Dear Neighbor, 

Last week, I was honored to be named as the Chairman of the Innovation, Data and Commerce Subcommittee which has oversight over a large swath of public policy areas, including:  social media, data privacy, time, product safety, and the FTC.  I will use my role in this committee to benefit my constituents and to promote policies that help all Americans.  

Additionally, last week House Republicans took a step toward unleashing American energy independence and restoring America's depleted Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) by passing the Strategic Production Response Act.  We also held an important roundtable discussion on the role of Big Tech in facilitating the deadly sale and distribution of illegal fentanyl that is flooding the streets of every community in America.  Additionally, I held my first tele-townhall event of the new year and attended multiple events in our community.  Continue reading for more information on these and other efforts on your behalf last week!

Learning from You

Thanks to everyone who participated in my tele-townhall last week. There were approximately 5,000 constituents on the call for the entire hour, and I appreciated hearing from many of them about issues impacting their families. Topics we discussed included: the economy, border security, the lack of affordable housing, housing conditions for active duty military families, ATF efforts to restrict Constitutional Rights, fentanyl and the need to increase access to treatment, troubles with the VA, Daylight Savings Time, over-regulation of certain industries, and the need to preserve Social Security and Medicare. I look forward to hosting another similar forum next month!

I also enjoyed meeting with residents of Sugar Mill Woods in Citrus County.  It was great to hear from so many of my newest constituents about the issues they care most about and their ideas for how government can help.  I will be sure to share their concerns with my colleagues in DC. 

ICYMI- As highlighted in this article, my team and I are here to serve you in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties!  Feel free to call or stop in to let us know how we can help you!  

Advocating for our Heroes

A special thanks to the Del-Webb Bexley Veterans Club for inviting me to speak at their recent meeting.  It was a great conversation about the needs of local Veterans! 

 Additionally, I strongly support the VA’s new policy which ensures that ALL Veterans experiencing a mental health crisis can go to any VA or non-VA healthcare facility for emergency healthcare - at no cost!  All Veterans in need of help can also call 988 for 24/7 crisis support.

Empowering Parents

Parents know best about the needs of their children and should be able to choose which educational environment is the right fit for their family.  Whether they choose a traditional public, magnet, charter, private, online or brick and mortar school, I want all children to have access to a high quality, safe learning environment that meets their needs.  I am committed to advancing the Parents Bill of Rights.  We must empower parents to ensure all children can reach their highest potential. An investment in education is a sound investment in the future of our society.  

Restoring Energy Independence

The Strategic Production Response Act, which passed the House last week addresses the abuse of our emergency reserves while restoring policies that promote American energy independence.  We cannot rely on America’s adversaries and foreign dictators for our energy sources.  We must end this Administration's war on domestic energy production and restore energy independence!

Tackling Inflation

Inflation continues to rage as a result of President Biden’s reckless spending policies.  This hurts all Americans by causing the price of everything to soar.  With inflation up more than 13% since Joe Biden took office, more Americans are taking on credit card debt in order to afford the skyrocketing cost of necessities like groceries and utilities. Now, nearly half of Americans are carrying debt each month—UP from last year.  We’ve got to buckle down and make the tough choices to balance our nation’s budget and reduce inflation!

Securing our Border

In yet another late night news dump, Biden’s DHS confirmed recently that December 2022 had the highest number of illegal crossings at our southern border ever recorded, with 251,487 in just one month.  Border officials also reported more than 70,000 people as "known got-aways" who entered our country illegally during the month of December without any screening.  This brings the total to more than 1.2 MILLION illegal "known got-aways" who have evaded apprehension at our southern border in the chaos created since President Biden was sworn into office. Unfortunately, there is no telling how many more were not known to authorities. Our border simply is not secure.  

After two years of one-party Democrat rule’s failure to address the Biden administration’s dereliction of duty at our southern border, the Republican-led House Oversight Committee will hear the testimony of Border Patrol sector chiefs in early February. Accountability is here. This is a national security crisis that must be addressed!

In addition to the migrants that are illegally entering our country, drug cartels are using the lax border policies to traffic record amounts of deadly drugs into our country.  Fentanyl seizures increased by more than 50% from November 2022 to December 2022. These drugs are being distributed across our nation, including here at home and many Americans are dying.  During last week’s Energy and Commerce roundtable discussion, I highlighted local constituents who used social media and online communications platforms to purchase fentanyl, sadly leading to fatal consequences.  Big Tech must take a more active role in ensuring that its platforms are not used for the facilitation of crimes.  

Community Connection

I am fortunate to have a team of dedicated staff who regularly attend events throughout our community, especially when I am required to be in Washington, DC. Through their collective efforts, I am better able to stay connected to the issues that matter most to my constituents. As part of my commitment to developing a better understanding of the issues facing constituents in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties members of my team attended several events last week.  Here are a few highlights. 

My team was proud to present at Leadership Tampa Bay’s Pasco Day this year.   I always enjoy seeing local community and business leaders learning about our needs and the exciting work being done to make Pasco a great place to live, work and play! 

My team also enjoyed attending the opening of MidFlorida’s new congregate meal site in Masaryktown last week.  While it is unfortunate that so many of our neighbors need help, I am glad to see so many generous volunteers within our community stepping up to help others! 

Additionally, my team met with the Mayors and some of of the City Commissioners from Crystal River and Inverness last week.  It is important to establish a good rapport with local elected officials so that we can work together to meet the needs of our mutual constituents.  

Constituent Corner

My office recently received this email from a constituent in Hernando County. 

Thank you and thank your office for your help for my dad. Your advocacy has been instrumental and invaluable to our efforts. After 40 days, his Hurricane Ian FEMA funds were released today by his bank.

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