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Congressman John Rutherford

Rutherford Appointed to House Appropriations Committee

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The House committee with responsibility over
the federal government’s spending priorities

Congressman Rutherford (R-FL) has been appointed to the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, the standing committee responsible for all of the federal government’s spending priorities, which debates and sets specific amounts for all discretionary federal spending on all federal agencies and programs.

“I am honored to join the House Appropriations Committee and take on a greater role in ensuring that precious taxpayer dollars are spent wisely,” said Rutherford. “Responsibly prioritizing our nation’s spending is one of Congress’s most fundamental constitutional responsibilities, and I look forward to working to rebuild our national defense, properly care for our veterans, and promote efficiency and accountability within every federal agency and program. I extend my thanks to Chairman Frelinghuysen for the invitation to join this vital Committee.”

A first-term Member of Congress, Rutherford previously served on the House Committees on Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, and the Judiciary. Upon Rutherford’s appointment, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) stated:

“We are in the midst of a very aggressive and busy appropriations season. With the retirement of one of our great Subcommittee Chairmen, Charlie Dent, we needed to bring a new Member on board, and have made additional changes in Subcommittee leadership as well,” Chairman Frelinghuysen said. “We welcome Rep. John Rutherford to the Committee, and I look forward to working closely with him over the next weeks and months to complete all 12 Appropriations bills in the House, and to fulfill our fiscal commitments to the country and the American people.”

Rutherford, Demings Introduce Protect and Serve Act of 2018

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Bipartisan legislation to enhance federal
penalties for targeting law enforcement officers

Congressman and former sheriff of Jacksonville, John Rutherford (FL-04), together with Congresswoman and former chief of the Orlando Police Department, Val Demings (FL-10), introduced H.R. 5698, the Protect and Serve Act of 2018. This bipartisan bill would create federal penalties for individuals who deliberately target local, state, or federal law enforcement officers with violence.

This year alone, 87 officers have been shot in the line of duty, 28 of whom lost their lives. This is 75 percent higher than this time last year. These troubling numbers show a significant, growing trend of armed attacks on law enforcement officers, and steps need to be taken to deter these actions.

“As a career law enforcement officer and sheriff of Jacksonville for 12 years, I know what officers go through every day when they put on their uniform, say goodbye to their families, and go out on the streets doing the important work of protecting our communities,” said Congressman Rutherford. “With an uptick in ambush attacks on law enforcement, like we saw last month in Trenton, Florida, we must ensure that there are steep consequences for anyone who targets our law enforcement officers. The Protect and Serve Act will serve as a significant deterrent for anyone who deliberately targets officers with violence. I want to thank my friend, Congresswoman Val Demings for her leadership on this bill and for her support of law enforcement officers across the country.”

Congresswoman Demings said, “After 27 years in law enforcement, I believe that officers must hold themselves to the highest standards, be accountable to their communities, and perform their duties with honor and integrity. There has been a 75 percent increase in officers shot and killed this year. Ambush-style killings have taken numerous officers’ lives. Last month, two sheriff’s deputies here in Florida were assassinated while eating lunch. We must give our officers the tools, training, and protections needed to be safe on the job. I call on my colleagues in Congress to do our job so our officers can do theirs.”

The Protect and Serve Act has been endorsed by the National Association of Police Organizations, Major County Sheriffs, Sergeants Benevolent Association, and the National Fraternal Order of Police. The bill will now go to the House Committee on the Judiciary, where a full-committee markup will be held before sending the bill to the House floor for passage. The full text of the bill can be found here.

Rutherford Statement on VA MISSION Act Passing Committee

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This landmark VA reform bill contains key Rutherford legislation

The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs today voted to advance H.R. 5674, the Department of Veterans Affairs Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks, or VA MISSION Act. This bill includes Congressman John Rutherford’s (R-FL) Veterans Affairs Physician Recruitment Act, which will strengthen the VA’s ability to recruit and retain quality providers through scholarships, attractive loan repayment plans, and a pilot program that will increase the number of providers who are veterans themselves.  According to a recent Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report, the provider shortage at VA is already in a critical state and will only continue to get worse without changes to the system. This legislation gives VA the tools it needs to attract and retain physicians now and in the future, improving the quality and access to care for our nation’s veterans.

Upon the Committee’s passage of this legislation, Congressman Rutherford released the following statement:

“Taking care of our veterans is our duty as a Congress and as Americans,” said Rutherford. “The VA MISSION Act addresses the numerous requests from VA leadership, veteran service organizations, and veterans in my district who have asked Congress and the VA to urgently work together. Streamlining the VA’s Community Care programs, expanding the caregiver program, instituting a fiscally responsible asset review, and improving the VA’s ability to recruit and retain health providers makes good on promises we as a nation have made to our veterans.  I am thankful to Chairman Roe for his work on this bipartisan, bicameral package and for ensuring that we put our veterans’ care at the top of our priorities, and I look forward to Congress sending this bill to the President’s desk.”

The VA MISSION Act includes several pieces of legislation that would streamline the department’s duplicative community care programs into one cohesive program; create a non-partisan process for reviewing VA’s assets to ensure veterans can access the care they have earned; and expand the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Post-9/11 Caregiver Program to all eras.

The legislation also includes funding for the Choice Program that is expected to last until the new program authorized under the VA MISSION Act is implemented. In April, Acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie informed Congress that the current account would run out of funds in early to mid-June, ending the Choice Program and potentially creating another access to care crisis.

Read the full text of the bill here.

Rutherford’s STOP School Violence Act Passes House in Funding Bill

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The House of Representatives today passed H.R. 1625, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes critical funding for national defense, combating the opioid crisis and school safety funding, as well as Rutherford’s H.R. 4909, the STOP School Violence Act of 2018. This omnibus spending package for Fiscal Year 2018 now moves to the Senate for a vote before heading to the president’s desk for signature. Congressman John Rutherford (R-FL) released the following statement following passage of the bill:

“Few things are more important to a nation than safety and security,” said Rutherford. “Keeping our children safe in school, our homeland secure, and our national defense strong is our first responsibility to the citizens that we represent. This bill includes funding for the STOP School Violence Act to invest in early intervention and prevention programs to stop school violence before it happens. I know from my time as Sheriff that school and community safety requires a multi-layered approach, and I am thankful to all of my colleagues in the House and Senate for the bipartisan support of the STOP School Violence Act and for their commitment to keeping our children safe. In addition to school safety funding, the bill we passed today makes great strides to back our men and women in uniform, giving them the largest pay raise in eight years and providing them the resources they need to protect our freedom at home and abroad.”

Background: The bill includes critical funding for:

  • National Defense – After years of sequestration, this bill starts rebuilding America’s Armed Forces by making the largest investment in 15 years. It provides $654.6 billion in both base and Global War on Terror/Overseas Contingency Operations funding – the biggest year-to-year increase since the beginning of the War on Terror. It fully funds a 2.4% pay raise for the troops, fulfills the requests made by Secretary Mattis and military leaders, and gives warfighters the resources they need to fight, win and return home safety. This bill also includes increased funding for critical missions, such as 14 Navy ships, 10 P-8A Poseidons, 90 F-35s, and 5 E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes.
  • Securing Our Homeland – The bill includes $47.8 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, an increase of $5.4 billion over the last fiscal year. These dollars will bolster border infrastructure, add more “boots on the ground,” increase detention space, and improve surveillance technology. The legislation includes $1.571 billion for physical barriers and associated technology along the Southwest border.  This amount provides for more than 90 miles of “border wall system,” going beyond the Administration’s budget request for a total of 74 miles in fiscal year 2018.
  • Rebuilding America’s Aging Infrastructure – Improving the nation’s infrastructure is critical to public safety and economic growth. The legislation includes more than $21 billion for infrastructure projects across the country, including transportation, energy, water, and cyber.
  • Combatting the Opioid Crisis – This legislation includes nearly $4 billion in resources to combat the opioid crisis, which President Trump has declared as a national emergency. It will invest billions in treatment, prevention and law enforcement efforts to stop the spread of these dangerous drugs, and help families and communities get the assistance they need.
  • School Safety – To help protect children and to promote safe learning environments, the bill provides more than $2.3 billion in new funding for effective training and school safety programs through the Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services. The bill also includes passage of Rutherford’s STOP School Violence Act, which overwhelmingly passed the House last week as a stand-alone bill by a 407 – 10 vote. The STOP School Violence Act provides funding for violence prevention training for students, teachers, and law enforcement officers, increased technology to improve school security, as well as anonymous reporting systems to prevent violence before it ever enters our schools.

Rutherford Questions VA Regarding Legality of Union Protest

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Congressman John Rutherford (R-Fla.), a member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Shulkin asking that he look into whether proper leave protocols were followed by VA employees who engaged in recent union protests outside VA, AFL-CIO Headquarters and at the U.S. Capitol. The full letter can be found here.

Upon sending the letter to Secretary Shulkin, Rutherford released the following statement:

“I recognize and support the attendees’ freedom to exercise constitutional rights to participate in these rallies and protests,” said Rutherford. “I am, however, concerned that some VA employees may have violated federal law. A recent Government Accountability Office report shows how VA is not properly accounting for how much taxpayer money is being used on employees performing union activities. This is time and funding that should be spent on patient care or other services that directly benefit veterans. I am asking Secretary Shulkin to look into this situation to see whether these employees are fully complying with VA policy and adequately serving America’s veterans.”

Background
On February 13 and 14, 2018, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) protested staff levels at VA facilities through an event dubbed the “March on VA” outside VA’s central office and at rallies outside AFL-CIO Headquarters and the U.S. Capitol. When asked whether the VA employees who participated in these union events violated the standard for use of official time, where VA employees are permitted to work on union duties during work hours, the Department of Veterans Affairs responded that “employees may only participate in a rally or informational picketing while on leave. They cannot be in a paid duty status when they are protesting or rallying.” Rep Rutherford’s letter to Secretary Shulkin questions whether these protests meet the standard designated by federal law and whether attendees should have taken annual leave for the period in which they participated in the protests.

Rutherford Highlights Key Funding Provisions That Bolster National Security And Impact Northeast Florida

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Last week, Congressman John Rutherford voted for H.R. 3219, the Make America Secure Appropriations Act, which provides funding in Fiscal Year 2018 for the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Energy.  It also provides funds for water infrastructure initiatives and the construction of much needed fencing, levees and secondary barriers along vulnerable portions of our southern border.
With regard to the legislation, Congressman John Rutherford said, “With this critical legislation, we continue to deliver on the promise to Northeast Floridians to make America stronger and safer.  We increase funding for our national defense to grow our fighting force, give our troops a much-deserved pay raise, and invest in the tools they need to combat threats to the U.S. and our allies around the world.  The leaders at NAS Jacksonville, NS Mayport, and other critical military installations in our community tell me that we must remain committed to improving readiness, and this bill represents a significant investment to do just that.  The House continues to do important work to fulfill our obligations to the American people, and I urge the Senate to join us in making our nation more safe and secure.”

BILL HIGHLIGHTS

Department of Defense: The bill includes a total of $658.1 billion for the DOD, including key programs that are vital to both Northeast Florida and our entire military.  The bill fully funds a 2.4% pay increase for uniform service members, 11 Navy ships including 3 Littoral Combat Ships, 24 F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft, 7 P-8A Poseidon aircraft, and 2 DDG-51 guided missile destroyers.  Due to the increasing global threats and requests from our military leaders, the bill also increases the end strength of our armed forces.  Additionally, it makes strategic investments with our allies across the world in battling instability and terrorism.  After years of budget instability, passing this legislation is a crucial step in restoring the readiness and investment that our military requires and deserves. 
Veterans Affairs: Congress continues the important work to modernize and improve the VA to ensure that veterans receive the care they deserve, and this bill reflects those priorities.  The bill provide $182.3 billion for the VA in both discretionary and mandatory funding.  These funds are urgently needed to address issues of suicide prevention, claims processing, battling the opioid epidemic, homelessness prevention, and vital medical research.  
Energy and Water: The Army Corps of Engineers is funded at $6.16 billion, an increase of $120 million above the fiscal year 2017 enacted level and $1.16 billion above the President’s budget request. The Corps is instructed to prioritize funding for beach renourishment projects in areas like Northeast Florida that need it for flood and storm damage reduction and shore protection. Further, the bill authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of the Army to withdraw the Waters of the United States rule, commonly referred to as “WOTUS,” which could expand onerous and expensive federal permitting requirements for local municipalities and agriculture, if implemented. 
Homeland Security: Provides $1.6 billion dedicated to infrastructure for securing our southern border and enforcing our nation’s immigration laws.

Rutherford Introduces the Julian Woods Yellow Ribbon Program Expansion Act

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JACKSONVILLE, FL. – Congressman John Rutherford introduced legislation to expand eligibility for the Yellow Ribbon Program to recipients of the Fry Scholarship, a scholarship which allows service members who are killed in the line of duty to transfer their education benefits to surviving spouses and children. Currently, the Yellow Ribbon Program allows higher education institutions to cover additional tuition costs for service members utilizing their GI benefits, if the cost of attendance is above the cap set by the Post-9/11 GI bill. Unfortunately, dependents utilizing the Fry Scholarship are not eligible for this additional financial assistance. This means that surviving spouses and children of those who have died in the line of duty have fewer options for where they may use their education benefits.
The Julian Woods Yellow Ribbon Program Expansion Act would fix this discrepancy and allow those on the Fry Scholarship to be eligible to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.  It is only right to provide the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice the greatest opportunity to succeed in their education.
In naming this bill, Congressman Rutherford recognizes Petty Officer 3rd Class Julian Woods, a Jacksonville native and Hospital Corpsman in Fallujah during Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Petty Officer Woods was killed by enemy fire when rushing to the aid of a fallen soldier.  He is a true American hero who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to a very grateful nation.  No one can understand this sacrifice better than the young daughter Petty Officer Woods left behind.  His daughter is now of age to attend college, and without passage of this legislation, she will be limited in the colleges she may attend under the Fry Scholarship.
Congressman John Rutherford said, “Empowering the family members of our servicemen and women strengthens our communities, invigorates our institutions, and brightens our future. Petty Officer Woods was an American hero, and we are forever indebted to the countless sacrifices made by our servicemen and women just like him. I believe it is our duty to make sure their families have the support they deserve, and I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation that expands education opportunities for the loved ones of the courageous service members who have died in defense of our freedoms.”
Carolyn Woods, mother of Petty Officer 3rd Class Julian Woods, said, “Any work Congress does to enhance opportunities for the families of those who lost a loved one in the line of duty is of incredible importance. Julian was a hero for our nation and our family, and I am proud his legacy remains in the Julian Woods Yellow Ribbon Expansion Act. I thank Congressman Rutherford for recognizing Julian, his daughter, and our family and hope this bill helps many families like ours.”
The original co-sponsor, Congressman Scott Peters, said, “San Diego is a proud military town that is home to not just thousands of brave service members, but their families as well. Military families make tremendous sacrifices in service to our country and deserve our gratitude and our support. Extending the Yellow Ribbon Program to surviving family members is a common sense way to keep our promise to military families that we will support them after their loved one falls in the line of duty.”
Jared Lyon, CEO of Student Veterans of America, said, “SVA stands with many other organizations in strong support of this legislation that would allow the dependents of a service member killed in action to access Yellow Ribbon Program benefits. The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship goes to families that have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country; we believe they’ve more than earned the right to attend a school of their choice without comparatively minor tuition costs hampering their success.”
Michael Little, Director of Legislative Affairs for the Association of the United States Navy, said, “On behalf of the Association of the United States Navy, we would like to pledge our support for H.R. 2103. This bill would amend title 38, United States Code, to include the Frye Scholarship in the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program. Thank you for taking an active role in such an important issue to the military and veteran community by working to improve the lives and careers of those who served our great nation.”

First Rep. Rutherford Bill Unanimously Passes U.S. House

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Bill Would Stop Wasteful Spending at DHS

The United States House of Representatives voted unanimously (408-0) to pass H.R.1294, the Reducing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acquisition Cost Growth Act. This bill, introduced by Congressman John Rutherford earlier this month, would prevent wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars by agencies like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), by holding DHS agencies more accountable in administering their major acquisition programs and granting Congress greater oversight over troubled programs.

Congressman Rutherford said, ““The passing of H.R.1294 is great news for preventing wasteful spending at the Department of Homeland Security. Department of Homeland Security’s acquisition programs represent hundreds of billions of dollars in spending, but they repeatedly face cost overruns and schedule delays. This will help provide necessary tools for FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Protection to do their jobs – keeping Americans safe. It will also ensure Congress can provide greater oversight of major acquisition programs and can implement solutions to quickly address any setbacks. I thank the House of Representatives for voting to stop wasteful spending.”

H.R. 1294 is the first bill Congressman Rutherford introduced as a member of the House of Representatives. It now advances to the Senate for further consideration.