The Latest From Washington

I issued the following statements regarding my recent meeting with members of the German Bundestag; federal efforts to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus; speaking on the floor on H.R. 2339, the Protecting American Lungs and Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act; and a preview of next week.


Congressman Flores Travels to Germany to Meet with Colleagues in Parliament

Last week, I was in Germany as part of an inter-parliamentary exchange with Members of their Parliament to discuss US--European relations, NATO, cyber security, Brexit, and international trade.  While we found common agreement on many issues, we did have to stress to our German counterparts the international security threats of allowing Chinese telecommunications equipment in their 5G networks.

We will continue these discussions with Germany and our other international allies in the future to expand upon the security and intelligence issues associated with communist Chinese controlled companies like Huawei and ZTE.


U.S. Well-Positioned Against Coronavirus Threat

This week, President Trump announced that Vice President Pence will lead the federal government’s response to the spread of Coronavirus.  All Texans should know that Congress and the Trump Administration take the safety of all US citizens very seriously.

Our nation has the best capabilities in the world to address all threats posed by the Coronavirus.  As we learn more about these threats, we will continue working over the coming weeks to halt the spread of the disease and to work on developing treatments and vaccines.

President Trump has requested an initial $2.5 billion in emergency funding to defend our country against the Coronavirus.   

As health officials better understand the disease, they will be able to properly assess what resources are needed. At that time, Congress must stand ready to act in bipartisan fashion with President Trump to project confidence and unity to the American people.  This is not a time for political gamesmanship, rather, it is a time for all sides to find common ground.


Floor Speech on H.R. 2339, the Protecting American Lungs and Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act

Today I spoke on the floor in opposition to H.R. 2339, the Protecting American Lungs and Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act.  If flavored tobacco products are banned, we will only push ex-smokers back to traditional cigarettes.  Democrats should keep working with Republicans to improve efforts to reduce youth smoking, instead of this partisan legislation.

Click on the image above to view Congressman Flores’ remarks


Preview of This Week

This week we will discuss Nancy Pelosi’s flawed attempt to address youth vaping and the potential reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).