Blog
Our veterans have fought hard to protect our nation, and we should fight just as hard for them when they get home. However, far too often, veterans aren’t provided the support they need to successfully transition back into the civilian workforce, and many are left behind as they struggle with obstacles like post-traumatic stress. That’s why, this week, we passed two bills to increase VA staff for programs that support returning veterans:
115 people die every day in the United States as a result of the opioid epidemic. Clearly, more must be done to save lives. That’s why, so far this week, we’ve passed 25 bipartisan bills to secure resources and support to reverse this horrific crisis. Read more:
It is unacceptable that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would discharge massive amounts of water into our community without knowing whether the water was safe. That's why I'm calling on them to immediately cease the discharges until they can prove that the water is safe!
The Army Corps’ discharges from Lake Okeechobee — which started again last week — are unacceptable. Our community cannot afford more devastation. We cannot afford a status quo that prioritizes everyone else’s interests over ours.
This week we were able to make big progress on a number of top priorities, including our water issues, efforts to stop Brightline, help for veterans and national defense. Read about some of what we got done that you might not have heard about on the news.
I have good news: Congress has heard our pleas, and water infrastructure leaders have now committed to authorizing the EAA southern storage reservoir this year once the Army Corps completes their review. We also secured several big wins for our local water in the Water Resources and Development Act.
This is my first week as a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. In this new role, I’ll have an even louder voice to advocate for veterans in our community and around the country. Building on our passage of the VA MISSION Act last week, the House just passed more than a dozen bills to continue the momentum toward improving care.
Every day, law enforcement officials across the country put their lives on the line to enforce the rule of law and serve justice around our communities. Last year, 135 police officers lost their lives in the line of duty, including 9 in the state of Florida alone. This National Police Week, we honor those fallen heroes and recognize the service of police officers in our communities. This week we passed a series of bills to support our law enforcement community’s efforts.
In addition to the bills we passed to help police, this week was also a big one for our work for veterans. We passed the VA MISSION Act to increase choice and improve care. And, I also had the honor of being named to join the Veterans Affairs Committee.
Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. That’s why it’s critical that we empower aspiring business owners with tools and resources they can use to thrive. This week we passed several bills to do exactly that.