Last week, as the Biden administration continued to display its incompetence, my office was hard at work in Southwest Florida, advocating for the best interests of our community. We began the week with a tour of Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in Immokalee along with representatives from the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of the Interior, and the Miccosukee Tribal Government. The tour was timely as Southwest Florida has not received rain for the past month, and consequently, our region is now under drought and fire warnings. Stakeholders highlighted prescribed burns across the Everglades, which are used for wildfire mitigation. Our group also discussed ongoing strategy surrounding invasive species reduction, endangered species conservation and environmental sustainability in the Western Everglades.
My office also held our first town hall of the 118th Congress. Last Tuesday night, I spoke for over two hours to a capacity crowd of constituents at the First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs. Together we covered a wide-ranging set of issues. Constituents expressed concern regarding federal oversight and fiscal policy but also FEMA’s bureaucratic and inefficient response to Hurricane Ian and ongoing recovery efforts throughout the region. Simply put, FEMA needs to get past its bureaucratic playbook. In Southwest Florida, we still have thousands of people who are homeless and dozens of people living under bridges due to Hurricane Ian. Our recovery necessitates a federal emergency response of swift and impactful action, not endless red tape.
Following the town hall, my team and I met with Sanibel Mayor Holly Smith and City Manager Dana Souza to discuss ongoing recovery efforts on the island. We spoke about FEMA’s response in the region, how the federal emergency response can be improved, and how the interests of Southwest Florida’s recovery can be best advocated upon in the halls of Congress. Together we also toured various small businesses and construction projects across the island, speaking with business owners and locals along the way. Following my conversations on the ground in Sanibel, one thing is certainly clear; there is still much to be done, but the undeniable spirit of resilience in this community is tangible.
I also had the distinct privilege of awarding a local high school Junior from Fort Myers as the winner of our office’s Congressional App Challenge. Dhruva Sharma is a world champion robotics engineer who developed an innovative solution to a problem that we in Southwest Florida know all too well. Sharma’s app helps streamline disaster response efforts, nonprofit efforts and the efficient dispersal of resources in the wake of natural disasters like Hurricane Ian. Sharma, who dreams of one day attending MIT, has a bright future ahead of him, and seeks to repeat as a back-to-back robotics world champion this spring.
The hope and positivity felt throughout our community this week lay in stark contrast to the Biden administration's various blunders on the global stage. President Biden spent Presidents’ Day in Kiev, Ukraine, instead of in the United States, bypassing a potential stop in East Palestine, Ohio. Biden spent the federal holiday established to honor our past presidents by pledging continued, unlimited tax-payer support to the Ukrainian Army including their pension funds and notably not pledging unlimited taxpayer support to the victims of Norfolk-Southern’s disastrous train derailment in Ohio or the victims of Hurricane Ian. Last week, national pressure did finally guilt Transportation Secretary Buttigieg into touring the wreckage and ongoing remediation efforts in East Palestine, but in the process, he went out of his way to intimidate a young female journalist when asked simple questions about his role in disaster response efforts.
Once again, the ineptitude displayed by the Biden administration this week was unacceptable and embarrassing, but my office will continue to work on behalf of the hardworking families of Southwest Florida to deliver meaningful results for our community.
As your Congressman, you have my commitment to work on your behalf and restore order and proper governance to The People's House.
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Donalds, Comer & Oversight Republicans Request Transparency From Agencies On Billions In Taxpayer-Funded Ukraine Assistance
WASHINGTON - Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) joined House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Oversight Committee Republicans in calling on the federal government agencies administering more than $113 billion in U.S. taxpayer-funded assistance to Ukraine to provide documents and information to ensure that these dollars are being protected from waste, fraud, and abuse.
“The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is conducting oversight of the federal government’s administration of U.S. taxpayer-funded assistance to Ukraine. Since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly a year ago, Congress has provided more than $113 billion for security, humanitarian, economic, and governance assistance. It is critical that government agencies administering these funds ensure they are used for their intended purposes to prevent and reduce the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse. The Committee seeks documents and information to understand how the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of State (State), and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) are conducting oversight of these funds,” wrote the Republican lawmakers.
Under Republican leadership, the Oversight Committee is returning to is primary duty to root out waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in the federal government. During a recent hearing investigating emergency pandemic spending, the Oversight Committee heard from government witnesses that rushed timelines which prioritize spending quickly can leave programs vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse. Committee Republicans will conduct oversight of Ukraine spending to ensure that these funds are being monitored for risks.
The Republican lawmakers continued, “Providing security and humanitarian assistance for warfighting and reconstruction purposes comes with an inherent risk of fraud, waste, and abuse. The United States must identify these risks and develop oversight mechanisms to mitigate them. We learned from efforts in Afghanistan that the World Bank does not always have effective monitoring and accounting of funds, and often lacks transparency. We also learned that unrealistic timelines and expectations that prioritize spending quickly lead to increased corruption and reduced effectiveness of programs. As the United States continues to filter assistance through multilateral organizations with pressure to spend funds quickly, we must ensure proper protections are in place to prevent the misuse of funds.”
Read the full letter here.
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Congressman Donalds Reintroduces The House Companion Of The Financial Freedom Act
WASHINGTON - Last week, Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) reintroduced the House companion of the Financial Freedom Act, which prohibits President Biden’s Department of Labor from restricting the type of investments that self-directed 401(k) account investors can choose to invest in through a brokerage window.
Co-sponsors of this bill includes Representatives Davidson (R-OH), Cloud (R-TX), Schweikert (R-AZ), Emmer (R-MN), and Kim (R-CA).
“In a far-reaching and sweeping endeavor to centralize power in Washington, the Biden administration is now attempting to dictate how the American people invest their hard-earned money,” said Rep. Donalds. “This administration, as well as any other government entity, lacks the authority to direct the financial future of America’s investors. This unprecedented maneuver infringes on the founding principles of economic liberty and free markets. To stand up against this gross example of government overreach, I am proud to support Senator Tuberville’s effort in the Senate to protect American investors from unelected Washington bureaucrats."
"We’re proud to support the Financial Freedom Act, providing consumers greater choice in their retirement savings, including cryptocurrency and digital assets. Crypto allows individuals to take control of their financial future, and we will continue working with policymakers to support legislation that empowers this innovative technology and allows all Americans to benefit from it." – The Blockchain Association.
“We are appreciative of Congressman Donalds’ re-introduction of the House-companion of the Financial Freedom Act of 2023. If there are lessons to be learned from the last year, one is that it is crucial for policymakers to set rules of the road for the digital asset marketplace and guardrails for individual investors that both protect them and encourage access to alternative investment vehicles, including appropriate digital assets. The Financial Freedom Act of 2023 ensures that all investors with individual, self-directed investment accounts can choose investment options to diversify their investment portfolio, while also establishing appropriate policies that create certainty and clarity for the digital asset industry. We thank Congressman Donalds for his leadership and look forward to working with him and co-sponsors through the legislative process.” - Chamber of Digital Commerce
BACKGROUND:
The Financial Freedom Act is in response to the March 2022 regulatory guidance released by the Employee Benefits Security Administration, an agency inside of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The guidance attempts to bar 401(k) investors from investing in cryptocurrency and undermines the ability of 401(k) plans to offer brokerage windows, which give retirement plan participants the ability to personally control how their assets are invested. The guidance threatened that employers and investment firms could be subject to a DOL investigation and enforcement actions should they allow individuals using brokerage windows to invest in cryptocurrency. This legislation would empower retirement savers to invest as they see fit and ensure that plan sponsors and financial firms are not punished for allowing investors to exercise financial freedom.
On February 15, 2023, Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) reintroduced identical legislation in the United States Senate.
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Academy Day Is Next Saturday
On Saturday, March 4, 2023, the Office of Congressman Byron Donalds will host our annual Academy Day. The event will take place at Florida Gulf Coast University's Cohen Ballroom and begin at 10:00 AM.
If you are interested in attending Academy Day, please RSVP to DonaldsAcademyNominations@mail.house.gov.
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Donalds Tours Florida Panther Wildlife Refuge
Congressman Donalds and members of his team toured the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in Immokalee along with representatives from the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of the Interior and the Miccosukee Tribal Government.
The tour highlighted ongoing prescribed burn, invasive species reduction, and endangered species conservation efforts in the Western Everglades and included discussion surrounding how Congress can best advocate on behalf of the interests of each stakeholder and a sustainable environmental future for the Western Everglades.
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Donalds Holds Town Hall in Bonita Springs
Congressman Donalds held a town hall at the First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs last Tuesday night at 6:00 PM. The Congressman spoke for over two hours to a capacity audience addressing the top concerns of the constituents in the crowd.
Topics addressed ranged from FEMA's bureaucratic and inefficient response to Hurricane Ian to ongoing recovery efforts and from to federal oversight concerns to fiscal policy. |
Donalds Awards Winner of 2023 Congressional App Challenge
Congressman Donalds and members of his team met with Fort Myers High School Junior, Dhruva Sharma, the winner of Florida's 19th Congressional District Congressional App Challenge. Sharma attended the ceremony with his father and younger brother.
Sharma was a member of the 2022 Southwest Florida regional high school team that won a world championship in robotics last May and displayed his impressive technological skillset as he presented his winning app idea to the Congressman. Sharma, who dreams of one day attending MIT, developed an app to streamline disaster response in the wake of historic natural disasters such as Hurricane Ian. Through his app, resources can be dispersed in a timely fashion even if cell service is unavailable.
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Donalds Meets With Sanibel Leaders And Tours Recovery Efforts On The Island
Congressman Donalds and members of his team met with Sanibel Mayor Holly Smith and City Manager Dana Souza to discuss ongoing recovery efforts on the island. The leaders spoke about FEMA's response in the region, how the federal emergency response can be improved and how the interests of Southwest Florida's recovery can best be advocated upon in the halls of Congress.
The group subsequently toured various small businesses and construction projects across Sanibel Island including a bait and tackle shop, an art gallery and a shopping center. Although there is still much to be done, the resilience shown by the people of Sanibel Island and its leaders is truly laudable.
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ICYMI: Rep. Donalds Joined The Ingraham Angle
Watch the full interview here or click below:
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ICYMI: Rep. Donalds Joined Mornings With Maria
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ICYMI: Rep. Donalds Joined America's Newsroom
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ICYMI: Rep. Donalds Joined The Hill TV's Race & Justice Imperative
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ICYMI: Rep. Donalds Joined Daybreak With Drew Steele
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ICYMI: Rep. Donalds Joined Shemane Nugent's Faith and Freedom Show
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Serving the hardworking men and women of Florida's 19th Congressional District is my distinct honor and privilege. It's time Washington works for our community's values, and I will always strive to ensure your government is working for you every day.
Sincerely,
Byron Donalds
Member of Congress |
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