| Babin: When times get tough, we pull together and get to work |
A month ago, Hurricane Harvey began wreaking havoc on Southeast Texas, dumping record amounts of rainfall across our region, upending the lives of thousands of families, businesses, and communities. Across our congressional district, we saw anywhere between 20 and 50 inches of rain, setting a new record. In fact, unofficially, ranchers in Liberty County measured over 60 inches of rain. The impact was devastating and widespread. But in the midst of this devastation, there were, and still continue to be, incredible stories of goodness.
In Orange, a young couple canceled their wedding to help their friends and neighbors clean up and begin the process of rebuilding. In Cleveland, a constable organized a flotilla of boats to deliver shelter and supplies. In Deer Park, church members sprang into action immediately and began cooking and sharing meals with evacuees from Houston. In Silsbee, a church opened a community shelter after the county's only other shelter was cut off by floodwaters. In Rose City, a neighbor rescued nearly everyone in his entire neighborhood on his airboat, even as his own home was flooded.
This has happened all across the Texas Gulf Coast, and the stories go on and on: neighbors helping neighbors, communities helping communities, strangers helping strangers. But that is what we do in East Texas. When times get tough, we pull together and we get to work. No one waits around to be told what to do. We are people of action, and we act when we see a need. And, quite frankly, this is what makes East Texas so special. Our communities are strong. And through our faith in God, we take care of one another in times of need regardless of our own means. It is our shared value for our fellow man that makes the difference.
In that same East Texas spirit, our office has been doing everything possible that we can do to help. From the very start, we have been working overtime to help people get back on their feet. We are blessed with a professional and dedicated staff that is second to none. And despite some of our own staff being flooded themselves, we have worked tirelessly to help our East Texas neighbors and friends get the information and resources they need to recover and build. This will be a long road to our recovery, but together, we will recover, and we will rebuild and come back stronger than ever.
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Congress Passes Bill to Deliver Immediate Tax Relief to Hurricane Victims
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This week, I was proud to support the Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017 (H.R. 3823), which provides tax relief to individuals impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. In Southeast Texas, countless individuals and families lost nearly everything to Harvey’s floodwaters. This bipartisan legislation gives them further assistance to rebuild their lives through immediate tax relief while sending another important message that we stand together with our fellow Americans through this extremely difficult time.
Babin: It's time we simplfy and cut taxes for all Americans
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This week, President Trump and Republicans in Congress unveiled the Unified Framework for Fixing Our Broken Tax Code. This framework marks an important first step in delivering pro-growth tax reform and relief to the American people. Having grown to over 70,000 pages long, the current tax code is too costly, complex and burdensome. It is time we simplify our broken tax code and allow Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money.
This framework provides an important path forward that will lead to bigger paychecks, more jobs and greater economic freedom for middle class Americans. I look forward to working with my colleagues in achieving this historic opportunity to create a fairer, simpler, less burdensome tax code for the American people.
A few important highlights from the framework include:
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- Enabling taxpayers to file taxes on a postcard
- Doubling the standard deduction so families keep more of their paychecks
- Consolidating seven tax brackets to three and closing loopholes
- Increasing the child tax credit and eliminating the death tax
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| Recovery Resources |
HOUSING OPTIONS
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) has launched www.TexasRebuilds.com to provide information on housing options available for flood victims. The website includes instructions on applying for short-term and long-term possibilities. Eligibility is determined based on information provided through registration with FEMA, as well as certain housing needs. Residents who qualify for this assistance will work directly with their local officials.
CLEANUP HELP
If you need help cleaning up your flood-damaged home, call the Cleanup Assistance Hotline at (844) 965-1386. This service will connect Texas flood victims with volunteer groups who help muck-and-gut damaged homes.
RED CROSS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Red Cross will provide $400 to qualified Texas households that were severely impacted by Harvey and need help taking care of emergency needs right now. You can apply at www.redcross.org/HHIA. Registration will remain open through October 10.
DISASTER DISTRESS HOTLINE
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
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| Snapshots from Texas 36 |
Stopped by the Disaster Recovery Center in Pasadena to meet with victims and thank staff and volunteers. In its first two days alone, the disaster center saw over 4,000 visitors/applicants.
Over 500 people attended our town hall meeting in Orange last week -- showing that there is still a big need for help and answers. |
| October 15th Deadline Approaching for Service Academy Nominations |
| All completed service academy application packets must be returned to the Woodville Office (100 W. Bluff Drive. Woodville, TX) by Wed., Oct.15, 2017. The Academy Nominations Committee will review all packets and then conduct individual interviews in November. Applicants will be contacted well in advance with the location and time for their interview. For more information, click here. |
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