WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, issued the following news release on July 30: This morning, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully launched the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Perseverance's main objective while on Mars is to search for evidence of ancient life and collect geological samples for a future  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Congressman Vern Buchanan co-sponsored legislation to expand health coverage to veterans exposed to the toxic chemical Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The Keeping Our Promises Act would add nine more diseases to the list of conditions presumed to be caused by exposure to Agent Orange. The conditions joining the list include: prostate cancer, bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, hypertension, stroke, early-  more

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida, July 31 -- Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Charlie Crist (D-FL) announced a $4,887,500 grant to the University of South Florida (USF) from the U.S. Department of Transportation to research and reduce traffic congestion. USF is the lead university in the National Institute for Congestion Reduction program and is home to the only center focused on traffic congestion relief in the nation. "Traffic in our region calls f  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio, issued the following news release: Congressman Bob Gibbs introduced the Stop Pilfering Everyone's Paycheck Protection for Election Results (PEPPER) Act, a bill to require any political organization that received a loan through the CARES Act's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to return the loan to the federal government. Recent reports showed the Florida and Ohio Democratic parties received hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer-backed fundin  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Al Lawson, D-Florida, issued the following news release: This week, U.S. Rep. Al Lawson voted to pass the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act, which will establish a 19-member commission to examine the social disparities that disproportionately affect black males in America. Commission members will review homicide rates, arrest and incarceration rates, poverty, violence, fatherhood, mentorship, drug abuse, death rates, disparate income and wealt  more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26) voted to pass H.R. 7027, the Child Care is Essential Act, a comprehensive child care package that includes legislation authored and introduced by the congresswoman, which would create a $50 billion Child Care Stabilization fund and invest in child care so that providers across Florida have the personal protect equipment (PPE) and resources needed to safely o  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Florida, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Donna Shalala (FL-27) voted to pass H.R. 7027, the Child Care is Essential Act. This bill would create a $50 billion Child Care Stabilization fund and invest in child care so that providers across Florida and the country have the resources they need to safely reopen. Without adequate investments in the child care industry, families across the country will be unable to return to work. "The cor  more

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- Rep. Darren Soto, D-Florida, issued the following news release: Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09) voted to pass the Child Care is Essential Act and the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act, bills to expand the availability of quality child care, help workers return to their jobs when it is safe and enable America's economy to recover from the COVID-19 crisis. * "COVID-19 has devastated the child care sector in Florida, forcing closures and exacerbating the shortage of qual  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Ross Spano, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Ross Spano (FL-15) met with Major Jonathan C. Taylor, from the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force on Capitol Hill. Major Taylor presented Spano with a U.S. Air Force Seal to be displayed in the office of Florida's 15th Congressional District. "The most important duty of the federal government is our national defense and ensuring our country is ready to face the challenges of the 21st  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. W. Greg Steube, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) attended the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law hearing to examine Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. "In the era of big technology, free speech is now more important than ever," Steube said. "Unfortunately, many of these companies continue to violate the First Amendment by censoring conservative content for political pur  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. W. Greg Steube, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Greg Steube released the following statement after his provision to rename the Moore Haven Lock and Dam in Florida after fallen Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Officer Julian Keen, Jr. "Renaming this bridge is only a small gesture of our gratitude to Officer Keen and his loved ones for their sacrifices to protect our community. We will always remember his legacy and cherish his relentl  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Florida Congressman Daniel Webster, R-Clermont, led colleagues in urging the Department of Labor (DOL) to consider amending a recently proposed DOL rule to require any company seeking eligibility for American retirement or pension investment meet U.S. statutory and regulatory transparency standards. "Currently, Chinese companies receive a waiver from U.S. transparency requirements under a Memorandum of Un  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following transcript of an interview with Shannon Bream on Fox News: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined Shannon Bream on Fox News to discuss the NBA's involvement in China, human rights abuses against the Uyghurs, the possibility of the United States disengaging from China, and on passing an additional federal relief package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. See below for highlights and watch the full interview here https:/  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following statement: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations' Subcommittee that oversees human rights and democracy and author of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act (P.L. 116-76), issued the following statement after Hong Kong's government announced it was barring 12 pro-democracy candidates from running in the upcoming Legislative Council (LegCo) election. * * * "The actions of the Hong  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) spoke during a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Hearing on the Review of the FY2021 State Department Budget Request, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Video of Rubio's remarks can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2Jm0iS8U5g&feature=youtu.be and a full transcript of Senator Rubio's remarks are below. Rubio: I know election security is not your area of exp  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Senator Rick Scott released the below statement following an ESPN investigation that found human rights concerns inside an NBA youth-development program in Communist China, including physical abuse of young players and a failure to provide schooling. Senator Rick Scott said, "The link between the NBA's operations in China and the human rights abuses of the Chinese Communist Party are even stronger than we pre  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued the following information for a virtual hearing: Nominations at 11:15 a.m. on Aug. 5: Nominees: * Erik Paul Bethel of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Panama * Jonathan Pratt of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Rep  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Mitt Romney (R-UT) introduced legislation that would provide increased Economic Impact Payments (EIP) to American families by equalizing EIPs per person, regardless of age or dependent status. This legislation also includes an eligibility provision from Senator Rubio's American Citizen Coronavirus Relief Act (S. 4071), which  more