WASHINGTON, June 9 -- Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Florida, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, issued the following opening remarks at a hearing on the fiscal 2022 budget for the Department of Commerce: * * * Excerpts and highlights from the remarks: COMMERCE'S ROLE IN PROMOTING AMERICAN LEADERSHIP "As you know, the [Department of Commerce] DOC covers a broad range of issues including the innovation and deployment of emerging  more

WASHINGTON, June 9 -- Rep. W. Greg Steube, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) reintroduced the Break the Chain Act to limit family-based immigration visas to spouses and minor children of U.S. Citizens and Legal Permanent Residents. "While the Biden Administration recklessly opens up our southern border and overwhelms CBP, Congress must work towards common sense immigration reforms that will end irresponsible policies, like chain migration,"   more

WASHINGTON, June 9 -- Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Representatives Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburg), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) announced reintroduction of the Fishing Equipment Tax Relief Act, legislation that will equalize the tax rate for portable, electronically-aerated bait containers with the parts used to assemble them. Currently, portable, electronically-aerated bait containers are taxed at a rate of  more

WASHINGTON, June 9 -- Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Representatives Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., Charlie Crist, D-Fla., Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., and Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., announced reintroduction of the Fishing Equipment Tax Relief Act, legislation that will equalize the tax rate for portable, electronically-aerated bait containers with the parts used to assemble them. Currently, portable, electronically-aerated bait containers are taxed at a rate of 10   more

WASHINGTON, June 9 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) led a group of 16 Republican colleagues in pressing the Biden Administration to adhere to U.S. law and refrain from reopening the Mission of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem for the Palestinians. In their letter to President Joe Biden, the Senator's wrote, "while we are committed to working with you on   more

WASHINGTON, June 9 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement after voting to maintain the prevailing wage requirement, commonly known as Davis-Bacon, in the CHIPS Act funding. Rubio, an original cosponsor of the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Act, pushed for full funding of the new law earlier this year. "I have been making the case for years that America needs to make targe  more

WASHINGTON, June 9 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Alex Padilla (D-CA) reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral American Space Commerce Act. At a time when the U.S. has steadily decreased its dependence on foreign rockets and launch infrastructure, the American Space Commerce Act would continue to bolster U.S. leadership in the space industry,   more

WASHINGTON, June 9 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement after voting against the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 (S. 1260), which fails to address many of the most serious challenges facing the United States in its competition with the Chinese Communist Party and Government. Rubio, who outlined a bipartisan path forward on China, has long advocated an industrial policy to counter Beijing and   more

WASHINGTON, June 9 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced a bipartisan resolution remembering the 32nd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests and their violent suppression. The resolution also condemns the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chinese Government's ongoing violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Last week, Rubio issued a statement on the anniversary of the Chinese gove  more

WASHINGTON, June 9 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to protect Florida's citrus growers by re-implementing a prohibition on the importation of five varieties of citrus fruits from China. "The USDA's decision continues to risk an increase in unfair trade competition by Chinese government-subsidized products and could be   more