The Hill Report: Week of April 20-24, 2015

Statement

As technology becomes increasingly important in our day to day lives, cyber espionage poses a serious threat to our government and businesses across the nation. That is why this week the House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation that would implement effective solutions to defend and safeguard America's vital digital networks from cyber-attacks. I was pleased to support H.R. 1560, the Protecting Cyber Networks Act, and H.R. 1731, the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015 to allow businesses to voluntarily share information with the federal government in a timely, transparent and efficient manner, all while protecting the privacy and civil liberties of those involved.

Fighting against the Administration's onerous regulations

During my last District Work Period I sat down with members of the Dallas Builders Association to discuss important issues facing the North Texas building community. During our conversation they relayed their frustrations and concerns over the President's new EPA regulations that he issued through yet another executive order. This new power grab would substantially increase what constitutes a floodplain, causing many communities to be ineligible for many federal programs. This would have a severe negative economic impact on Texas communities and cause a dramatic increase in the cost of construction.

After learning more about the serious threat that these new regulations pose to construction and homebuilding projects across the state of Texas, I joined 54 of my colleagues in the House of Representatives in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to explain the Administration's decision making process in proposing these new guidelines and the legality of this executive order. In addition to writing to the President, I also sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to encourage them to extend the public comment period for stakeholders, constituents, state and local officials, and Congress so these interested parties can have meaningful input regarding this harmful proposal.

As the proud representative of the 32nd Congressional District of Texas, I am committed to ensuring North Texans' voices are heard and considered as we fight the administration on this important issue.

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