Dear Neighbor,
I’ve written to you a lot lately about government funding and the annual appropriations process. I am happy to report that leaders of the House and Senate announced that Congress would proceed with the compromise funding bill the Senate passed last week (which the House rejected last week), and fund the Department of Homeland Security without additional funding for immigration enforcement efforts through ICE and border patrol at this time. While the exact steps to get the bill signed into law are still developing, I want to share additional news about funds in this year’s government funding bills for our district.
As you know, in recent years, members of Congress have had the opportunity to submit projects for funding for community projects through the appropriations process. I am proud of what this program has made possible in our district. Since 2021, I have secured more than $60 million for local projects.
I am glad to report to you that, for this fiscal year, I secured more than $18 million in federal funding for projects for our district and to share with you information on the projects the funds will support here: |
- For the City of Houston Department of Parks and Recreation, $3,150,000 for the renovation of the Metropolitan Multiservice Center on West Gray to increase access to amenities and further support the continued accessibility of organized sports, recreation activities, and wellness opportunities for people of all ages with disabilities.
- For the Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority, $2,000,000 to create a community resilience hub by updating the Southwest Civic Core Campus to aid in emergency preparedness and response during all-hazard events, addressing the urban heat island effect and promoting economic development and community livability.
- For Fort Bend County Precinct 4, $2,000,000 to construct the Mission Bend Senior Center, a facility that will provide seniors with a safe and vibrant community space, serve as a warming and cooling center, and offer programming, as well as fitness and recreation spaces.
- For the City of Bellaire, $1,145,144 to increase the conveyance capacity of Cypress Ditch Channel as part of the city's Cypress Ditch Flood Mitigation Project, which will reduce flooding and flood impacts in Bellaire, the Gulfton area, and along the 610 Loop.
- For the Harris County Sheriff's Office, $1,031,000 to purchase three Mobile Command Posts to serve Harris County and 13 surrounding counties in responding to critical daily operations and during incidents that demand coordinated public safety efforts, like natural disasters.
- For the Alief Independent School District, in collaboration with Rice University, $1,031,000 to develop a space and planetary science engagement-focused program to strengthen the community's pipeline of students exploring planetary science and related careers at Alief ISD schools.
- For the Houston Forensic Science Center, $1,031,000 to address wrongful convictions from faulty field drug test kits--prioritizing and stratifying old cases, with 5,000 slated for retesting to reduce the risk of wrongful results and, in turn, wrongful convictions.
- For the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office, $1,031,000 to expand transparence and support fair, equitable justice by implementing a cloud-based evidence-sharing platform to streamline access to case materials across investigators, victim advocates, prosecutors, and defense counsel.
- For the City of Houston Police Department, $1,031,000 to expand its Mobile Crisis Outreach Team and Crisis Intervention Response Team, filling critical gaps in the city's mental health response infrastructure.
- For the City Park Redevelopment Authority, $1,000,000 for the 12th Street Drainage Project to enhance flood resilience and stormwater management while reconstructing the roadway to improve mobility, safety, and access to parks, schools, and trails in Timbergrove.
- For the City of Southside Place, $909,909 to replace 4,700 linear feet of failing, 43-year-old sanitary sewer truss pipes as part of the Edloe/Auden Sanitary Sewer Replacement Project to improve the public health, safety, and welfare of Southside Place residents.
- For the City of Sugar Land, $850,000 to repair and reconstruct the Sugar Land Regional Airport runway, restoring the runway's structural integrity, expanding its lifespan, and reducing long-term maintenance costs ensuring the airport can remain operational.
- For the City of West University Place, $850,000 to reconstruct 100,000 square feet of roadway across six blocks—including Marquette, Villanova, Oberlin, and Byron Streets and two blocks on Case Street—improving mobility, stormwater drainage, and flood resilience.
- For the Montrose Redevelopment Authority, $850,000 to enhance multimodal safety, accessibility, and connectivity by closing critical gaps in the sidewalk network across the northeast quadrant of Montrose.
- For the Harris County Public Library, $850,000 to install self-service library kiosks across the community as part of the Tiny Branches Project, removing barriers to library resources and expanding access to educational and public services.
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Once again, I am grateful to the many partners from our community who helped me and our TX-07 team identify projects for consideration and submit compelling proposals to the House Appropriations Committee. Members were allowed to submit 15 total projects, and I am proud that all 15 of our district submissions got funding.
This is great news for our district and our region. And it is nice to send you some good news for a change! We are wrapping up this year’s process, and I will let you know soon about the next round of projects.
Best wishes,
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