Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) has introduced a whopping eight bills to start the 119th Congress, covering everything from tax policy to veterans' healthcare to border security to animal protection, and the session has only begun.
One bill Rep. Buchanan is reintroducing is the Tax Cuts and Jobs (TCJA) Permanency Act. As the name suggests, this bill keeps the tax cuts of 2017 during President-elect Donald Trump's first term permanent, a goal the Florida Congressman has sought since February 2023, when he first introduced it.
"With Americans continuing to suffer under the weight of record-high inflation and an uncertain economic future, we need to provide some much-needed relief and certainty to hardworking families and Main Street businesses and ensure these tax cuts do not expire," Rep. Buchanan told The Floridian in 2023.
A second piece of legislation worth noting is the Protecting Our Communities from Sexual Predators Act, which would detain, deport, and permanently ban illegal aliens from the United States convicted of sexual assault and similar crimes.
Third in Buchanan's flurry of bills is the Veteran Overmedication and Suicide Prevention Act, a bill requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to investigate the death of every veteran under its care from suicide or drug overdoses in the past five years to better research and treat the mental and physical health of those who served.
Easily the most ambitious piece of legislation Buchanan introduced is an entire Constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget, which comes at a time when the national debt has surpassed $36 trillion and is only growing.
In his press release, Buchanan spoke of the necessity to "move past the chaos of the current administration and focus on getting our country and economy back on track," adding, "The American people spoke clearly that they want conservative leadership that will revive our economy and protect our communities. I look forward to a productive year working with the Republican House majority and President Trump to deliver results for the American people."
