Health Care and the Senate.  As you know from my recent emails, Senators struck a deal to end the government shutdown in November with a promise to vote on health care legislation in December.  And as you also know from those emails, since 2021, people who purchase health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace–the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges–have benefited from an Enhanced Premium Tax Credit (EPTC).  These tax credits are set to expire on December 31 of this year, and they will expire unless Congress acts.

This week, the Senate considered a Democratic bill, the Lower Health Care Costs Act (S. 3385), to extend these tax credits by three years.  I am sorry to report that this legislation did not reach the 60 votes required to pass.  The Senate also considered a Republican bill, the Health Care Freedom for Patients Act of 2025 (S.3386), that purports to address the looming health care crisis, eliminating these tax credits and instead redirecting the funding for these credits into health savings accounts.  The explanation of why this policy doesn’t work is long, but in short, this bill also failed to pass.

If the EPTC expires, ACA beneficiaries could see their monthly premiums more than double next year.  In Texas, it is estimated that health care premiums will increase by 289 percent for people who currently rely on the EPTC.  That is 125,000 people in our district alone who rely on these credits.  Most of our neighbors have already received health care coverage renewal notices with their increased premiums and the expiration of the EPTCs will likely increase health care costs for everyone. 

Developments in Military Action in Venezuela.  Concerns continue in Washington over the Trump administration’s military build-up in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, escalating tensions in the area.  Since September, the United States has carried out more than 20 attacks off the coast of Venezuela, killing more than 80 people the Trump administration alleges have been trafficking illicit drugs.  This week, the United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, risking potential conflict without transparency or Congressional approval.  Friday morning, I saw a news report that the Trump administration says it is planning to deploy troops in Venezuela.  If you are asking, “Wait, doesn’t Congress have the power to declare war, not the President?” you are not alone, and the answer is yes.  Congress has the exclusive constitutional authority to declare war.  The call for Congress to assert its authority over these matters and consider a “war powers resolution” are growing and are bipartisan.  Resolutions are moving forward in the House and the Senate and will be ripe for consideration next week.

New photos of Jeffrey Epstein with Donald Trump.  Focus on the Epstein Files continued in Washington this week, with the House Oversight Committee releasing new photos obtained from Epstein’s estate capturing President Trump, Steve Bannon, and other powerful men spending time with Epstein.  These tens of thousands of photos underscore the need to find out how much Epstein’s influential friends knew of his crimes.  Last month, I voted to release the full Epstein Files and Congress overwhelmingly passed this measure.  President Trump signed the bill, but has continued to obstruct and delay the release of the long-awaited files, even though he has the power to release these files immediately.  I will not stop working to provide transparency, accountability, and justice for the survivors.

This week, the principal work of the House was consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, S. 1071, this year’s version of legislation to authorize spending on our nation’s defense.  The NDAA traditionally passes the House with bipartisan support, and bipartisan opposition, perhaps for different reasons.  But in recent years, House Republicans have included harmful, partisan provisions in the NDAA.  Earlier this year, the House version became a deeply problematic, partisan bill that failed to include any Democratic amendments, including provisions that would address the Trump administration’s use of the military for domestic law enforcement, the politicization of our armed forces, the firing of dedicated military personnel, and more.  I voted against that version of the NDAA as written, which passed the House by a vote of 231-196, knowing the House and Senate would confer to revise the bill. 

The revised version of the bill that the House considered this week cured many, but not all, of the issues from earlier this year and strengthens our national security and supports our servicemembers.  There are important provisions in the bill including a 3.8 percent pay raise for all servicemembers; a number of provisions aimed at improving food assistance, childcare, and housing needs of military families; funding for our allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific; and strengthening our university research and research security as a whole.  The bill also strengthens congressional oversight over the Trump Administration, including provisions that repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force against Iraq; conditions part of Secretary of Defense’s travel budget until the Department of Defense releases unedited videos of all strikes that have occurred in Latin America; adds reporting requirements on use of military aircraft for immigration requirements and for immigrants detained at any military installations; and protects civilians from arbitrary firings and reductions in force from the executive branch.  I voted for the bill, which passed the House by a vote of 312-112 and is now headed to the President's desk for signature.

I was disappointed, however, that Congressional Republicans blocked the inclusion of pilot programs expanding gynecological and obstetrical care for TRICARE beneficiaries, expanded access to reproductive care, IVF, and contraception services for servicemembers and their families, and a provision that would have restored collective bargaining rights for Department of Defense employees in the wake of President Trump’s executive order in the final version of the NDAA.  I will keep fighting for these provisions in the future.

The House also considered several bills regarding energy and permitting issues.  These issues are a major focus of my work.  Unfortunately, the bills we voted on this week were advanced by my Republican colleagues without any opportunity for input from Democrats and they have some glaring deficiencies.  There are common-sense, bipartisan answers to the pressing issues facing our energy industry and all of us as consumers, and I will continue to press for durable solutions that will last through future administrations.  The first of these bills, the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act (H.R. 3628), pressures state public utility commissions to mandate that utilities procure non-renewable sources of energy electricity for their needs.  Public utility commissions should be free to plan for their customers' needs, whether that means traditional or renewable sources.  In Texas, our energy supply is more dependable than ever because of the variety of its energy sources.  I voted no on this bill, which passed 218-207.  The second energy bill we considered, the Electric Supply Chain Act (H.R. 3638), requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to study the supply chain for equipment necessary to generate or transmit electricity.  I agree that DOE should study this topic, but the Trump administration has decimated the office responsible for conducting the study.  This bill does not provide any resources to bring back the staff needed to do this work.  I voted no on this bill, which passed 267-159.

Two of the energy bills we considered dealt with the Clean Water Act’s permitting process.  I am in favor of reforming the permitting process for energy projects, but both of these bills present problems that prevented me from voting for them.  The PERMIT Act (H.R. 3898) loosens requirements for the treatment of toxic pollution like lead, mercury, selenium, PFAS, and arsenic.  The Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act (H.R. 3668) gives FERC additional authority to regulate pipelines, without ensuring FERC’s independence from political influence.  I introduced an amendment to repeal President’s Trump executive order that challenges the independence of agencies like this one.  That amendment was rejected without consideration.  I voted against these two bills, which passed the House by a vote of 302-123 and 213-184, respectively.

The House also considered the Increasing Investor Opportunities Act (INVEST) Act (H.R. 3383), a package of bills reforming the way businesses access funding from private sources and making capital markets more accessible to small- and mid-sized companies.  At a time of skyrocketing prices and Americans struggling with affordability as a result of President Trump’s reckless tariffs, this legislation will provide greater access to capital for small businesses and more investment opportunities for retirement plans and pensions.  I voted for the bill, which passed the House by a vote of 302-123.

The House also passed two dozen bills without much debate, including bills addressing federal land issues, including the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025, S. 356, which reauthorizes a U.S. Forest Service program that provides payments to county governments who do not receive tax revenue from federal land to maintain local roads, support schools, conduct wildfire mitigation, and more. The House also passed the Make SWAPs Efficient Act of 2025, H.R. 1676, which requires the Department of Interior to approve or reject state wildlife action plans within 180 days of submission.  The House also passed bills relating to the establishment of national memorials, including the World War II Women’s Memorial Location Act (H.R. 2290) and the Adams Memorial-Great American Heroes Act (H.R. 2306).

Also this week, Congressman Al Green (TX-09) brought a resolution before the House to impeach President Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors (H.R. 939) for his statements about a group of Democratic members of Congress—all of whom served in the military or intelligence community—after they posted a video on social media reminding members of the military of their oath to the Constitution and their right to refuse illegal orders and for other reasons.  Because of the way it was brought, the House had to consider it within two days.  On Thursday, House Republicans brought a motion to table (delay indefinitely) consideration the impeachment resolution.  This is the second time Congressman Green has unilaterally brought an impeachment resolution to the floor. 

Determining whether to impeach the President of the United States is one of the most serious and somber responsibilities of a member of Congress.  I know because I have voted to impeach President Trump twice in the past.  I have explained here and elsewhere my deep concerns about the actions President Trump and his administration are taking that undermine the rule of law, our democratic system of government, and our national security.  Those concerns grow deeper every day.  And, I voted in the past for the motion to table at the urging of our House Democratic leaders, for good and important reasons; chief among them, that the Republicans in the House and Senate—who are in charge of Congress—will not impeach President Trump under any circumstances.

In the face of the administration’s lawlessness and the failure of this Congress to conduct oversight, this time, I voted against the motion to table and to support the effort to refer the motions to the House Judiciary Committee to conduct investigations and reports on these and other potentially impeachable actions of the President and the Trump administration.  These investigations and reports, like those that provided the basis of the first impeachment of President Trump, are an important part of the process and development of any case the House might present to the Senate.  The motion to table passed, however, by a vote of 237-140, with 47 members voting present.

As a reminder, you can always find a list of all of the votes I have taken for the district on my website.

On Wednesday, I joined Congressman Troy Carter and a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing the National Flood Insurance Program Automatic Extension Act, H.R. 6560, to prevent the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from lapsing during any future federal government shutdown.  When the government shuts down, new flood insurance policies cannot be issued, renewals are put on hold, and real estate transactions stall, leaving homeowners vulnerable to huge out-of-pocket losses if floods occur.

This week I cosponsored several other pieces of legislation on issues important to our community, including

• the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act of 2025, H.R. 1509, to require states to establish a process through which qualifying out-of-state providers may temporarily treat children under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) without undergoing additional screening requirements;
• the Buffalo Soldiers Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025, H.R. 1437, to provide for a Congressional Gold Medal to be awarded to the Buffalo Soldier regiments in recognition of their vital service to the United States;
• the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act, H.R. 2028, to allow borrowers in medical or dental internships or residency programs to defer student loan payments until the completion of their programs;
• the Military in Law Enforcement Accountability Act, H.R. 6533, to limit the authority of the Department of Defense, and other Federal law enforcement personnel, to support civilian law enforcement activities; and
• a resolution supporting the goals and principles of Transgender Day of Remembrance by recognizing violence toward transgender people and memorializing the lives lost this year, H.Res. 899.

This week, I joined my colleagues in sending more letters, including:

• a letter to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Acting Director James O’Neill urging the CDC to maintain the recommendation that all infants receive the Hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth;
• a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr urging the FCC to protect multilingual broadband consumer labels–an essential tool for consumer transparency and equality; and
• a letter to the Department of Defense Acting Inspector General Steven Stubbins expressing strong concern about the Army’s failure to intervene in the alleged misconduct of Dr. Major Blaine McCraw at Fort Hood and Tripler Army Medical Center and requesting the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General review whether appropriate Military Health System policies were followed and provide recommendations to prevent further instances of sexual misconduct from occurring in the future.

On Friday, the Energy & Commerce Committee held its “Member Day,” for members of Congress who are not members of the Energy & Commerce Committee to testify about their bills, concerns, or other matters that fall under the Committee’s broad jurisdiction.  I was glad to have the opportunity as the Vice Ranking Member of the Committee to give the opening statement for Committee Democrats and to hear my colleagues' concerns and ideas.

The House will reconvene in Washington next week for the last time before the holidays and the new year.  We still don’t know all that will be on the agenda as the year comes to a close, but there are rumors the Republicans plan to introduce new health care legislation (and if so, I’ll have a lot to say on it next week).  We do expect that the House will consider more legislation related to permitting reform.  I look forward to providing you with an update then.

As always, I am proud to represent you and I am here to help you.  Please call my office at (713) 353-8680 or (202) 225-2571 or email here at any time to ask for assistance or share your thoughts.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,