the reinstatement of 1,500 NIOSH employees and contractors across the country – nearly the entire workforce employed by NIOSH;
• a letter to United States Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins opposing efforts to rescind or replace the final VA rule entitled "Reproductive Health Services," which ensures veterans, and their eligible family members and caregivers, can access abortion care and counseling through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs;
• a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson requesting that Speaker Johnson arrange a briefing from Elon Musk for all Members of Congress regarding his role in the Trump administration and his actions as the head of DOGE; and
• a letter to President Trump making it clear that Elon Musk must be removed from the federal government by May 30 due to a law governing how long special government employees can work for the federal government before divesting from special interests.

Amicus Alert.  I also joined my 253 Democratic Members of Congress in an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit opposing President Trump’s unlawful attempts to fire members of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and standing up for Congress' Article I legislative power and the importance of independent agencies that protect economic competition, American consumers, American workers, the integrity of a non-political, merit-based federal workforce, and whistleblowers.

On Tuesday, the Energy & Commerce Committee held a full committee markup of 20 bills.  Nearly all of these bipartisan bills passed the House last Congress, with the exception of the Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks (TAKE IT DOWN) Act.  The bill passed the Senate during the last Congress, and we considered it for the first time in our committee.  We planned to mark up six health care bills, but during the hearing Chairman Guthrie rescheduled these health bills for a date to be announced later.  At one point, after Republicans complained that Democratic amendments and debate were slowing things down too much, I responded.  You can watch my comments here or by clicking on the image below. 

On Wednesday, the Energy & Commerce Committee held a full committee hearing titled, “Converting Energy into Intelligence: The Future of AI Technology, Human Discovery, and American Global Competitiveness.”  Our witnesses testified that the United States is on the brink of an A.I. revolution, and gave us a lot of things we need to be thinking about the transformational change it will bring, including demand for energy. 

I asked the witnesses about how President Trump’s policies are eroding the certainty and predictability that people need to succeed and the impacts of this administration’s policies on the United States’ scientific research enterprise vital to advancing AI.  You can watch my questions and comments here or by clicking on the image below.

In between all-day hearings and markups and votes, it was great to see Houstonians on the Hill, including representatives from the National Association of Postal Supervisors and our 2024 TX-07 Congressional App Challenge winner, a student at St. Agnes whose winning app is designed to support mental health by guiding users through introspective practices to foster self-awareness and emotional well-being through a personalized experience.  I loved getting the chance to congratulate her and her proud mom!

On Wednesday, I joined Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse for a press conference about the House Republicans' reckless budget resolution.  As Trump’s tariffs continue to wreak havoc on our economy and businesses, Republicans in Congress are doubling down on an irresponsible budget that betrays hard working Americans to carve out tax cuts for Elon Musk and his billionaire buddies.  These harmful policies are devastating for crucial programs that Americans rely on—like Medicaid, which 1 in 4 Americans rely on for healthcare, including more than 92,000 in our district in the most recent estimates.  You can see my remarks below. 

Earlier that day, I joined my Democratic colleagues on the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health at the Department of Health and Human Services to follow up in person on the meeting we requested with Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  Since we had not received a response for the last two months, we walked over to the Department to request a meeting as soon as possible.  Neither we nor the American people can afford to stand by as health crises like the measles outbreak here in Texas escalate.  Secretary Kennedy must lead on this response, and that starts with telling Congress and the American people what he is doing and why.

Thanks so much to everyone who came to last weekend’s town hall at the Chinese Community Center with State Representative Gene Wu!  With so much happening in Washington, it is critical that our community stay engaged and informed.  From proposing Medicaid cuts, to implementing barriers to access Social Security, to cutting funding for lifesaving medical research, the Trump administration’s recent actions and inaction in Congress gave us a lot to talk about.  I was glad to hear from Representative Wu and to hear from neighbors.  Save the date for our next in-person town hall, this one in Fort Bend County on Thursday, May 29.  Details to be announced.

As a follow up, I mentioned to some people at the town hall that one important effort we are undertaking in Congress is to help share stories about the impacts of the administration’s recent actions.  If you’ve been affected by federal funding freezes, layoffs, or other recent actions, you can submit your story here so that we can share it and help illustrate what these policies mean in real life.

In Washington, Team TX-07 held more than three dozen meetings with constituents and groups advocating on their behalf, including the Economic Alliance Houston Port Regions; American Society of Clinical Oncology; Americans for Ukraine; American Water Works Association; International Union of Elevator Constructors; Outer Continental Shelf Advisory Board; Bayou City Waterkeeper and the Coalition for Equity, Environment, and Resilience; and Environment Texas, pictured below. 

Back home in the district, our team was out and about across the district, helping constituents and attending community events, including the Hyde Park Civic Association meeting, the Jewish Federation Passover Seder, the opening of Camden Park in the Westchase District, and a ribbon cutting with West Houston Chamber of Commerce, pictured below.

Need help with an issue before a federal agency?  Team TX-07 constituent advocates will be at the Burnett Bayland Community Center on Monday, April 28 to help residents who need us!  You can also visit fletcher.house.gov/casework or call my Houston office for help any time.

The House will not be in session for the next two weeks as members celebrate spring holidays at home and travel for committee work.  The House will reconvene on April 28, and I will send my next report from Washington that week.  I am looking forward to spending some time at home in Houston during this season of hope and renewal, and I wish all who are celebrating peace and joy. 

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,