Before heading back to Washington, I spent Monday at home in Houston, checking in with our district team about the many constituent matters they are handling and meeting with neighbors, including a meeting in our district office with TX-07 neighbors and friends representing the American Jewish Committee. 

This week, the House took up the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, H.R. 2670.  The NDAA is an annual bill that provides policy guidance for defense agencies.  Historically, the NDAA has been a bipartisan effort to support our service members and strengthen our national security.  Since I have been in Congress, I have joined colleagues on both sides of the aisle in voting for the NDAA each year. 

The process began similarly this year.  Last month, the bill passed out of the Armed Services Committee by a vote of 58 to 1, demonstrating strong bipartisan support.  I intended to support the NDAA again after the Armed Services Committee passed it. 

This week, however, members of Congress proposed more than 1,500 amendments to the NDAA.  The House debated and considered not only the bill but also nearly 300 amendments to the bill, most of which were adopted along party lines.  (I submitted an amendment with Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (MI-07) based on our American Energy for Europe Act, but it was not selected for consideration.)  Many of these amendments turned the NDAA into a deeply partisan bill that harms members of our military and their families. 

The amendments added to the bill undermine the work of our military leaders and their efforts to meet the needs of our service members and their families, especially our women service members.  The amendment offered by Congressman Ronnie Jackson (TX-13) stripping service members’ access to reproductive health care is an affront to the women in the United States military, 23,000 of whom are stationed in Texas.  While these women fight for and defend our freedom, House Republicans voted to take away theirs this week.  

The Jackson Amendment and other amendments to the bill aim to dismantle important measures the Department of Defense has taken to build and sustain a diverse, inclusive, cohesive, battle-ready volunteer force.  You can see the proposed amendments here.

For these reasons, I voted no on the bill.  It is important to know what a significant change this represents.  During the debate, I went to the House floor to share my concerns about the amendments and the process.  You can watch my remarks in the video below. 

The Senate is currently working on its own version of the NDAA.  It may be considered in the Senate as early as next week, and my colleagues and I hope that the Senate bill will provide the foundation for this year’s NDAA.

While this bill dominated the week, the House did consider and pass three bills under suspension of the rules.  The House passed H.R. 2622 by voice vote to amend the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to codify certain Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) no-action letters that exclude brokers and dealers compensated for certain research services from the definition of investment adviser.  (This legislation requires the SEC to temporarily reinstate its “no action” relief for U.S. broker-dealers from the European Union’s MiFID II financial research regulation, preventing a reduction in investment research that could harm investment managers and their customers.)  The House voted to pass the Improving Access to Small Business Information Act, H.R. 1548, which streamlines the SEC’s Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation’s information collection process to improve efficiency within the office and to advance the interests of small businesses and their investors in the capital markets.  The House also passed the 250th Anniversary of the United States Marine Corps Commemorative Coin Act, S. 305, which directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue coins in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps.  Because all three of these bills were voted under suspension of the rules, they passed the House on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis. 

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

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

• The Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act, H.R. 3583, to provide grants for comprehensive sex education to public or private entities that focus on adolescent health and education or have experience with training sex educators; 
• The Doxing Threat Assessment Act, H.R. 3547, to require the Department of Homeland Security to develop a threat assessment on cyber harassment, including doxing, by terrorists and foreign malicious actors;
• The PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2023, H.R. 3226, to reauthorize federal research, education, and intervention activities to reduce preterm birth and infant mortality;
• The Drug Shortage Prevention Act of 2023, H.R. 3008, to require manufacturers to notify the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of extended increases in product demand to minimize drug shortages and improve the FDA’s predictive ability and responsiveness; 
• The Puppy Protection Act, H.R. 1624, to improve the standards for breeding practices, housing, veterinary care, and regulations for the placement of breeding dogs; and
• The World Press Freedom Day Resolution, H.Res. 357, to condemn threats to freedom of the press around the world, commemorate the bravery of journalists and media workers, and call on the President and State Department to further U.S. leadership on press freedom.

I also sent a letter to National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan in support of the Greater Houston Partnership's Regional Innovation Engine Program proposal, joined by Houston Representatives Sylvia Garcia and Al Green.

On Wednesday, the Energy & Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee marked up four bills, including one to reauthorize the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).  The NTIA is the agency at the Department of Commerce that plays a central role in closing the digital divide.  It is currently administering $48.2 billion in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funds to deploy high-speed broadband throughout the U.S.  I was glad to support the IIJA in the last Congress and to ensure today that the NTIA has the resources and tools it needs to implement these critical funds.  

This week also marked the one-year anniversary of important work our Energy & Commerce Committee led in the last Congress: Establishing the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.  Over the last year, the Lifeline has answered nearly 5 million phone calls, helping many Americans facing mental health changes.  This week, the Lifeline added a Spanish text and chat service.  And, earlier this month, the Lifeline added for specialized services LGBTQI+ young people.

This is an important resource, especially now.  Just remember 9-8-8 and, please, spread the word.

While the many votes we took dominated the week, I also was able to participate in useful meetings, including substantive briefings on trade matters, recent Supreme Court decisions, and legislative matters. 

One highlight: joining my colleagues on the Regional Leadership Council for a meeting with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, where we discussed implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and projects the Department is facilitating across the country.  We are seeing those impacts in our district and across our region, where we have received substantial funding for transit and transportation, including discretionary grants awarded to Houston METRO. 

I always enjoy meeting with our neighbors visiting Washington, and this week I got several opportunities to do so.  I was glad to meet with one of our Sugar Land neighbors to hear about his Truman Scholarship and the work he is doing as well as with representatives from Air Liquide and from Transport Workers Union. 

It was also a special privilege to welcome State Representative (and TX-07 resident!) Gene Wu to the weekly meeting of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), where he shared his perspective on legislation introduced in Texas this session and the need for a national response.

In Washington, our team also had a number of meetings, including with representatives from the American Shrimp Processors Association OCA-Greater Houston; Transocean; and students at Rice University’s Jesse Jones Leadership Center Summer in DC Program. 

And of course, our staff and interns give great Capitol tours!  If you are planning a trip to Washington this summer, or anytime in the future, please let us know if we can arrange tours for you.

Deputy Undersecretary of the Army Mario Diaz visited Houston this week to visit about the Strategic Office Recruiting Detachment (SORD), which promotes a college-first approach through Army Reserve ROTC along with diversity and inclusion, and he heard about the Houston SORD’s efforts and impact.  #TeamTX07 was there to welcome him. 

The State Department has faced a historic increase in passport applications.  I know this because many of our TX-07 neighbors have contacted our office for help in renewing their passports and have expressed support for efforts to modernize the passport issuance and renewal system.  This week, I joined my colleagues in a letter to House Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro to support funding for technological improvements to address the backlog of passport applications, including the modernization of the Travel Document Issuance System and Online Passport Renewal system.  I am supportive of these measures to help drive down wait times and ensure our neighbors can receive their passports in a timely manner. 

The House will be in session again next week, and we expect the very busy week to include consideration of the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Did you know that TX-07 is home to Sugar Land Regional Airport?  And, of course, it is home to air traffic controllers, pilots, flight attendants, transportation providers, and travelers for whom this bill is vitally important.  I’ve gotten helpful input from people across our district for this bill, and I provided testimony to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure about our district’s priorities for the bill earlier this year. I hope to see it move forward on a bipartisan basis next week.

Our deadline for fall internships is right around the corner!  Our office offers internship opportunities in Houston and in Washington.  Students must submit their completed applications by the end of the day on Friday, July 28.  Learn more and fill out the form here.

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,