NEWS FROM THE SECOND DISTRICTDear Friend, Last week, I shared that I held a roundtable discussion with sheriffs from throughout our district and representatives from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
Here are the biggest takeaways from the meeting: - We need to close our southern border. Fentanyl is shipped from China to Mexico, trafficked across our border, and distributed into our communities.
- We must develop more educational resources for students. Schools need resources to explain that your typical “gateway drugs,” such as marijuana or prescription drugs, could be laced with Fentanyl and immediately kill you.
- It’s time to prioritize the mental health crisis. We need more resources for treatment. County jails are running out of space for inmates because they are meant for career criminals and traffickers, not addicts.
- Narcan must be readily available to ALL law enforcement. Rural counties have limited access to Narcan. Our counties cannot afford to buy Narcan out of their own pockets. They need more grant funding.
Following the discussion, I introduced H.Res. 1327, a resolution to classify fentanyl-related substances as weapons of mass destruction. I will continue working with my colleagues to find sensible solutions that aid our law enforcement.
Please read about my week below:
Top Reads of the Week
A Recap of My Week
Updates from Agencies
Top Reads of the Week
FLORIDA DAILY: Florida Republicans Join House GOP Push for Accountability for Afghanistan Withdrawal
WTXL (TALLAHASSEE): Florida Department of Health expands access to naloxone
FOX NEWS: Emergency COVID money from early 2021 bill slow to be spent, goes to many non-COVID uses
A Recap of My Week
Catching Up with Local Leaders
It was great catching up with Lynn Haven Mayor Jesse Nelson and my friend Ross Clemons earlier this past week. Both men are exceptional leaders in our community. I’m glad we could catch up to discuss improvements and goals.
Meeting with the Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer's Association and some constituents of mine stopped by my Tallahassee office this past week to discuss some new legislation and their legislative priorities. This is an outstanding group and I’m grateful for their efforts to help those with Alzheimer’s.
Supporting Florida Foresters 
On Thursday, I spoke at the Florida Forestry Association’s Annual Meeting. Forests cover almost half of Florida, which makes our forestry industry a critical part of our state economy. Thank you all for inviting me to give an update on what’s going on in Washington and on our Hurricane Michael recovery efforts.
Letters I’ve Signed Onto
I recently joined a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the first anniversary of the Biden Administration’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. The letter includes questions about the administration’s mismanagement on every level of the withdrawal of troops and personnel from Afghanistan, including the fall of Kabul, and demands accountability and oversight for this abject failure.
I signed another letter to the Department of Defense urging them to reconsider the DOD-wide vaccine mandate. We should seek to strike a better balance between protecting our servicemembers’ health and our military’s readiness needs.
Updates From Agencies
SBA Assistance Available The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private nonprofit organizations that Sept. 19 is the filing deadline for federal economic injury disaster loans in Florida because of rain, winds, and Tropical Storm Elsa occurring July 7- 8, 2021.
Low-interest disaster loans are available in the counties of Alachua, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee, and Taylor in Florida.
Read more here.
IRS: National Preparedness Month September is National Preparedness Month. With the height of hurricane season fast approaching and the ongoing threat of wildfires in many places, the Internal Revenue Service urges everyone to develop an emergency preparedness plan, or if they already have one, update it for 2022. Everyone, from individuals to organizations and businesses, can start now by: - Securing and duplicating essential tax and financial documents.
- Creating lists of property.
- Knowing where to find information once a disaster occurs.
In the aftermath of a disaster, having updated documents and other information readily available can help victims apply for the relief available from the IRS and other agencies. Disaster assistance and emergency relief may help taxpayers and businesses recover financially from the impact of a disaster, especially when the federal government declares their location to be a major disaster area. Read more here.
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
| Constituent Casework Corner
When a constituent’s spouse passed away, they contacted the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to report it and have the healthcare coverage withholding adjusted. They contacted my office after months of no response from OPM and a lot of money erroneously withheld from their monthly benefit for their deceased spouse’s healthcare coverage. We worked with OPM to have the record updated and a refund check promptly issued to the constituent. Do you need help with a federal agency? Contact my office at 850-785-0812 or at www.dunn.house.gov
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