Come and Read It Report
Dear Friends,
Last week in Washington was a busy one. Fighting for a simpler and fairer financial system continues to be a top priority on my legislative agenda, and I will not stop until we have true tax reform. As I've said before, the Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2018 was the gateway to tax reform, and the House did its job - we are now waiting on our Senate counterparts to do the same so we can get this ball rolling.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Update
Last week, we voted on H.R. 2266, the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act. I am disappointed that Congress chose to bail out the NFIP on the backs of the American taxpayers. Meaningful reforms to the NFIP were marked up, and passed out of the Financial Services Committee this past June. Those pieces of legislation, some of which were passed with bipartisan support, have yet to be considered on the House floor. The NFIP urgently needs an overhaul, and until the House passes legislation that reforms this fractured program, I cannot support a $16 billion bailout that further kicks this problem to the future. I encourage House Leadership to take up the NFIP reforms passed out of the Committee, and to consider each natural disaster individually, based upon their specific needs.
Healthcare Update
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week that would make it easier to gain insurance through association health plans. While I am not in favor of executive orders, this was a direct result of Congress being unable to do its job. The American people sent us up here to protect and fight for them and so far, we have proven unsuccessful when it comes to meaningful healthcare reforms. Obamacare has been failing for years, and we need to get back to work by repealing it as quickly as possible.
Legislative Update
Last week: In addition to voting on 10 pieces of legislation, I co-sponsored three pieces of legislation: H.R. 3898, H.R. 785, and H.R. 1865.
The House Committee on Financial Services held a full committee mark up last week, where we passed all 22 bills that will now head to the House floor. Of those 22 bills, I am a co-sponsor of eight of them: H.R. 3898, H.R. 3971, H.R. 4061, H.R. 1116, H.R. 1699, H.R. 2706, H.R. 3312, and H.R. 3857.
I have included some articles and releases you may find interesting located on the right side of this newsletter. It is an honor and privilege to represent the people of Texas' 25th Congressional District and as always, please reach out to me with any issues and concerns that are important to you.
Sincerely,
Roger Williams
Member of Congress