Blog
On the Foreign Affairs Committee this week, we debated and advanced legislation that authorizes America’s Foreign Service which oversees all of America’s Foreign Service Officer programs carried out by the Department of State. It’s about restoring authority so that everyone—whether in Washington or across the globe—rows in the same direction. We’re making sure every diplomat and every dollar spent abroad put America first.
I also joined the Everglades Foundation for their annual meeting focused on the fight to restore the Everglades and stop Lake Okeechobee's discharges. During my first congressional campaign, I promised to take this fight to Congress, despite being told that our mission to send the water south was dead on arrival. Thankfully, we proved them all wrong and we keep proving them wrong. Today, the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir is not only under construction — it’s ahead of schedule and I was proud to stand at the construction site earlier this year. We still have work to do but I'm proud of the progress we’ve made on my day-one promise.
Last, and certainly not least, happy two hundred and fifty first birthday to the United States Army. To anyone who has ever worn the uniform: thank you for your service, and I am so proud to call you my brothers- and sisters-in-arms.
Every dollar stolen from a program meant for struggling families is a dollar that is stolen from the taxpayer, and worse, is a dollar that never reaches the people who need it most. Fraudsters shouldn't be able to get away with it, and states that can't protect taxpayer dollars shouldn't be trusted with them.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) spends $16.5 billion every year to help low-income families get back on their feet, and it’s one of the only federal programs that isn’t even required to measure improper payments.
Last year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the bulk of TANF spending operates with almost no financial guardrails, and one witness told the Ways and Means Committee the lack of oversight had created an environment that supports widespread fraud.
I joined House Republicans today to address all of this and pass the Preventing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in TANF Act.
We have pressing infrastructure issues within our communities that affect everything from our economy to our health. From toxic algae infecting waterways to our fight safeguarding one of America’s most diverse ecosystems and natural treasures, the Everglades, we know how interconnected our environment is with our way of life.
I serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for these reasons—it’s where I get to fight for what matters most for the Treasure Coast.
But today, I want to hear from you. What should I be fighting for when it comes to infrastructure in Florida’s 21st district?