Washington, D.C. - It was a busy week at home and in Washington!

On Friday, I had a wonderful conversation with Bill Jones, Dr. David Galardi, and Tom McGill of Paydhealth at our District office. I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about how they’re helping companies find unique funding models for their healthcare plans, as well as improving the way that companies deliver their health and welfare programs.

On Monday, I took a tour of Encompass Health’s facilities in Bedford. After the tour we sat down for a roundtable discussion about home health services!

After, I headed to the Taiwan Trade Center in Dallas where we discussed the 12th US Business Day in Taipei, the annual business event between Taiwan and the U.S. We also exchanged different ideas on uplifting small businesses in the US and Taiwan and potential bilateral collaboration. 

On Tuesday, I provided a briefing on the FTC’s overreaching regulations, which are hurting our small businesses, and discussed promising opportunities for reform!

I was honored to watch The Sound of Freedom later that night next to Tim Ballard and Jim Caviezel. We must continue to bring awareness to this violation of human rights and fight to end human trafficking. Thank you to Speaker McCarthy for putting on such an important event!

Wednesday, I participated in a Ways and Means Committee markup and moved the Health Care Price Transparency Act and the Providers and Payers COMPETE Act out of committee. These bills will help increase transparency and lower prices.

Click here or on the photo below to watch my remarks during the markup!

After, I met with North Texans from JPMorgan Chase. We spoke about the banking system in the U.S. and the broader economy as a whole.

On Thursday, I met with the Ambassador of Bahrain, Shaikh Abdulla AlKhalifa. We discussed my recent trip to Bahrain where I learned more about our national security concerns in the region as well as China’s expansion of influence in the region.

Later in the day, I questioned witnesses during a Ways and Means Oversight subcommittee hearing focused on rooting out fraud and abuse in the Employee Retention Tax Credit program. You can watch me highlight the widespread issue of spam calls from scammers by clicking here.

I also met with the Ambassador of Cambodia, H.E. Keo Chea yesterday. We discussed the importance of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program to Cambodia and more broadly how the U.S. can advance its trade and investment presence in Southeast Asia. Cambodia is an important ally in the region as we work to counter China and expand trade markets - something the Biden Administration has neglected.

REMINDER: We have more than 300 employers with 10,000 job openings and dozens of elected officials confirmed for our upcoming 2023 North Texas Job Fair! Be sure to sign up at www.myNTXjobs.com and join us on August 7th at the Irving Convention Center.

Some of our participants are Amazon, TxDOT, FC Dallas, CHRISTUS Health, AT&T, Cook Children’s Health, Bell Textron, and Parkland Health.

The 2023 North Texas Job Fair isn’t just about connecting North Texans with job opportunities, it will be an all-inclusive event! From constituent services booths to SIX different veteran service organizations, we’re bringing together a number of resources for our community.

Check out the full list on our new constituent services page, which we’re updating every day! Be sure to sign up today.

This week, I voted to advance the Health Care Price Transparency Act during a Ways and Means Committee markup.

Patients have a hard enough time navigating the medical system the last thing they need is to be surprised by hidden costs of health care treatments. This bill will require hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, imaging providers, and clinical labs to publish the actual price for their services. This will allow for patients to know they’re receiving care at a price they can afford.

TX-24 Veteran Commendation

The Congressional Veteran Commendation has been created to honor the distinguished veterans around the country and in TX24 and to preserve their stories for future generations of Americans.

Veterans who are nominated must live in the 24th District of Texas (you can check here) and have served our nation with honor consistent with the finest traditions of military service. The nominated veterans must also have served their community as a civilian.

Click here to complete and submit the nomination packet no later than October 13, 2023 at 5pm.

Jeff Williams, founder and executive director of Taste Project, knows first-hand how hard it can be for families to put food on the table. In 2012, Jeff founded the Taste Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving our North Texas community by ensuring our neighbors do not go hungry.

In 2017, the Taste Project opened a pay-what-you-can community restaurant in Fort Worth, the Taste Community Restaurant, where diners can pay as little as a penny for a meal. Beyond the restaurant, the Taste Project empowers and provides hope to North Texans through culinary classes, job training programs, and even a community garden that helps teach people gardening skills.

In the last six years, Jeff and Taste Community Restaurant have helped more 150,000 people and are currently serving more than 1,000 people a week! Jeff and his team work hard every day to make sure they help as many people as possible.

Thank you, Jeff, for your dedication to serving our North Texas community!

Do you know someone who goes above and beyond for our community? Nominate a Texas-24 Hometown Hero here.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your voice in Washington. To stay up to date on what's happening each week, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, GETTR, Parler, Rumble, and YouTube. 

Please do not hesitate to contact our office if we can ever be of service to you. 

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (TX-24)