Hello Friend,

Welcome to my e-newsletter, the Ready Room. As a retired Naval Aviator, the Ready Room is special to me because it’s where fellow aviators meet to brief and debrief missions. This is my weekly briefing to you on my mission in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for regular updates on how my team and I are working to serve you in Congress.

Protecting American Taxpayers

Republicans wasted no time with our new House majority last week, passing several key pieces of legislation. Our first priority was the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act, which blocks the Biden administration from hiring 87,000 new IRS agents and weaponizing them against small and family businesses. This was the first step toward fulfilling our promise to stop the Biden administration's attack on hardworking Americans.

Protecting Pregnancy Centers from Attacks

Last year, our community was attacked by a group of unknown vandals who defaced the LifeChoice Pregnancy Center in Winter Haven. Sadly, this was just one of many similar terrorist attacks that occurred against pro-life organizations across the country after the Dobbs v. Jackson decision was irresponsibly leaked. I was proud to support H. Con. Res. 3, which condemns these attacks and the Born Alive Survivors Protection Act, which makes it a federal crime to fail to provide standard medical care to children born alive during an abortion. These important bills send a strong message that this hateful vandalism must be stopped and babies that survive an abortion attempt matter and will be cared for.

Serving on the Appropriations Committee

Last week, I was honored to be selected as one of the newest members of the House Committee on Appropriations. This very powerful committee is responsible for drafting the twelve appropriations bills that determine how discretionary federal tax dollars are spent by the various departments of our government. These bills essentially include all federal spending EXCEPT Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and interest on the national debt. It has been many years since the House and Senate have passed all twelve appropriations bills through the process known as “regular order.” Instead, Congress has funded the government through staggeringly expensive “Omnibus” spending bills that have exploded our national debt to over $31Trillion and grown the federal government to an unnecessary and unsustainable size. Restoring regular order and fiscal responsibility to our legislative process is one of my top priorities as your representative. I take this responsibility very seriously and will work tirelessly to ensure Floridians’ hard earned tax dollars are spend efficiently and judiciously.  

Constituent Corner

Sharon from Lakeland called our office for help after the Defense Finance Accounting Service claimed she owed more than $65,000 due to overpayment of benefits. Our office assisted her and the entire debt was canceled. If you are having problems with the VA, Social Security or other federal agency we can help!  Click here to learn more.

Hurricane Ian and Nicole Disaster Relief now Available

Those impacted by Hurricane Ian and/or Nicole can apply for federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA). Individuals and businesses impacted by both storms MUST apply for aid separately for each storm. Click here to learn more about available resources. Visit my website to learn how we can assist.

Test Your Knowledge #CivicsWithScott!

Spanish explorer Ponce de León landed in Florida in what year?

A. 1513

B. 1492

C. 1617

D. 1502

Last Week's Question

Which of the following is NOT a duty of the Speaker of the House?

A. House presiding officer

B. Party leader

C. House clerk - CORRECT ANSWER

D. House administrative head

I’m honored to represent you in Congress. For more information on constituent services, current legislation, and to sign up for my e-newsletter, please visit my website at franklin.house.gov. 

Best regards,

C. Scott Franklin
Member of Congress