In Florida and across the country, Americans continue to feel the pressure of rising prescription drug costs. Too often, bad actors in the marketplace take advantage of monopolies, skyrocketing the price of lifesaving medication simply because there is little to no competition. We need to take thoughtful action, and avoid knee-jerk responses, to solve this issue affecting so many millions. Leveraging the power of the free market and incentivizing competition among drug makers will drive costs down -- not government mandates. 
 

Looking back on 2016, a turbulent year for sure in politics, we often saw the biggest rivalries and the loudest pundits take center stage. All along, my main focus was always working hard on behalf of Florida’s 12th District. We accomplished some important legislative wins for our communities, with 16 initiatives I wrote being signed into law this year.

Two years ago, I held a series of roundtable meetings in Lutz, Florida with physicians, advocates, patients, and families from our area to hear about the challenges of finding cures for the thousands of deadly and chronic diseases impacting millions of Americans. Diseases like cancer, ALS, Alzheimer’s, and the 7,000 rare conditions. These discussions were eye-opening to me. I got a true sense of how difficult it is to get new medicines to market, and how painful it can be for families desperate for treatment.

Each time I have the privilege of meeting the heroes who wore our nation’s uniform, I am reminded they represent the very best of America. From World War II and Korea to Vietnam and Iraq and Afghanistan, we would not be the nation we are today without those who served. 

I am proud to be a part of the Florida delegation, representing the great Sunshine State and its residents. Florida knows how to do travel and tourism right!

Many years ago, policymakers were concerned with managing a scarcity of energy resources following the energy crisis of the Carter administration.

In a remarkable turnaround, America now has a surplus of energy resources, most notably the shale gas, which has energized the industry.

We are in the middle of an American energy boom. Our future is bright if we can rein in overly-burdensome government regulations.

As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, my colleagues and I are working to quickly transform the scarcity mindset into a surplus approach.