AROUND THE DISTRICT

SFC ACOSTA RETIRES AT 7SFG(A)’s LIBERTY CHAPEL ON CAMP BULL SIMONS

Sergeant First Class Martin Acosta retired this week after an honorable 13 years serving this country as a member of the elite Army Special Forces. On Tuesday, I had the privilege of attending his retirement ceremony. Raised in Southside Chicago, SFC Acosta led a decorated career with several deployments abroad, receiving two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star, among other esteemed decorations.

As mentioned in my September 16th newsletter, due to injuries sustained in service to our country, SFC Acosta sought VA support for home modification. He contacted my office to help navigate the complex VA procedures so he would be able to enjoy his much-deserved retirement with his wife Katherine and two sons. Tuesday's retirement was a chance to celebrate the receipt of those entitlements, but more importantly, to send SFC Acosta off the right way, to enjoy the fruits of his labors and sacrifices.

On behalf of a grateful community, much luck to you and your wonderful family as you begin this next chapter in your life!

UPCOMING ACADEMY NOMINATIONS

The two most important jobs I have as a Congressman are representing my constituents and nominating students to the United States service academies. These students 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 visit https://gaetz.house.gov/services/military-academy-nominations and complete the form on that page. Completed packets are due by October 14th, and must be mailed to the following address: 226 S Palafox St, 6th Floor, Pensacola, FL 32502.

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 [email protected].

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CASEWORK VICTORY: AIR FORCE STAFF SERGEANT SAMANTHA COLLINS!

Recently, a driven and ambitious Air Force Staff Sergeant contacted my office asking for assistance. Since 2016, Samantha has worked tirelessly to earn advanced degrees and was eventually selected to commission in 2020. However, this was going to be taken from her because Samantha received a Botox injection to address migraines she had experienced since she was a child. The Air Force told her that Botox was a disqualifying condition and that she would be medically discharged.

Following six months of paperwork and advocacy on her behalf, I’m excited to announce that my staff was able to assist her in regaining her commission, which will take effect starting next month! Because of her resilience and determination, Samantha can continue serving her nation and pursuing her dreams. 

SIGN-UP FOR 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 2022 Congressional App Challenge is now open! Students can register for the 2022 Congressional App Challenge and start coding their apps for 2022 using the link below. The competition deadline is November 1st, 2022.

Click Here to Register for the Congressional App Challenge!

CONGRESS PASSES ANTI-TRUST BILL BUT SPENDS MORE MONEY WITHOUT A FINALIZED BUDGET

Last week, the House of Representatives was led by both good legislation to hold Big Tech accountable and disappointing legislation, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), that extends government funding and increases spending.

Specifically, the CR that Congress passed will extend government funding through December 16, 2022. CRs are often used to buy time for Congress as they craft a complete budget after the September 30 deadline. However, this went overboard by not only extending current funding but adding on the ridiculous priorities of Democrats and RINOs.

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For additional insight into this spending bill, I am joined by my Legislative Director, Mike Robertson, in Firebrand Episode 73.

Funding in the CR includes $12.3 billion in additional spending for Ukraine and $1.78 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide refugee and entrance assistance at the border, among other funding increases in the hundreds of millions. In what should merely be a short-term funding extension, the Democrats have embedded direct spending priorities that sideline American priorities at the expense of open borders and funding other countries.

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For more on the productive anti-trust legislation and why I voted in favor of H.R. 3843, the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act, watch my appearance on Newsmax's Prime News. This bill focuses on crippling Big Tech’s ability to use mergers and acquisitions to harm the competitive marketplace and why the bill has caused controversy among some House Republicans. 

Jen Pellegrino and I also discuss how the FBI has passed on raiding at least four former presidents for similar reasons to that of President Trump regarding documents. Obama is reported to have housed over 30,000,000 pages in an old furniture store outside Chicago. The FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago was another attempt by the FBI to smear the former president, and it is backfiring on them. We are seeing more people rallying to President Trump’s side as a result of the raid.

Click Here to Watch!

Additionally, I recently joined “Hannity” on Fox News, where we discussed the Washington Post report of the mainstream media's failed smear campaign against me. God doesn’t ever give us anything that we can’t handle. I’m so grateful to my fellow Americans who have prayed for me, shared words of encouragement, and said that we must keep fighting. 

AFTER THE MIDTERMS: WHAT'S NEXT?

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I don't think in the upcoming Majority, we ought to engage in a strategy that requires Joe Biden to sign our bills that would deliver wins for the American people. Joe Biden won't sign commonsense legislation from a Republican House Majority. That's why we need to focus on exposing the truth. 

The first step to getting America back upon a Republican majority has to be conducting critical investigations of COVID, Hunter Biden, election integrity, illegal immigration, and so much more. I joined Dr. Sebastian Gorka on "The Gorka Reality Check," where we discussed this strategy and why it is essential for the 118th Congress.

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I was also joined by Dr. Gorka on Episode 72 of Firebrand last week, where we break down Kevin McCarthy’s “Commitment to America” policy proposals and what a Republican majority agenda should focus on instead in the next Congress.  
 
Recently, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy put out a Republican “Commitment to America.” Unfortunately, several elements of this agenda do not make it a MAGA agenda. For example, one policy proposal is hiring an additional 200,000 police officers nationwide on the federal tax dollar. I have strong concerns about addicting local law enforcement to the federal dollar. I argue that Republicans need to have an aggressive oversight agenda, not a plan that won't be enacted. The MAGA agenda is not an agenda to please the lobbyists or the PACs.  The MAGA agenda is an investigations first agenda that will include impeaching Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and creating a select committee to investigate Hunter Biden’s corruption. 

7th SPECIAL FORCES IN DC FOR COMMANDER’S CONFERENCE

I’m proud to have met with Col. Trujillo and the 7th Special Forces Group in Washington, D.C., to discuss ongoing efforts to address the solutions surrounding the childcare development centers. It is essential to continue engaging on important issues affecting Florida’s First District, especially as Congress continues to consider the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

GAETZ IN THE NEWS

Newsmax — October 5, 2022

Gaetz Has Taken Establishment Hits and Survived

"Gaetz's survival, while getting hit harder than any of these recent casualties of war, demonstrates a political aptitude that separates him from the rest. Not many political figures have the fortitude to take an ongoing strong stand against the current D.C. regime."

The Daily Caller — September 25, 2022

Biden Department of Defense Debuts 'Diversity and Inclusion' Committee

"Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz lambasted Austin and the DOD for focusing too much on social issues and less on maximizing military capabilities. “While everyone in the world seems to be developing capabilities and being more strategic, we’ve got time to teach critical race theory at West Point, to embrace socialism in the National Defense University, to do mandatory pronoun training,” the congressman said."

Law Enforcement Today — September 26, 2022

National Poll: Majority of Registered Voters Think Drug Cartels Have More Control Over Southern Border Than U.S. Government

"GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida has suggested that the United States should “get tough on the border and even tougher on the Sinaloa Cartel” in order to tackle the problem of the deadly drug fentanyl. He tweeted again, “Bomb Sinaloa. Not kidding.”"

Newsweek — September 26, 2022

Matt Gaetz Admits 'Many' Republicans Don't Want to Try Impeaching Biden

"Florida Representative Matt Gaetz said Monday that "many" of his Republican colleagues would oppose an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, without which he said American voters would feel "betrayed.""  

Fox News — September 29, 2022

Missed Opportunity? House GOP says McConnell Lost Leverage Over Biden by Backing Government Funding Bill

"'A deal that vanquished poison pills and went to January would enhance the leverage of Republicans, who are expected to win the House majority, to dictate policy terms," said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. "Instead, what McConnell and others have done is to diminish that leverage.'"  

WHAT WE'RE READING

Fox Business — October 4, 2022

What Biden must do right now to fix our broken economy

Newsmax — September 29, 2022

In Reversal, Biden's Education Dept. Excludes Many From Student Debt Relief

Breitbart — September 30, 2022

Lead Oversight Republican: House GOP Majority to Investigate Hunter Biden, Biden Family