Good afternoon, South Florida! Read my newsletter for this week! FL-27 Newsletter Vol. 117, Issue #64 Happy Friday, South Florida! This week, I was in Washington taking meetings and working on behalf of Florida's 27th District. I look forward to addressing your cases, reading your letters, and responding to your social media comments. Please let me know what your thoughts are and never hesitate to reach out to my office. My team is more than happy to assist with any of your concerns and guide you through any challenges you may have with federal agencies. It is truly the honor of a lifetime to fight for YOU in the halls of Congress! Honoring One Year Since Our Community's Surfside Tragedy One year ago today, our community suffered a painful tragedy when the Surfside Champlain Towers South unexpectedly collapsed and killed 98 of our neighbors. While a year has passed, the South Florida community still feels the aching pain of incredible loss from that dark day. I join my colleagues and constituents in mourning while also honoring the brave service of our first responders as well as everyone's contributions to relief efforts following this horrible tragedy. PASSED: Funding Resources for Treating Mental Health & Substance Abuse In April, I introduced the Summer Barrow Prevention, Treatment & Recovery Act to reauthorize more than $900 million in funding to support the nation's fight against the substance abuse epidemic. From October 2020 to 2021 alone, substance abuse claimed a record-setting number of lives. This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed this bill by a vote of 402-20. Key programs funded by the legislation address overdose prevention, first responder training, co-prescribing programs, pregnant and postpartum women substance use disorder treatment, and alternatives to opioids in emergency rooms. Homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse are significant issues for South Florida, and Congress must confront them and the challenges they present. I'm very grateful to have passed this important legislation, authorizing grants to better equip community partners to assist those in need. It is time to provide the full range of tools available to save lives, improve health, and keep families together. Closing U.S. Loopholes for Kleptocrats In October 2021, I introduced the Establishing New Authorities for Business Laundering and Enabling Risks to Security (ENABLERS) Act to close loopholes that kleptocrats from around the world use to launder money into the United States. This week, I'm thrilled to announce that the ENABLERS Act was successfully included in the annual national defense bill, the NDAA. For too long, corrupt dictators and their cronies from abroad have been able to stash their blood money in our country, but now we will soon close key loopholes allowing corrupt actors to avoid detection. Doing business in the United States is a privilege, not a right. Condemning Biden's Decision to Undermine Israel The Biden Administration recently decided to create an Office of Palestinian Affairs in Jerusalem in an effort to circumvent Congress and formalize direct U.S. diplomatic channels with the Palestinians in Israel's capital. My colleagues and I released a joint statement condemning this decision. “It is shameful the Biden Administration has opened what amounts to be a separate U.S. diplomatic office to the Palestinians in Israel’s capital. Let there be no misunderstanding: this unprecedented arrangement—to turn the Palestinian Affairs Unit into a ‘U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs’ that will no longer report to the U.S. Ambassador to Israel but instead report directly to the State Department in Washington, D.C, and to appoint a Special Envoy to the Palestinians—is an effort to open an unofficial and de facto U.S. consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem. In fact, the Biden Administration admits this decision is one step closer to opening an official U.S. consulate, a plan it refuses to stop pushing despite the Government of Israel’s adamant opposition. The Biden Administration’s decision is outrageous, wrong, and not how America should treat Israel, one of our closest allies in the world." Read the full statement here. FREE Services Available Through My Office Do you need help with the IRS, immigration, or another federal agency? Call my office! We offer FREE casework services to help you get results from the federal agencies you're working with. I have the BEST caseworkers in all of Congress, and they are ready to serve you! Top agencies constituents need help with: United States Citizenship & Immigration Services National Visa Center & Embassies Passport Agency If you live in Florida's 27th District and need help with a federal agency, call my office! We are open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Stay Connected on Social Media! The best way to keep up with my work in Washington is to stay connected on social media. Click the logos below to find my social media pages! ‌ ‌ ‌ Have questions? Please reach me at: [link removed] Washington, D.C. 1616 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-3931 Miami, FL 3951 NW 7th St, Bay F Miami, FL 33126 Phone: (305) 668-2285 Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar | 1616 Longworth House Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]