Hello, Friends —
This week, I joined Reps. Andy Biggs, Eli Crane, Cory Mills, and Chip Roy at a congressional forum at the Heritage Foundation on the attempted assassination of President Trump that happened on July 13th. I used this opportunity to question former U.S. Secret Service agent Dan Bongino; Washington regional SWAT operator Ben Shaffer, who assisted with security that day; and former Navy SEAL officer and founder of Blackwater, Erik Prince, on the operational failures of President Trump’s security detail and the ensuing implications for the safety of our Nation’s leaders.
Click Here to Watch!
The expert witnesses agreed with me that the failures of the Secret Service have created an extreme concern for our national security. If the Secret Service is incapable of stopping an attack from a domestic 20-year-old, how are they going to prevent an attack from a foreign adversary? This investigation ought to be the most important work of the United States Congress right now.
Furthermore, President Trump is one of the most threatened people on planet Earth, so why was his security detail having to endure denials for more protection? We have heard this story change, as the Secret Service initially refuted that more resources were denied, shifting blame to local law enforcement, only to now have it come out that the agency failed to show up for a morning briefing and refused resources from local law enforcement. We must determine whether this was run-of-the-mill incompetence or was something darker and more devious.
Click Here to Watch!
From my experience, it is not hard to tell when a government agency is trying to hide something. These lies always transform into some form of scapegoating, and that is exactly what we are seeing in this situation, as several individuals from the Secret Service Pittsburgh field office have now been “put on leave.” Mark my words: I will be pushing Congress to do everything in our power to get to the bottom of how this failure was allowed to occur.
There are specific things Congress can do to demand accountability and transparency from the Secret Service for its failure to protect President Trump, including putting downward pressure on their budget. As Mr. Prince put it, bureaucrats respond to very specific pain points. We, as the Congress, have the power of the purse and can use it as a bludgeon to ensure that those responsible for this failure are held accountable, not just for President Trump but for the future safety of all our Nation’s leaders.
To watch the entirety of the panel discussion, click here.
REP. GAETZ AND REP. CRANE DEMAND ANSWERS FROM U.S. COAST GUARD FOR PRIORITIZING DEI OVER OPERATIONAL READINESS
On Wednesday, Rep. Eli Crane and I sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Commandant Linda Fagan to demand answers on why the USCG is prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) instead of improving manning issues, meeting recruiting goals, and recommissioning ships. Our letter is in direct response to the USCG’s decision to temporarily decommission numerous ships.
USCG has reported that it is about 4,800 members short and has missed its recruiting targets for the past four fiscal years, leading to the decommissioning and shorter lifecycle of USCG ships and an increased burden on USCG members. At the same time, the USCG is carrying out indoctrination training, including Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) inclusivity training, which service members believe to be extraneous to mission-critical tasks. Accordingly, Rep. Crane and I are requesting specific information be provided to us, no later than October 1st, 2024, on how the SOGI training assists in improving manning issues and the plan to meet recruiting goals and recommission ships.
To read my press release, click here.
REP. GAETZ ISSUES STATEMENT ON THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF BOTCHED AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL
On Monday, we mourned the 13 Americans who died because of the Biden-Harris administration’s awful intelligence and operational failure at Abbey Gate. Three years after Kamala Harris said she had no regrets over the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, there is still no accountability. We must honor the memory of these American heroes by demanding answers for how this tragedy was ever allowed to happen.
REP. GAETZ ISSUES STATEMENT ON FACEBOOK CENSORSHIP SURROUNDING THE 2020 ELECTION
Mark Zuckerberg has now confirmed what we all knew for a long time – Facebook, under pressure from Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, censored Americans and helped the Democrats win the 2020 election.
We must learn from this example and prevent the corrupt government forces behind the Big Tech censorship from once again being able to achieve this level of interference in our democratic process. The machine will attempt to stop the will of the American people in 2024, and it is critical that we win bigly in November!
AROUND THE DISTRICT
REP. GAETZ RECOGNIZES CONSTITUENTS SELECTED FOR 2024 OKALOOSA COUNTY WOMEN’S HALL OF FAME
It is my honor to recognize the eight women selected as the 2024 inductees to the Okaloosa County Women’s Hall of Fame! The Women’s Hall of Fame has a long history of honoring exceptional women of Okaloosa County who have significantly contributed to the arts, athletics, business, education, government, humanities, philanthropy, and science in the community.
Congratulations to Sharon Allen, Col. Allison Black, Hon. Lacey Powell Clark, Shawna Crist, Sierra Elliot, Lori Kelley, Joy Makela, and Barbara Henderson Slocumb on your tremendous achievements!
THE CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE HAS BEGUN
The Congressional App Challenge is a public effort to encourage kids to learn how to code. Students compete to code original applications for the chance to be selected for recognition, win prizes, and have their work put on display in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
Official registration for the 2024 Congressional App Challenge is now open! Students can register for the 2024 Congressional App Challenge and start coding their apps for 2024 using the link below. The competition deadline is October 24, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. CT.
- Students must be in middle or high school by the time the competition ends on October 24, 2024
- Students can participate in teams of up to four (and can submit multiple apps with a different “team lead”)
- Apps can be coded on any platform, in any language, on any theme
- Any apps created from November 1, 2023, to October 24, 2024, can be submitted
If you have any questions, please reach out to my district office at (850) 479-1183.
Click here to register for the Congressional App Challenge! Additionally, click here to see the 2023 winners.
UPCOMING SERVICE ACADEMY NOMINATIONS
One of the most important duties I have as your Congressman is to nominate students to various United States service academies. These include the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
The students nominated represent the very best of our district and the entire country. This year, I will nominate up to ten individuals for each vacant academy slot allotted to our district. To request a military academy nomination from our office, please click here complete the form. Submissions are due by Friday, October 11th, 2024 at 3pm CT.
I wish you the best as you pursue your goal of attending one of the U.S. service academies and serving our country. Please direct any further questions about the application process to my Director of Military Affairs, Austin Bury at [email protected].
For more information and frequently asked questions about academy nominations, click here.
GAETZ IN THE NEWS
Fox News — August 26, 2024
Harris ‘last person in the room’ video goes viral on 3rd anniversary of deadly Afghanistan attack
“‘Today we mourn the 13 Americans who died because of the Biden-Harris administration, in their awful intel and operational failure at Abbey Gate. Trump laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier honoring the 13 heroes today, while Biden is at the beach and Harris has said nothing. Three years after Harris said she had no regrets over the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, there is still no accountability,’ Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., wrote.”
The Daily Caller — August 27, 2024
‘Zero Faith’: House GOP Concerned Political Bias Will Impede Trump Shooting Investigations
“Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida said that institutional leaders like FBI Director Christopher Wray’s previous testimonies before lawmakers ‘doesn’t inspire confidence... Wray testified that he couldn’t see the decline of Joe Biden before his eyes,’ Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz told the DCNF. ‘It doesn’t inspire confidence in his perceptive skills.’”
The Daily Signal — August 28, 2024
Gaetz and Crane Demand Answers From Coast Guard About DEI Trainings
“In a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan provided to The Daily Signal, Crane and Gaetz ask if ‘indoctrination training’ is undercutting the Coast Guard’s readiness. ‘We have heard from service members concerned with trainings and events they believe to be extraneous to mission-critical tasks, specifically Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) inclusivity training programs,’ Crane and Gaetz write.”
News 4 Jacksonville — August 29, 2024
FDEP pulls all controversial development plans for Florida state parks, says it will possibly revisit next year
“‘Our state parks give us a window into that version of Florida where you can wet a line and catch a redfish or go on a hike and see a great blue heron,’ said Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. Gaetz stood against the proposed plans that appear to be on the shelf for now. Gaetz said proposals like these have a process, and people’s voices were ultimately heard. News4JAX asked if the process was done legally. ‘I can’t say there was any nefarious conduct in the consternation of this, but I do believe that its review by the public, and the scrutiny that media organizations such as yours have rightly applied, has made the awareness about this really drive the opposition,’ Gaetz said.”
TIME Magazine — August 30, 2024
How Nayib Bukele’s ‘Iron Fist’ Has Transformed El Salvador
“In recent months, he has invited Carlson and Florida Representative Matt Gaetz to spend the weekend at his lakeside retreat, staying up into the early morning discussing everything from politics to AI, according to advisers. Gaetz, a Trump acolyte who has recently visited El Salvador several times and posed for photos at the CECOT prison, says he considers Bukele a ‘kindred spirit’ and an inspiration to the Western world. ‘He sees himself as a liberator, not an authoritarian,’ Gaetz tells TIME. ‘Sometimes, to solve third-world problems, you need some third-world solutions.’”
WHAT WE’RE READING
Fox News — August 26, 2024
Federal judge blocks Biden admin move to give legal status to illegal immigrant spouses of US citizens
New York Post — August 28, 2024
Pelosi admits blame for ‘stupidity’ in Jan. 6 security failures in newly released video: ‘I take full responsibility’
|
