Hello, Friends —
This week, the full House of Representatives considered the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed out of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) three weeks ago. I proudly voted YES on this legislation as it includes a 19.5 percent pay raise for junior enlisted service members and much-needed investments in child care for military families. This bill also contains numerous important provisions for the military communities of Northwest Florida, including $240 million in funding, $191 million of which is specifically for military construction—the largest amount secured by any member.
Prior to the floor consideration of the NDAA, I filed an amendment to require the Department of Defense to reinstate and provide backpay to U.S. service members discharged from the military for failing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Despite my efforts to obtain a waiver from the Rules Committee to allow the amendment to be made in order, the waiver was blocked, preventing me from bringing it to a vote.
However, I was able to offer my second amendment to prohibit the transfer of cluster munitions to other countries. Unfortunately, the amendment failed on a 134-286 vote.
I am pleased the wins for Northwest Florida military mission remain in the House-passed NDAA. These include $98.5 million for the Advanced Helicopter Training System Hangar at NAS Whiting Field for TH-73 helicopters used by the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard to train pilots and $42 million to maximize the testing capability of the Eastern Gulf Test & Training Range (EGTTR) and address gaps in funding. Additionally, I secured a provision directing the Secretary of the Navy to implement a plan for repair or replacement of Hanger 3260B on NAS Pensacola that suffered damage by Hurricane Sally. Moreover, the bill maintains my amendment adopted in the HASC markup to get the EGTTR fully operational again for hypersonic missile testing in the nearly 120,000 square miles of overwater airspace.
By passing this year’s NDAA in the House, Congress reinforces our commitment to refocusing our military on its mission of ensuring a stronger and safer nation. The House now waits for the Senate to pass its version of the NDAA. Once it does, members from both the House and Senate will have to work on a final version of the NDAA in a conference committee before it heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law. As we move forward, I will remain committed to advocating for Northwest Florida’s dedicated service men and women.
To watch me speak in favor of the FY 2025 NDAA on the floor of the House of Representatives, click here. Additionally, to watch me speak on my amendment that would have banned the transfer of all cluster munitions, click here.
To read my press release detailing additional information on provisions I secured in the NDAA, click here.
REP. GAETZ AND SENATOR VANCE PROBE STATE DEPARTMENT’S INVOLVEMENT IN UKRAINE ‘ENEMIES LIST’
On Wednesday, I sent a letter with Senator J.D. Vance to Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanding answers about an “enemies list” published by a State Department-linked Ukrainian NGO including the names of numerous U.S. elected officials.
The Ukrainian corporation in question, Texty.org.ua, published an online article earlier this month entitled “Rollercoaster: From Trumpists to Communists. The forces in the U.S. impeding aid to Ukraine and how they do it.” The title of this article oversells the product. It is a substantively thin piece, largely an excuse to smear a large group of Americans who have been skeptical of aid to Ukraine in one form or another. But it is being broadcast as a part of a coordinated media strategy that has all the hallmarks of a U.S.-targeting influence operation. The piece includes 116 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 21 senators who did not support the bill for aid to Ukraine in April of 2024. All of these elected officials are members of the Republican Party.
If this were merely some random news outlet in a foreign nation, such a hit piece would be easily ignored, but the founder of the group itself, Anatoly Bondarenko, is listed on a U.S. government website as supported by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs! Needless to say, whatever one thinks of American foreign aid or support for Ukraine, all Americans can agree that our tax dollars should not be supporting direct attacks on U.S. persons based upon reasonable political disagreement, and especially not direct attacks on U.S. legislators based solely upon their vote.
To read my press release, click here. Additionally, to read exclusive coverage of my letter by Fox News, click here.
DIVERSITY HIRES PERFORM WORSE THAN REGULAR HIRES!
Click Here to Watch!
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, I had the opportunity to question the Interim Chief Investment Officer of CalPERS, Dan Bienvenue, about the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies within his company.
Apparently, he has been an outspoken proponent of “diverse perspectives” for hires throughout his entire tenure. This is incredibly ironic considering that CalPER’s own report states that their DEI hires are underperforming the non-DEI hires! As I always say, its time to dump DEI.
REP. GAETZ JOINS TIMCAST IRL
Click Here to Watch!
I was invited by Tim Pool to be a guest on his podcast, Timcast IRL, on Wednesday.
During the podcast, I laid out how I believe House can prevent Steve Bannon from being sent to prison. The only way this miscarriage of justice can be halted is if there is a vote taken by the House’s Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group to tell the court that it is the official position of the House of Representatives that the January 6th committee was illegitimate. Nobody should be sitting in a jail cell because they would not comply with the absurd musings of a committee unlike any before it in our nation’s history.
Additionally, I discussed the incompetency of this week’s vote by the House of Representatives to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. Make no mistake, this vote was the lowest of low-energy action from the House and serves as a distraction from the actual problems in our justice system. The worst thing going on right now at the Department of Justice is what they’re doing to Donald Trump. Instead of demanding videos of Joe Biden stuttering, Republicans should demand the evidence of coordinated lawfare against the leading contender for the presidency!
FIREBRAND EP. 167: DISORDER AT THE BORDER
Click Here to Watch!
On Thursday’s episode of Firebrand, I conducted a deep dive on the Biden Border Crisis and explained how illegal immigration got to be as bad as it is today—PLUS the latest hearings in the Judiciary Committee and more!
AROUND THE DISTRICT
REP. GAETZ ATTENDS RED EMPIRE WEEK OPENING CEREMONY
On Monday, I attended 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)’s Red Empire Week Opening Ceremony and Capabilities Exercise. It was an outstanding event, where I was able to observe the Green Berets in action, hear about their training and global operations, and meet with community members to celebrate the heritage of our Green Berets. Much thanks to Colonel Nelson and La Familia for the invitation to attend!
STATE DEPARTMENT ISSUES GUIDANCE ON SUMMER TRAVEL ABROAD
The Department of State has issued guidance on traveling abroad for this summer. Please see their tips below. If you have any issues with the Department of State, please contact my office.
1. Get Informed
Visit travel.state.gov/destination to look up your destination and review the “local laws & special circumstances” section to learn more about the area. Specific information about your destination can be found here.
2. Get Required Documents (Passport, Visa, etc)
Passports: Check to ensure your passport does not expire within 6 months of your date of travel. If you need a new passport, apply early to allow for delays; click here for passport information.
Visas: Check with the embassy of your destination regarding visa requirements.
Medications: Some prescription drugs (including narcotics) and some U.S. over-the-counter medications are illegal in other countries. Check with the embassy of your destination(s) about regulations and documentation before you travel.
3. Get Enrolled!
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service that sends you emails with updates from the local U.S. embassy or consulate. If there’s an emergency where you are, it helps us contact you with instructions on what to do.
4. Get Insured
The U.S. government does not provide insurance for U.S. citizens overseas. Medical bills or unexpected costs are the responsibility of the U.S. citizen. We highly recommend considering buying insurance before you travel. For more information on health, visit our page on Your Health Abroad. You should also review the country information page for your destination before you travel.
For more information on the Department of State’s guidance on international travel, please visit their website at: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html
GAETZ IN THE NEWS
Tampa Free Press — June 12, 2024
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz Says ‘DumpDEI’ After Grilling CalPERS CIO
“Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz renewed the call for dumping Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion (DEI) after questioning CalPERS’s interim Chief Investment Officer... ‘I found a study that actually CalPERS did. It’s entitled Emerging Diverse Manager Data Report, and I’m citing from the sixth page of the report where it says, since Inception, current diverse managers. Generally underperformed non-diverse managers in the asset class in the policy Benchmark. Are you familiar with this report?’ Gaetz asked.”
RealClearPolitics — June 13, 2024
Rep. Matt Gaetz: We Need Vertically Integrated Subpoenas Of The Lawfare Perpetrators
“GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz explained how House committees could use ‘vertically integrates subpoenas’ to investigate how Justice Department officials communicated with local jurisdictions engaging in ‘lawfare’ against Donald Trump on the ‘Timcast IRL’ podcast.”
Washington Times — June 13, 2024
GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz calls for subpoenaing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his deputy
“‘I worry we’re going about the same kind of process here. We may end up there in July, right after sentencing, with an empty Alvin Bragg nameplate and an empty Matthew Colangelo nameplate,’ Mr. Gaetz, of Florida, said at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Mr. Bragg’s decision to go after Mr. Trump. ‘And then we’ll start the process again with letters, and subpoenas and accommodation, and I’ve just grown tired of it.’”
The Floridian — June 13, 2024
Gaetz, Vance Demand Answers for Ukraine ‘Enemies List’ by US-Backed Author
“The article in question comes from the Ukrainian news site Texty and is titled ‘Rollercoaster: From Trumpists to Communists. The forces in the U.S. impeding aid to Ukraine and how they do it.’ The article features several graphics depicting networks of influencers and politicians skeptical of continued American aid to the embattled country, including 116 House Republicans and 21 Senate Republicans.”
WHAT WE’RE READING
Reuters — June 11, 2024
President’s son Hunter Biden convicted of lying about drug use to buy gun
New York Post — June 11, 2024
Six suspected terrorists with ISIS ties arrested in sting operation in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia: sources
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