Rep. Sylvia Garcia Leads Members of the Texas Democratic Congressional Delegation in Letter Urging Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Neal to Pass Permanent Reforms to Unemployment Insurance System.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29) led Texas Democratic representatives in a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal urging the leaders to promote employment and ways to help families in any upcoming budget reconciliation legislation by including permanent reforms to our unemployment insurance (UI) system.

Access the letter here.

At midnight on Saturday, June 26th, all federal pandemic assistance for unemployed workers in Texas was prematurely cut off.

"This move comes despite the fact that our State's unemployment rate is still nearly double its pre-pandemic level and is also higher than roughly two-thirds of the other states," wrote the Members in the July 9 letter. "This UI termination decision by Texas Republican state officials will inflict hardships on Texans struggling to regain employment. Our concern is also magnified by the lack of access Texans have to regular unemployment benefits."

In the letter, Congresswoman Garcia and the Members expressed their strong support for a permanent reform to fix the UI system -- with basic federal standards that every state must meet on coverage, benefit adequacy, and duration. This permanent reform through legislation will be designed to help millions of families and create jobs.

"Workers of color and women are especially hurt by the major gaps in UI coverage, including barriers to low-wage and part-time workers, as well as those needing to leave work for compelling family reasons," said the Members in the letter. "In Texas, nearly 60 percent of those losing unemployment benefits because of the Governor's termination of the federal programs are workers of color."

The letter was led by Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29) and co-signed by Reps. Al Green (TX-09), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Marc Veasy (TX-33), Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Filemon Vela (TX-34), and Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18).

A PDF copy of the letter is available here.

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Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018, becoming the first Latina ever to represent Texas 29th Congressional district.