Under the leadership of President Trump, Washington has come alive. From restoring common sense to our immigration policy to identifying waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal bureaucracy, Republicans are moving to end business as usual in Washington.
The President needs support from Congress to enact his agenda. My colleagues and I are committed to ensuring your taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and not supporting the efforts of America’s adversaries. Earlier this month, I introduced the Ending China’s Unfair Advantage Act to stop the flow of American taxpayer dollars to the Chinese Communist Party.
For far too long, American taxpayer money has been flowing to China through international environmental organizations, including the Montreal Protocol’s Multilateral Fund and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The United States is the largest contributor to the Montreal Protocol’s Multilateral Fund, giving almost $1 billion. China has benefitted disproportionately from this fund, receiving nearly $1.4 billion due to its status as a “developing nation.”
China is the world’s second-largest economy. It has no business benefiting from international trade and environmental policies designed to benefit developing nations. American taxpayers should not be sending their hard-earned money to organizations that underpin China’s unfair advantage on the world stage. The Ending China’s Unfair Advantage Act will stop the flow of American money to international organizations that allow China to exploit their rules.
I am committed to putting the American people in charge of their tax dollars and their property. That’s why I introduced the REPAIR Act at the beginning of the new Congress to put car and truck owners back in the driver’s seat.
Vehicles on America’s roadways generate a vast quantity of user data, including repair and maintenance information. American consumers deserve to have full control over their vehicle repair data to ensure they can work with the repair shop of their choosing at a reasonable price. Unfortunately, car manufacturers want to control who has access to that information, steering car and truck owners to their affiliated dealerships for repairs where prices are usually higher.
You own your vehicle, not the manufacturer. I have introduced the REPAIR Act to provide a binding, workable solution to anti-competitive behavior in the auto repair industry and reaffirm consumer control over their vehicle maintenance data. Whether you fix your vehicle yourself or work with a trusted independent repair shop, no one should stand in the way of accessing your car’s maintenance information. This legislation enjoys support from the more than 557,000 businesses nationwide, providing maintenance and repair services for the 295 million registered vehicles on American roadways.
Between these important legislative initiatives during the opening chapters of the new administration, I have been traveling around our district to hear from community leaders and address ongoing issues. Recently, I visited Keaton Beach with Acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton and Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie to survey the ongoing recovery effort after recent hurricanes battered the community.
After returning from Keaton Beach, I visited the VA Tallahassee Outpatient Clinic to meet with clinic staff and leaders to discuss the importance of strengthening benefits for our veterans. While in Tallahassee, I also met with student leaders and faculty from FSU’s Political Science department and participated in a roundtable discussion hosted by Americans for Prosperity to discuss the importance of extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which provided much-needed tax relief to working families. I am committed to engaging with my constituents throughout Northwest Florida to ensure Washington is listening to their concerns.
Serving as your voice in Washington is an honor, and I am always eager to hear from my constituents. If you have a comment about upcoming legislation or need assistance with a federal agency, please contact my office in Panama City at (850) 785-0812.
