Dear Neighbor, 

I have been meeting with as many constituents as possible and visiting small businesses throughout our community.  What I have consistently heard is that our neighbors and local businesses are hurting.  Inflation continues to rage which has made everything cost more…from gas to groceries and rent.  People simply can’t keep pace, and they need help.  Things are especially hard on those who are on fixed incomes, like our seniors.  

The bulk of the people I’ve spoken with also understand that the main source of their pain is reckless government spending, which is why they are very worried about the newest liberal spending spree President Biden signed into law last week.  Despite the package's misleading name, independent analysis from the Congressional Budget Office and other groups have shown that the bill will do nothing to ease inflation.   In addition to the out-of-control spending to further a radical liberal agenda, the bill contains nearly $570 billion in new taxes on middle class Americans and small businesses, including those making under $200,000 per year.   Tax increases are a bad idea at any time, but they are an especially horrible idea during a recession.  The neighbors I have met with share my frustration and disillusionment with the spin that is coming out of the Biden Administration and Democrat-controlled Congress.  The Biden admin called inflation “temporary,” said our is border “secure,” and has engaged in redefining the term “recession.”  Now, it is claiming the new $700 billion spending package won’t compound our economic pain.  This is just contrary to commonsense.  Despite their empty promises and word play, Americans are continuing to experience the impact of their reckless actions.  I’ll continue to push back against these actions and to fight for you!  Continue reading to learn more about my efforts on your behalf last week.  

Understanding the Impact of the New Law

The newest spending spree includes billions of dollars to fund 87,000 additional IRS agents, which will bring the total to more than 160,000 IRS agents. 

Why do Democrats believe the IRS needs to have more than all four of these other federal agencies COMBINED?  The answer is that they are planning to harass and audit hard working Americans in hopes to find more tax dollars they can use to fund their radical agenda!

The biggest chunk of money in the tax and spending bill signed into law last week—nearly $370 billion—is earmarked for Green New Deal style hand-outs for certain “green industries.”  The section on “climate” spending goes on for hundreds of pages and details a combination of tax credits, subsidies, and regulations for the energy choices preferred by the D.C. elite, such as wind and solar, while increasing the costs to access more reliable, more abundant energy sources like gas and oil on federal lands.  As noted in this column, my constituents don’t want big government socialism and higher prices.  They want relief! 

Securing our Border

President Biden has officially ended the Remain in Mexico Policy.  This program required illegal immigrants who are awaiting asylum claims in the U.S. to stay in Mexico until their cases are adjudicated, which decreased the incentive for many illegal crossings and gave our Border Patrol a much-needed reprieve in the midst of a historic influx.  Keep in mind that more than 3 million migrants have illegally entered our country since President Biden took office.    There have also been over 500,000 known “got-aways” at our southern border since October of 2022.  By eliminating the Remain in Mexico policy, President Biden is worsening the border crisis. 

Feeling the Impact of Inflation

Inflation remained at a 40-year high in July as it increased 8.5% over the past 12 months.  This means the prices of everything we buy will continue to go up! This article highlights how local food banks are struggling to feed hungry families in our community who can’t keep pace with rising food costs.  Also, a new study estimates that 61% of Americans are forced to live paycheck to paycheck because of record inflation.   They need relief, not more big government spending! 
 

 

Advocating for our Nation’s Heroes

My Major Richard Star Act recently reached an important milestone of securing enough bipartisan co-sponsors to be placed on the Consent Calendar.  Click here to learn more about how this important legislation will help more than 50,000 medically-retired Veterans.  
 
I also enjoyed meeting with the founder of a local female Veterans advocacy group.   We discussed Veteran Suicide rates among women, gaps in services for female Veterans, and the steps that can be taken to make women Veterans feel more comfortable obtaining care through the VA.  I’ve already reached out to our local VA regarding many of the issues discussed, and I look forward to continuing to work with this group to ensure all Veterans receive the care and benefits they deserve. 

Learning from You

During the August District Work Period, I have the chance to attend events in our community and meet with constituents to learn what issues are most important to them.  I really enjoy this opportunity, because the best input always comes from the people we serve.   Below are a few highlights of the meetings and events I participated in last week. 

I met with local stakeholders to discuss the work I am doing in Washington to tackle the fentanyl crisis, including:  pushing to secure our border, giving law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on traffickers, and ensuring access to quality mental health and addiction treatment. Click here to learn more.  

After my Opioid Summit, I had the opportunity to go on a Ride Along with Captain Toni Roach of the Pasco County Sheriff’s office.  She leads the Behavioral Health Intervention Team and opioid response for Pasco County.  We discussed how the rise in overdose deaths in our community are linked to the fentanyl that is being smuggled through the southern border. 

I also had the chance to sit down with Sheriff Nocco and members of his team to discuss cybercrime and the use of social media platforms to exploit vulnerable children.  We discussed my legislation to combat this growing problem and improve cooperation between Big Tech and law enforcement.   

I had the pleasure of speaking with a group of local Parkinson’s patients and their families about the work I am doing to streamline federal support for critical research that can help discover better treatments and a potential cure for this debilitating disease. 

I held an open forum for local, small businesses who work in the travel and tourism industry.  It was great to hear directly from them about the challenges the are facing as they work to fully recover from the pandemic. 
 
I had the chance to meet with local manufacturers about the new law that will impose taxes on small businesses and worsen inflation.  Understandably, they are worried about the impact as they have already had a difficult few years.  We need to be encouraging manufacturing in the USA, not making it more challenging for these local small business owners!

Additionally, I was proud to join Governor DeSantis and other state and local leaders to discuss creative strategies to boost teacher recruitment throughout the state.  Ensuring that all children have a supportive learning environment is a top priority. Teachers make a lasting impact on the lives of the students they work with and on our entire community. We want to attract the best and brightest among us to fulfill this important role within our society. 

Constituent Corner

My office recently received the following message from a constituent:

I want to thank James and your entire team for their help in getting me a timely response from the IRS.  I had been trying to make an appointment for weeks and none were available.  I couldn't get anyone on the line from the IRS to help me figure out how to address an identity theft issue involving my tax return.  After contact your office, someone from the IRS called me the next day and gave me detailed instructions.  I'm very grateful! 

This is just one example of the work we do each day. Constituent services are a critical element of our congressional office. The federal government is a massive operation, and my office is available if you ever need assistance in navigating the bureaucracy or cutting through red tape. We are here to serve you!  

Sincerely,

Gus Bilirakis
Member of Congress