Congressman Michael T. McCaul
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. Im sure all of you like me were saddened to hear
the news about former First Lady Barbara Bush and her failing health. Mrs. Bush has always been a woman of incredible faith strength and class. I am praying that she is comfortable during this time and surrounded by her family friends and loved ones.
Friendly reminder: tomorrow is Tax Day. This will be the last time you have to fill out your taxes using the
outdated and
overly complicated old tax code. Last year Congress passed landmark tax reform legislation to not only to lower tax rates but also to make filing your taxes a simpler process. Next tax season you will be able to file using the new tax code!
Below are some of the highlights from last week in Washington D.C.:
Tour of ICEs (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Cyber Crimes Center
I toured ICEs Cyber Crimes Center (C3) and received a briefing from Acting Director Thomas Homan on their latest efforts. C3 is comprised of the Cyber Crimes the Child Exploitation Investigations and the Computer Forensics Units. This state-of-the-art center offers cyber-crime support and training to federal state local and international law enforcement agencies.
Their Child Exploitation Investigations Unit (CEIU) uses phenomenal investigative tools to oversee various ongoing programs and operations that fight against the sexual exploitation of our children. One successful case I examined while there was one in which investigators were able to identify and save a victim of sexual exploitation through technical and investigative capabilities in Houston TX. Thank you to these officers for their great work.
Along with the
Departments Blue Campaign we are working to end human trafficking.
Keeping Attention on Hurricane Harvey
When the waters were rising everyone was paying attention but now that they have receded we must not forget those still hurting. It is crucial we stay focused on the needs of our communities which do not end when the national media attention fades.
That is why earlier this month I hosted a hearing on this topic at home where Hurricane Harvey hit. Officials on the federal state and local levels met at the Berry Center in Cypress a building that was integral to the response efforts to discuss lessons learned and our path forward for preventing future disasters.
You can click
here to read the rest of my op-ed in the Houston Chronicle.
Airstrikes Against Syria
Last week before President Trump authorized airstrikes in Syria I wrote an
op-ed for Fox News about the importance of working with our international partners to send a swift response to the use of chemical weapons on innocent women and children.
If it is confirmed that the Assad regime was behind the latest chemical attack the United States the U.K France and other allies need to work together and carry out a bold and swift response. The civilized world cannot allow these heinous attacks to go unanswered.
When President Obama drew his red line in the sand after a chemical attack in 2013 he chose to turn his back and walk away from it.
You can click
here to read the rest of my op-ed on Fox News.com.
Friday evening President Trump announced his decision to authorize precision strikes against Syria. The most recent chemical attack in Syria was a barbaric slaughter that took the lives of innocent civilians including women and children. The civilized world needed to act and I commend President Trump for leading this bold response. The airstrikes carried out by the United States and our allies - France and the U.K - demonstrate to dictators everywhere that the use of weapons of mass destruction will not be tolerated.
You can click
here to read my full statement on the airstrikes against Syria.
Countering Chinas International Development
During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on financing overseas development I questioned Ray Washburne the President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). I was interested in hearing what the strategy is for competing against China in international development and countering their emerging growth in countries like those in South America and Africa.
You can click
here to watch me question Mr. Washburne.
April Terror Threat Snapshot
I released this months Terror Threat Snapshot as part of my continuing effort to highlight the growing threat America the West and the world face from ISIS and other Islamist terrorists.
One important aspect of this months snapshot is that as the Iraqi government continues to regain control of territory the focus shifts from defeating ISIS on the field of battle to processing captured fighters. Currently over 19000 individuals with ISIS or terror-related connections are being held. The government has sentenced over 3000 of them to death. This includes not only enemy combatants but also foreign wives of terrorists which are estimated to number around 560.
You can click
here to view the full report.
Legislative Update
Last week the House voted on a number of bills. Below are a few to highlight:
- H.R. 2219 the End Banking for Human Traffickers Act of 2017. This bill amends the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 to add the Secretary of the Treasury as a member of the Presidents Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking. The task force must submit to Congress recommendations for the revision of anti-money laundering programs to specifically target money laundering related to human trafficking.
- H.R. 4790 the Volcker Rule Regulatory Harmonization Act. This bill amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 to exempt from the Volcker Rule banks with assets of $10 billion or less.
This week the House is in session and will be voting on a number of important pieces of legislation. Below are a few:
- H.R. 2905 the Justice for Victims of IRS Scams and Identity Theft Act of 2018. This bill will require the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury to report to Congress on efforts to combat identity theft including by persons purporting to be acting on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service.
- H.R. 5192 the Protecting Children from Identity Theft Act. This bill attempts to reduce synthetic ID fraud by requiring the Social Security Administration (SSA) to match the name Social Security number (SSN) and date of birth submitted by permitted entities against the SSAs records.
- H.R. 5444 the Taxpayer First Act. This bill makes numerous changes to reorganize the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in an attempt to focus the agencies efforts more on taxpayer service.
- H.R. 5445 the 21st Century IRS Act. This bill improves cybersecurity and taxpayer identity protection and modernizes the information technology at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
I encourage you to visit my website
www.mccaul.house.gov for more information on constituent services and legislative updates. Also follow me on
Facebook TwitterInstagram and
YouTube to get the latest updates on my work in Washington and the 10th District of Texas. It continues to be a great honor to represent you in the United States House of Representatives.
