Combating Illicit Xylazine and Increasing Transparency for Health Premiums

Texas is Ready to Meet the Moment for Rural Health Care

I was proud to see two pieces of my legislation advance through the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health this week. The first piece of legislation, the Premium Transparency Act, requires health insurers and Medicare Advantage plans to publicly disclose exactly what share of every premium dollar goes to patient care versus overhead and profit. This bill also directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to standardize how insurers communicate benefits and cost-sharing, giving consumers the ability to make true comparisons between plans. Read more about each piece of legislation here.

The second piece of legislation, the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, would crack down on the deadly fentanyl additive xylazine by listing it as a Schedule III controlled substance while protecting the drug's legal use by veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers. Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is an easily accessible veterinary tranquilizer that is being used as a low-cost cutting agent for fentanyl. Read an op-ed I penned in The Hill last year on the need for Congressional action on xylazine here.

Texas is Ready to Meet the Moment for Rural Health Care
Rural Texans have always taken care of their neighbors; they deserve a health care system and a Congress that does the same. Much-needed federal investment is already flowing to rural health care across the country thanks to the Rural Health Transformation Program, a $50 billion investment established under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

For Texas, that investment means $1.4 billion over five years, the largest and most momentous investment in rural health care in a generation. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I have been working to make sure rural America has access to the care it needs. I penned an op-ed in the Washington Times detailing my work in Congress to close the gap in care and how Texas is ready to meet this once-in-a-generation moment. Read the full piece here.

5,000 Cases Closed and $20.3 Million Returned to Texas-11
I am incredibly proud to announce that my office has closed over 5,000 cases, resulting in $20.3 million being returned to constituents of Texas-11.

Every day, my dedicated district staff work to help constituents obtain the federal benefits and services they have earned. With six full-time district offices throughout Texas' 11th Congressional District, our team assists with everything from recovering lost Social Security checks to restoring veterans' benefits and resolving issues with federal agencies. Their work has a direct and meaningful impact on the lives of those we have the honor of serving. 

It is a privilege to work on your behalf, advancing the policy priorities of our district and helping to secure relief. If you ever need assistance with a federal agency, please don't hesitate to call my office. You can also visit our website at pfluger.house.gov.
Refocusing DHS's Office of Intelligence and Analysis
As Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, I have been leading efforts to refocus DHS's Office of Intelligence and Analysis on its core mission. That's why I introduced the I&A Mission Reorientation Act to update I&A’s statutory responsibilities by clearly defining its focus, reinforcing accountability, and improving operational effectiveness. It was advanced out of the Committee on Homeland Security by a bipartisan vote this week, and awaits a vote by the full U.S. House.

The legislation would strengthen information sharing with state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) partners. The threats to our homeland are evolving, and our intelligence posture must keep pace. Watch my full remarks in support of the legislation here.