On Tuesday, the House considered and passed several bills under suspension of the rules, which I voted in favor of, including: 

• The Housing Our Military Veterans Effective (HOME) Act (H.R. 3848) a bill to increase the maximum rate the VA pays to entities that provide housing and services to veterans experiencing homelessness, allowing for VA funding toward food, shelter, smartphones, and transportation for homeless veterans;
• The Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act (H.R. 542) a bill to expand community-based services for aging veterans and improve VA support for veterans and caregivers of all ages; and
• a resolution strongly condemning and denouncing the drastic rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world (H.Res. 894).

I was a bit under the weather and, at the advice of the Attending Physician of the U.S. Congress, did not participate in votes or committee activity after this vote series.  But here is what the House considered the rest of the week:

On Wednesday, the House voted on the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2023, H.R. 4468.  This bill would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from finalizing its proposed rule establishing new emissions standards on light and medium-duty vehicles.  Every five years, the EPA updates these standards.  If enacted, this bill would not only prevent the current proposed rule, it would also hinder EPA’s ability to make future rules.  (The American Lung Association estimated that the EPA’s proposed rule would create an estimated $63 billion to $280 billion in health benefits and eliminate around 7.3 billion metric tons of carbon pollution.)  I voted against this bill when it moved through the Energy & Commerce Committee, but the bill passed the House by a vote of 221-197.

The House also voted on the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act, H.R. 5922, which would require institutions of higher education to disclose foreign gifts and contracts, restrict contracts and report gifts from “foreign entities of concern”, and require individual faculty and staff to report their foreign gifts and contracts.  Although this legislation takes some positive steps, there are provisions in the bill that are potentially harmful to these institutions and their faculty and staff.  The bill also conflicts with the ongoing work federal agencies are doing to protect our country’s research institutions.  For these reasons the bill passed largely on party lines.

The House also voted on H.J.Res. 88, legislation brought forward under the Congressional Review Act, which enables Congress to disapprove a final rule issued by a federal agency.  This bill would nullify the Department of Education’s recently implemented Save on A Valuable Education (SAVE) Income Driven Repayment plan that calculates student loan payments based on a borrower’s income and family size rather than the totality of the loan balance.  The SAVE plan is already providing millions of low-income borrowers with a low monthly payment, and this legislation would result in higher payments for student loan borrowers and raise costs for graduates.  This bill passed by a vote of 210-189.

The House also voted on H.Res. 914, Censuring Representative Jamaal Bowman.  As you may remember hearing, on September 30, prior to a vote on a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown, Congressman Bowman (who offices just down the hall from me) tried to exit the Cannon House Office Building through an exit that is usually open but was closed that Saturday.  In doing so, he pulled a fire alarm, and the office building was evacuated.  In October, Congressman Bowman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for falsely triggering a fire alarm in a House office building.  The censure resolution passed by a vote of 214-191.

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

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

• the Break The Cycle of Violence Act, H.R. 5003, to authorize $6.5 billion over 8 years to invest in effective community-based violence intervention programs nationwide and provide jobs to opportunity youth between the ages of 16-24;
• the Temporary Family Visitation Act, H.R. 5155, to create a new nonimmigrant visa category to ease obstacles for travelers to temporarily enter the U.S. for family visits; and
• the Kangaroo Protection Act, H.R. 4995, to ban the sale of kangaroo body parts and curb the trade of kangaroo skins in the U.S.

I also joined my colleagues in letters to Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding concerns over the Department of Justice’s lack of reporting and delayed action in investigating civil rights and federal law violations under Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star and another to the Biden administration urging affordable, accessible coverage for over-the-counter contraception.

On Tuesday morning, I participated in a hearing on the Energy & Commerce Committee’s Energy Subcommittee titled “America’s Future: Leading a New Era of Energy Dominance, Security, and Environmental Stewardship” where we discussed the United States’ position as a global leader in energy production and environmental protection.  My questions focused on how the EPA can best tailor their new rules regarding excess methane emissions from oil and gas companies to better incentivize the industry to invest and deploy in new emissions capture technology.  

That same morning, the Energy & Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee held a hearing on oversight of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.  

The Energy & Commerce Committee also held a full committee markup of 44 bills that covered topics ranging from 5G spectrum authority, nuclear energy development, a national plan to end Parkinson’s disease, and a requirement for hotels to list accurate prices online for rooms that include mandatory fees.  

On Tuesday, I attended a classified briefing on Ukraine with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., and USAID Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman, with a report from the Director of National Intelligence, as well.  The Biden administration has communicated to Congress the importance and urgency of its proposed national defense spending request, and explained in this letter from OMB Director Shalanda Young to House leaders.  Negotiations continue in the House and Senate over this spending request, but I am hopeful we can reach an agreement to meet our critical security needs at home and abroad.

I am glad to be back in Houston, where I had the opportunity to deliver a certificate of congressional recognition to Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss and leaders of Congregation Shma Koleinu in honor of its tenth anniversary and for its decade of service to Houston’s Jewish families.  I look forward to seeing more friends and neighbors across the district this weekend before heading back to Washington.

And at home, our Houston team attended a number of year-end events, including the Asian Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting and Holiday Party, the Hanukkah Celebration at Sugar Land Town Square, the Energy Corridor’s Third Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, and the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston's Holiday Party.

Next Monday, I will host an online town hall to provide an overview of Congress’ work this year.  RSVP and submit your questions here. 

Next Thursday, December 14, Team TX-07 will hold a Constituent Services Pop-Up at the Chinese Community Center where TX-07 residents will have a chance to learn about the ways our office can help and get started working on matters involving federal agencies.  Stop by any time from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to talk with our Constituent Advocates!

The House will be back in session next week, and I will be back in Washington. We expect the House to take up several important matters, including the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 and the FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2023, as well as a resolution directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America.

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,