NEWS FROM THE SECOND DISTRICTDear Friend, On Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded to Congress for more assistance in Ukraine’s fight to protect their homeland from Vladimir Putin. Putin’s vicious attacks have already killed more than a hundred children. The Russian military also attacked civilians in a bread line AND a theatre sheltering over a thousand Ukrainians this past week. This is pure evil. America must send more aid to Ukraine and help President Zelensky stop this genocide.
We cannot continue to tiptoe around Putin - or any other bad actors, for that matter. The Biden administration has done that since day one, and it’s only empowered those who hate the very foundation our country was built on. We cannot cave to countries like Iran and Venezuela for oil and resources. We cannot enable those who are waiting to take advantage of this geopolitical situation. The respect of our adversaries and allies already declined following the failed exit from Afghanistan. Now more than ever, President Biden must show strong leadership and take a stand. 
I want to take a moment to honor the life of my friend and colleague Congressman Don Young. Earlier this week, I had the honor of attending a dinner with Don. I was regaled by his many stories and good company. He was sharp, humble, and entertaining right up to his last day on this earth. Capitol Hill will not be the same without Don's keen wit and wisdom. As the most senior member, Congressman Young experienced more history being made than anyone in the House. He was truly a star in the firmament and the sky will be dimmer without him.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family and the state of Alaska during this difficult time.
Please read about my week below:
What’s Happening on Capitol Hill
This Week in the District
Updates from Federal Agencies
What’s Happening on Capitol Hill
Bills I’m Cosponsoring
The Stop the Nosy Obsession with Online Payments (SNOOP) Act - This bill would strike the provision in the American Rescue Plan Act that requires small businesses, especially gig workers, to provide their personal information to the IRS. This provision - which is now law -requires third-party payment platforms (Paypal, Venmo, Zelle, etc.) to report businesses’ gross transaction volumes totaling more than $600 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This legislation would repeal this new reporting modification and bring it back to previous reporting requirements – where payment providers were only required to report information when a payee had over 200 commercial transactions per year that exceeded $20,000.
Letters I’ve Signed Onto
This past week, I signed onto a letter led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Michael McCaul to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. The letter calls on the Biden administration to tighten export controls on items such as genetic samples, DNA sequencing instruments, and other software and semiconductor chips. The letter also urges the administration to use existing government frameworks that will protect your health data from bad actors like the Chinese Communist Party.
I also signed a letter to President Biden regarding his administration’s decision to release Alexei Burkov, a high-profile Russian cybercriminal into Russian custody on August 25, 2021. The letter highlights the history of Russian cyberattacks and the need to be stronger on a world stage due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Biden administration must justify this reckless decision at a briefing before all Members of Congress.
This Week in the District
PCB Mayor & Family Visit D.C.
Panama City Beach Mayor Mark Sheldon and his family stopped by my Capitol Hill office during their Spring Break trip to Washington, D.C. During his visit, we took the time to catch up and discuss the local economy and new developments. Thank you all for visiting with me! I love seeing familiar faces in Washington!
Meeting with the City of Ocala
The City of Ocala also stopped by on Tuesday to discuss the city’s COVID recovery, as well as their transportation and infrastructure needs - including broadband expansion. Thank you all for taking the time to visit me in Washington, and I look forward to visiting your area soon!
SATURDAY - U.S. Military Service Academy Day
I’m hosting a United States Military Service Academy Day for students in Florida’s Second Congressional District. Informational sessions will be held in Columbia, Leon, and Bay counties on Saturday, March 26th, 2022. High school and eighth-grade students who are interested in attending a service academy are invited to come, along with their parents. Click here for more details.
Updates From Federal Agencies
VA: Hours of Operations Update for Tallahassee
The Clinical Access Unit (CAU) at the Sergeant Ernest I. “Boots” Thomas VA Clinic (2181 East Orange Ave., Tallahassee, Florida) expanded hours of operation daily to include Saturdays. The improved access to the CAU provides eligible Veterans with convenient access to urgent care services to meet Veterans’ acute medical needs on a walk-in basis. See hours of operation here.
Updated Passport Services and Processing Times
The State Department recently made some changes to passport services and issued updated processing times. Click here for more info.
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
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