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"The Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act provides a one-stop shop for our veterans, ensuring they have the resources they need to pursue a quality education, and ultimately, best position themselves for their future career goals," said Bilirakis. "As our veterans make the transition from the battlefield to civilian life, we must continue to make them a top priority, and I am proud our Veterans Service Organizations, educational institutions, and my colleagues in the House and Senate came together in support of this shared goal."

"I would like to thank my colleagues in both the House and Senate, especially Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Burr (R-NC), for their support of the Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act," said Congressman Bilirakis.

"Congress' passage of H.R. 4057 marks an important step to ensuring our veterans have the information they need to best use the educational benefits they earned in service to our country.

"Despite a dip in the unemployment rate, hundreds of thousands of Americans have given up looking for work. Today's jobs report is just one more example of the critical need for Congress to come together and find a long-term, bipartisan resolution to our country's economic problems. Millions of Americans continue to be unemployed, underemployed or have given up looking for work all-together, and U.S. businesses are uncertain about their future. The federal government has a spending problem, and it cannot continue to tax and spend its way out of this recession.

Bilirakis is the only Republican from Florida on the Committee in the 113th Congress.

The appointment was made by the Republican Steering Committee and is expected to be ratified in a pro-forma vote by the full House GOP conference before the start of the new session of Congress.

"I am humbled to have been selected for Energy and Commerce, and I want to thank Speaker Boehner, Chairman Upton and my colleagues in the House for providing me this opportunity and placing their trust in my ability to serve our state and country in this capacity," said Bilirakis.

"Today's United Nations General Assembly vote elevating Palestinian Authority-run "Palestine" to the status of a non-member observer state is both regretful and disheartening.? Unilateral actions by the Palestinian leadership do not contribute to a durable and lasting peace between the Palestinians and their neighbors.? A lasting solution to the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and the establishment of a Palestinian state, can only come through negotiations between the two principle parties.

"Experts have repeatedly noted that the threat of a WMD attack is real. We must work to ensure plans, medication and equipment are available to protect the public, including emergency response providers, in the event of an attack. The legislation passed by the House today recognizes the continued importance of ensuring medical preparedness activities remain allowable grant uses. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get this bill signed into law."