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Congressman Brian Mast

West Palm Beach VA Re-Hangs POTUS, VA Secretary Portraits Following VA Memo

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Brian Mast logo

Mast Joined Veterans This Week In Calling For Portraits To Be Hung

Following pressure from local veterans and U.S Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18), portraits of the Commander in Chief and VA Secretary are being returned to the walls of the West Palm Beach Veterans Affairs facility and facilities all across the country. Earlier today, Rep. Mast spoke with officials at the White House who notified him that the Department of Veterans Affairs would be issuing guidance to VA facilities indicating that in the absence of official portraits provided by the Government Printing Office, temporary portraits are to be placed on the walls.
“When veterans see a problem, they fix it, and this week was no different.” Rep. Mast said. “Thank you to our veterans, the West Palm Beach VA and the White House for coming together to address our veterans’ concerns.”
BACKGROUND
On Tuesday, February 14, 2017, Rep. Mast visited the West Palm Beach VA, where he gets his own health care, after numerous calls from constituents that there was a delay in hanging up photos of the new VA Secretary and President—photos that are supposed to be hung in every VA facility across the country.
While there, he addressed the concerns of these local veterans by helping to hang the official photos of Secretary Shulkin and President Trump; however, after the veterans had left, the photos were removed from the wall.
Today, following guidance issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the portraits are being returned to the walls.

Mast Secures Spot on Transportation & Infrastructure, Foreign Affairs Committees

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Florida Water Infrastructure will be Top Priority
on Transportation & Infrastructure Committee

12-Year Army Veteran Served Alongside IDF in Israel

U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) today was named to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.
As the newly sworn-in Representative for Florida’s 18th Congressional District, Rep. Mast’s top priority was securing a position on the Transportation and Infrastructure committee.  In this role, Rep. Mast will be best positioned to make progress on a number of important infrastructure projects in the 18th Congressional District, including pressing water infrastructure concerns that must be resolved with the United States Army Corps of Engineers to protect the region from environmental disaster.
“Serving on the Transportation and Infrastructure committee puts me in the best possible position to tackle the pressing water issues in our community,” Rep. Mast said. “Fighting for clean, safe water for future generations is a non-negotiable priority.  I’m committed to tackling these issues head on to ensure that the projects affecting the Indian River Lagoon and our beaches are prioritized moving forward.”
Rep. Mast was also named to the Foreign Affairs Committee.  A 12-year Army veteran, Rep. Mast fought on the front lines of the war against terror and has the physical scars that serve as a daily reminder of the enemy we face and their desire to destroy our way of life.
“My time in the military will allow me to better serve our country by bringing the perspective of a soldier to the critical foreign affairs debates in Congress,” Rep. Mast said. “In the last 8 years, America’s retreat from an international leadership role has left a vacuum of power that is now being filled by our enemies, including ISIS.  I look forward to reversing this troubling trend by working with our allies, including Israel, to spread the American ideals of freedom and democracy abroad.” 
Rep. Mast served as a bomb technician under the Joint Special Operations Command.  Following his military service, Rep. Mast worked with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as volunteering to serve alongside the Israeli Defense Forces.
“Congressman Mast – a former special operator in the Army – displayed incredible bravery in service to our country,” Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (CA-39) said. “His personal experience will be vital to our efforts to defeat ISIS and other terrorist organizations.”
ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has jurisdiction over all modes of transportation: aviation, maritime and waterborne transportation, highways, bridges, mass transit, and railroads.  The Committee also has jurisdiction over other aspects of our national infrastructure, such as clean water and waste water management, the transport of resources by pipeline, flood damage reduction, the management of federally owned real estate and public buildings, the development of economically depressed rural and urban areas, disaster preparedness and response, and hazardous materials transportation. The Committee’s broad oversight portfolio includes many federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation, the U.S. Coast Guard, Amtrak, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the General Services Administration, the Army Corps of Engineers, and others.
ABOUT THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
The House Committee on Foreign Affairs considers legislation that impacts the diplomatic community, which includes the Department of State, the Agency for International Development (USAID), the Peace Corps, the United Nations, and the enforcement of the Arms Export Control Act.