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As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications, Gus is responsible for oversight of FEMA, emergency grant programs, communication during emergency situations, and disaster response and recovery efforts. This includes bioterrorism preparedness and assessing medical countermeasures.
On Oct. 5, the Suncoast News highlighted some of the efforts Gus has taken to address bioterrorism and medical countermeasures.
"It is extremely troubling that the United States government would willfully allow weapons to be acquired by dangerous criminal and drug trafficking organizations," said Bilirakis, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee. "It is also very disturbing to find out that Attorney General Holder and the Obama Administration might have known about this program."
H.R. 2401, the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation (TRAIN) Act, would help prevent burdensome regulations that leave businesses hanging on by a thread. The act would evaluate how various regulations proposed or implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would impact the economy.
"We must stand by Israel during this tumultuous time in the Middle East and insist on a resolution that allows Israel to exist in peace as a Jewish state. Any two-state solution must be one that requires Hamas to renounce violence, accept Israel's right to exist, and accept prior agreements made by the Palestinians.
After reports that gun walking programs may have existed throughout the country, and possibly in the Tampa area, Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-09) began questioning the involvement and intent of this flawed and dangerous program.
"As the Palestinian Authority is on the threshold of making a unilateral declaration of statehood before the UN, it is even more important that the United States reexamines its foreign assistance to the PA, particularly during these devastating economic times," Bilirakis said.
Bilirakis specifically addressed the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, whose stated goal since its inception in 1950 has been to essentially keep the Palestinian people in a refugee status. The U. S. has already wasted $4 billion in aid on this agency.
The House Homeland Security Committee held a hearing on Tuesday titled "Ten Years after 9/11: Can Terrorists Still Exploit our Visa System?", and Gus was invited to discuss the need to strengthen the student visa screening process (Read about Gus' bill to do this here).
Gus spoke today at a FEMA conference called "Getting Real II: Inclusive Emergency Management for the Whole Community" about the need for communities to improve the way they prepare for, respond to, recover from and mitigate the impact of disasters. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communication, Gus has made it a priority to ensure that communities are prepared to help all people during an emergency.
In August, the President bypassed Congress and announced the administration would only deport illegal aliens who pose a threat or are criminals, allowing thousands and perhaps millions of illegal residents to remain in the U.S.
"While we choose to honor the sacrifices and tragedy of September 11th with solemnity today, we also celebrate who we are as a Nation. We celebrate our republic. We celebrate liberty. America was targeted because we are the embodiment of freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep us from continuing to live that way.
"As evidenced by the credible but unconfirmed threat on this 9/11 anniversary, we must remain vigilant and aware of those who pose a threat against the United States. There is still more that can be done.