Congressman Posey continues to be a strong advocate for hoteliers and the hospitality industry.

U.S. Rep. Bill Posey (FL-8) receives Friend of the Hotelier award from AAHOA VP of Government Affairs and Public Relations Chip Rogers

The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) today announced that U.S. Rep. William “Bill” Posey received its prestigious Friend of the Hotelier award at the AAHOA National Advocacy Conference.

Rep. Posey is responsible for introducing H.R. 2575, which reinstates the traditional 40 hour work week amended by the Affordable Care Act. He has also introduced H.R. 4450, which reauthorizes Brand USA and markets the United States as a travel destination to foreign travelers.

“Congressman Bill Posey is a strong advocate for small business owners and the hospitality industry,” said AAHOA Chairman Pratik Patel. “His public service, along with his willingness to lead issues that AAHOA supports in the House of Representatives, proves that he is truly a friend of the American hotelier.”

The Friend of the Hotelier award is given to public officials and community leaders who demonstrate extraordinary and persistent support of issues that serve to promote the hospitality industry and positively impact small business owners.

Founded in 1989, AAHOA is the largest hotel owners association in the world, with more than 12,500 small business owner-members. AAHOA members own more than 20,000 properties amounting to more than 40 percent of all hotels in the United States and employ nearly 600,000 workers, accounting for over $9.4 billion in payroll annually.

Thumbs up: To Space Coast Congressman Bill Posey, for his principled “no” vote on President Obama’s plan to use airstrikes and Special Forces against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Although we generally support the counter-terrorism effort, Posey wanted more clarity about America’s allies and enemies “before we send America’s sons and daughters into combat.” Posey also sought more answers about arming “moderate” Syrian rebels and — heeding a lesson from the Iraq War — keeping peace in the region after we kill ISIL. A lot of Democrats want those answers, too.

Read the rest of Flordia Today’s Thumbs up, thumbs down

Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.) has introduced H.R.5520, the SAFE for America Act, that would eliminate the annual Visa Lottery. The Visa Lottery issues 55,000 greencards per year to foreign citizens of countries that have lower rates of immigration to the United States. The greencards are awarded, however, through a random lottery drawing and without consideration of the recipients educational attainment or work skills.

The bill has been introduced in past Congresses by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) who currently chairs the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. Goodlatte was the lone original cosponsor of the bill.

Eliminating the Visa Lottery was a recommendation of the Bipartisan Barbara Jordan Commission. The more than 50,000 visas each year are given primarily to working-age immigrants who compete with the 18 million Americans who cannot find a full-time job.

Second, the lottery also feeds chain migration, which puts legal immigration on automatic pilot. This blindly rewards even distant relatives with a visa based on nothing other than being kin to somebody who beat the odds — not their talent, education, thirst for American liberty, or any other quality. Third, the lottery feeds fraud and abuse, with multiple applications filed under fake names to increase the odds. Fourth, the lottery poses a serious threat to our nation’s security. Many lottery visas go to aliens from terrorism-sponsoring countries.

The Visa Lottery is one of NumbersUSA’s 5 immigration solutions to reducing overall immigration levels and ending illegal immigration. You can read more here.

BILL ADDRESSES CRITICAL NEEDS OF INDIAN RIVER LAGOON

ABOVE VIDEO: Congressman Bill Posey speaks on the House floor in support of important bipartisan legislation to fund research of algae blooms and hypoxia events which are harmful to natural habitats like the Indian River Lagoon.

WASHINGTON D.C. — Today the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved by unanimous vote, legislation (H.R. 5266) to reauthorize funding for the National Estuary Program (NEP).

Rep. Posey, one of four principle co-authors of H.R. 5266, was able to secure the inclusion of his bipartisan plan (H.R. 5117) to increase available funding for estuaries with critical needs like the Indian River Lagoon. In July, Posey and Rep. Patrick Murphy introduced the Estuary Urgent Needs Priority Program Act to meet high priority needs across the nation’s 28 national estuaries.

“This common sense plan will help provide critical funding for our nation’s estuaries, and make available additional funding to estuaries that are experiencing urgent and challenging ecological problems, including our own Indian River Lagoon,” said Rep. Posey. “I’m pleased to see this important legislation move forward in a strongly bipartisan manner.”

Posey’s plan directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide awards in addition to estuary base grants for estuaries that are experiencing urgent and challenging ecological problems. Some problems include: sea grass loss, reoccurring harmful algal blooms and invasive exotic species or jellyfish proliferation. These awards would be provided on a competitive basis and would be funded through funds already authorized for the NEP program. The base bill also secures higher levels of funding for each estuary’s base grant.

Under H.R. 5266, the National Estuary Program is reauthorized for Fiscal Year 2015 at $27 million, almost $2 million more than what was appropriated for Fiscal Year 2014. Posey’s plan makes 15% of appropriated funds available for the additional competitive awards to estuaries with urgent needs. The bill also gives direction to the EPA to ensure that no less than 80% of the funding is reserved for estuary base grants.

The National Estuary Program, which enjoys broad bipartisan support, was created in the 1987 Clean Water Act Amendments. It is run through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to protect and restore water quality and ensure ecological health of estuaries of national significance. There are 28 “estuaries of national significance” that span multiple states and congressional districts all over the country. Each estuary uses local input and local priorities to create a management plan that addresses the issues of water quality and ecological health.

U.S. Rep. Bill Posey has been curious for a while about whether there’s been enough research into alleged links between childhood immunizations and autism, and now his office has a cache of documents from a CDC scientist who said his research was tainted.

Posey’s Congressional office is reviewing somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 documents, including research statistics, it obtained from Dr. William Thompson, who has complained that the CDC withheld some of his data that may have suggested a link.

Posey, R-Rockledge, has maintained an interest in the issue since being briefed on it by former Space Coast Congressman U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon, who is a medical doctor.

Specifically, Thompson told several media outlets last month that he believes his research found some correlation between measles, mumps and rubella [MMR] vaccines and an increased incidence of autism among African-American children, but that critical data from that research were manipulated to obscure the findings.

Officials in Posey’s office wouldn’t say what they expect to find, but they are examining Thompson’s research papers.

ABOVE VIDEO: U.S. Congressman Bill Posey (FL- 8) recaps his tour of Veterans Assembled Electronics and discusses a recent bill involving Veterans Affairs management. 

BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA — Congressman Bill Posey toured Veterans Assembled Electronics in Cape Canaveral.

Based in Cape Canaveral and Newport, Rhode Island., Veterans Assembled Electronics provides combat-wounded veterans with electronics skills to enter or advance a career in electronics.

Congressman Bill Posey learns about veteran job training with Allen Boyd and John Shepard at Veterans Assembled Electronics in Cape Canaveral. (SpaceCoastDaily.com image)

“I don’t know that there’s a more worthy cause than taking veterans who are not employed and training them to enter the workforce,” Posey said.

“VAE seems to be doing a very good job at that, and I’m grateful to have representatives from the Veterans Administration here today who shared the results that they’ve seen. I got to meet some of the students and I enjoyed seeing the learning proceess they’re going through and how they’re developing their skills.”

In addition to electronic training, VAE coaches service-disabled veterans on crafting resumes, preparing for interviews, and links them to potential employers – giving them a much greater chance for employment. VAe also does custom and specialized electronic design as well as small-scale manufacturing for the Navy.

All Aboard Florida is drawing the concern of U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla.

Posey wrote the Comptroller General of the United States on Thursday, demanding the Government Accountability Office (GAO) launch a study to see how viable All Aboard Florida’s plan to connect Orlando to Miami by high speed rail.

“It is my understanding that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) – an operating entity of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) –will soon issue a determination about providing a loan through the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing program (RRIF) to All Aboard Florida (AAF),” Posey wrote on Thursday. “Serving in the Florida Legislature, and now in Congress, I have consistently opposed taxpayer subsidies for rail initiatives. I am therefore concerned about the potential exposure to taxpayers of all such projects including, but not limited to, the AAF application.

“It is also my understanding that the GAO conducted a review of the Xpress West high-speed rail loan application when it was before the DOT in 2013,” Posey continued. “It was reported that the Xpress West proposal was rejected due to concerns about the viability of the loan following the GAO review. I believe it is well advised to have similar review for all significant loans where taxpayers are on the hook for any potential losses. As such, it is prudent for the GAO to evaluate the specific application by AAF.

“I write to request that the GAO conduct a review of AAF similar to the GAO review conducted for Xpress West, examining the potential risk and cost to taxpayers, the nature of such a loan including possible interest rates that would be appropriate for this particular loan, and whether or not private financing could be sustained for this project,” Posey concluded. “We have a duty to protect taxpayers, and this evaluation will help us uphold that duty.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 12, 2014
CONTACT: J.P. Duffy or Alice Chao, (866) FRC-NEWS

WASHINGTON, DC – FRC Action PAC, the political action committee connected with Family Research Council Action (FRC Action), is pleased to endorse Representative Bill Posey for Congress in the 8th District of Florida.

Of the endorsement FRC Action PAC President Connie Mackey said:

“Representative Posey’s consistent record while in the U.S. House of Representatives on the issues of the family should be commended. The votes he has cast on issues of life reflect his concern for mother and child. Furthermore, Representative Posey has demonstrated steadfast leadership in his work to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

“We are confident that Congressman Posey will continue to be a strong advocate for limited government, for individual liberties and for family values. Family Research Council and FRC Action PAC are pleased to offer our endorsement,” Mackey concluded.

###

FRC Action PAC is the political action committee connected to FRC Action, a 501(c)(4) membership organization. FRC Action is the legislative advocacy arm of the Family Research Council, a 501(c)(3) organization.

Thank you to Autism Action Network for continuing to educate the community. We know money is as tight as Grandad’s pants after Thanksgiving dinner. A $5 donation, if possible, would make a difference. We have strength in numbers. The community is banding together behind Congressman Posey, putting the children (many of whom are now young and/or full fledged adults) FIRST. Thank you.

Please help Congressman Bill Posey continue to help us.

Many of you will spend $50 for a bottle of supplements without batting an eye. It is long past time for the autism community to support the elected officials who support us at great political risk to themselves. Representative Bill Posey is a firm and courageous friend of the autism community.

Please help him continue to help us.

From our friends at Generation Rescue:

Many of us know that Congressman Bill Posey has been an outspoken supporter in Washington for our children with autism. Because we desperately need people with integrity and honestly like Bill Posey in Congress. There will be two pieces to the event.

The online donation goal from the community is $15,000. We are hoping that everyone who can afford to will consider giving at least $25 to help raise this amount through social media and email lists to all our fellow autism parents, grandparents and supporters. Please send this link far and wide:

https://secure.donationreport.com/donate.html?key=F6U0PAVWIA85

The second piece is a reception honoring Congressman Posey. The event is being held on August 13th in Melbourne, FL at The Palm Cafe located in The Kiwi Tennis Club. A host reception will start at 5:30pm and the general reception begins 7:30pm. The host committee is being formed and is a minimum $1,000 individual donation. Individual contribution is $150 for attendance.

So far the following individuals have joined the host committee for this event:

Jennifer Larson of the Canary Party and Health Choice
Sallie Bernard of Safeminds and Autism Speaks
JB Handley of Generation Rescue
Tony Lyons of Shy Horse Publishing
Barry Segal of Focus Autism
Mark Blaxill of the Canary Party and Health Choice
Dr. Gary Kompothecras
Teri Costigan

I want to remind everyone of Congressman Posey’s work. This link is the text to his Vaccine Safety Act Bill in Washington, and a YouTube video put together by Ginger Taylor for this event.

I hope some of you can make it to this event and if you can’t please consider giving generously to the Congressman with the online donation effort. He continues to support our cause and we should support him. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Jennifer directly at jlarson@vibrant.com.

BILL GUARANTEES ESTUARY BASE GRANT FUNDING

ABOVE VIDEO: Congressman Bill Posey speaks on the House floor in support of important bipartisan legislation to fund research of algae blooms and hypoxia events which are harmful to natural habitats like the Indian River Lagoon.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) and Patrick Murphy (D-Jupiter)  introduced legislation today to prioritize funding within the National Estuary Program (NEP) to meet high priority needs across the nation’s 28 national estuaries.

The Estuary Urgent Needs Priority Program Act prioritizes NEP funding to guarantee estuary base grant funding while also reserving funds within the NEP account for estuaries experiencing urgent ecological challenges.

“Many of the nation’s estuaries are experiencing urgent and challenging ecological problems, including our own Indian River Lagoon,” said Rep Posey. “Our bill simply requires that the EPA refocus existing funding to make sure that the money designated by Congress for estuaries is actually spent to address estuary needs.”

“Given the unique and severe situation in our Indian River Lagoon, this program will bring more funding opportunities to our area to help address the crisis in our waterways,” said Rep. Murphy. “This is a simple, bipartisan solution to a problem that has gone on for far too long, to the detriment of the Treasure Coast community and economy.”

Murphy

Within amounts authorized for the NEPs, the legislation directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide awards in addition to estuary base grants, for estuaries that are experiencing urgent and challenging ecological problems including Sea grass loss, reoccurring harmful algal blooms and invasive exotic species or jellyfish proliferation. These awards would be provided on a competitive basis and would be funded through funds already authorized for the NEP program and would not adversely impact the amount of base grants for estuaries.

Under the current program, funded at $25.1 million in FY 2014, each of the nation’s 28 estuaries receives a base grant of $538,000. That totals only $15.064 million.

The National Estuary Program which enjoys broad bipartisan support in the Congress was created in the 1987 Clean Water Act Amendments and is run through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to protect and restore water quality and ensure ecological health of estuaries of national significance. There are 28 “estuaries of national significance” that span multiple states and Congressional Districts all over the country. Each estuary uses local input and local priorities to create a management plan that addresses the issues of water quality and ecological health.