Washington, DC (December 2, 2010) – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-09) issued the following statement on the Democrats’ decision to pursue a massive tax hike:
Palm Harbor, Fla. (November 18, 2010) – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-9) is pleased to announce that he has teamed up with representatives from nearly two dozen Tampa Bay employers to host his fourth annual Career Fair for residents of the 9th Congressional District.
Palm Harbor, Fla. (November 10, 2010) – Staff members for U.S. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (FL-9) will host a community outreach event in northern Hillsborough County from 10-11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010, at the Jimmie B. Keel Library, 2902 West Bearss Avenue Tampa, Fla.
WASHINGTON, DC (October 7, 2010) – Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-09) was recognized today with an “A in English” award by U.S. English, Inc. for his dedication to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the U.S.
WASHINGTON, DC (September 28, 2010) – Around 500 churches, monasteries, cemeteries and other religious sites in the Republic of Cyprus have been desecrated, pillaged, looted and destroyed since Turkey invaded the northern region on July 20th 1974.
WASHINGTON, DC (September 23, 2010) – The National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small business association, today named Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-9) a Guardian of Small Business for his outstanding voting record on behalf of America’s small business owners.
WASHINGTON, DC (September 23, 2010) – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) released the following statement after House Republicans presented A Pledge to America, a new governing agenda focused on addressing the American people’s top priorities.
WASHINGTON, DC (September 22, 2010) – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-09) questioned the Department of Homeland Security on its response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in a House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday. Bilirakis, Ranking Member of the Management, Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee, requested the hearing in May.
WASHINGTON, DC (September 22, 2010) – Rep. Tim Walz (MN-01), Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-09), Rep. Jeff Miller (FL-01) and Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-08) have introduced bipartisan legislation to improve rehabilitation services for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI).
WASHINGTON, DC (September 17, 2010) – U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), co-chairs of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, introduced a resolution Thursday that calls for the protection of religious sites and artifacts from and in Turkish-occupied areas of northern Cyprus as well as for general respect for religious freedom.
WASHINGTON, DC (September 15, 2010) – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-09) questioned panelists about the need to strengthen the student visa screening process and the role of the Internet in homegrown terrorism during a Homeland Security Committee hearing on Tuesday.
TARPON SPRINGS, FL (August 26, 2010) – Students interested in attending a service academy and committing to serving the nation’s military will have the opportunity to meet with Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-09) and representatives from the nation’s five service academies about the application and nomination process this Saturday (August 28).
OLDSMAR, FL (September 9, 2010) – Firefighters in Oldsmar on Friday will remember those lost nine years ago during the September 11 attacks. Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-09) will deliver remarks at the event, honoring those who sacrificed their lives and thanking those heroes who continue to keep us safe.
WASHINGTON, DC (August 20, 2010) – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-09) on Friday issued the following statement in regards to the ongoing delays and setbacks for St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at the site of the 9/11 attack:
WASHINGTON, DC (August 17, 2010) – Because of his continued support for the nation’s military, veterans and military families, Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.) was honored Tuesday with the L. Mendel Rivers Award of Excellence from the Air Force Sergeants Association.
PALM HARBOR, Fla. (2 June) - U.S. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.), member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s Health Subcommittee, today announced a field hearing at New Port Richey City Hall on June 8 to examine the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) efforts to provide recreational therapy to our nation’s wounded warriors. Bilirakis will be joined by fellow Health Subcommittee members U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) and U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.). Veterans, health care professionals from the VA and providers of recreational services will be among the witnesses testifying.
“When our heroes return home from the battlefront, we must use every resource available to help them lead normal and productive lives,” said Bilirakis. “This hearing will allow us to examine one of the many new avenues to accomplish this vitally important goal.”
Therapeutic recreation focuses on all aspects of improving an individual’s health and functioning and is a vital component of integrated medical care at the VA. James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa is home to a dynamic recreation therapy services program.
The event is free and open to the public. Members of the media are asked to RSVP to:
David Peluso - (202) 258-4858 --
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
WHO: U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) and Corrine Brown (D-Fla.)
WHAT: Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health Hearing: “Recreation Therapy and Healing our Wounded Warriors”
WHEN: 8:30 A.M. - Tuesday, June 8, 2010
WHERE: New Port Richey City Hall - 5919 Main Street, New Port Richey, Fla.
PALM
HARBOR, Fla. (12 May) - U.S.
Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.),
representing Florida’s 9th Congressional District including
portions of Pasco,
Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, will be hosting a home foreclosure
assistance
workshop on Saturday, May 22, 2010. The event
will be held at
Freedom High School, 17410
Commerce
Park Blvd. Tampa, Fla.,
from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Topics
to be
discussed at the workshop include: guidance on working with lenders and
housing counselors, refinancing and
loan
modification options and information about HUD's loss mitigation
program
for FHA mortgages.
"Given
the
downturn in the Tampa area housing market, many families
are concerned about their most important investment," said Bilirakis.
“This
event will provide families who are
concerned about their current housing situation with the chance to sit
down with banks and institutions that can help them navigate this
uncertain time."
According to the
latest report from RealtyTrac,
the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area
ranks
26th in
the nation among metropolitan
areas for
foreclosures, with a rate
of one in every 69 housing units.
Representatives
from
the following organizations
will be available to provide counseling free of charge:
Bank of America
JP Morgan Chase
SunTrust
Fifth Third Bank
Ocwen Financial
Wells Fargo
Wachovia
HUD
VA Regional Loan Center
Bay Area Legal Services
Florida Department of Financial Services
Hillsborough County Tax Collector
Hillsborough County Government-Affordable Housing Unit
Catholic Charities
Center of Affordable Homeownership
Tampa Bay CDC Housing
St. Petersburg Neighborhood Housing
Consumer Credit Counseling Service
Housing and Education Alliance
If
attendees plan to meet with a financial institution they
should bring copies of the following items to the
workshop
for better assistance:
Driver’s
license
W-2
for 2008 and 2008 (IRS Wage and Tax Statement)
Tax
returns for the past 2 years
Past
due mortgage bill or any relevant mortgage information
Pay
stubs for the past three months
To
RSVP or to obtain additional information on this
seminar, please contact Congressman Bilirakis's Palm Harbor District
Office at
(727) 773-2871.
WASHINGTON (5 May) – On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.) introduced H.R. 5208, the Student Visa Security Improvement Act, which would improve the background checks conducted on student visa applicants from high risk areas and enhance America’s ability to ensure, once in the country, foreign students are abiding by the terms of their visas.
"Everyone understands the important role foreign students play in our society. However, we must remain vigilant both domestically and abroad to ensure that terrorists do not use our student visa process as a back door into our country," said Bilirakis, who serves as the Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Management, Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee. “Over the past several years there have been multiple instances which demonstrate shortcomings in our ability to properly screen and monitor foreign students.”
Earlier this year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) disrupted student visa fraud schemes where individuals fraudulently obtained or maintained student visas even though the students were not attending class. Additionally, the admitted Times Square bomber, Faisal Shahzad, reportedly first entered the United States on a student visa in 1998, while several 9/11 terrorists had violated the terms of their student visas.
The Student Visa Security Improvement Act would require ICE personnel stationed at high-risk visa issuing posts overseas to review student visa applications and conduct interviews with applicants before they are granted a student or exchange visa. The legislation also calls for more vigilant monitoring of foreign students once they are in the country by ensuring they are active participants in the programs in which they are enrolled and are observed more often than is currently required.
“The legislation I introduced today would more effectively ensure that foreign students are coming to the United States to receive an education and are attending class once here,” Bilirakis added.
