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Dear Neighbor,
Last week was another productive one in Congress as we advanced legislation to strengthen our national security, improve access to lifesaving health care, protect consumers, support our Veterans, combat the opioid epidemic, and deliver important wins for Florida families and businesses. I was proud to see several of my bipartisan legislative priorities move forward, including my Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act pass out of the House and two public safety bills advance through committee. From passing the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act to supporting Florida's citrus industry and fighting to keep electricity costs affordable, I remain focused on delivering commonsense solutions that improve the lives of the people of Florida's 12th Congressional District. Continue reading to learn more about my work on your behalf last week.
Protecting Consumers: Safe products and transparent marketplaces are essential components of a strong and vibrant economy. Consumers deserve confidence that the products they purchase are safe, that businesses are competing fairly, and that bad actors who engage in fraud or deceptive practices are held accountable. During last week’s Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee hearing, we examined important legislation focused on empowering consumers, strengthening protections, combating unfair and deceptive practices, and advancing product safety standards. As Chairman of the Subcommittee, I am committed to ensuring our laws keep pace with evolving threats and continue to protect hardworking Americans from dangerous products, fraudulent schemes, and other consumer harms. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance commonsense solutions that promote fairness, accountability, and a marketplace where consumers and businesses can thrive. Click here to learn more.
Also, Florida families should not see higher electric bills because of the growing demand from large data centers. That's why I proudly supported the Ratepayer Protection Act in the Energy and Commerce Committee last week. While data center placement is largely governed by local governments, this bill will help ensure the costs of new energy demand are borne by those creating it, not hardworking ratepayers. I look forward to voting for this important legislation on the House Floor!
I also had the opportunity to tour Citibank in Tampa and meet with employees to discuss how they are leveraging cutting edge artificial intelligence to strengthen cybersecurity, safeguard sensitive customer information, and combat increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes. It was encouraging to see firsthand how innovation is helping protect consumers while enhancing the security and resilience of our financial system. As technology continues to evolve, we must ensure America remains at the forefront of innovation while protecting hardworking families and businesses from emerging threats.
Ensuring Access to Quality Healthcare and Cutting Edge Technology: Last week, my Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2025 passed the House, marking an important step forward in ensuring patients with life threatening diseases continue to have access to lifesaving stem cell and bone marrow transplants. This legislation reauthorizes the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program, a nationally recognized initiative that has helped save thousands of lives by connecting patients with matching bone marrow and cord blood donors. The program expands donor registrations, strengthens the nationwide matching and distribution network, supports cutting edge research, and provides critical education and resources for patients and families navigating the transplant process. For individuals battling leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell disease, and other serious blood disorders, a successful transplant can mean the difference between life and death. I am proud to lead this bipartisan effort to ensure this proven, lifesaving program continues to provide hope and second chances to patients across the country. Click here to learn more.
I also appreciated the opportunity to help coordinate a health care briefing on Capitol Hill hosted by the Governor of Puerto Rico, my friend Jenniffer González Colón, focused on the unique health care challenges and needs facing Americans living in Puerto Rico. Ensuring access to affordable, high quality health care is a priority we must continue to advance for all Americans, regardless of where they live. Puerto Rico’s residents deserve a health care system that provides reliable access to quality providers, innovative treatments, and the resources necessary to support healthy communities. I look forward to continuing to work with Governor Colón González and my colleagues in Congress to address these challenges and ensure every American has access to the care they need.
Additionally, I was proud to support several important bipartisan health care initiatives that passed the House last week. These commonsense measures will strengthen medical research, improve access to care, expand treatment options for patients, and help ensure better health outcomes for families across Florida and our nation.
Ditching the Switch: The House recently passed bipartisan legislation to finally end the outdated practice of changing the clocks twice a year. Making Daylight Saving Time permanent is a commonsense reform my constituents have consistently told me is long overdue. This change would provide greater certainty for families, businesses, and communities while eliminating the unnecessary disruption that comes with switching the clocks every spring and fall. The bill now awaits final action in the Senate, and I remain hopeful we can get this across the finish line once and for all. Click here to learn more.
Supporting Innovation and Encouraging Future Leaders: It was great to meet with the President of the University of South Florida, Dr. Moez Limayem, last week and discuss the important role USF continues to play in advancing innovation, workforce development, and economic growth across our region. USF is a tremendous asset to Florida, preparing the next generation of leaders, supporting cutting edge research, and strengthening partnerships that benefit students, families, and communities throughout our state. I appreciate the opportunity to hear more about USF’s priorities and look forward to continuing to support the university’s efforts to expand opportunity and excellence in higher education.
It was also an honor to present a Girl Scout Troop from Florida's 12th District with Edith Macy Pins during their visit to Washington, D.C. last week. It was a pleasure to recognize these outstanding young women and celebrate their commitment to leadership, service, and making a positive impact in their communities. The Girl Scouts have a proud tradition of empowering girls to develop confidence, courage, and character, and it was wonderful to see those values reflected in this troop. I enjoyed hearing about their experiences, accomplishments, and aspirations, and I hope their time in our nation’s capital was both educational and inspiring. Congratulations to these Scouts, and thank you for representing your community with such enthusiasm and dedication.
Saving Lives: Last week, two bipartisan bills I co-authored that will help save lives and protect our communities advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, marking an important step forward in our efforts to address some of the most pressing public health and safety challenges facing Americans today. The first, the Helping Educators Respond to Overdoses (HERO) Act, recognizes what we already know: our educators are heroes in our communities. Every day, teachers, administrators, and school staff work tirelessly to protect and support our children. This legislation builds on that commitment by giving them the tools they need to recognize the signs of an overdose, respond quickly, and potentially save a life. I am proud to lead this commonsense, bipartisan legislation alongside my friend and colleague, Dr. Ruiz. By providing schools with the training, resources, and confidence needed to respond during an emergency, we can better protect students, support our educators, and strengthen communities. Every life saved is a victory, and the HERO Act ensures our schools are prepared when every second counts.
The second bill, the bipartisan Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, takes on the growing threat of illicit xylazine use while protecting the legitimate needs of veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers. This legislation has earned bipartisan support in both the House and Senate because it strikes the right balance between giving law enforcement the tools they need to combat dangerous drug trafficking and ensuring continued access for those who rely on xylazine for animal care. Xylazine, commonly known as “tranq,” is a veterinary tranquilizer that has increasingly been diverted and used as a low-cost cutting agent in the illicit fentanyl supply. When combined with fentanyl and other dangerous substances, xylazine is contributing to devastating overdoses and putting more lives at risk. The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act would schedule xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act while safeguarding its appropriate use in veterinary medicine. The bill would help law enforcement target traffickers and illicit manufacturers while ensuring veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers can continue using xylazine safely and responsibly to treat animals. Our country is facing a drug epidemic that has devastated families and communities across America. Our goal is to save lives and ensure law enforcement has the tools they need to go after those who are making and distributing these deadly substances that are harming so many of our neighbors. At the same time, we must protect access for veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers who rely on xylazine for legitimate purposes. This legislation strikes the right balance by addressing the illicit use of this dangerous drug while preserving its critical role in animal care. The bill is supported by 39 state attorneys general, leading law enforcement organizations, and veterinary groups across the country.
Advancing these two bipartisan measures out of committee represents meaningful progress toward protecting our communities, supporting those on the front lines, and saving lives.
Strengthening our National Security: Last week, the House passed the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, reaffirming our commitment to the brave men and women who wear the uniform and ensuring America's military remains the strongest, most capable fighting force in the world. This legislation helps rebuild the Arsenal of Freedom by authorizing the investments needed to expand domestic defense production, replenish critical weapons stockpiles, modernize our shipyards, strengthen the defense industrial base, grow the skilled workforce, and create thousands of high paying American jobs. The bill also advances a peace through strength strategy by strengthening our nuclear deterrent and missile defense capabilities, accelerating the development of next generation technologies such as hypersonics, quantum computing, and autonomous systems, and ensuring our military is prepared to deter aggression from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and other emerging threats.
Just as importantly, this legislation delivers for our servicemembers and their families. It provides a 5 percent to 7 percent pay raise for every member of the Armed Forces while making meaningful investments to improve military housing, expand access to child care, strengthen educational opportunities, and enhance overall quality of life for those who sacrifice so much on behalf of our nation. The NDAA also takes important steps to improve accountability at the Department of Defense by eliminating nearly $30 billion in wasteful spending, strengthening safeguards against fraud, and advancing efforts to achieve a clean audit. At the same time, it ensures our military remains focused on its core mission of defending our nation and maintaining unmatched readiness and lethality. Peace through strength begins with the ability to build, innovate, and outpace our adversaries. America cannot depend on foreign competitors for the materials, technology, and manufacturing capacity needed to defend our nation. This legislation strengthens our domestic industrial base, supports American workers and businesses, and ensures our servicemembers have the training, equipment, and capabilities they need to confront the most dangerous security environment our nation has faced in decades. Our men and women in uniform deserve nothing less.
Supporting Small Business Investment: The Main Street Capital Access Act also passed the House last week. It revitalizes local bank formation and ensures that community lenders can focus on serving families, small businesses, and local economies, making life more affordable for Americans and empowering Main Street. Enacting the Main Street Capital Access Act will keep community banks strong by cutting unnecessary red tape, expanding access to funding, promoting competition, and helping them make more loans to families and small businesses.
Fighting for Our Heroes: It was a privilege to celebrate the long awaited groundbreaking of Citrus County’s new VA outpatient clinic, a significant milestone for our local Veterans and their families. This state of the art facility was made possible through funding secured as part of the PACT Act and represents a major step forward in ensuring Veterans have access to the high quality health care services they have earned and deserve. For too long, many Veterans in Citrus County have had to travel long distances to receive the care they need. This new clinic will bring critical services closer to home, making it easier and more convenient for Veterans to access the support and treatment they have earned through their service. I am grateful to the Veterans, community leaders, and VA partners who helped make this project a reality. Our nation made a promise to care for those who have defended our freedoms, and this new facility is a powerful reminder that we must always honor and keep that commitment.
Delivering for Florida Citrus Growers: Last week saw great news for Florida's citrus industry! The FDA has finalized a rule modernizing the Standard of Identity for pasteurized orange juice by updating the minimum Brix requirement, a commonsense, science-based change that reflects the realities facing our citrus growers while maintaining the high-quality orange juice consumers expect. As Co-Lead of the bipartisan Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act, I've been proud to champion this effort in Congress. Florida's citrus producers have overcome tremendous challenges, including citrus greening and devastating hurricanes, and this updated standard helps ensure they can remain competitive without compromising quality. This is an important win for Florida's growers, processors, workers, and consumers. I'll continue fighting to protect our state's iconic citrus industry and the families whose livelihoods depend on it.
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 recently attended a hurricane preparedness meeting at the Land O’ Lakes Senior Center to help ensure our community is informed, prepared, and ready ahead of the upcoming storm season. Preparedness is key to protecting our families, homes, and neighborhoods. These important conversations provide residents with valuable information about emergency planning, evacuation resources, storm safety, and the steps they can take now to be ready before severe weather strikes. I appreciate the local leaders, emergency management professionals, and community partners who continue to work together to keep our residents safe and informed. Taking the time to prepare today can make all the difference when a storm approaches.
My team also attended the University of South Florida’s annual STEM Conference, bringing together students from across the region to explore opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It was inspiring to see so many young students engaged in hands on learning, connecting with educators and industry leaders, and discovering the possibilities available through STEM education. Developing the next generation of innovators, researchers, and problem solvers is critical to maintaining America’s competitiveness and strengthening our workforce. I appreciate USF’s continued commitment to expanding STEM opportunities and inspiring students to pursue careers that will shape the future. Encouraging curiosity, creativity, and innovation today will help prepare tomorrow’s leaders.
Additionally, my team was proud to attend the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Luncheon, celebrating the incredible contributions of women leaders throughout our community. Events like this provide an important opportunity to recognize the achievements, dedication, and leadership of women who are helping drive economic growth, strengthen our communities, and inspire the next generation of leaders. It was wonderful to see so many accomplished professionals, entrepreneurs, and community advocates come together to share their experiences and support one another.
I appreciate the Greater Pasco Chamber’s continued efforts to create opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and leadership development throughout Pasco County.
Constituent Corner
We recently received this message from a constituent after my team helped her with an IRS problem she had experienced.
I want to thank your staff for their kindness and compassion when I reached out for help in the aftermath of my husband's death. Our bank had temporarily frozen our account when my husband passed unexpectedly. This caused our joint tax return to be returned to the IRS. With all I had to navigate in dealing with my husband's death - it was so helpful to be able to call your staff and have someone reach out to the IRS on my behalf to have a new check issued. I'll always remember your kindness.
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. Also, if you are planning a trip to Washington, DC please let us know 90 days in advance so we can help make the most of your visit. We are here to serve you! |