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Dear Neighbor,
I enjoyed the chance to spend another week here at home meeting with many constituents and attending events in the community to develop a better understanding of your priorities. Meanwhile, I continued my work on several legislative priorities that will address many of the problems that have been raised. Continue reading to learn more!
Making Washington Work For You
Taking a Stand: Last week, President Biden submitted a request to Congress for emergency funding which includes an additional $24 billion in funding for Ukraine. In the same request, Biden is seeking another $4 billion to address the crisis at the border that has resulted from his Administration’s irresponsible immigration policies. The President is seeking to use a portion of that $4 billion to combat fentanyl flowing into the United States. The combined ask to help with immigration and fentanyl is six times less than the amount the President is seeking to send to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Once again, President Biden’s America-last approach to governing is completely tone deaf and out-of-touch with the harsh economic realities facing American families. We cannot keep fueling inflation by spending money we don’t have to fund an endless war in Europe while ignoring national security threats here at home. There has been a complete and utter lack of transparency and accountability for the billions of American tax dollars, supplies and equipment that have already been sent to Ukraine. There is also no clear plan for establishing what constitutes a successful resolution to this conflict. As far as I’m concerned, the answer to the President’s most recent request is an emphatic and unwavering no!
Protecting Seniors: As noted in this article, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has implemented a variety of cuts to the reimbursement rates for Medicare providers. These cuts threaten to jeopardize seniors’ access to critical health care treatments. I will keep fighting to make sure all seniors have access to quality healthcare options.
Demanding Accountability: My colleagues and I are troubled by recent reports that Secretary Granholm, in her official capacity as Secretary of Energy, had multiple conversations with the Chinese Communist Party’s top energy official just days before the Biden administration announced it would release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in 2021. This is concerning given her mismanagement of the SPR, which has left our country more vulnerable to energy supply disruptions and strengthened the leverage of our adversaries to use energy as a geopolitical weapon. We are demanding answers. Click here to learn more about our efforts.
Unleashing Domestic Production: As discussed in this local news story, Floridians continue to feel pain at the pump, with gas prices reaching new highs. One reason for these spikes is the Biden Administration’s refusal to remove bureaucratic barriers and restore American energy independence by unleashing domestic production. I’ve supported efforts in Washington to force them to do so, including HR 1, which is still sitting in the Senate. My Senate colleagues' failure to act is hurting all Americans. I will continue pushing them and this Administration to do the right thing until my constituents get the relief they deserve.
Learning from You Here at Home: As mentioned in this article, I'm holding several Coffee with Your Congressman forums to meet with constituents throughout the month of August. Last week, I held several events in Hernando and Citrus counties. In these sessions, I provide an update on the work I'm doing in DC and get direct feedback about priorities my constituents want to see Congress tackle. Pictured below are a few of the events from last week that were held at Meadowcrest and Inverness in Citrus County and Glen Lakes in Hernando County. To learn details about a planned forum nearest you, please contact my office.
Last week, I also held my annual Nurses Roundtable to hear directly from frontline nurses from Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties about the challenges facing their profession and how Congress can help. Nurses are a vital part of our healthcare system and I appreciate their expertise and service to our community. The nurses I spoke with shared great ideas for how to recruit and retain nurses in response to the critical shortage we are facing throughout the state of Florida. I look forward to following up on their suggestions.
It was also great to speak to leaders from the Tunnel to Towers organization about the great work they are doing to help first responders and Gold Star families at their Do Good Village in Land O' Lakes. I was also eager to learn more about the work they are doing throughout the nation to help eradicate Veteran homelessness and I look forward to partnering with them in the future on these important initiatives.
Additionally, I had the opportunity to visit PT Solutions Physical Therapy in Trinity. We discussed the challenges they experience when providing high quality physical therapy care to patients in need. It is important to address these concerns as over 12 million adult Americans require physical therapy services for acute, chronic, or rehabilitative services annually. Also, an estimated 25% of all elderly Americans fall every year, requiring care which costs roughly $30 billion annually. We want to ensure they continue to have access to this critical care in order to prevent future falls.
Investing in Our Future: Last week, I had the chance to bring my friend and former NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom to Pasco County. He provided a free basketball workshop for local kids and spoke to them about the importance of protecting human rights around the globe. It was a great time for all who participated!
Also, just a reminder that students in Pasco and Citrus started school last Thursday and Hernando kids come back this week. Please use extra caution in school zones and allow extra time for your commute. Wishing all students and their teachers a wonderful school year! Also, be sure to stay tuned for upcoming opportunities for local high school students, such as the Congressional App Challenge, Academy Nominations and Congressional Art Competition.
Constituent Corner
I was pleased to read my constituent's Letter to the Editor in the Citrus Chronicle last week after my team helped with her license renewal. Excerpts from the letter are provided below.
...Recently, however, our renewal of a federal license to dispense controlled substance medications was submitted and the normal process of receiving it started to get awfully close to its expiration date. The excitement and fear you hope never comes started to creep closer. Phone calls to the agency started to be made only to be greeted with the opportunity to leave a voicemail and went unanswered. Emails were sent and a reply never came. The pending license’s expiration date arrived this week and we were at an impasse. So a phone call went out to Congressman Gus Bilirakis’s office and a pleasant-sounding aide was happy to take our information and follow-up on our behalf with this Federal regulatory agency. A couple more days went by. Our ability to provide patient care started to be hindered. And then came the proverbial knock on the door. A Federal agent stopped by the pharmacy to explain why our license had been delayed due to an oversight on the agency’s part. And an apology was offered. The matter would be resolved by the end of the day, the agent explained. Without mentioning a Congressional inquiry, I was secretly thankful. In-person apologies from Federal agents don’t happen by chance. In an era where many like to complain about our elected officials and many often besmirch their character, when dealing with a nameless, faceless bureaucracy I’m so thankful to be able to pick up a phone and call our congressman...
This is just one example of the work we do each day. Constituent services are a critical element of our congressional office. The federal government is a massive operation, and my office is available if you ever need assistance in navigating the bureaucracy or cutting through red tape. We are here to serve you!
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