July 17, 2020 Dear Friends, For the last two weeks of July, Congress will be in session to vote on various legislative initiatives. As I discussed today on Mornings with Maria, there is talk of a fourth coronavirus stimulus package developing during this period. At this point, a payroll tax cut, direct aid to families, and business liability insurance are all on the negotiating table. National Updates The Food and Drug Administration(FDA) will close its COVID-19 industry hotline today, and inst... Read more

July 15, 2020 Dear Friends, Today the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced 30 bills, several of which will help fight COVID-19 and bolster the health care system. There were several legislative victories today: Committee approval of my bill, H.R. 5534, which extends coverage for kidney transplant patients to receive immunosuppressive drugs. The committee also adopted my technical amendment to this bill. Passage of my amendment to H.R. 1646, which would secure funding for frontline healt... Read more

July 14, 2020 Dear Friends, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the agency’s plan to deploy Quality Improvement Organizations across to country to assist nursing homes in hotspot areas with their COVID-19 response. I have co-sponsored H.R.7254 - Infection Control Training and Support Act of 2020 which would ensure that Quality Improvement Organizations have adequate funding to provide the needed assistance to nursing homes. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) published a ... Read more

July 9, 2020 Dear Friends, Today, the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce held a hearing on “Consumers Beware: Increased Risks During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” My questions centered around how technology is being used to help address COVID-19 issues. To this end, I recently introduced H.R. 6928, the Advancing 3D Printing Act. We have seen numerous innovative uses of 3D printing. The University of Miami is completing a project to 3D print 1,000 nasopharyngeal swabs... Read more

July 7, 2020 Dear Friends, This morning, I joined Mark Davis to discuss the latest with COVID-19 and what this fall might look like. National Updates The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the third combination diagnostic test that will help differentiate between flu and COVID-19 viruses in individuals, in order to help health care providers prepare for the upcoming flu season amidst the pandemic. The Department of Health and Human Services(HHS) and Depa... Read more

July 2, 2020 Dear Friends, This Independence Day weekend, as you relax and reflect, please take the proper precautions to protect your family and yourself from COVID-19. Social distancing, wearing a mask, and staying home if you are sick are little things that can make a big difference in slowing the spread. If you need access to a COVID-19 test, there are several locations across Texas. National Updates The Trump Administration reestablished the Ready Reserve Corps as part of the U.S. Public H... Read more

June 30, 2020 Dear Friends, Mental health has become an even more important public health issue as this coronavirus continues to impact our lives – one-third of Americans have felt that this pandemic has seriously affected their mental health. Today, the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health honored my request to hold a hearing on this important issue. This hearing examined 22 bills, including one that I introduced alongside Rep. Drew Ferguson addressing mental health in schools. Other top... Read more

June 26, 2020 Dear Friends, Today, Governor Abbott announced a temporary pause on reopening phases due to the increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Texas. Now more than ever it is important to continue to follow the preventative measures recommended by public health officials, such as frequent hand washing, maintaining a distance of at least six feet from others, regularly cleaning frequently touched surfaces, and covering your mouth and nose with a face covering, such as a cloth m... Read more

June 23, 2020 Dear Friends, Today, the full Energy and Commerce Committee had the opportunity to hear from agency heads about the Trump Administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although I was denied the opportunity to deliver an opening statement during today’s hearing by Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), I am grateful that the full committee finally convened for this important update. Having served in Congress for numerous outbreaks, I have seen how bureaucracy can hinder a response. W... Read more

On this day in 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed in Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended. Two and a half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, the official word of freedom reached African Americans in Texas. One hundred and fifty-five years later, it’s important to remember this day since it represents a time when America became “a more perfect union.” It is a part of our shared history. People of all races and ethnic background... Read more