Olson Flight Deck

From Congressman Pete Olson Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday and a happy new year! Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to review some of the highlights of what happened during the last couple of weeks of 2016 as we closed out the 114^th Congress. I look forward to a new year and new opportunities to bring your views to Washington. Important December House Action A WIIN for Water Infrastructure The Port of Houston has been ranked as one of the top in foreign tonnage and is the largest container port in the Gulf Coast. However Houston continues to grow which puts a strain on our citys water infrastructure. We need to improve our water infrastructure now to protect our economic stability. Thats why I was proud to vote for S. 612 the Water Infrastructure Improvements of the Nation Act or WIIN Act. This bill will provide critical resources to address the needs of our waterway infrastructure and other water resources infrastructure that directly affect the nation. This bill includes the previously passed Water Resources Development Act which authorizes needed projects under the purview of the Army Corps of Engineers that will help the Houston region address flood control projects. This bill passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 360-61 and the Senate 78-21 and became law on December 16^th. Bringing Veteran Care into the 21^st Century Our veterans have already given so much defending our country. As a former Navy pilot I want to ensure our veterans have quick and easy access to modern healthcare services. The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) currently requires patients to listen to an automated answering service when making an appointment. This is a tedious time-consuming and inefficient practice especially when many in the private sector have proven the success of self-scheduling technologies. Thats why I was proud to vote for H.R. 4352 the Fast Care for Veterans Act which allows patients to self-schedule appointments using 21^st century technology. This bill passed the House and Senate with unanimous support and was signed into law by the president on December 16^th. Improving Care for Veterans Some of the actions at the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) have left many of our brave veterans vulnerable to poor healthcare. While we have worked hard to improve conditions to give veterans the quality care they deserve more must be done. The VA like any other health care unit has a protocol for clinicians to report unethical behavior by fellow clinicians. However it can take up to 100 days for the VA to report an issue to the state licensing board. This is not a problem in the private sector. Thats why I was proud to vote for H.R. 5399 the Ethical Patient Care for Veterans Act of 2016 which will require VA clinicians to report directly to state licensing boards whenever they witness unacceptable behavior. This will bring accountability to the VA and ensure inappropriate clinicians will not slip through the cracks and continue to treat our veterans who have already sacrificed so much. This bill passed the House with unanimous support. Events Around TX-22  Pearland Office Relocation Providing critical constituent services is an important party of my job. My current Pearland office is moving to a new location. We recently completed a lease for a new location but are no longer operating out of the office on 6302 W. Broadway St. Suite 220. As a result there will be a temporary gap for residents of Brazoria County. Staff are available to assist with federal casework in our Sugar Land office either by phone or in person until the new Pearland office is up and running. Anyone needing assistance with a federal issue or agency please call 281-494-2690 or visit the Sugar Land office at 1650 Highway 6 Suite 150 if you need assistance in person. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause Brazoria County residents. Im honored to represent you in Congress. For more information on current legislation constituent services or to sign up for my E-newsletter please visit my website www.olson.house.gov.