Congressman David Rivera’s Week in Review: Week of June 18th

Washington, DC- Congressman David Rivera (FL-25) was in Washington, DC last week.

Congressman Rivera Continues to Focus Immigration Reform Efforts on Permanent Solutions

Congressman Rivera released the following statement regarding his intention to continue to move forward with permanent immigration solutions following President Obama’s announcement of deferred action for select undocumented immigrants.

"Thousands of undocumented young people deserve a chance at life in America, particularly those who want to serve in the military or to seek higher education.  President Obama’s announcement is nothing more than a political move in the form of a temporary election year band aid to cover up his failure to lead on the issue of immigration reform in the 112th Congress.  Going forward, I will continue to focus my immigration reform efforts on permanent solutions, like the STARS and ARMS Acts, for these deserving young people."

The Hill: Lawmaker will continue to push alternative to DREAM Act

“Rep. David Rivera (R-Fla.) will continue to push his alternative to Democratic immigration reform legislation,” the post on The Hill’s Floor Action Blog read.  “According to his office on Monday, Rivera will continue to push his recently introduced Studying Towards Residency Status (STARS) Act.”

Notable Meetings: Florida Ports

Congressman Rivera joined other Members from the Florida delegation on Thursday for a meeting with representatives from the Florida Ports Council, a nonprofit that serves as the professional association for Florida’s 15 deepwater seaports and their management.  The Florida Ports Council provides leadership, advocacy, and information on seaport-related issues to different levels of government.  Florida’s network of seaports is one of the state’s greatest economic assets, welcoming and accommodating a vast array of commercial activities.

Notable Meetings: Congressional Art Competition Winner

Congressman Rivera met with Jonathan Zalkin and his father Henry Zalkin on Wednesday.  Jonathan, a student at the School for Advanced Studies Kendall, won the 2012 Congressional Art Competition hosted by Congressman Rivera’s office.  Jonathan’s painting, “The Nurse and the Sailor”, will hang in the halls of the U.S. Capitol for the next year representing Florida’s 25th Congressional District.

Notable Meetings: FIU Inter-University Program for Latino Research

Congressman Rivera met with students from Florida International University’s Inter-University Program for Latino Research (IUPLR) on Thursday.  Katherine Borgen, Lawrence Held, Gabriela Hernandez and Eduardo Yespica are participating in the program’s Summer Institute for Latino Public Policy in Washington this summer and were joined by Olga Herrera, the program’s convener.   

IUPLR is hosted by the University of Notre Dame and is a national consortium of university-based centers dedicated to the advancement of the Latino intellectual presence in the United States.  The program’s objectives include promoting comparative, interdisciplinary and policy-focused research, developing collaborative national programs that support Latino students and faculty in higher education and establishing collaborative projects with scholars in the arts, culture and the humanities.  

Notable Meetings: Super Regional EB-5 Project

On Thursday Congressman Rivera met with representatives from the South Florida Investment Regional Center, which has been designated by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to provide opportunities to foreign investors interested in participating in the EB-5 Investor Visa Program and obtaining green cards.  The program provides for conditional, two-year resident status to qualifying investors and their families who invest at least $1 million in businesses that create at least 10 full-time permanent jobs for American workers.  After two years, if certain investment and job-creation requirements are met, the applicants can apply for unconditional, permanent residency.  The South Florida Investment Regional center serves Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. 

Notable Meetings: Cruise Line International Association

Congressman Rivera met with representatives from the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) on Wednesday.  The organization is the world’s largest cruise association, composed of 26 major cruise lines serving North America.  CLIA was founded in 1975 and its mission is to promote policies and practices that foster a safe, secure and healthy cruise ship environment, as well as the promotion and growth of the cruise industry.

The CLIA representatives spoke with Congressman Rivera bout the impact of the cruise industry on South Florida.

Notable Votes: H.R. 4480- Domestic Energy and Jobs Act

Congressman Rivera voted in favor of H.R. 4480, the Domestic Energy and Jobs Act.  The legislation is aimed at reducing dependence on foreign oil and creating jobs by increasing energy production on federal lands and protecting American refineries by reducing regulations.  According to the Congressional Budget Office, enacting the bill would reduce spending by $385 million over the next 10 years and would not affect revenues. 

Congressman Rivera has also taken votes to support legislation to create jobs and improve the economy, including:

H.R. 872: Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act

H.R. 910: Energy Tax Prevention Act

H.J.Res. 37: Disapproval of FCC’s Net Neutrality Regulations

H.R. 2018: Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act

H.R. 1315: Consumer Financial Protection and Soundness Improvement Act

H.R. 2587: Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act

H.R. 2401: Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act

H.R. 2681: Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act

H.R. 2250: EPA Regulatory Relief Act

H.R. 2273: Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act

H.R. 3094: Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act

H.R. 527: Regulatory Flexibility Improvement Act

H.R. 3010: Regulatory Accountability Act

H.R. 1904: Southeast Arizona Resource Utilization & Conservation Act

H.R. 1070: Small Company Capital Formation Act

H.R. 1965: Small Banks’ Access to Capital Act

H.R. 2930: Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act

H.R. 2940: Access to Capital for Job Creators Act

H.R. 3012: Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act

H.R. 1230: Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act

H.R. 1229: Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act

H.R. 1231: Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act

H.R. 2021: Jobs and Energy Permitting Act

H.R. 1938: North American-Made Energy Security Act

H.Con.Res. 34: Budget for Fiscal Year 2012

H. Res. 516: Importance of Passing A Fiscal Year 2013 Federal Budget

H.R. 1173: Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act of 2011

H.R. 3567: Welfare Integrity Now for Children and Families Act

H.R. 3582: Pro-Growth Budgeting Act of 2011

H.R. 10: Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2011

H.R. 3578: Baseline Reform Act of 2011

H.R. 3606: Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act

H.R. 436: Health Care Cost Reduction Act of 2012

For more information on these job creating measures and the House Republican Plan for America’s Job Creators, visit www.jobs.gop.gov.