Ten new bills introduced on Jan. 4 by U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) highlight the congressman’s priorities for balancing the federal budget, stockpiling ample supplies of medicines, addressing the health of U.S. military veterans, and combating toxic algae blooms.
“2021 will be a year of recovery and rebuilding,” Rep. Buchanan said. “We need to make sure people are safe and have jobs to return to.”
The 10 bills Rep. Buchanan introduced are:
- The Securing America’s Medicine Cabinet Act, H.R. 70, which would establish the National Centers of Excellence in Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, a new federal office responsible for stockpiling adequate supplies of critical medicines and encourage companies to ramp up the manufacturing of those drugs.
- House Joint Resolution 2, which would amend the U.S. Constitution to require that Congress balance the federal budget.
- The No Pay Raise for Congress Act, H.R. 75, to prohibit pay raises for members of Congress in any fiscal year they fail to balance the budget.
- The Protecting Local Communities from Harmful Algal Blooms Act, H.R. 74, which would amend the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include algal blooms in the definition of a “major disaster.” The change would require the Federal Emergency Management Administration to provide both technical and financial assistance to states suffering from outbreaks of harmful algal blooms like red tide. Rep. Buchanan noted that southwest Florida has seen harmful algae blooms occur more than twice as often as any other area in the state.
- The bipartisan Veterans Overmedication and Suicide Prevention Act, H.R. 67, with cosponsor U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), which would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to study the link between opioids and the high rate of suicides among veterans, who are twice as likely as civilians to die from overdoses of opioid painkillers, according to Rep. Buchanan’s office.
- The Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act, H.R. 71, which would prohibit gang members from entering the U.S., permits their deportation if they are already stateside, and disqualifies them from receiving asylum or temporary protected status.
- The Thin Blue Line Act, H.R. 72, which would make the murder or attempted murder of a first responder an aggravating factor in death penalty determinations.
- The Sunshine Protection Act, H.R. 69, which would make daylight savings time permanent.
- The bipartisan Comprehensive Access to Robust Insurance Now Guaranteed (CARING) for Kids Act, H.R. 66, with cosponsor U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), to permanently extend funding for the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
- The CREEPER Act 2.0, H.R. 73, which would prohibit the importation or transportation of child sex dolls used by predators.
Rep. Buchanan also plans soon to reintroduce the American Innovation Act, which removes some of the initial barriers to creating a business so that start-up companies are set on a path toward success, according to his office.
And the congressman also plans to focus on several other issues important to his constituents, such as protecting Florida’s coastline, supporting law enforcement, and creating jobs.