Dear friend, 

I am heartened by the strong economic news across America, including record low unemployment, higher wage growth and a record number of new businesses. Yet, in Florida, high property insurance premiums and electric bills have me more focused than ever on ways to help you save money. House Republicans could do more as well rather than lurch from one self-inflicted crisis to the next while pushing abortion bans and baseless political stunts. Democrats voted to pass a third Continuing Resolution (CR) yesterday that avoids a costly government shutdown. Shutdown threats and months of obstruction by extreme MAGA Republicans in the House have been a hallmark of a year of chaos in the House.

House Democrats continue to put People Over Politics to deliver for the American people to lower costs, grow the middle class and build safer, healthier communities. Read more here.

This week in my Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee we debated solutions for border security and immigration reform. I strongly support the significant new border security funding proposals requested by President Biden and tough but fair pathways to citizenship and work. A bipartisan group of Senators are hammering out a package of reforms, but House Republicans have rejected it before it’s even been made public. They think the chaos benefits them politically and would rather demagogue the issue then fix the problem.

Student-athletes now have the right to benefit financially from their Name, Image, and Likeness, but fraudsters and overzealous boosters have created a lot of new problems in college sports. We’re looking for a path forward that protects the best interests of students, adheres to Title IX and builds a fairer system for all. View one of my questions at the Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee Hearing: "NIL Playbook: Proposal to Protect Student Athletes' Dealmaking Rights" here.

Over in the Energy Subcommittee, we considered a bill to reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) pipeline safety framework. PHMSA regulates an expansive network of about 3.4 million miles of natural gas pipelines across the U.S. This is a challenging job for a historically underfunded agency, given the dangers of sending natural gas — a highly flammable and toxic substance — through aging pipes into our homes and businesses. Since 2010, there have been well over 3,000 significant gas leaks, and 390 explosions that injured 725 and killed 163 people. Republicans allowed PHMSA’s reauthorization to expire months ago without taking any action.

The spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is alive & well in the Tampa Bay area. Check out some photos from the celebrations I attended around FL-14, including the annual Interfaith service where I was humbled to receive the Robert Saunders award, named for the great civil rights and equal opportunity advocate. Let the legacy of Dr. King inspire us all to create working for peace and equal rights for all!

As always, you can call my office at (813) 871-2817 or (727) 369-0201.

I hope to see you soon!