After the devastation his district suffered when Hurricane Michael hit in October, a North Florida congressman has offered a proposal to help the federal government respond to disasters. 

Last week, U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., brought out the “Streamlining the Official Response and Monetary Aid for Disasters Act” (STORM Aid for Disasters Act). 

Dunn’s proposal would have federal agencies send reports to Congress and the Office of Management of Budget after the White House issues major disaster declarations. 

Florida’s two U.S. senators have teamed up in the latest effort to allow Canadians to stay longer in the United States. 

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., brought out the “Canadian Snowbirds Act” this week with U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., R-Fla., cosponsoring it. The bill would add two extra months to the 182 days that retired Canadians who are 50 and older can stay in the United States each year. 

A Florida congressman is pushing the federal government to be ready for extreme-weather events and create best practices for various agencies and departments to follow--and he wants them to follow reforms enacted in Tallahassee.  

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the co-chairman of the  Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) and a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, continued to push his “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act” on Capitol Hill this week. 

U.S. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is backing an effort to make permanent one of the tax cuts championed by President Donald Trump in 2017. 

This week, Scott threw his support behind U.S. Sen. Martha McSally’s, R-Ariz., “Child Tax Credit Expansion Act.” Other supporters in the Senate include U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., and U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. 

Scott weighed in on why he was backing McSally’s proposal and pointed to his record cutting taxes during his two terms in Tallahassee.  

Fresh off getting a bill through the U.S. House to ban drilling off the Florida coast, U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla., has a new perch to push his environmental agenda. 

Back in July, Rooney joined the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. On Monday, Rooney announced he was joining the committee’s U.S. House Environment Subcommittee. 

U.S. Rep Frank Lucas, R-Ok., who leads Republicans on the committee, praised Rooney on Monday. 

With America seeing the highest number of suicides since World War II, a congressman from the Sunshine State is backing a proposal to create a universal suicide prevention hotline. 

Last month, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, brought out the “National Suicide Hotline Designation Act.” The bill would designate “9-8-8” as a universal telephone number for the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system, which is run by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Veteran’s Crisis Line.

Last week, Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee received almost $3.4 million in federal funds to continue studies on oceans and coastal communities. 

The $3.36 million in federal monies represents the fourth part of a five-year grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Educational Partnership Program to support FAMU’s Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems (CCME).

FAMU President Larry Robinson is the CCME’s director and principal investigator and he noted the Center has provided more than 75 scholarships since 2016. 

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., one of the top Republicans on the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee, is seeing his proposal to expand dental care to veterans see some movement on Capitol Hill. 

Back in May, Bilirakis reintroduced the “Veterans Early Treatment for Chronic Ailment Resurgence through Examinations (VET CARE) Act”  which would expand dental care for veterans and create a four year pilot program. Currently, only fully disabled veterans or those with service related injuries get dental benefits through the VA. 

A congressman from the Sunshine State wants the federal government to change how it classifies marijuana. 

Freshman U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., brought out the “Marijuana 1-to-3 Act” last week. 

The bill will have the U.S. attorney general to change the Controlled Substances Act and reclassify marijuana from a schedule I controlled substance to a schedule III controlled substance. 

When he showcased the bill on Thursday, Steube insisted his legislation, if enacted, will ensure there is more research on marijuana.