Hello, Friends —
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This week was the House’s last week in DC before the August ‘district work period.’ There was a lot to get done, so it was an unusually hectic week.
On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee heard from Attorney General William Barr. Democrats on the committee seemed to go out of their way to be discourteous to the AG, by preventing him from speaking, and even attempting to deny his request for a short restroom break. But much like moths going after a streetlight, their attacks were largely ineffective. I asked AG Barr about the violence and riots taking place nationwide — something wholly different than the narrative of “peaceful protests” pushed by Democrats and most of the media.
My full exchange with AG Barr is available HERE, and more details are below.
On Wednesday, the Antitrust Subcommittee, of which I am a member, heard from the CEOs of four major tech companies: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Alphabet (the parent company of Google). During this surprisingly bipartisan hearing, I asked Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, about Google’s willingness to work on projects which directly benefit the Chinese military, while simultaneously refusing to work on projects for the US military. For a purportedly ‘American’ company, this is disgraceful behavior.
I was also able to ask Mr. Pichai about the question of bias in tech. When he last appeared before the Judiciary Committee, in December 2018, Mr. Pichai stated that Google never ‘manually intervened’ in any searches. Since that time, many whistleblowers have published documents showing this statement to be false.
Video from the big tech hearing is included later in this newsletter.
On a different note, as we rapidly approach peak hurricane season, my staff and I continue to monitor developing storms. While it currently appears that Hurricane Isaias will miss Northwest Florida, it is likely to bring heavy rain and winds to southern and eastern Florida. More information is available here.
As I have said many times before, the importance of being prepared for future storms cannot be overstated. Visit ready.gov/hurricanes for much more information on hurricane preparedness.
Finally, I would like to welcome US Coast Guard Cutter Diligence to its new home port of NAS Pensacola. The brave men and women of the Coast Guard ensure that our seas, shores, and borders are safe, and I am happy to welcome them to Northwest Florida! For a video message, please click here.
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| DISCUSSING VIOLENCE WITH AG BARR |
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Too frequently, the protests raging across our country are not peaceful. Protesting is different than rioting — and when people hurl rocks and explosives at America’s law enforcement, that line is definitely crossed.
In this week’s hearing, House Democrats showed they would rather snipe at Attorney General Barr than condemn violence. Nevertheless, General Barr handled their questions masterfully.
Click HERE to watch my full questioning.
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| big tech in the hot seat |
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From limiting and banning conservative viewpoints, to working with the Chinese Communist Party, Big Tech has profited off the anti-American sentiments I came to Congress to fight against. Enough is enough. It’s time the American people know the extent of Big Tech’s grip on our country.
Click HERE for video of my first round of questions with Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, where I discuss Google’s willingness to work on projects benefiting China’s military, but not America’s military. My second round of questions, focusing on tech bias, is available HERE.
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| HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS |
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There is no better time than the present to prepare for future storms. Here are a few tips to get started:
- Talk with household members about what to do if a hurricane strikes and create an evacuation plan.
- Build an emergency kit in an easy-to-carry container with items including water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, a battery-powered radio, first aid kit, etc.
- Be informed. Learn about your community’s hurricane response plan.
Northwest Florida is strong, and I’m proud that we’ve rebounded quickly from past storms. Nevertheless, we must always be prepared, and we must do what we can to ensure that coming storms have a minimal impact on our families, our homes, and our communities.
Click HERE to visit the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s website, where you can find more information and tips for hurricane preparedness.
Read more:
Pensacola News Journal — July 31, 2020
Now officially Hurricane Isaias, will it be the first Atlantic storm to hit Florida?
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| PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES |
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Healthcare costs in the United States are some of the highest in the world. Recently, President Trump signed three executive orders designed to lower the cost of prescription drugs:
This bold, America-first move will help patients nationwide save money and get the medical treatments they need.
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| EVICTION MORATORIUM EXTENDED |
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This week, Governor DeSantis extended the eviction moratorium to September 1. This was a necessary step to keep our people and our economy safe, so we can emerge from the coronavirus pandemic stronger than ever before.
For more information, see also:
Florida Politics
Gov. Ron DeSantis Extends State Eviction Moratorium
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| ASSISTANCE RESOURCES |
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The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has taken great initiative in response to the economic impacts and job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. As of last Sunday, the DEO has distributed nearly $11.9 billion in payments to over 1.8 million claimants.
The Federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, offered through the federal CARES Act and administered by DEO, provides up to 13 weeks of benefits to a claimant who has exhausted their Reemployment Assistance benefits.
Floridians will need to apply for PEUC benefits once the balance of their current claim is exhausted. Floridians who have already exhausted their benefits, or who have a Reemployment Assistance claim that expired after July 1, 2019, will also be able to apply.
- Click here for more information on PEUC applications.
- Click here for answers to frequently asked questions.
- Click here for information on available benefits.
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| FLAG DELIVERIES |
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In an abundance of caution, we will be postponing flag deliveries until we can safely reopen our Washington, D.C. office, which I hope will be soon. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
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ARE YOU LISTENING?
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| Listen to my podcast, “Hot Takes with Matt Gaetz,” for a behind-the-scenes look into the latest news from the Washington swamp. This past week was a big one — don’t miss it! |
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CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION |
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As Florida continues reopening its economy, click for further information on the status of Escambia, Okaloosa, Holmes, Santa Rosa, and Walton Counties:
Additionally, all of our local military installations are regularly updating their websites with details about base access (and more) due to the pandemic. For more information, visit:
Finally, my staff and I have received several queries about unemployment during the pandemic. Below are some helpful resources:
- Please visit here to file an unemployment claim.
- Please visit here for a video tutorial on applying for reemployment assistance.
- Please visit here for a COVID-19 Reemployment Resource Guide.
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Gaetz in the News
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Breitbart News — July 30, 2020
Big Tech Whistleblowers Urge Lawmakers to Tackle Silicon Valley Bias: ‘Please Do Something Already’
“Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has warned that many politicians in D.C. have been bought off by tech lobbyists. “Here’s the message to the president: Congress will not do anything on big tech because Congress is bought off by big tech,” said Rep. Gaetz on Fox News yesterday.”
The Washington Times — July 30, 2020
Conservative groups leveraging Big Tech hearing for political change
“Conservatives whose funding streams have been diminished by AmazonSmile’s reliance on the Southern Poverty Law Center were thrilled to see Rep. Matt Gaetz question Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos over the program.”
Florida Daily — July 28, 2020
With Support of Florida Delegation, House Votes to Add National Museum of the American Latino to the Smithsonian
“Serrano reeled in almost 300 cosponsors of the bill, including 20 of Florida’s 27 members in the House. U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., was an original cosponsor when Serrano introduced the bill back in April 2019. Other backers in the Florida delegation include Democrats U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor, Charlie Crist, Val Demings, Ted Deutch, Lois Frankel, Alcee Hastings, Al Lawson, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Stephanie Murphy, Donna Shalala, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Frederica Wilson, and Republicans U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Mario Diaz-Balart, Matt Gaetz, Brian Mast, Francis Rooney, John Rutherford, and Michael Waltz.”
Newsmax — July 30, 2020
Gaetz: ‘Excited’ to See Bipartisan Efforts Against Big Tech
“‘Whether it’s Amazon stealing products, Facebook spying on their users, or Google refusing to work with the U.S. military and then jumping overseas to advantage the targeting capabilities of Chinese fighter jets, I think it’s right for us to ask not what America can do for our technology companies, but perhaps what our technology companies can do for America,’ the Florida Republican, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said on Fox Business’s ‘Mornings With Maria.’”
Pensacola News Journal — July 27, 2020
Matt Gaetz calls for DOJ to investigate Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for lying to Congress
“U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for making false statements to Congress.”
PJ Media — July 29, 2020
Why Does Amazon Blacklist Conservatives and Christians? Matt Gaetz Wants to Know
“On Wednesday, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) pressed Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos on his company’s shameful reliance on the far-left smear factory the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to exclude nonprofits from the AmazonSmile charity platform.”
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