Dear Neighbor, It was another eventful week, and I am glad to send you this update. I returned to Washington on Tuesday. That evening, Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick returned to the United States Capitol to lie in honor. Officer Sicknick was killed in the line of duty on January 6 as he defended the Capitol and those inside it. As one of the people in the House of Representatives chamber that day, I know that his actions—and the actions of the Capitol Police officers present—saved our lives and protected our constitutional system. I was grateful for the opportunity to pay my respects to Officer Sicknick as he lay in honor in the Capitol Rotunda. Yesterday marked 30 days since one of the darkest days in our country’s history. The events of January 6 are very much with us in Washington: the Capitol is still being protected by the National Guard, new fencing surrounds it, and other new measures are in place to ensure safety. Several investigations are in progress to perform a thorough review of all aspects of the insurrection—and it is vitally important that we understand and learn from what happened. On Tuesday, the trial of former President Trump will begin in the Senate following his impeachment in the House. At the same time Congress responds to these serious threats to our democracy, we are moving forward to address the threats families across the country face as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, including so many here in TX07. Responding to the coronavirus is the highest priority of the Congress. This week, Congress took critical first steps to deliver on President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Congress plans to pass this legislation using the budget process and a budget process called reconciliation. The House and the Senate both passed a budget resolution that will begin this process. Next week, House Committees will be writing the legislation to deliver on this plan. The House Energy & Commerce Committee that I serve on will have an important role in crafting key parts of this legislation. This week, we held two hearings on relevant issues. Our Health Subcommittee hearing, “Road to Recovery: Ramping Up COVID-19 Vaccines, Testing, and Medical Supply Chain” focused on improving our national response to COVID-19, especially the increased and expedited delivery of vaccines, the disjointed patchwork of state testing plans, and supply chain constraints on essential medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE). (You can watch my questions here). Our Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce held our first hearing, “Safeguarding American Consumers: Fighting Scams and Fraud During the Pandemic.” Since the beginning of the pandemic, Americans have reported losing more than $300 million in pandemic-related fraud, and we learned about the scams, fake products, and price-gouging, as well as ways to combat them. If you would like to learn more about the House Energy & Commerce Committee and keep up with our work, click here. I introduced two bills this week. I reintroduced the bipartisan Loan Interest Forgiveness for Taxpayers Under a Pandemic (LIFT UP) Act, which I also filed last Congress, to help small businesses obtain equitable access to debt forgiveness during the coronavirus pandemic while also rebuilding from storms like Harvey. I was glad to introduce this bipartisan bill with Congressman Michael McCaul. I also introduced the Expand Medicaid Now Act, designed to increase the amount of federal funding for Medicaid expansion in an effort to encourage those states that have not expended their programs to do so. Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the country. It is vitally important for Texas to expand Medicaid now and ensure that families have access to affordable, quality health care as we continue to confront the coronavirus pandemic. I also co-sponsored several bills this week, many of which I co-sponsored in the last Congress, including:
In addition to co-sponsoring bills, I also joined colleagues in sending several letters to the Biden administration and to House leadership, including:
You can see all the bills I have cosponsored at Congress.gov (click here). And you can view my full voting record on my website (click here). I was proud to announce that our constituent services team—including Shirley, Claudia, and Spencer—has helped more than 3,500 families in our district get the help they need with federal agencies. It is a privilege for me and for our district team to be able to provide real assistance to our neighbors, especially in these difficult times. In my 2020 Annual Report, I reported that COVID-19-related casework represented more than 44 percent of all cases closed we closed in 2020, with residents seeking assistance with the Texas Workforce Commission, Small Business Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service. See stories from the constituents we have helped here—and if you need assistance with federal agencies, you can begin the process here or call my office at (713) 353-8680. While Congress and the Biden Administration seek solutions and build strategies to shore up public health agencies, ramp up vaccines, and address the impacts COVID-19 has had on our economy and well-being as a country, it is critical that we all do our part to stay healthy and keep our loved ones safe. As of Friday, there have been 326,248 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Houston/Harris County and 3,026 deaths and 279,184 patients have recovered. The positivity rate is 17.3%, slightly lower than last week. Some of the highest confirmed case rates in our region are in the Cy-Fair area. COVID-19 variants have now begun to spread nationally, including here in Texas, and we are at a critical moment where vaccines could slow the rate of spread. We also know that these variants are spreading quickly. For these reasons, it is important to continue protecting yourself and others through the use of face coverings, social distancing, and hand washing and getting the vaccine when you are able to do so. Harris County’s ReadyHarris website now has a portal where all residents are invited to sign up to get the vaccine. Although still in the early stages of rollout, patients who sign up will be called when it is their turn to get the vaccine. For the City of Houston’s vaccination efforts, you can register for notifications about new appointments by subscribing to the HoustonRecovers option at AlertHouston. And for those who have received a first dose of the vaccine, do not forget to go back when it is time to get the required second dose in order for the vaccine to be fully effective. These are difficult times for our country. I am honored and proud to be your representative to the Congress, and to do my part to ensure that we successfully address the many challenges before us. As always, please do not hesitate to call on me and my team if there is anything we can do to help you or if there is anything you want me to know. You can email here or call (713) 353-8680 or (202) 225-2571 at any time. With best wishes,
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