U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) introduced seven bills designed to spur job creation and improve the standard of living in America on the first day of the 115th Congress.
Buchanan said his top priorities in the new Congress include tax reform, reducing regulatory burdens, preserving Medicare and Social Security, national security, and balancing the federal budget.
“As the new Congress gets underway we have a historic opportunity to move the country forward with policies that encourage economic growth and restore fiscal sanity to Washington,” Buchanan, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, said.
Buchanan’s Main Street Fairness Act, a fixture of the tax reform blueprint set forth by House Republican leaders, would ensure that small businesses don’t pay higher tax rates than large corporations.
The Support Our Start-Ups Act, also introduced by Buchanan on Tuesday, would quadruple the amount that start-up business owners could deduct from their federal taxes, raising it from $5,000 to $20,000.
To strengthen national security, Buchanan’s Social Media Screening for Terrorists Act would direct the secretary of homeland security to check all public records before admitting foreign travelers into the country. In addition, the Thin Blue Line Act he authored would impose tougher penalties on those who murder police officers and first responders.
Buchanan also introduced the Emergency Citrus Disease Response Act this week to help citrus growers combat citrus greening, the most destructive disease of citrus crops.
In addition, the congressman’s SAFE Act would ban the killing of horses for human consumption in America.
A constitutional amendment also introduced by Buchanan would require Congress to balance the federal budget, a priority given the United States is nearing $20 trillion in federal debt.
Meanwhile, the president recently signed into law Buchanan’s proposal to save certain Medicare Advantage plans.
“Medicare and Social Security are two of the most successful government programs,” Buchanan said. “For many of our loved ones, these funds are critical to a healthy and secure retirement. We must preserve both programs for today’s seniors and future generations.”