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July 28
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Huntsville Town Hall Meeting Tuesday, August 8. Click here to learn more
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Headway for American Investors
This week, I joined the Financial Services Committee for a two-day markup aimed at establishing a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins and digital assets, bolstering our free markets and American competitiveness, and pushing back against Democrats' environmental, social, and government policies (ESG), which has invaded the corporate boardroom.
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 After 15 months of negotiation – on the brink of a deal – the White House backed out of their negotiations with Financial Services Committee Republicans on digital assets legislation, resulting in a Democrat walk-out from the Committee room on Thursday morning and the end of good-faith efforts to find a solution. However, this walk-out by Democrats to prevent the stablecoin bill from moving forward at the Committee markup Thursday backfired, with 5 Democrats defying their leadership and voting with all Republicans on final passage of H.R. 4766 out of the House Committee on Financial Services later that day. Under the leadership of Chairman Patrick McHenry (NC-10), we are paving the way for growth-driven legislation in this emerging industry.
We also considered Congressman Roger Williams’ (TX-25) H.J. Res. 66, which I cosponsored, to overturn the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) disastrous small business lending data collection rule, the “Small Business Lending Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B)”. The CFPB’s rule will burden and expose small business American investors, making it harder for them to access the capital they need. It requires every financial institution to collect personal information, like sex and race, on small business loan applicants and report them to the CFPB. I believe personal information should remain between an applicant and a lender, not between an applicant and the federal government. As a pro-growth, free enterprise Republican, I support efforts to protect small businesses and their ability to continue to develop without federal overreach. |
Assessing the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Thursday afternoon I sat alongside Chairman James Comer (KY-1) and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee for a hearing on the reauthorization of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The ONDCP was formed in 1989 to coordinate a government-wide effort to combat the overwhelming and alarming rate at which illegal drugs – like fentanyl – are rapidly flowing into our country and communities. At a time when drug overdose deaths are at a historic high, with over 100,000 deaths in 2021 alone, it is necessary to reassess the ONDCP’s operation to ensure the office is pursuing its statutorily designated objective and working in a productive direction to end our nation’s drug crisis.
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 During my remarks, I questioned Dr. Gupta, director of the ONDCP, on the effectiveness of his organization. The ONDCP is seemingly unwilling to accept the reality of its own defects, as they continue to shift blame onto other organizations and other countries. In doing so, the ONDCP ignores the root of the problem: ineffective legislation and enforcement of drug laws within the United States. It is no secret that Democrat-driven open border policies are allowing a historic influx of dangerous illegal drugs into our communities, particularly in Texas. These policies significantly contribute to the rampant arrival of dangerous substances. A first step towards curbing our drug crisis is the ONDCP acknowledging their shortcomings and remaining focused on their goals. Click here to watch my remarks during the hearing. |
FY2024 MilConVA Bill
Veterans of our armed services deserve our nation’s gratitude, support, and care for their valiant sacrifice and brave commitment to protecting our national security. As a Member of Congress, I believe strongly in upholding the federal government’s obligation to support veterans. This is why I was proud to support the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilConVA) bill when it passed the House this week. Through a total of over $317 billion in funding for the Department of Defense (Military Construction and Family Housing), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and related agencies, this bill ensures our military facilities are maximized to care for current service members, and it expands health care for veterans, post-service.
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 The FY24 MilConVA Appropriations bill fully funds benefits for our nation’s veterans, provides for robust military construction, and cuts wasteful spending on executive bloat and woke ideology pushed by the Biden Administration. This funding honors our commitment to veterans by fully funding veterans’ health care, benefits, and VA programs – including the electronic health record modernization initiative, which is a priority of mine. Ensuring our nation is capable of effectively maintaining our national security is of utmost importance, yet it is equally vital that the former servicemen and women, who have placed their lives on the line to ensure our nation remains free, receive the care, and benefits our country pledged to them when they agreed to serve. |
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PACT Act Benefits
The PACT Act—which I proudly supported when it passed the House and was signed into law last August—expanded and extended eligibility for permanent VA health care and benefits for the millions of veterans, including an estimated 3.5 million post 9/11 veterans, who may have been exposed to burn pits and other toxins during military deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and surrounding areas. While this law represents the largest expansion of VA benefits in decades, millions of veterans have yet to file their claims.
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 Veterans must file their claim before August 9, 2023, to be eligible for retroactive compensation backdating to August 10, 2022, the date the bill was signed into law.
Post-9/11 combat veterans who were discharged over 10 years ago and are not enrolled in VA health care must enroll in VA health care by October 1, 2023, to take advantage of the open enrollment period. Under the PACT Act, veterans previously denied a toxic-exposure-related claim can file a new claim for the VA to review. Active-duty military personnel may also file a claim if they are within 180 days of discharge.
Veterans who are not experiencing symptoms should enroll in VA health care by the October deadline if they believe they could have been exposed to toxic substances during military service. Please let my office know if you have difficulty submitting your PACT Act claim – you may visit the VAA website here, or contact my casework team here. |
Service Academy Nominations |
Serving in the United States House of Representatives comes with the distinct privilege of nominating outstanding young individuals from the 17th Congressional District of Texas for consideration of appointment to our national service academies. If selected, you'll stand as a representative not just of our community, but also the United States of America. Bear in mind that the competition for these nominations and subsequent appointments is fierce, with the country's best and brightest vying for this honorable opportunity each year.
Please ensure to submit your applications by 5:00 pm on Friday, October 6th to our Waco District Office. For any inquiries regarding this process, do not hesitate to contact our Waco Office at 254-633-4500.
Any prospective Academy applicants must meet the following legal eligibility requirements:
- Be a United States citizen
- Hold legal residency within Texas' 17th Congressional District. Military dependents are legally required to apply for a nomination in their home district.
- Be at least 17 years of age, but not older than 23 years of age by July 1 of the admission year
- Be unmarried with no legal obligation to support a child or any other dependents
- Fulfill the physical, medical, and academic requirements of the Academy
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| Sincerely, |
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| Pete Sessions |
| Member of Congress |
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