Fletcher, Lizzie RSS Articles

As Trump Administration Sets Up $1.8 Billion Slush Fund To Funnel Money to Trump Allies Committing Crimes on Behalf of the President, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Introduces Bill To Prohibit Self-Dealing Settlements

Thu, 21 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) introduced the No Presidential Self-Serving Lawsuits Act to bar any president from initiating civil lawsuits against the U.S. government while in office and to prohibit use of the Treasury’s Judgement Fund to settle civil claims a president filed, even after leaving office. The bill follows the announcement that President Trump initiated a lawsuit against the IRS and settled it by creating a slush fund to pay his allies for purported claims on “weaponization” of the legal system, including those charged in connection with the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

"President Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit and unvetted ‘settlement’ agreement with a government department acting at his behest is a perversion of our system of justice,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “Most of us could not have imagined that such a ‘settlement’ could occur, or that there are not more clear and obvious prohibitions to this outcome. But here we are: the President of the United States brought a lawsuit against the United States, appointed his personal attorney to the Department of Justice, and then ‘settled’ with the United States by creating a nearly $2 billion slush fund of our tax money to hand out to his supporters, including those who stormed the Capitol on January 6, without oversight, disclosure or guardrails. The corruption and abuse is staggering, even for this administration. That is why I am introducing the No Presidential Self-Serving Lawsuits Act to ensure that no president can use the power of the office to turn the courts and the Treasury into a personal rewards program for their political allies. And I am glad to lead the effort on this bill with the support of many original co-sponsors and endorsing organizations. It’s hard to believe we have to do this, but we do."

In January, President Trump, his eldest sons, and the Trump Organization sued the IRS and Treasury Department for $10 billion over the leak of his private tax returns during his first term. Federal judges questioned whether the two sides were genuinely adverse—given that Trump controls the agencies he's suing—and pressured both parties to settle.

The proposed settlement would draw from the Treasury's Judgment Fund, a taxpayer-funded account for settled government claims, to compensate individuals allegedly targeted or "weaponized" against by the Biden administration. Eligible recipients could include Trump political allies, Trump-affiliated entities, and the nearly 1,600 defendants charged in connection with January 6. Trump would control a five-member commission with authority to approve awards, retain power to fire members without cause, and keep recipient identities private.

Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01), Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Congressman André Carson (IN-07), Congressman Troy Carter (LA-02), Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02), Congresswoman Dianna DeGette (CO-01), Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-22), Congressman Al Green (TX09), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02), Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Congressman Christian Menefee (TX-18), Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04), Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06), Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Congressman Scott Peters (CA-50), Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Congresswoman Emily Randall (WA-06), Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20), Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) joined Congresswoman Fletcher as original co-sponsors of this legislation.

Lawyers for Good Government and Public Citizen endorsed the legislation.

Congresswoman Fletcher is a member of the Democratic Litigation and Response Taskforce. On Monday, she joined 92 of her Democratic colleagues in filing an amicus brief on a motion to block the settlement.

To view the full text of the bill, click here.

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Announces Texas’ Seventh Congressional District 2026 Art Competition Winner

Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) announced Selina Yuan as the winner of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition for Texas’ Seventh Congressional District. Selina is a student at St. Thomas’ Episcopal School. Her painting Dedication will hang in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. for the next year, along with artwork from other winners from congressional districts across the country.

“I am excited to announce that Selina Yuan, who beautifully depicted the intensity and dedication of a hard-working athlete in her oil painting, is the winner of our eighth annual Congressional Art Competition,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “Selina’s artwork serves as a reminder of the determination and dedication that define our community and I look forward to seeing her art hanging in the Capitol over the next year. I am proud of all of the students who submitted their artwork and demonstrated such creativity and talent in our competition this year, and I am grateful to our competition judges and the teachers and mentors who encourage and inspire young artists.”

A panel of judges from the University of Houston, Houston City College, and the Houston Islamic Arts Society judged the entries anonymously, without seeing artists’ names or schools, and selected the winning piece. Students from 13 different Houston-area high schools participated.

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors the Congressional Art Competition to recognize and encourage talented high school artists from across the country. The winner from each district will have their artwork displayed in the Capitol for one year. The competition first began in 1982 and more than 650,000 high school students have participated.

As Federal Courts Threaten Telehealth Access to Abortion Pill, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher and Congressman Pat Ryan Reintroduce Legislation To Protect It

Mon, 11 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) and Congressman Pat Ryan (NY-18) introduced the Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act to reaffirm that mifepristone, also known as the abortion pill, was appropriately approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and that this approval preempts any state law seeking to prohibit or restrict access to the abortion pill.

“More than 25 years ago, the FDA approved mifepristone as safe and effective,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. "That science has not changed. What has changed, however, is the relentless effort by anti-abortion activists to use the courts to do what they could not do legislatively: ban abortion across the country, one medication at a time.

“The Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act makes clear that the FDA’s authority is real and that no state can override it to deny women access to reproductive freedom,” continued Congresswoman Fletcher. “I am glad to introduce this important legislation with Congressman Pat Ryan, and I will continue fighting to protect reproductive freedom for women in Texas and across our country.”

“I risked my life in combat to protect fundamental American freedoms. That includes a woman’s right to choose. These deeply personal and private medical decisions should be made by women, their health care providers, and their families, not by extremist judges or politicians,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “Mifepristone is a safe and effective medication that has been prescribed by doctors for more than two decades. These efforts to undermine the safety of abortion medication have nothing to do with science or medicine and everything to do with radical groups whose only goal is a national abortion ban. This legislation ensures we not only protect abortion access for women in New York and across the country but also the doctors who use telemedicine to prescribe medication abortion.”

Mifepristone was approved as safe and effective by the FDA in 2000. Medication abortions account for more than 50 percent of the abortions performed in the United States.

The Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act has received endorsements from Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Reproductive Freedom For All.

Congresswoman Fletcher is Vice Chair and Whip of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus and has led several efforts to protect access to abortion. In the 117th Congress, her bill to protect the right to travel between states to obtain an abortion, the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, H.R. 8297, passed the House. She is also an original cosponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which establishes a statutory federal right to abortion free from medically unnecessary restrictions.

To view the full text of the bill, click here.

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Statement on Ending the DHS Shutdown Without Funding ICE and CBP

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, the House of Representatives passed the Senate Amendment to H.R. 7147, Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026, a bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through Fiscal Year 2026. This bill does not include funding for enforcement actions by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which collectively received an unprecedented $170 billion for immigration and border enforcement in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1).

“Passing this bill finally ends a record 75-day shutdown of DHS and provides hard-working federal employees—including those with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Coast Guard—much-needed financial stability. House and Senate Democrats repeatedly proposed funding these agencies throughout this shutdown while negotiations on immigration enforcement activities continue, and I am glad House Republicans finally joined us in doing so,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.

“While there is still work to do to curb this administration’s abuses, passing this legislation funds the agencies that Americans depend on while withholding additional funding from ICE and CBP,” Congresswoman Fletcher continued. “Now, Republicans must work to address Americans’ legitimate concerns and negotiate with Democrats on critical reforms to the Trump administration’s lawlessness in its immigration enforcement policies.”

Earlier this year, Congresswoman Fletcher introduced the Freeze ICE Act, H.R. 7392, to stop the rapid recruitment of unvetted individuals at ICE. And in March, Congresswoman Fletcher signed a discharge petition to force a vote on H.R. 7481, legislation to immediately fund all of DHS except for ICE and CBP.

The bill passed the House by voice vote and is now headed to President Trump’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law.

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Statement on Supreme Court Decision in Louisiana v. Callais

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) released the following statement after the Supreme Court issued its decision in Louisiana v. Callais, striking down Louisiana's congressional map and gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act:

"The Voting Rights Act is one of the most important civil rights laws in the history of the United States: the result of a generations-long struggle to ensure the right to full participation in our democratic society for all American citizens and a triumph over a long and shameful history of racial discrimination in voting. Today, the United States Supreme Court gutted the Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which has served until now as the last legal barrier against overt and intentional racial discrimination in American politics, and betrayed generations of Americans past and present who fought for the right to vote and for full citizenship for all Americans.

“If the Supreme Court will not protect the right of all Americans to participate in our democratic process, Congress and citizens must. Every one of us can—and must—do the work to protect the progress the Voting Rights Act represents and the promise of American democracy for all.

“Today, I join the Congressional Black Caucus in demanding an immediate vote on the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and pledge to join them in the effort to organize, litigate, and mobilize until the promise of this democracy is not just defended, but fully realized for everyone.”

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher and Congressman Troy Carter Introduce Legislation To Rein In Rogue EPA

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) and Congressman Troy Carter (LA-02) introduced the Zealously Eliminating Legal Decisions of Ineptitude and Negligence (ZELDIN) Act to establish guardrails on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin's authority to terminate federal grants and abandon enforcement actions that protect communities from carcinogens for the remainder of the Trump administration.

"Administrator Zeldin has abandoned federal lawsuits protecting communities from toxic chemicals, canceled grants that Houston families and local governments depend on, and dismantled the standards that ensure environmental rules are grounded in science and public health—often without legal authority and always without accountability," said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. "The ZELDIN Act strengthens oversight and the legal requirements necessary to rein in this out-of-control Administrator, and I am glad to work with Congressman Carter to introduce this important legislation."

“My bill is about restoring accountability and ensuring the EPA never turns its back on the communities it’s intended to protect,” said Congressman Troy Carter. “At its core, this bill reaffirms a simple principle: safeguarding the health and environment of Americans is not optional—it is the EPA’s fundamental duty.”

If enacted, the ZELDIN Act would:

Require a mandatory legal review before any grant termination. Last year, the Trump administration canceled $250 million in federal funding for solar and battery storage in Harris County—a grant issued during the Biden administration that would have helped families save an average of $468 per year in energy costs. The ZELDIN Act would prevent future grants like these from being canceled for political purposes;
Preserve funding during legal disputes. The EPA has been pulling back awarded funds even while grant recipients are still challenging terminations in court or through administrative appeals, effectively ending legal disputes before they can be fairly resolved. The ZELDIN Act, would halt this practice;
Restore public health and economic analyses by requiring EPA to assess the public health and economic effects of major rules before finalizing them, a standard practice the Trump administration has abandoned, weakening the factual foundation for health-protective regulations;
Require Congressional review of carcinogen lawsuit dismissals by establishing a joint Congressional review process before EPA could dismiss a lawsuit or withdraw a referral of claims involving the release of carcinogens, ensuring those decisions are made with proper oversight; and
Hold EPA accountable by creating penalties for an Administrator who violates the act and gives individuals aggrieved by a violation of the act the right to pursue damages in court.

To view the full text of the ZELDIN Act, click here.

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher’s Bill To Expand Texans’ Access to Emergency Alerts Passes House

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) secured passage of her bill, the Mystic Alerts Act, H.R. 7022. The Mystic Alerts Act improves Americans’ access to wireless emergency alerts by requiring the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to encourage mobile service providers to adopt satellite alerting capabilities—technology that allows more people to receive life-saving alerts even if they lack cellular service. The bipartisan effort follows the devastating floods in Central Texas last summer and seeks to address communication gaps to prepare communities.

“In Houston and across the state of Texas, we are still heartbroken and grieving the loss of 135 people and the destruction of communities along the Guadalupe River last summer, a disaster made worse by communication gaps and failures,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “This bill is a small but important way to provide a meaningful response to the devastating floods and learn from the tragedy so that communities across the country do not have to experience the same pain and loss that Texans did last year. Nothing can bring back those that we lost in the flood, but we owe it to their survivors and to everyone we represent to do everything we can to try to prevent another tragedy like the one that we saw last summer. I am glad to partner with Congressman Pfluger, Congressman Veasey, and Congressman Carter in this effort and the work to get this legislation signed into law.”

"Disaster doesn't wait, and neither can we. The devastating July 4th floods that tore through Central and West Texas, including Camp Mystic where two of my daughters were staying, were a powerful reminder of the stakes, said Congressman August Pfluger. The Mystic Alert Act steps up where our systems often fall short, ensuring Wireless Emergency Alerts can still be delivered via satellite when traditional networks fail. This means life-saving information can reach families and first responders when it matters most. Today's passage is a major, commonsense win to strengthen emergency communications preparedness and protect our communities from facing a tragedy like this again."

“I am proud of the passage of the Mystic Alerts Act through the House today—this bill will ensure that emergency alerts are disseminated through satellites even if commercial cell providers are unable to provide service,” said Congressman Marc Veasey.

“My granddaughters were staying at Camp Mystic when the devastating floods claimed the lives of many young girls, including their cousin, Janie Hunt,” said Congressman Buddy Carter. “No child or family should have to endure a tragedy like this again. This bill will strengthen communication infrastructure during emergencies by implementing satellite-enabled alerts that can mean the difference between life and death. I am proud to see the Mystic Alerts Act pass the House, look forward to the Senate taking it up, and to its eventual signing into law.”

Congresswoman Fletcher joined Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33), and Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01) in introducing this legislation. The bill now moves to the United States Senate, where it is one step closer to becoming law.

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Votes To Require President To Follow Constitution

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted for H.Con.Res.40, a resolution to direct President Trump to terminate the use of the United States Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress explicitly makes a declaration of war or authorizes use of military force against Iran.

"The United States Constitution provides that Congress has the sole authority and solemn responsibility to declare war. President Trump, however, has consistently disregarded the Constitution, as has this Republican Congress.

“Today, the House considered a resolution to require the President to come to the Congress—to the representatives of the people—and to the people of the United States to make the case for war, as the Constitution requires. I voted for it. It failed. House Republicans—for the second time since the beginning of this conflict—have ceded their Constitutional authority to the President, rather than doing the job they were sent to Washington to do.

“For more than a month, the President has acted unilaterally and unchecked, starting a war without any evidence of an imminent threat to the United States, while releasing statements that are unhinged and untethered to reality and spreading inflammatory rhetoric that threatens to escalate this war of choice.

“At this point, this Republican Congress is not merely a do-nothing Congress; it is a do-harm Congress: harm to the Constitution, to the separation of powers, and to the principle that the government is one of, by, and for the people rather than a king.”

H.Con.Res. 40 failed by a vote of 213-214-1.

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Votes To Protect 350,000 Haitians Under Temporary Protected Status from Arbitrary Deportation

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted in favor of legislation, H.R. 1689, which extends Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians across the United States until April 20, 2029.

“Our Haitian neighbors in Texas’ Seventh Congressional District and across our country have sought refuge and contributed to our communities,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “Sending them back to Haiti—into an ongoing humanitarian, economic, and political crisis—would be cruel and unjust. I am glad to see Congress act to protect more than 350,000 Haitians across the country from losing their ability to live and work in the United States. They deserve stability, not deportation. This is a big victory for the safety and dignity of our Haitian neighbors and is a rebuke of President Trump’s cavalier decision to end TPS designations for Haiti.”

In February, Congresswoman Fletcher signed a discharge petition to force a vote on H.R. 1689. A discharge petition is a legislative tool in the House of Representatives that allows a majority of members to force a bill to the floor for a vote by the full chamber, even if the Speaker of the House opposes it.

This week, Congresswoman Fletcher joined her Democratic colleagues in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Miot v. Trump and Mullin v. Doe, a consolidated case challenging the Trump administration's unlawful termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria.

H.R. 1689 passed the House by a vote of 224-204 and now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher on President Trump’s Post Stating That “A Whole Civilization Will Die Tonight”

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) released the following statement as the United States conducts military strikes on Iran and President Trump issues grave new threats:.

"Over the past several days, the President of the United States has posted statements that are unhinged and untethered to reality. Over the past few years, we have gotten used to seeing rambling, incoherent posts on his personal, for-profit social media platform, and have worried about their content and about the conduct of United States policy—domestic and foreign—through this medium.

“Today one thing is clear: We cannot ignore them. The President’s statements are not only unhinged, they are dangerous: an escalation not only in rhetoric but in the real-world consequences. The President appears to be threatening to take actions that would not only violate international law and long-standing rules of war, he is threatening to take actions that would make the United States unrecognizable to its own citizens.

“I call on Speaker Mike Johnson to call the House of Representatives back to Washington to conduct oversight of this war and address the Constitutional issues that the President’s unhinged statements make clear. I call on all members of the Congress to remember and uphold their sworn oath to the Constitution of the United States of America. And I call on the President’s Cabinet to do the same.”