Hello, Friends —
On Tuesday, I had the privilege of participating in a roundtable discussion led by Lieutenant General Tony Bauernfeind, Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, at Hurlburt Field. This gathering brought together more than 60 representatives from Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), in addition to elected officials and community leaders from Northwest Florida. We addressed critical issues, including the congestion on Highway 98 in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Counties, the shortage of affordable housing for both civilian and uniformed personnel at Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field, and the impact of these problems on the strategic military mission, local commerce, and quality of life.
For the first time in a generation, I was encouraged by their commitment to working together in addressing the problems associated with protecting Northwest Florida’s military mission while simultaneously trying to protect and promote our quality of life along the Emerald Coast. Everyone recognized the critical nature of protecting our bases, jobs, and the resources they bring. I think we now have the leadership in place across the board to solve some of these issues.
The congestion on Highway 98, originally designed for 30,000 vehicle trips per day but now experiencing an average of 50,000, is expected to worsen as the military mission in Florida’s First District becomes more prominent and our military footprint expands. Additionally, the region’s natural beauty, attracting tourists and new residents, further complicates these challenges. While this is great news for the western panhandle, the challenges discussed will only continue to worsen if not met head-on with strong public and private cooperation across all facets of our community.
The lack of affordable housing, exacerbated by increases in military and tourist populations, results in greater congestion and extended commute times. This affects not only those commuting to the bases but also those in the surrounding communities who support our bases and tourism sector. We discussed various housing solutions with a goal of bringing our warfighters closer to their assigned place of duty in hopes of alleviating stress on the road system. Everything was on the table, from creative ways of utilizing the number of Enhanced Use Leases controlled by Eglin AFB, to encouraging more public-private partnerships for well-planned growth and development, to even influencing or amending the model the military uses for housing its troops.
This newfound cooperation, fueled by the capable leaders driving it across our institutions, presents a unique opportunity to finally bring our infrastructure ahead to support us well into the future. With the right leaders now in place, I am confident we can collaboratively make the necessary improvements for the betterment of Northwest Florida.
Read my press release here.
REP. GAETZ SPEAKS AT CPAC
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On Friday, I spoke at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) about how I've made Washington a living hell for some members of Congress and how many of the many of them are retiring now.
I don’t give a rip if they boo me and hate me in their corrupt little souls, but the America First movement is something that the uniparty cannot kill. MAGA is getting stronger every day. I’m strongest with you in my corner, and I will never stop fighting for you!
REP. GAETZ JOINS THE WAR ROOM LIVE AT CPAC 2024!
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On Friday, I joined “War Room with Steve Bannon” on Real America’s Voice live from CPAC 2024 to discuss how a lot of folks have become deeply uncomfortable with the Washington that I’m trying to recreate.
I want a Washington where members of Congress get called out if they’re enriching themselves by trading individual stocks, own the votes they take, and stand with We The People. I wish I spent all my days just fighting the Democrats, but if Republicans are going to act like Democrats in drag, I will lead the fight against them too!
FIREBRAND EP. 154: HUNTING HUNTER (FEAT. CLINT LANCASTER)
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On Thursday’s episode of Firebrand, I was joined by attorney Clint Lancaster. He spoke about the crazy experience he had representing Hunter Biden’s ex-girlfriend in a battle over child support and the election-integrity efforts going on in Wisconsin.
Personnel is policy when it comes to election integrity. That’s why Clint Lancaster and others are accusing Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly Robin Vos of self-dealing and standing in the way of good policy.
THE BIDEN BRIBERY SCHEME RUNS DEEP!
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On Thursday, I joined “CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip” on CNN to discuss the arrest of former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov and what it means for the impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden. We need to get more transparency from the Department of Justice (DOJ) than they’ve been willing to give us to date. I think the Biden impeachment inquiry will have to rely on deciphering which arm of the DOJ was accurately assessing the travel records of Alexander Smirnov.
I also shared my thoughts about the recent Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling on in-vitro fertilization (IVF). I believe that the Alabama lawmakers should change the law to protect IVF because people who want to have a family should have the government and law on their side.
AROUND THE DISTRICT
REP. GAETZ CONGRATULATES AMERICAN MAGIC MAKING PENSACOLA NEW HOME
Ginger and I were excited to hear that American Magic will be calling Pensacola home for the next ten years after the members of the Pensacola City Council approved the lease Thursday night.
In the agreement, American Magic will pay $291,200 annually, with an option to renew for an additional ten years. Not only will this bring at least 120 new jobs to the area when the team’s headquarters is relocated here, but it will also help businesses in the area. If the team wins the America’s Cup, they have agreed to host an international regatta or America’s Cup in Pensacola. In addition, the team agreed to hosting two international or national events per year on Pensacola Bay and an open house for the community.
TEAM GAETZ VISITS EGLIN SITE C-6
On Thursday, my Director of Military Affairs and District Aide, visited Eglin Site C-6 to meet with leaders of the 20th Space Surveillance Squadron, 96th Test Wing, and local utility providers from Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative to discuss the importance, redundancy, and resilience of our space radar systems on Eglin Air Force Base. It was a productive meeting that will greatly inform my efforts to increase and reinforce investment in our national defense across all domains.
TEAM GAETZ ATTENDS EMERALD COAST MILITARY AFFAIRS COUNCIL SOCIAL
On Thursday, my Director of Military Affairs attended the Emerald Coast Military Affairs Council (ECMAC) Social at the HSU Educational Foundation’s Innovation Institute in Fort Walton Beach.
The ECMAC is an organization committed to supporting the warfighter and military mission in Northwest Florida. Their guest speaker was Lieutenant Colonel Jamie Clark, Commander, 4th Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), who spoke about the heritage, structure, and mission of our Green Berets of 7th Group. Thank you to Lieutenant General Fister (USAF, RET) and ECMAC for the invitation, Dr. Paul Hsu and HSU Foundation for hosting, and Lieutenant Colonel Clark for sharing your thoughts and experience!
TEAM GAETZ ATTENDS CHANGE OF COMMAND FOR 1ST SPECIAL OPERATIONS WING
On Friday, my Director of Military Affairs and District Director were in attendance for the 1st Special Operations Wing (1SOW) Change of Command, where Colonel Allison “Angel of Death” Black turned over command of 1SOW to Colonel Patrick “P-Diddy” Dierig. Colonel Dierig comes to us from the 479th Flying Training Group at Pensacola and will be taking the helm of not only 1SOW but, in turn, installation command of Hurlburt Field, the home of Air Force Special Operations Command. Best of luck, Colonel!
NEXT WEEK: REPS. GAETZ & DUNN TO HOLD MOBILE OFFICE HOURS IN WALTON COUNTY
On Wednesday, February 28th, my office will be hosting mobile office hours from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CT in Walton County, Florida, with the office of Rep. Neal Dunn. The purpose of this event is to better inform constituents on how we can assist them with issues involving federal agencies, such as the IRS, VA, USCIS, passports, and SBA.
These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to my district office a more convenient way to receive casework assistance.
GAETZ IN THE NEWS
Western Journal — February 21, 2024
Matt Gaetz Reaches Out to FBI After Spotting ‘Alarming’ Scene Outside Local Office
“Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida tagged the FBI in a short video clip on social media Wednesday morning and asked the bureau if everyone was safe at one of its offices in his district. The video showed four vehicles in a parking lot — two of which were pickup trucks that were both badly damaged in the front.”
Tampa Free Press — February 22, 2024
Florida Rep. Gaetz Blasts Biden’s Open Border After Illegal Alien, Wanted By ICE, Kills Motorcyclist
“President Joe Biden’s open-border policy claimed another American’s life this week, this time in northwest Florida. That prompted Rep. Matt Gaetz to demand that Congress take action to hold Biden accountable and that the government jump-start ‘the largest arrest and deportation operation the world has ever seen’ once former President Donald Trump is elected in November.”
Fox News — February 22, 2024
James Biden ‘contradicted’ himself during testimony on brother’s involvement in family business: GOP lawmakers
“Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., speaking to reporters after the interview said it was ‘interesting’ and that Biden had ‘contradicted himself.’ That conclusion was shared by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who told reporters: ‘Let me say this. So there are a lot of things that Mr. Biden is saying that are directly contradicted by documents.’”
WHAT WE’RE READING
New York Post — February 21, 2024
Non-citizen Chinese immigrant is sworn in on San Francisco’s Election Commission
Washington Examiner — February 23, 2024
Nathan Wade visited Fani Willis dozens of times before they claimed affair began: Cellphone data
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