Hello, Friends —
This week, Hurricane Milton made landfall in south Florida, causing widespread destruction in the direct aftermath of Hurricane Helene. While sparing our district, many people along the Gulf coast of Southern Florida have been left in desperate need of assistance. Thankfully, Florida's disaster relief is federally funded, state coordinated, and locally executed. Our system gives us great muscle memory on dealing with hurricanes, and it keeps decision-making in the hands of the people on the ground instead of the bureaucrats in Washington.
Now more than ever, it is a good thing that Florida does not rely on the federal government to lead its disaster-relief efforts. I have been told by whistleblowers within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that its people on the ground are NOT being given orders to provide aid in areas affected by hurricane damage. Some whistleblowers told me that the bureaucracy is going so far as to actually impair the delivery of essential goods, like water and diapers!
Furthermore, FEMA’s response to the recent disasters has exposed the agency’s mismanagement of funds. A report issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General (IG) identified billions of dollars from years-old grants that the agency could potentially return to the Disaster Relief Fund for use in responding to the current disasters. Instead, DHS Secretary Mayorkas and FEMA chose to keep extending unused grants for storms that, in some cases, happened more than a decade ago.
Making matters worse, the Biden-Harris administration has pushed for hundreds of millions of dollars for FEMA to use specifically for illegal aliens. Unfortunately, while the House zeroed out this funding last year in its DHS appropriations bill, $650 million was included in the omnibus spending bill that was signed into law earlier this year, which I voted against. This is an absolute failure of the federal government to help its own people and emblematic of Congress’ reckless spending!
To watch me speak on The Charlie Kirk Show on Real America's Voice regarding how Florida's disaster relief system empowers its responders, click here. To watch me continue to speak on how FEMA has utterly failed hurricane victims, click here. Additionally, to watch me join an hour-long hurricane special of The Benny Show to discuss the horrific mismanagement of FEMA disaster relief funds, click here.
REP. GAETZ SPOTLIGHTS PARTISAN SMEAR AGAINST DHS INSPECTOR GENERAL JOSEPH CUFFARI FOLLOWING SWAMP SCREED REPORT RECOMMENDING HIS FIRING
On Monday, I sent a letter to DHS IG Joseph Cuffari highlighting the partisan campaign against him. As the border remains open and FEMA mismanages hurricane-relief efforts, one man is holding power to account: IG Cuffari. Because of his work doing oversight of FEMA, the border, the assassination attempts on President Trump, and as a Trump appointed IG, the knives are out for him!
My letter comes after a panel of partisan Biden-Harris appointees on the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity released a 1,000-page report attacking IG Cuffari and calling for him to be fired in what appears to be partisan retaliation for his diligent work to ensure accountability at DHS. Even Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray, during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in July, agreed with me that it would not be a “good idea” to fire IG Cuffari.
To read my press release, click here.
REP. GAETZ RELEASES DOCU-MINI ON BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION’S BORDER CRISIS
Click Here to Watch!
How did America go from an era of security at our Southern border during the Trump administration to an era of abject chaos?
On Tuesday, I premiered an original mini-documentary highlighting the story of how the Biden-Harris regime’s overturning of Trump border policies has pushed our country to the brink of destruction, which is available to stream on all of my official social media platforms.
AROUND THE DISTRICT
TEAM GAETZ ATTENDS NATURALIZATION CEREMONY FOR 29 NEW CITIZENS IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Last Thursday, my team attended the naturalization ceremony for 29 new U.S. citizens. Congratulations to these new American citizens of Florida’s First Congressional District! I applaud them for their hard work and their commitment to doing things the right way to become citizens of this great country.
TEAM GAETZ ATTENDS OKALOOSA AND WALTON COUNTY VETERAN & FAMILY RESOURCE FAIR
Last Friday, my district staff had the pleasure of attending the Okaloosa and Walton County Veteran & Family Resource Fair with over 60 organizations and individuals all dedicated to assisting veterans and their families.
Meeting with constituents to discuss potential avenues of assistance, establishing connections for essential resources, and connecting with like-minded personnel and organizations are just a few of the many opportunities events like this have to offer.
With our large veteran population here in Florida, it is always great to come together and assist those who have served our country. If you ever have any issues or are in need of assistance with veterans affairs or other federal agencies, feel free to reach out to my office at 850-479-1183.
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 to complete the form. Submissions have been extended and are now due by Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. 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.
THE CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE
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.
GAETZ IN THE NEWS
Daily Caller — October 07, 2024
‘Knives Are Out’: Matt Gaetz Defends Trump-Appointed Gov Watchdog Following Calls For His Removal
“Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida came out in defense of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph Cuffari in a Monday letter after an independent panel and several lawmakers called for his ‘politically convenient’ removal…’You have independent oversight over the nerve center of the D.C. swamp, and the knives are out for you,’ Gaetz said in the letter. ‘I am very concerned that Vice President Harris and others who want to cover up the open border and the assassination attempts on former President Trump will be calling for your firing and privately leaning on President Biden to remove you.’”
Politico — October 08, 2024
Congress’ fallback option for bankrolling disaster loans
“Separately, a House Oversight spokesperson said that the panel, which also has jurisdiction over FEMA, was ‘monitoring the federal response.’ There’s also some ad hoc investigating happening, particularly within the House’s right flank. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), whose district was impacted by Helene, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas saying his office had been in touch with whistleblowers who he described as being in ‘numerous emergency-management functions at the federal, state and local levels and they all point to the same critical management issues.’”
Politico — October 09, 2024
‘This is the worst-case scenario’: Hurricane Milton could clobber Florida’s insurance market
“DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature responded in late 2022 by cracking down on lawsuits against insurers, a move that Karlinsky said ‘saved the industry from going down.’ But some called the changes a bailout for insurers. Just last week Rep. Matt Gaetz, the conservative GOP firebrand and potential candidate for governor in 2026, said legislators ‘messed up on insurance because they have been too captive to the insurance industry.’”
FSU News — October 09, 2024
Rep. Matt Gaetz visits Florida State ahead of November election
“Florida’s 1st Congressional District Representative and Florida State alumnus Matt Gaetz addressed students at the Housewright Music Building as the latest guest speaker hosted by Turning Point USA at FSU on Oct. 3. Gaetz joins Ben Carson and Charlie Kirk as right-wing speakers who have come to speak to FSU students over the last two years. The focus of the night remained squarely on the issues of the presidential campaign as election day approaches. During the event, Gaetz spoke in-depth about policy before opening up the floor to questions. While Gaetz touched on a wide variety of issues, he zeroed in on corruption in Congress. ‘You have to give your vote card to the leadership, and you have to give your calendar to the lobby corps,’ Gaetz said.”
WHAT WE’RE READING
Fox News — October 09, 2024
Hurricane Milton makes landfall, slamming into Florida with destructive winds, catastrophic storm surge
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