Dear Neighbor, The House and Senate were in session in Washington this week. Winter storms that brought cool weather to Houston brought high winds and tornado warnings to D.C., so the week had a slightly delayed start. Here is a look back at the week. |
Of course, the Hill remains focused on the war in Iran. The White House has continued to release contradictory statements regarding every aspect of the war, ranging from the official cause and goals to the duration and status to whether American troops will be deployed on the ground. This war has caused the largest supply disruption in global oil market history. One fifth of the world’s daily supply of oil and liquefied natural gas travels through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has targeted in response the U.S. attack. Gasoline prices are up nearly 80 cents from a month ago. This week, committees of Congress questioned Trump administration officials about the intelligence assessment and preparation for war. We learned that, last year, the State Department fired critical oil and gas experts responsible for modeling risks to energy infrastructure and navigating potential global energy crises as part of its job-cutting efforts. We also learned that the Defense Department fired 200 employees at Pentagon tasked with assessing risks to civilians. And at the end of the week, with the war costing American taxpayers between $1 billion and $2 billion per day, we heard that the White House intends to ask Congress for $200 billion for the war effort.
Meanwhile, President Trump recently said that he will not sign any legislation other than the SAVE America Act, and the Senate has been debating the bill and is expected to do so through the weekend. I wrote to you about when it passed the House last month. As you may remember, this bill requires Americans registering or re-registering to vote to provide documents proving their citizenship; forces states to hand over their voter rolls to the Trump administration; requires voters will to present a photo ID to vote; and functionally eliminates online voter registration, voter registration drives, and mail-in voter registration by specifying that applicants who register by mail must present their documentation in person. I voted against this bill last month because it creates problems for millions of American citizens who are eligible to vote, effectively creating an unconstitutional poll tax, requiring Americans to pay for a passport or often hard-to-obtain birth records, and establishing other hurdles without providing real evidence of non-citizen voting to merit such a response. |
When the House held the first votes of the week on Tuesday, we voted on two bills under suspension of the rules. Consistent with my messages to you this year, I voted against these bills. Speaker Mike Johnson continues to refuse to put bills on the floor that address the lawless actions of the Trump administration. I will continue to vote no in objection to the false impression these votes give that Congress is working diligently and functioning as it should. It is not.
This week, the House considered a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution to require a balanced federal budget and to prohibit new or increased taxes without a 2/3 vote (H.J.Res 139). Certainly, the balanced budget push is a long-standing effort, and one people have talked to me about for years. This year, from this Congress, however, it is a reminder of the failures of this Congress and the farce this term has become under Speaker Johnson.
First, this Congress voted last summer in the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act to increase deficit spending—no balance—and to increase rather than decrease the existing national debt that has accumulated from years of deficit spending. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” increases deficit spending by $3.4 trillion over the next ten years. Second, this Congress has done nothing when it comes to spending $11.3 billion in just the first six days of the war with Iran.
Voting for a balanced budget amendment while refusing to exercise any oversight over this administration’s spending does not demonstrate fiscal responsibility—it demonstrates how unserious this majority is and how little this majority is willing to do its job to hold this lawless and out-of-control administration accountable. Because it is a proposed amendment to the Constitution, this resolution needed a two-thirds majority in the House to pass. It which failed with 211 votes in favor and 207 votes against, including mine.
The House also considered two unnecessary and partisan bills that spread false narratives criminalizing immigrants by associating them with fraud and animal abuse. The Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026 (H.R. 1958) expands the grounds of inadmissibility and deportability for noncitizens convicted of, or admit to, acts that constitute as “defrauding” the U.S. government. The Federal Working Animal Protection Act (H.R. 4638) expands the grounds of inadmissibility and deportability for harming law enforcement animals. These bills do not solve widespread issues and only restate already existing grounds for inadmissibility while stripping away due process rights for legal immigrants. Under current law, an individual convicted of a “crime involving moral turpitude” – including crimes that involve impeding law enforcement agents or harming animals – is already deportable. This bill simply eliminates the requirement that the government charge and convict a green card holder before deporting them. By removing the conviction requirement, this bill impedes upon the principles of fairness and due process enshrined in the U.S. Constitution – giving House Republicans another avenue through which to undermine a fundamental pillar of our legal system. For these reasons, I voted against both of them, but they passed the House 231-186.
Finally, the House considered the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act (H.R. 556) to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture from banning the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal lands or waters. I voted against it because lead poses a real health risk to people and animals, including endangered species. While lead has been used traditionally for ammunition, shells, and tackle, other newer metals like tungsten, steel, and bismuth are available for use in hunting and fishing on public lands where there are ecological concerns. The bill passed by a vote of 215-202, and now heads to the Senate.
As a reminder, you can always find a list of all of the votes I have taken for the district on my website. |
It has occurred to me that reporting out what the House does each session week is useful, but it is also important to know what the House didn’t do.
I know that many people are concerned about the funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the long lines at airports, and federal workers going to work without getting paid for the second time in the last six months. This week, the House did nothing about it.
House Democrats are trying to, though. On Wednesday, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jefferies announced an effort to force a vote to on funding all DHS departments other than U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Coast Guard—by introducing a discharge petition on the bill (H.R. 7481). I signed the petition on Wednesday.
The House has utterly failed to address Americans’ legitimate concerns about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement activities and lawlessness. Democrats have demanded that the Trump administration follow the Constitution—which should not be hard to agree to—and proposed common-sense reforms. Republicans have refused to consider these reforms, leaving all of DHS unfunded and forcing federal employees to work without pay while using funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, H.R. 1, to continue paying tens of thousands of law enforcement personnel at ICE and CBP to carry out the President’s mass-deportation agenda.
Also this week, the House did not debate or provide substantive briefings on the war in Iran. While some House Committees with jurisdiction held hearings, no one from the White House or the Pentagon briefed the full Congress, even though 13 U.S. service members have been killed and 200 have been reported injured since the President ordered this action. |
Since I last wrote to you, most of the legislative work in our office has centered around this year’s appropriations requests. Our team has been working with people from across our community to support requests for federal funding for programs of all kinds. This week, they had more than two dozen meetings on appropriations requests, as they have consistently in recent weeks. For the Fiscal Year 2027 funding bills, I led the effort in advocating for increased funding for the Title X Family Planning Program, funding to address the duplication of benefits issue that impacted Houstonians after Hurricane Harvey, funding for Department of Energy programs to reduce emissions and improve sustainability, funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and language to prevent any federal funds from going toward additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hiring or transfers at this time. I also joined my colleagues in advocating for funding for several critical programs and priorities during the Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations process, including the National Institutes of Health, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs and domestic food programs, civil legal assistance for constituents, federally qualified community health centers, and more. I also supported efforts to include appropriations language to ensure individuals held at immigrant detention centers have access to congressional constituent casework services, prohibit funding for the procurement and construction of ICE detention centers, and more.
I am also glad to work with community partners and local governments to also identify local projects to receive federal funding to make our community safer, more resilient, and more vibrant. I am in the process of submitting requests to the Appropriations Committee for consideration and look forward to sharing more details in the near future.
I also joined my colleagues in cosponsoring the Language Access for All Act of 2026, H.R. 7223, to improve access to federal services for people with limited English proficiency.
In addition to these efforts, I joined my colleagues in sending several letters, including - a letter to National Science Foundation Acting Administrator Brian Stone opposing the restructuring and weakening of the National Center of Atmospheric Research (NCAR), which would erode critical research capacity, disrupt long-standing partnerships, and diminish capacity to understand, anticipate, and respond to extreme weather-related risks;
- a letter to the Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Defense (DOD) the Honorable Platte B. Moring III expressing concern to the DOD IG about reports that the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) – a non-profit watchdog organization that advocates on issues of religious freedom in the military – has received complaints from servicemembers claiming their superiors are telling them that the current war in Iran is justified by biblical end-times prophecies; and
- a letter to the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., opposing the Trump administration’s proposed rule that sets Affordable Care Act marketplace standards for 2027, CMS-9883-P. This rule as proposed will make it more difficult for people in Texas’ Seventh Congressional District and across the country to access quality, affordable health care and essential family planning services.
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This month, I led my colleagues in filing an amicus brief in support a lawsuit that 23 states have filed against the Trump administration for terminating the Solar for All program, Arizona et al v. EPA. Solar for All is one of the most important affordable energy programs in our country’s history. The Trump administration’s decision to terminate Solar for All was not just reckless—it was unlawful. Congress established the Solar for All program. Congress appropriated the funds for it. No president or political appointee can unilaterally eliminate a program Congress has created. We created this program to serve every American, in red states and blue states alike. That is why states across the country are suing—not for politics, but for principle—and why I was glad to lead this effort to support this challenge. |
On Tuesday, the Energy & Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held another hearing on the role of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in combating Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Of course, we all believe in eradicating fraud in any government service programs and in ensuring that federal funds to the places we direct them. Serious concerns with the collection and misuse of data by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, however, were the focus of my questions to the Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of CMS, who I asked about Trump administration officials’ access to Americans’ sensitive personal data, including health information. You can watch the exchange below. |
On Wednesday, the Energy & Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health held a hearing with executives from trade associations that represent health care providers. This hearing was the third in House Republicans’ series on rising health care costs. My colleagues covered a lot of ground, and I used my time to raise concerns about how the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement activities in hospitals are affecting patients, hospitals, and communities. You can watch my full remarks below. |
It is always a treat to see Houstonians on the Hill. This week, I was thrilled to meet with Spencer Gutierrez, my former Deputy District Director who is now doing great work for the City of Sugar Land. |
In Washington, Team TX-07 held more than two dozen meetings with constituents and groups advocating on their behalf, including the National Association of Postal Supervisors and the American Society of Civil Engineers, pictured below. Back home in the district, our team was out and about across the district, helping constituents and attending community events, including the Harris County Precinct 4 Women’s Luncheon and the Unveiling Reception for the Charlotte Marie Baldwin Allen Statue at the Julia Ideson Library hosted by the Greater Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce and others, pictured below. |
According to recent polling, more than half of Americans oppose military action in Iran and more than 73% oppose sending American ground troops to Iran. I want to know what you think. |
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Do you support military action in Iran?
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On March 24, TX-07 Constituent Advocates will be at the Mission Bend Boys & Girls Club to meet with residents and help answer questions about matters before federal agencies. They’ll be there from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. |
We are still accepting submissions for the 2026 TX-07 Congressional Art Competition! This is a great opportunity for high school student artists who live in TX-07 to compete to have their art displayed in the U.S. Capitol. Submissions are due March 31. Find more details and how to submit your art here or by clicking the image below. |
Applications to intern in my offices in Washington, D.C. and Houston are due April 3, 2026 at 11:00pm CT. Learn more about the opportunity by clicking here or below. |
The House will be back in session and I will be in Washington next week to continue working on appropriations and other legislative matters. At this time, the House has not announced which bills the full house will debate on the floor, but I do expect House Democrats to bring up two more war powers resolutions on Iran and Cuba, and to continue to push to bring a vote on funding TSA and other DHS agencies to the floor. I’ll let you know what happens next week.
(To keep up between Washington Week Wrap Ups, follow me on social media at @RepFletcher.)
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, |
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