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The U.S. House of Representatives today advanced legislation to help honor a local hero. H.R. 3953, Congressman Gus Bilirakis's legislation to designate the Elfer's post office as the "Private First Class Felton Roger Fussell Memorial Post Office," was passed by voice vote.

Today, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced that Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), vice chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, will deliver the Weekly Republican Address on Saturday, May 21. In the address, Rep. Bilirakis will discuss how the House is working to improve the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) and hold it accountable, like with legislation passed this week requiring the department to meet updated requirements to better help our nation's veterans.

This week the U.S. House of Representatives advanced legislation to help support our U.S. military and Veterans.

On Wednesday, the House advanced H.R. 4909, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), to advance vital funding and authorities for the United States Military.

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced legislation to further address the Zika virus. Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) released the following statement regarding the passing of this legislation:

"These bills will help us in our efforts to keep our nation safe," said Congressman Bilirakis. "In my district, we have had at least 4 confirmed cases of this virus. As we continue to learn more about the Zika virus, we must do all we can to proactively protect our communities."

The House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health today held a hearing to examine a recently proposed rule from CMS on its Part B Drug Payment Model. The proposed rule is a mandatory experiment, which would be conducted across the country. Members reviewed legislation which would block the proposal from advancing.

Today, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) appointed 21 House Republican lawmakers to serve on a bipartisan conference committee charged with producing final legislation to fight the nation's opioid epidemic. Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) has been appointed to represent the House on the conference committee on issues within the jurisdiction of the Veterans Affairs Committee.

Congressman Bilirakis released the following statement:

This week, the United States House of Representatives passed several bills to address drug abuse and addiction in the U.S.

"This epidemic affects families and communities across the nation," said Congressman Bilirakis. "But this issue is especially prevalent in our Veteran population, which is why I introduced the PROMISE Act to help address the many problems related to Veteran opioid use."

Molly P. is 30 years old and the mother of a little girl who just celebrated her first birthday. A former gymnast, she had her first knee surgery at 15. Her first painkiller followed immediately afterward.

Vicodin. Then another surgery and a prescription for Percocet. At 20, she was in a pain management clinic. It came with a script for Dilaudid. Ten years later, she is in a methadone treatment program run by Operation PAR.

"I am a gratefully recovering addict,'' she said. "It's a wonderful thing.''