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Dear Neighbor,
This Memorial Day weekend and always, may we honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Their courage, dedication, and love of country will never be forgotten. May we all pause to reflect, give thanks, and recommit ourselves to the values they gave their lives to defend. May their memories be eternal.
Continue reading to learn more about my work on your behalf last week.
Pushing Forward on One, Big Beautiful Bill: House Republicans came together and united behind President Trump to create one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in our history. Now, we must make good on our promises to the American people by passing the one big, beautiful bill out of both Chambers so it can be signed into law by President Trump. We must deliver on our promises to hard working families who have been struggling for too long. This package cuts waste and government spending and reduces burdensome regulations. It also prevents the largest tax hike in history on American families and job creators; reestablishes American energy dominance by unleashing domestic production; secures the southern border and delivers much needed resources to carry out the President's immigration agenda. Furthermore, it restores the doctrine of securing peace through strength, and achieves historic spending reductions while protecting essential programs.
Specifically, the legislation will save the average American family $1,700 – the equivalent of 9 weeks of groceries; increase real annual take-home pay for a median-income household with two children by around $4,000 to $5,000; and raise annual real wages by about $2,100 to $3,300 per worker.
If this legislation does not become law, we will see the biggest tax hike in history with the average taxpayer in our district seeing a 26 percent tax hike. Also, approximately 60,950 families would see their child tax credit cut in half and more than 63,000 small businesses here locally would be hit with a 43.4% tax rate.
We cannot allow this to happen – families are already struggling under high costs. It is essential we honor our commitments and move this legislation as quickly as possible to deliver relief to hardworking Americans.
Dispelling Myths and Fake News: As referenced in this article, the level of fear-mongering and misinformation that has circulated about the reconciliation bill is truly disgusting. For example, we are not cutting Medicaid - we are cutting waste, fraud and abuse. The bill we passed makes no changes to Medicaid eligibility for children, seniors, disabled adults, pregnant and post-partum women. The only changes to Medicaid eligibility are to able bodied adults aged 19-64 (in states that expanded program eligibility) who are not willing to volunteer, work, or go to school for at least 20 hours per week. To be clear, Florida is not a Medicaid expansion state and therefore, no Floridian would even be impacted by this change. Also, we are enforcing the requirement that those who are in our country illegally cannot participate in federal benefit programs, like Medicaid. In a recent survey of my constituents, almost 80% of participants supported these reasonable changes.
I am proud that four of my commonsense provisions are advancing through the legislative process as part of this reconciliation package. Click here to learn more about my provisions.
Protecting Children and Victims of Digital Crime: I’m also proud President Trump signed the Take It Down Act into law last week. This new law criminalizes the publication of non-consensual, sexually exploitative images—including AI-generated deepfakes—and requires platforms to remove images within 48 hours of notice. Giving victims rights to flag non-consensual images and requiring social media companies to remove that content quickly is a pivotal and necessary change to the online landscape. And, by ensuring that AI-generated deep-fake content is included in these protections, Congress is showing its commitment to fighting 21st Century harms that are plaguing our children and grandchildren.
Helping and Honoring Our Heroes: Last week, a bipartisan group of colleagues and Veteran advocates who have co-sponsored my Major Richard Star Act rallied at the Capitol to help garner attention and increase support of this critical measure to rectify the injustice of concurrent receipt for more than 50,000 Medically-retired combat Veterans.
The Brooksville Post Office was also recently renamed to honor SPC Justin Dean Coleman who was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan. I was proud to honor the family’s request for the renaming in his memory. Click here to learn more.
Preparing for the Future: In last week’s Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee hearing, we discussed emerging issues in artificial intelligence technology and the work that must be done to ensure we harness the potential of this transformative technology. Burdensome and conflicting AI legislation stifles innovation and undermines the success of entrepreneurs. Europe is seeing the effects of their heavy-handed regulations, as they continue to fall further behind on cutting-edge technologies. We look forward to considering a pro-innovation agenda that encourages the development and deployment of AI at scale at home and supports U.S. AI leadership abroad. Click here to listen to my exchange with the panelists.
Removing Red Tape: Last week, we passed two measures that would nullify Biden-era rules that increased burdensome red tape in the financial and manufacturing sectors. H.J. Res. 31 would overturn the so called “Once-in, Always-in” rule finalized in the final months of the Biden-Harris Administration that imposed significant burdens on energy producers, manufacturers and small businesses and created a disincentive for them to reduce their air emissions. The “Once-in, Always-in” rule permanently classified industrial facilities as “major sources” of emissions under the Clean Air Act, even if they made considerable investments in order to reduce their emissions. Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act, businesses that emit more than 10 tons per year of one hazardous air pollutant (HAP) or 25 tons of a combination of HAPs are designated as “major sources” and subjected to strict and burdensome compliance requirements, while those that emit less are designated as “area sources” and are subject to more flexible requirements. In 2020, the Trump Administration revoked the “Once-in, Always-In” policy to allow major sources to re-designate as area sources if their technology standards proved a lower HAP footprint. Importantly, this provided businesses that had reduced their emissions below the major source threshold with more cost-effective regulations and provided more flexibility to Clean Air Act compliance requirements. The Biden-Harris Administration reversed course with a final rule in September 2024 that reimposed the “Once-in, Always-in” policy, requiring facilities that had reclassified as area sources to continue to comply with emission requirements that apply to major sources. By passing this nullification measure last week, House Republicans are standing up for the businesses and energy producers who have worked to reduce their emissions while continuing to serve American communities. Repealing this backward rule is part of our work to unleash American energy and ensure that government red tape does not stand in the way of creating jobs and growing our economy here at home.
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 presented my Extension of Remarks into the Congressional Record to the Mayor of Port Richey commemorating the city's 100th birthday. As we mark this centennial milestone, we celebrate not just 100 years of incorporation, but 100 years of history—of families who built their lives in the city, of leaders who shaped the city’s path, and of a community that has remained true to its values across generations.
My team also honored the service and sacrifice of local Purple Heart Veterans during this year's Purple Heart pinic in Citrus County.
Additionally, my team was privileged to participate in an Emancipation Day celebration ceremony at Chinsegut Hill Historic site in Hernando County.
Constituent Corner
My team recently received this message from a constituent after helping him navigate a problem he was experiencing with the Department of Defense.
I just want to thank Kristen and Joanne for their help in finally getting getting my payroll error corrected. After several frustrating months, it was such a relief to have someone helping me. Very grateful to be able to move forward!
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! |