U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, will spend the first week of August in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of a congressional tour. "We can't forget about our men and women over there," he said. "We can't take our eyes off that."

Bilirakis, a member of the Foreign Affairs and Veterans' Affairs committees, said he will meet with troops and military leaders and then visit a military hospital in Germany before returning home. He has been to Iraq before but never Afghanistan. "It's really good to see with your own eyes what's going on," he said.

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Over the weekend, Gus who serves on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, presented Mildred Wilson, widow of Staff Sergeant Elmer Wilson, with a bronze Tuskegee Airmen Congressional Gold Medal in honor of her husband's courageous service during World War II.

Photo Courtesy: Klint Lowry/The Suncoast News

The St. Petersburg Times has more:

For Mildred Wilson, it was just another opportunity to speak about her late husband's contributions during World War II.

So as the guest speaker at a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration in Pasco County in January, she talked of Staff Sgt. Elmer H. Wilson's efforts as a member of the 332nd Fighter Group of the U.S. Army Air Forces.

After her January speech, she was contacted by someone who had read about it in the newspaper. She was told that her husband, who died in 1995, was eligible for a Congressional Gold Medal.

"I didn't call," said Wilson, 89. "But a few days later, I got a call from Congressman (Gus) Bilirakis' office asking me if I wanted to be presented the medal on my husband's behalf."

The Wilsons were married six months before Pop Wilson was drafted in 1941. Mildred went on to earn a master's degree in education and taught home economics in the Philadelphia school district for 19 years. The two had four children and retired to Tarpon Springs in 1988.

The Suncoast News was in attendance to cover the presentation:

"He was so proud that they exceeded the expectations of everybody," Mildred said. And yet he always downplayed his military service. When it came time to board a ship and head back home, he literally left it all behind, leaving his duffel bag sitting on the dock. My husband never talked about it," Mildred said. "He just went there and did what he had to do."
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"Less than 150 of these congressional medals have been awarded in our country's history," Bilirakis said. "The airmen certainly deserve it for what they went through. What great patriots, despite the fact that they were segregated at that time."
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Bilirakis called Elmer, "a quiet hero," and said it was an honor that he resided in Tarpon Springs. Mayor Beverly Billiris delivered an official proclamation making July 25, 2009, "Elmer H. Wilson Day" in Tarpon Springs.

Tampa Bay Business Journal | Bilirakis Sends Health Care Reform Warning
Bilirakis: Health care reform could increase unemployment

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, is using the most recent high unemployment rates in Florida to blast a proposed health care plan that has the support of Democrats in Congress.

“At a time when Floridians are facing double-digit unemployment for the first time in decades, Congress should not be pushing through a government takeover of health care that will be paid for by a tax hike on small businesses,” Bilirakis, who has been in Congress since 2007, said in a statement. “Simply put, the proposed plan places a stifling new tax of up to 5.4 percent on small businesses. In a recession nearing double-digit unemployment nationally, this misguided health care experiment will discourage job growth and creation, leading to even higher unemployment.”

The health care plan, which would insure nearly 95 percent of the nation, could cost more than $1 trillion over 10 years, according to published reports. Supporters of the measure have suggested cutting other items off the budget as well as a $540 billion increase in taxes to the top 2 percent of wage earners — those making at least $280,000 a year individually or $350,000 for families — to fund it.

“While I agree that we need to take action to make health care more affordable for all Americans, I don’t believe that we should replace our current system entirely and put the government in control of the nation’s health care,” Bilirakis said. “Instead, we should embark on responsible reform that addresses the shortcomings of the current system while bringing health care costs under control.”

On Thursday Gus was a guest on WTBN 's Drive Time with Bill Bunkley. He joined a panel discussion on Health Care reform with Dr. Jim Rowsey, Legislative Aid for Medical Legislation for U.S. Senator Tom Corbin.

On Thursday, Gus received a plaque from the National Silver Haired Congress and the Florida Silver Haired Legislature for his work on the Silver Alert legislation.

Norm Bungard, a Silver Senator from St. Petersburg, presented the award and had this to say of Gus's efforts:

“It is a question of leadership. We appreciate the Congressman stepping forward and providing the leadership for national legislation on behalf of seniors. It provides a level of comfort not only to seniors, but to their families, friends, and neighbors. The Congressman is promoting awareness for elder issues through his work and we are so very grateful.” 

On Saturday morning over 500 people attended Gus's Foreclosure Assistance Workshop in Palm Harbor. Gus brought together leaders in home finance to aid families and individuals in navigating these uncertain times. The event provided an opportunity for families to meet with their lenders one on one to discuss their options.

The workshop also featured presentations which included guidance on how to work with lenders and housing counselors as well as refinancing and loan modification options and information about HUD's loss mitigation program for FHA mortgages.

This morning, Gus met with last year's Congressional Art Competition winner, Lindsey Rapp, of Safety Harbor. Her painting, “Borders” has spent the past year hanging in the walk way to the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

This morning Gus visited with Veterans Administration Secretary Eric Shinseki , during a special meeting of the Military Veterans Caucus. Gus who is a co-chair of the caucus, along with Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Ca.), invited Secretary Shinseki to speak about his plans for the Veterans Administration and then engage in Q & A with Members.

On Wednesday morning Gus visited the monthly Men's forum at Stratford Court of Palm Harbor, a Sunrise Senior Living Retirement Community.