The Hill Report: Week of July 9 - July 13, 2018
At a time when our nation faces threats posed by new and rapidly advancing adversaries from all corners of the world, it is critical that our Intelligence Community (IC) is prepared to swiftly combat these bad actors. To do this, we in Congress must ensure the 17 IC agencies and organizations tasked with defending our nation have the proper funding for their proven programs and initiatives. I am glad to inform you that this week the House passed H.R. 6237 The Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act that provides support to critical national security programs, specifically those focused on combating cyberattacks, and threats posed by near-peer adversaries, like China.
Additionally, we saw another important step taken towards ensuring our communities have access to the water resources they need to continue to thrive and grow. This week, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced the North Texas Water Supply Security Act in the Senate to ensure the Lower Bois d’Arc Creek Reservoir is completed in a timely manner. Congressmen Johnson, Ratcliffe, Hensarling, and I introduced the companion legislation in the House and have worked tirelessly to see this project through to the end.
Meetings in the District
Wind Tunnel Inauguration Ceremony
On Monday, I was delighted to join my friends at the University of Texas at Dallas for the Inauguration Ceremony of their new wind tunnel, the Boundary Layer and Subsonic Tunnel (BLAST). This newest addition to UTD’s campus allows for wind to be studied and measured in regards to speed, turbulence, lift and forces on bodies invested by the wind. The BLAST tunnel will allow UTD to strategically partner with experts from around the world, including aircraft manufacturers testing how wind affects aircraft and spacecraft using scaled models, electronic engineers observing how airflow affects heat buildup in components, wind engineers testing buildings, bridges and urban areas, and many others. I applaud the men and women of UTD for continually striving to ensure that the University of Texas at Dallas remains one of the premier institutions of higher learning in the country, and giving North Texans the opportunity for a world class education right here at home.
Congressman Sessions with Richardson City Council Member Scott Dunn, State Representative Linda Koop, Mario Rotea, Senator Van Taylor, and Richardson Mayor Paul Voelker
Meetings in Washington
JDRF
This week, my staff met with representatives of JDRF, formerly called the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, including Elizabeth Roosevelt, who is also interning with my office in DC this summer. Since their founding, JDRF has raised or directed nearly $5 billion to research a cure to help the Type 1 Diabetes community. As an advocate of the medical community, I have always supported policies to help find cures for diseases. I also consistently meet with NIH, HHS, and FDA to ensure my colleagues and I find solutions to issues impacting our nation’s health.
Congressman Sessions with our DC Summer Intern Elizabeth Roosevelt of Dallas, TX.
Korean Society of Dallas
On Tuesday, I met with Texans representing the 2018 Korean American Grassroots Conference to discuss the critical alliance shared by the United States and South Korea. As one of our closest friends, and an important defense and economic partner, the strength of the friendship between the United States and South Korea was forged under fire and toughened by more than six decades of facing down mutual security threats. Today, the United States and South Korea cooperate on a range of areas including defense, global economic policy, nuclear cooperation, energy security, and cybersecurity. Ultimately, I was proud to welcome these Korean American leaders and young people to discuss this important alliance and how Korean Americans can engage to further support our two countries.
Congressman Sessions meeting with fellow Texans visiting D.C. for the Korean American Grassroots Conference.
Meeting with Texas A&M Student from Garland, TX
On Thursday, I was honored to meet with Victor Ibarra Jr. from Garland, Texas who is a Nuclear Engineering major at Texas A&M University. Victor came to Washington to advocate with fellow Nuclear Engineer students as a part of the 2018 Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation on issues relating to STEM education. It was a pleasure discussing the importance of STEM with him and he is an incredibly bright young man that I am proud to represent in my District.
Congressman Sessions meeting with Victor Ibarra Jr. from Garland, Texas.
