A Florida congressman has brought out a proposal to reform the federal tax code to allow more incentives for charitable donations. 

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., who sits on the U.S. Ways and Means Committee, unveiled the “Everyday Philanthropist Act” last week. The bill creates Flexible Giving Accounts (FGAs) to allow employees to designate up to $2,700 annually to the charities of their choice without having to pay taxes on those funds. 

Two veterinarians currently serving in Congress scored a win last week on a bill banning horse soring. 

Back in 2013, U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Oreg., paired up to introduce the “Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act.” Yoho’s and Schrader’s bill would amend the Horse Protection Act of 1970 to end horse soring. 

House Veterans Affairs Committee member Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., this week had his proposal to expand the Fry Scholarships pass the House. This is the Bilirakis proposal that applies to survivors of National Guard and Reserve members who served in recent operations and died of service-related causes while not on active duty. 

“The Fry Scholarship provides Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the children and surviving spouses of servicemembers who died in the line of duty while on active duty after September 10, 2001,” Bilirakis’ office explained. 

A Florida congresswoman is continuing her fight to crack down on online booking scams. 

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is pairing up with a South Florida Democrat on a proposal to help the Coast Guard clear its infrastructure backlog.

Rubio and U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, brought out the “Coast Guard Shore Infrastructure Improvement Act” this week. 

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., who sits on the  U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee, got his bill expanding U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) housing grants to the most severely disabled veterans through the U.S. House this week. 

At the end of last month, Bilirakis, who had been the vice-chairman of the committee when the GOP controlled the U.S. House, brought out the “Ryan Kules Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act.”  

Members of Congress can't walk into illegal-immigrant detention centers unannounced, so Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz is fighting back with a bill that would reverse that.

On Tuesday -- a day after she filed it -- the South Florida congresswoman showcased her  “Help Oversee, Manage and Evaluate Safe Treatment and Ensure Access without Delay (HOMESTEAD) Act.”

Still buoyed by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team's overwhelming World Cup win this summer on soccer's biggest stage, two Florida Democrats are continuing their push for the team to be paid on an equal footing with the men's team. 

Last week, U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., introduced the “Athletics Fair Pay Act," which would ensure equal pay for all Olympic and amateur athletes. U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., is cosponsoring the bill.  

The bill is being championed in the upper chamber by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and U.S. Rep. Patty Murray, D-Wash. 

Two members of the Florida delegation -- Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and Democratic U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson -- are working with a pair of hopefuls for the Democratic presidential nomination on a proposal to establish a federal  Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys. 

Rubio announced he was working with U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., on the proposal to create the commission which would be under the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ Office and “would recommend policies to improve current government programs.” 

A Florida congressman is backing a proposal to reform how the federal government reviews its efforts against illegal drugs.