Monday, December 16, 2019

FLORIDA - REP NEAL DUNN- DISPATCH

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NEWS FROM THE SECOND DISTRICT

Dear Friend,
This week, the House Democrats held impeachment hearings in the House Judiciary Committee and passed Articles of Impeachment for consideration by the full House. While they continued to waste our time, we were finally able to pass the National Defense Authorization Act and the House Republicans offered H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act. I proudly supported both of these measures, and also had the opportunity to spend time with our foresters and discuss local issues with the Mayor of Inglis. As we move into the next week and the holiday season, we think about our neighbors in the Pensacola community and both their sadness and strength following the tragedy at the Naval Air Station.

Please read about my week below:


Impeachment UpdateDemocrats are moving forward with their impeachment witch hunt, as this week, they voted to pass articles of impeachment out of the House Judiciary Committee addressing what they claim are an "abuse of power" and "obstruction of Congress" by President Trump. However, there has been no evidence revealed in the weeks spent on this inquiry demonstrating that the President did either of those things. Ironically, it is the democrats who have been abusing their power and obstructing Congress. They continue to use our time on an unfair, baseless, partisan attack on the President instead of working to solve the real issues that Americans care about and are affected by in their everyday lives, such as lowering drug prices and funding our government.
National Defense Authorization ActOn Wednesday, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). While the passage of this vital legislation to support our military is long overdue, I am pleased that we could get this done before Christmas. It also gives certainty to the Panhandle that Tyndall Air Force Base will be fully rebuilt and includes my legislation requiring the Secretary of Defense to provide a report to Congress on the future of Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Defense. No one suffers the consequences of a divided Congress more than our men and women in uniform who work hard and put their lives at stake while being forced to work with outdated equipment and technology. This important legislation works to reverse years of underfunding. Please read my statement on the NDAA here.

Helping Our State Foresters
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This Thursday, I was honored to accept the National Association of State Forester's (NASF) Bernard L. Orell Award. This award is presented periodically to a deserving representative of Congress who has made significant contributions to state and private forestry. After Hurricane Michael hit our district, I made it a priority to help our timber farmers and forest landowners recover from the loss of 72 million tons of timber that were destroyed. I worked with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny
Perdue and Senator Marco Rubio to provide disaster assistance payments for timber farmers. This has allowed our timber farmers to apply for timber loss payments after natural disasters like Hurricane Michael wipe out this valuable commodity. Many thanks to NASF President Greg Josten and Florida State Forester Jim Karels for their support and leadership on timber issues that impact so many of our lives. 


H.R. 19, The Lower Costs, More Cures ActAs a surgeon with more than 30 years of experience, I understand first-hand the challenges in our health care system – including the prohibitive high costs of prescription drugs. We must enact reforms to lower the costs of prescription drugs, while being careful to not endanger Americans’ access to innovative, life-saving medicines. Unfortunately, the legislation offered by House Democrats this week is not the answer to this issue – it will inevitably lead to less access to desperately needed medicines for chronic diseases and fewer cures for patients. That is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act. H.R. 19 is a bill which includes bipartisan initiatives to encourage innovation of new medicines to cure chronic diseases, promote more low-cost options for patients, and increase transparency with drug pricing.

Meeting with Mayor Drinda Merritt
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I had the pleasure of meeting with the Mayor of Inglis, Drinda Merritt. Mayor Merritt and I discussed challenges associated with the city's septic to sewer conversion, general infrastructure improvements, and future development in Inglis and the Big Bend. Thank you, Mayor Merritt, for the great conversation.

Moment of Silence for Naval Air Station Pensacola 
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This week, I joined fellow representatives in a moment of silence for the victims of the tragic shooting at the Naval Air Station Pensacola. We are praying for all who were affected by this tragedy. Violence of any kind is never acceptable. Thank you to our first responders, law enforcement, and the U.S. Navy for your quick response. Your bravery saved countless lives.


Thank you for your continued energy and enthusiasm, as reflected in your letters and Facebook posts. If you haven’t already, LIKE my Facebook page. You can also follow me on Twitter @DrNealDunnFL2.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in Congress!

Sincerely,

Dr. Neal Dunn
Member of Congress
 
IN THE NEWS

Constituent Casework Corner
While waiting to receive their Permanent Resident Card, also referred to as a Green Card, a constituent’s father was diagnosed with a terminal illness. After the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) denied their I-131, Application for Travel Document, which would allow them to visit their father overseas, the constituent contacted my office. We were able to work with USCIS and provide the documentation they needed to have the I-131 approved. The constituent made it back to their home country just in time to say their goodbyes to their father.

      
SSA Notice
Have you been receiving scam calls from people claiming to be from the Social Security Administration? The #1 type of fraud being reported is scam phone calls in which callers mislead their victim into making Social Security payments to avoid arrest. If you receive a call indicating that there is a problem with your SSN or account:
1) Hang up the phone
2) DO NOT the provide the caller with money or personal information
3) Report the call here.






Do you need help with a federal agency? Contact my office at 850-785-0812 or at www.dunn.house.gov

 Washington D.C. Office316 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Tel: (202) 225-5235
Fax: (202) 225-5615
Panama City Office840 W. 11th St. Suite 2250
Panama City, FL 32401
Tel: (850) 785-0812
Fax: (850) 763-3764
 Tallahassee Office300 South Adams Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Tel: (850) 891-8610
Fax: (850) 891-8620

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