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Dear Neighbor,
Our last scheduled week in Washington before the end of the year was very active. In total, 7 provisions I authored passed out of the House. There are more details about these important priorities below. However, I first want to explain my vote against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) . While the package contained an increase in pay for military families, there were other provisions included that made the package untenable. One of the most egregious concerns related to an extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). When FISA was first passed in 1978, it was designed as a national security tool to help thwart international terrorist plots. However, it has been abused in recent years by Democrats seeking to further their political vendetta against President Trump and to violate the privacy rights of American citizens. Unfortunately, a continuation of the FISA program without desperately needed reforms was placed in this year’s NDAA Conference Report. This, combined with continued allowance of DOD funds to be used to pay for abortion travel, sex reassignment surgeries, and divisive critical race theory ideologies, prevented me from voting for the NDAA package. Please continue reading to learn more about my work on your behalf last week.
Making Washington Work for You: I am proud that my bipartisan legislation passed the House of Representatives last week. I was truly humbled when my dear friend and colleague, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, suggested it be renamed after my brother who passed away this year after a long battle with Parkinson’s. Additionally, I amended the title of the bill to also include my colleague, Jennifer Wexler, who is courageously battling the rare neurodegenerative disease Progressive Supranuclear Palso (PSP) and whose help has been instrumental in garnering the support needed to pass this priority measure. I’m grateful to her and my co-author, Rep. Tonko, for their tireless efforts to get this bill across the finish line as quickly as possible. The time is now to provide hope for the Parkinson's community through this legislation. Click here to listen to me discuss how this bill will improve the lives of Americans living with this horrific disease.
Last week, I was also proud to vote in support of the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act which passed the House and contains two measures I co-authored: the Special Diabetes Program Reauthorization Act and the Providers and Payers Compete Act. Overall, this healthcare package will decrease the cost of prescription drugs, ensure continuity for critical components of our healthcare system, such as Community Health Centers and subsidies for hospitals that serve high numbers of indigent patients, and improve price transparency throughout the healthcare system.
Additionally, I’m proud that the House passed the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act last week, which includes a variety of provisions to improve mental health and substance abuse treatment options throughout the country, including four authored by me. The measures I authored (The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, The FIND Fentanyl Act, the SWIFT Detection Act, and the Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2023) are designed to improve public health outcomes, advance critical research, and ensure vulnerable children have access to mental health services. Visit my website to learn more about this important legislation.
Protecting Our Waterways: I’m also pressing federal officials to take swift action to investigate the cause of a likely fuel spill near Miller’s Bayou in Port Richey, mitigate any damage and identify possible remedies to prevent future recurrences. Click here to learn more about my actions.
Protecting Children and Consumers: This disturbing new report indicates that despite concerns about the impact of social media use on teens’ mental health, a third of teens polled say they are constantly using a social media app. The new data reinforces the need to adopt national privacy standard that provides enhanced safeguards to protect social media’s youngest users.
Also, as noted in this article, my bill to improve price transparency advanced through committee. I'll keep pushing for greater transparency to protect consumers!
Pushing Back Against Government Overreach: I was proud to vote in favor of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2023, which passed the House last week. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2023 will correct a misguided Biden Administration decision to restrict milk choice in school meals by giving schools the option to serve all types of milk, including whole and 2 percent. Specifically, this bipartisan legislation seeks to give school food service providers simplicity, flexibility, and choice in milk options so they can easily craft nutritious lunches students will enjoy.
Also, President Biden's de facto Electric Vehicle (EV) mandate, would only make American consumers more dependent on our foreign adversary, which is why my colleagues and I are fighting back to stop its implementation. Americans deserve choice in determining which automobile meets their needs.
Ensuring Accountability: Last week, I voted in support of H Res 918 to formalize the House impeachment proceedings by coordinating the work of multiple House Committees that have been investigating the Biden Family Corruption and Influence Peddling Schemes. They’ve uncovered clear evidence of wrongdoing by the President. As we work to ensure the transparency and accountability that Americans deserve, it is important the we build as strong of a case as possible. This action gets us one important step closer to that goal
Raising Awareness: The holidays can be a difficult time for many battling depression. If you are having difficulty please remember that you are not alone. If you, a friend, or a loved one is struggling, there is help available.
Also, as technology continues to advance, scammers are using more creative ways to take advantage of millions of unsuspecting Americans. It is important that we raise awareness and help protect those who are vulnerable.
Learning from You Here at Home: Thank you to everyone who joined me in my Hernando and Citrus offices for my Holiday Open Houses. My team and I enjoyed speaking with you about efforts to strengthen our community.
Celebrating Success: Congratulations to Florida’s District 12 Congressional App Competition Winner, Rohil Agarwal, from Land O’ Lakes High School’s IB Program in Pasco County. His submission, PhysiFun, was selected by an independent panel of judges within the field of Information Technology as the most innovative. The Congressional App Challenge’s mission is to inspire students to explore STEM, coding, and computer science. More than 11, 000 students throughout the country participated in this year’s competition. 
Community Connection
I am fortunate to have a team of dedicated staff who regularly attend events throughout our community, especially when I am required to be in Washington, DC. Through their collective efforts, I am better able to stay connected to the issues that matter most to my constituents. As part of my commitment to developing a better understanding of the issues facing constituents in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties members of my team attended several events last week. Here are a few highlights.
My team enjoyed celebrating the progress being made to ensure those seeking help for addiction have the support they need at this year's Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention annual brunch in Pasco County.
My team was eager to hear from local farmers about their needs at the recent Ag Alliance meeting in Citrus County.
Additionally, my team was inspired by stories of success at the graduation ceremony of Victory High School in Pasco County. These young people are courageously getting help for their addiction issues and are seeking to get on the right path to build a healthy and successful future. 
Constituent Corner
My office recently received this message from a constituent after my team helped him with his VA problem.
I simply wanted to follow up with you regarding the injustices I suffered in this case I filed inquiry for. Because of the assistance from this office, I am finally being awarded relief by the Army. Although it is 12 years too late, after years of outcry and help, I will take the small victory because I now have peace of mind and can pursue my education as I initially intended. It is unfortunate that I was honorably separated due to this circumstance, but at least now I have some closure instead of pure disdain for how I was treated. Please thank the congressman personally for me. Your office is directly responsible for the change in outcome and I am grateful for that.
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! |
