The House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting heard repeated testimony that Texas’ 18th Congressional District — which had no sitting member after the death of the late congressman — has gone without a representative at a time of pressing needs.

Multiple witnesses said the vacancy and a delayed special election have real consequences. Christian Menifee, a Houston resident, said the Eighteenth is ‘‘home to cancer clusters, food deserts and multiple concrete batch plants’’ and that residents have suffered from environmental and health harms that need a congressional office actively engaged with federal agencies. "When there are votes on the floor, nobody's there to vote for our district," Menifee said.

Congressman Al Green, whose testimony followed, told the committee that the Eighteenth has repeatedly mattered on votes in Washington and that absence of a voting member "matters” for local casework, disaster funds and legislative outcomes. Several witnesses described continuing needs from last year’s Hurricane/Broad storm response and recent flooding in the Hill Country and said local volunteers and nonprofits have filled gaps while congressional-level advocacy was missing.

Why it matters: Witnesses and several members argued that constituents in an unrepresented district lose urgent advocacy — for FEMA appeals, VA casework, and other federal assistance — and that losing a local congressional advocate during disasters or cuts to federal programs concentrates harm on vulnerable communities.

What witnesses asked for: Several speakers asked the governor and legislative leaders to speed a special election and for the committee to avoid mid‑decade map changes that could prolong the period during which CD 18 lacks a locally accountable representative. Witnesses also urged better communication about local federal‑aid requests and asked the committee to publish maps before further hearings so constituents can assess direct impacts.

Ending: Testimony on CD 18 tied a local policy question (how to serve residents during recovery) to the larger debate over whether mid‑decade maps should be drawn; advocates said redistricting should not come at the expense of constituent services.