Email from Rep. Nehls Rep. Nehls' Bill Passes the House   Greetings! I wanted to take a moment to share with you a recap of what happened last week in Texas' 22nd District and the United States House of Representatives. This Week in Washington, D.C. Rep. Troy E. Nehls' Bill, the Medal of Honor Act, Passes the U.S. House of Representatives The Medal of Honor is the highest military honor in the United States. The first Medal of Honor was given to Army Private Jacob Parrott in 1863. Since then, over 3,500 brave heroes have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Currently, there are 63 living Medal of Honor recipients. On April 27, 1916, Congress passed legislation that created the Army and Navy Medal of Honor Roll and entitled Medal of Honor recipients to a special pension of $10 per month for life. In 1961, Congress increased the monthly pension from $10 to $100. The most recent congressional pension raise was in 2002 when it was raised to $1,000 per month. The current base rate with cost of living adjustments for the Medal of Honor pension is $1,406.73 per month. Throughout my time in Congress, I have met some of the Medal of Honor recipients and heard their stories firsthand. These heroes are, in my opinion, our nation's most sacred treasures. I am proud to announce that my bill, the Medal of Honor Act, which would increase their special pensions, unanimously passed the United States House of Representatives by a margin of 424-0. Under my bill, Medal of Honor recipients' special pensions would increase nearly fourfold, equating to roughly $67,500 annually. This bill is fully offset, meaning the funds for the special pension increase already exist. It is our obligation, as Congress, to do everything to support not only them but also their families. I would like to thank my colleague, Congressman Chris Pappas, for working with me on this legislation for the past four years, and Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Congressman Mike Bost, for helping me advance this important legislation. Our nation's Medal of Honor recipients embody bravery, valor, and selflessness. They went above and beyond the call of duty in service to our great nation. Increasing the special pension for our nation’s Medal of Honor recipients is the least Congress can do to honor their extraordinary acts. I strongly encourage the Senate to take up and pass this legislation as soon as possible so that it might be signed into law. Watch my remarks on the House Floor HERE or watch the full debate of the Medal of Honor Act HERE. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Questions Witnesses at House T&I Subcommittee Hearing In the 118th Congress, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee reported the Promoting Innovation in Pipeline Efficiency and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2023 out of the committee on a bipartisan basis. This bill would reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Safety Administration (PHMSA) for four years and would provide the necessary resources and direction for the agency to fulfill its pipeline safety oversight responsibilities in an efficient and effective manner. PHMSA is the agency responsible for regulating the safety of natural gas and hazardous liquids pipelines. Sadly, the Senate failed to have a hearing on the pipeline reauthorization, stalling the momentum we made. This week, the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials held a hearing to examine the need to reauthorize PHMSA, including providing it with new direction and authority over emerging energy sources. During the hearing, I questioned witnesses about a provision from the PIPES Act of 2023 that would have changed the safety standards to allow risk-based inspections of breakout tanks. Ensuring the safe transport of our nation's natural gas and hazardous materials is a top priority of this subcommittee. I look forward to working with my colleagues to produce a comprehensive bill that ensures just that. Watch my questioning of the witnesses HERE. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Attends House Judiciary Committee Markup This week, the House Judiciary Committee held a markup to advance various pieces of legislation that would make American communities safer, keep Hamas terrorists out of our country, and deter foreign government officials from censoring our speech. During the markup, the committee advanced H.R. 875, the Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act. This legislation would make aliens who have committed drunk-driving offenses inadmissible and deportable. I am a proud cosponsor of this bill. During my time as Sheriff of Fort Bend County, Texas, I arrested an illegal alien for killing a senior citizen who had been deported six previous times. The illegal alien had previously been arrested, which resulted in one of his numerous deportations, for driving drunk. We must do everything we can to protect Americans, including removing aliens from our communities when they disregard the public safety by choosing to drive under the influence. The House Judiciary Committee also advanced H.R. 176, the No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act, which would ensure that anyone associated with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad will not be allowed in this country under any circumstances, deported if they are found, and not given any immigration benefits. Further, the House Judiciary Committee also advanced H.R. 1071, the No Censors on our Shores Act, which states that official acts taken by a foreign government official that violates the First Amendment rights of an American citizen while they are in the U.S. can be refused entry into the U.S. or deported if currently in the country. I am a proud supporter of these commonsense pieces of legislation. We must hold all those who seek to harm Americans, in any way, accountable.  My House Judiciary Republican colleagues and I remain committed to America First policies. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Votes to Pass House Budget Resolution This week, the United States House of Representatives passed H.Con.Res 14, which lays the groundwork for Congress to advance President Donald J. Trump's America First agenda. I proudly voted "YES" to advance the resolution. The House Budget Resolution unlocks the process to advance President Trump’s agenda in one big, beautiful bill. H.Con.Res. 14 instructs House Committees to identify better investments and more savings. The House Budget Resolution puts the American people first by reining in wasteful spending, securing our borders, bolstering our national defense, extending Trump’s tax cuts, and unleashing American energy dominance. In November, the American people mandated change, and this bill allows us, as Congress, to deliver on our promises. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Attends House T&I Committee Markup This week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a markup to advance various pieces of legislation, including H.R. 1182, H.Con.Res.9, H.R. 744, and H.R. 1382. H.R.1182, the Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety and Oversight Improvements Act of 2025, was approved by voice vote. This legislation mandates that foreign manufacturers of compressed gas cylinders comply with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s safety standards. It is essential that the transportation of hazardous materials is regulated to prioritize the safety and protection of Americans. This is an America First piece of legislation that will create a level playing field and hold foreign producers accountable to our rigorous standards of safety. You can watch my remarks on H.R. 1182 HERE. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee also agreed to H. Con. Res. 9, which authorizes the use of the U.S. Capitol Grounds for a memorial service on May 15, 2025. Specifically, this concurrent resolution permits the National Fraternal Order of Police and its auxiliary to host the 44th Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service on Capitol Grounds. As a former Sheriff, I am proud to honor our nation’s law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to protect and serve our communities and those who have fallen in the line of duty. Other legislation advanced by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee includes H.R. 744, the Disaster Management Costs Modernization Act, and H.R. 1382. My House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee colleagues and I are committed to strengthening our nation's infrastructure by delivering real solutions. Rep. Troy E. Nehls and DOT Sec. Sean Duffy Tour FAA Academy Our nation has a glaring shortage of air traffic controllers, aviation professionals who guide aircraft throughout our skies. This week, as Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, I traveled to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Academy at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with our nation's Transportation Department secretary, Sean Duffy. During the tour, I had the opportunity to meet with FAA officials and students at the academy to learn more about the process of becoming an air traffic controller and the technology our nation's aviation professionals use. This tour provided me with crucial insight as my subcommittee moves forward in our work to enhance our nation's aviation industry. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Joins The Dan Bongino Show Watch my interview on The Dan Bongino Show HERE on Rumble. This Week in Texas' 22nd District Rep. Troy E. Nehls' Fulshear District Office Hosts Service Academy Day My District Office is looking to host an Academy Day in the Spring of 2025. This event would allow all TX-22 to learn how to attend one of the United States Service Academies. One of the privileges of serving in the United States House of Representatives is the opportunity to nominate outstanding young people from the 22nd Congressional District of Texas to be considered for appointment to our nation’s service academies. Admission to a service academy is a two-tiered process. First, the candidate must apply and meet the minimum standards set by the individual academy. Second, the candidate must complete the congressional application to be considered for an interview with the nomination review board in our office. Please note that the ultimate selection of appointees rests solely with academy officials and is based on their competitive evaluation of all nominees. In addition to staff from my office, representatives from all five academies (U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and U.S. Coast Guard Academy) and current academy cadets and midshipmen will be on hand to answer questions. Students, parents, and educators will be able to hear from and meet with representatives on a one-on-one basis to become informed about the excellent opportunities associated with attending these premier educational institutions and the careers they generate. This forum is free; however, pre-registration is required and can be found on my website HERE. It will be held from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturday, May 31, 2025. If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call my district office at (346) 762-660. Update on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) expects more than 40 million individual tax returns for the tax year 2024 to be filed ahead of the Tuesday, April 15 deadline. Taxpayers residing in a federally declared disaster area may have additional time to file and pay federal taxes. Get free help preparing and filing taxes electronically. Taxpayers can visit IRS.gov to get answers to tax questions. IRS.gov is the quickest way for taxpayers to get help. The Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) is a tool that provides answers to several tax law questions specific to individual circumstances. Free tax filing options. The IRS offers free online and in-person tax preparation options for eligible taxpayers through IRS Free File, IRS Direct File and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs. Most refunds issued in less than 21 days: EITC refunds for many available by March 3. The easiest way to check a refund's status is by using “Where's My Refund?” on IRS.gov or the IRS2Go app. The IRS asks that we allow returns to process for 10 weeks and amendments to process for 20 weeks. If you are outside of that timeframe, my staff is happy to help. Report taxable income; don’t file before receiving key documents. People should report all taxable income on their tax return and wait to file until they receive all of their income and informational documents. Choose a trusted tax professional. Taxpayers should review the tips for choosing a tax preparer and learn how to avoid unethical “ghost” return preparers who don’t sign or include a valid preparer tax identification number (PTIN) on every tax return they prepare. Be aware of tax scams. Be aware of scammers, who can become more active during tax season. They will attempt to mislead people about tax refunds, credits and payments. Know the signs of ID Theft. Check out the latest consumer alerts and read more about the most recent tax related scams identified by the IRS. More help is now available. The IRS also provides taxpayers help in-person at Taxpayer Assistance Centers nationwide. Some improvements taxpayers will see during the 2025 filing season are: IRS Individual Online Account. Individuals can create or access their IRS Online Account at Online account for individuals. New scam alert. There’s a new banner on the Online Account homepage that alerts taxpayers of potential scams and schemes, along with a link to their Digital Notices and Letters page to view correspondence from the IRS. Redesigned notices. The IRS redesigned 200 notices and an additional 84 redesigned notices are in line to be deployed in 2025. Mobile-adaptive tax forms. Taxpayers can now access 67 forms on cell phones and tablets. Virtual assistants to help with refunds and other questions. The IRS will offer voicebot services to all taxpayers calling the IRS for refund information. The voicebot is available in English and Spanish.  We can also help with general IRS questions or any other issues you may have with the agency. We will need a privacy release form filled out by the filers. The release form can be found HERE. Please contact my district office at 346-762-6600 if you have any questions. Did you know illegal border crossings at the southern border are down 95%?  YES 81.5% NO 18.5% Follow Us We Want to Hear From You I always appreciate learning about the issues that are important to you. If you have a concern, please contact me HERE. Use this QR code to follow my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and join my Newsletter for updates. It's an honor to represent you and the great state of Texas in the United States House of Representatives. Do you plan to watch President Trump's Joint Address to Congress? Let me know below Yes No Sincerely, Troy E. Nehls Member of Congress By participating in the survey, you are opting into further communication from Rep. Nehls Rep. Nehls | 1104 Longworth House Office Building | Washington, DC 20515 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice