Congressman David Rivera’s Week in Review: Week of February 6th

Washington, DC- Congressman David Rivera (FL-25) was in Washington last week focused on domestic issues and foreign affairs.

Congressman Rivera, Colleagues: Fifty Years of Cuban Embargo Demonstrates U.S. Solidarity with Cuban People

Congressman Rivera joined his Cuban-American colleagues, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18), Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-21) and Congressman Albio Sires (NJ-13) in releasing statements on Tuesday on the important role that the Cuban embargo has played over 50 years in demonstrating the United States’ unwavering solidarity with the Cuban people.

Tuesday marked the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s executive order, Proclamation 3447, declaring a trade embargo between the United States and Cuba.

“In 1962, the United States enacted a trade embargo on Cuba due to the Castro regime’s anti-American and anti-democratic actions.  The Cuban dictatorship demonstrated overt hostile actions toward democracy and human rights.  Fifty years later, while the world around them has changed, and their allies are now Chavista and Mullah instead of Soviet, we see a continuing need for full enforcement of the embargo and other sanctions until free elections, civil liberties and democracy are returned to the Cuban people,” Congressman Rivera said.

Congressman Rivera: Contraceptive Mandate Violates First Amendment Freedoms

Congressman Rivera released the following statement on Tuesday regarding the Obama Administration’s mandate that employers provide medical insurance that would offer contraceptives with no co-payment and makes no exception for Catholic organizations, such as hospitals and universities.

“Forcing Catholic organizations to provide employees insurance that mandates coverage of contraceptives, something the church is morally opposed to, is a violation of First Amendment rights to religious freedom.  I support Senator Rubio’s efforts to create a firm religious exemption to this overreaching requirement.”

District Activities: Venezuelan United Opposition Primary

Congressman Rivera was on hand on Sunday at the Venezuelan Opposition Primary.  The elections were organized by the Venezuelan Coalition of Democratic Unity to choose a candidate to oppose Hugo Chavez in this fall’s election.  The elections were open to all Venezuelans of voting age regardless of party affiliation. Doral was one of nearly 80 cities around the world to host a Primary Election Commission that served as voting locations for those living outside of Venezuela.  Henrique Capriles Randoski came away the winner of the primary that marked the first time that opposition groups came together to elect one candidate to go against Chavez.

Congressman Rivera at the Conservative Political Action Conference

Congressman Rivera spoke on two panels at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last week.  On Thursday he participated in a panel entitled “From Fidel to Chavez: How Do We Stop the Resurgence of Socialism in Latin America?”, and on Saturday he participated in a panel entitled “Immigration- High Fences, Wide Gates: States vs. the Feds, the Rule of Law and America.”

CPAC is the largest annual gathering of conservatives.  It is presented by the American Conservative Union and takes place in Washington, DC, welcoming more than 10,000 attendees every spring.

Notable Meetings: National Federation of the Blind of Florida

Congressman Rivera met with representatives from the National Federation of the Blind of Florida on Wednesday. 

The National Federation of the Blind is a nationwide organization with more than 50,000 members making it the largest organization of blind people in the United States.  The NFB strives to improve the lives of blind people through advocacy, education, research, technology and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence.

The National Federation of the Blind of Florida is the state affiliate of the NFB.  It has local chapters throughout the state.  The NFB of Florida stresses that it is not an organization speaking for the blind—it is the blind speaking for themselves.

Notable Meetings: Free Trade Zone World Services- Miami Free Zone

Congressman Rivera met with Free Trade Zone World Services General Manager Arcelio Gerardo on Wednesday.  FTZ World Services operates the Miami Free Zone, a general purpose foreign trade zone founded in 1979.  It has become a trade hub for the Americas offering flexible warehouse space, executive office space, showrooms and on-site U.S. Customs and Border Protection offices. 

Notable Meetings: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention of Florida

Congressman Rivera met with Alan Meca and other representatives from the Southeast Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention of Florida on Thursday.  Meca was in Washington to participate in the Advocacy Forum on Suicide Prevention, Education and Research. 

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1987 dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education, advocacy and outreach. 

Notable Meetings: Homestead Job Corps

Congressman Rivera met with staff and Student Government Association members from the Homestead Job Corps on Tuesday in his Washington office.  The SGA representatives included President Nickeisha Grant, Vice President Karissa Tate, Public Relations Director Sharrod Brunson, Chief Justice Stephanie Defibaugh, Secretary Weikel Lowe, Project Coordinator Shereal Richardson and Non-Residential Representative Edward Valpais.  The staff members included HJCC Center Director Anthony Taylor, Student Government Advisor Tisha Holmes and STARS Coordinator Bernard Krogh. 

Job Corps is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor and provides low income students, ages 16-24, with no-cost education and training to earn a high school diploma or GED, learn a career and find and keep a good job.

Notable Votes: S. 2038- Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act

Congressman Rivera voted in favor of an amendment to strengthen S. 2038, the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act.  The bill makes it clear that Members of Congress, Congressional employees and executive and judicial branch employees are prohibited from using nonpublic information for private profit.  The House amendment expanded provisions of the bill to include executive and judicial branch employees.

Notable Votes: H.R. 3581- Budget and Accounting Transparency Act

Congressman Rivera voted in favor of H.R. 3581, the Budget and Accounting Transparency Act. The bill brings federal budgeting practices in line with those of the private sector to paint a more accurate picture of federal finances by requiring accounting of federal credit programs to consider borrowing costs incurred by the federal government as well as the cost of the market risk to the federal government.  The bill requires that budget implications of the federal government’s responsibility for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac be reflected in budget data. 

Notable Votes: H.R. 1734- Civilian Property Realignment Act

Congressman Rivera voted in favor of H.R. 1734, the Civilian Property Realignment Act.  The bill aims to reduce government waste by consolidating the footprint of federal buildings and facilities, maximizing the utilization rate for such buildings and facilities, reducing the reliance on leased space, selling or redeveloping high value assets that are underutilized to obtain the highest and best value to maximize the return to the taxpayer, reducing the operating and maintenance costs of federal civilian real properties, reducing redundancy, overlap and costs associated with field offices, creating incentives for federal agencies to achieve greater efficiency in their inventories of real property, facilitating and expediting the sale or disposal of unneeded civilian properties and assisting federal agencies in achieving sustainability goals. 

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. 3578: Baseline Reform Act of 2011

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