Dear Neighbor,

It was another busy week in Florida’s Third District!

From meeting with business leaders in Lake City to sitting down with seniors and veterans in Ocala, I heard firsthand about the challenges facing our communities and the opportunities ahead. We discussed creating good-paying jobs, lowering costs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and making sure Washington works for the people it serves.

The best solutions start with listening to the folks back home. These conversations drive my work in Congress, and I’ll keep taking your priorities straight to Washington to fight for commonsense solutions and make sure North Central Florida has a seat at the table.

As always, thank you for the trust you place in me to serve as your voice in Washington. It’s the honor of my life to represent North Central Florida, and I’ll keep fighting to deliver real results for our communities! Continue reading →

It was another busy week in Florida’s Third District, focused on building stronger communities, creating more opportunities, and making sure the voices of North Central Florida are heard in Washington.

From bringing together economic development leaders and visiting local manufacturers to spending time with Alzheimer’s advocates, I heard directly from the people working every day to move our communities forward. Those conversations about good-paying jobs, our skilled workforce, access to quality healthcare, and cutting bureaucratic red tape are shaping the work I’m taking back to Washington.

Every conversation is an opportunity to listen, learn, and turn the challenges facing our communities into real solutions. That’s what public service is all about, and I’m proud to keep fighting for a stronger future for North Central Florida!

As always, thank you for the trust you place in me to serve as your voice in Washington.

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Strengthening Economic Development Across North Central Florida

I brought together economic development leaders from 11 counties across Florida’s Third District at my Gainesville office to discuss opportunities to strengthen our local economies, attract new businesses, and support continued growth throughout North Central Florida. Continue reading →

When you purchase an item such as a loaf of bread, a shirt, an automobile or a service, you see the sales tax on your receipt. Most people think that that is the total tax your are paying but, unfortunately, that is far from the truth. What you don’t see on the receipt is the embedded taxes.

Hidden inside the price of everything you buy are the tax costs of every entity that had a hand in the production and distribution of that item. To stay in business, a business must recover their costs – including labor costs, cost of materials and taxes – through the prices they charge. It is estimated that 15%-30% of the retail price you pay for an item is due to these tax costs being passed on to you.

Goods and services involve a lot of labor with federal payroll taxes alone demonstrate the magnitude of taxes associated with labor. Social Security and Medicare taxes are 7.65% for the employee and 7.65% for the employer for a total of 15.3%. In addition to payroll taxes, corporate income tax affects consumer prices. Research by the National Bureau of Economic Research examining actual retail prices, found significant pass throughs and estimated half of the corporate tax incidence examined ultimately fell on the consumer. Continue reading →

JAY, Fla.— Today, Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Jared Perdue in Jay and Florida Department of Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly in Vernon to provide updates on Florida’s ongoing recovery efforts following Hurricane Isaias.

In Jay, Governor DeSantis highlighted the state’s efforts to safely reopen schools and provide additional recovery resources to impacted Floridians. The Governor announced that 11 Points of Distribution are now operating across Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington counties, providing free water, shelf-stable meals, ice, tarps and other essential supplies to residents impacted by the storm.

Governor DeSantis also announced that power has been restored to 95% of customers in areas impacted by Hurricane Isaias, following nearly 450,000 outages at the height of the storm. Continue reading →

In addition to these awards, Governor DeSantis also announced that the Town of Century has been awarded nearly $500,000 through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund for a building renovation and fire suppression system upgrade, supporting a potential tenant

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, following Hurricane Isaias’ direct hit to the Florida Panhandle, Governor Ron DeSantis announced $27 million in awards to small and rural communities across Florida through the Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF). Awards were made to 14 Florida communities for projects that will complete critical infrastructure and strengthen rural economies—including eight communities and counties throughout the Panhandle. This funding will go towards projects like enhancing roadway connectivity, enhancing stormwater infrastructure, and renovating a building that will house a new primary care clinic, rural specialty care clinic and EMS operations. In addition to these awards, Governor DeSantis also announced that the Town of Century has been awarded nearly $500,000 through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund for a building renovation and fire suppression system upgrade, supporting a potential tenant. As Hurricane Isaias recovery efforts continue, this funding is mission critical to ensure long-term, reliable infrastructure and economic growth in the Panhandle and beyond.

“As we continue helping communities recover from Hurricane Isaias, we are also making investments to strengthen rural Florida and support economic growth,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Today in Washington County, I announced $27 million in Rural Infrastructure Fund awards for critical projects in 14 small and rural communities across Florida. We’re also awarding $24.3 million to 12 additional rural communities to invest in infrastructure and economic opportunity. Florida has made tremendous progress recovering from this storm. We are committed to supporting the families, businesses, and communities that have been affected so that they can rebuild in the short term and thrive in the long term.”  Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a $1 million investment through VISIT FLORIDA to support tourism recovery efforts in Northwest Florida following Hurricane Isaias. The funding will be awarded to the Northwest Florida Tourism Council to resume the successful Northwest Florida Beaches marketing campaign, helping drive visitation and support local businesses throughout the Panhandle. 

The investment comes from VISIT FLORIDA’s dedicated crisis recovery budget, which is reserved to support Florida’s tourism industry following hurricanes and other disasters. 

“Today, I was proud to announce that VISIT FLORIDA is awarding $1 million to the Northwest Florida Tourism Council to resume their successful marketing campaign following Hurricane Isaias,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This investment comes from a dedicated disaster recovery budget that is set aside to help Florida’s tourism industry. The returns are proven to be great: For every dollar invested in this strategic tourism marketing effort in 2024-2025, Northwest Florida generated $58.95 in total economic impact.” 

The recovery campaign builds on a successful partnership between VISIT FLORIDA and the Northwest Florida Tourism Council, representing eight Gulf Coast counties. Through a previous marketing initiative funded in part by Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., the partnership generated more than 2 million additional visitors between 2024 and 2025, contributing $327 million in additional visitor spending and supporting nearly 3,000 jobs. For every $1 invested, the program generated $35.74 in direct visitor spending and $58.95 in total economic impact.  Continue reading →

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03) today announced that veterans experiencing homelessness in Ocala and Gainesville will keep their housing after she worked directly with the Department of Veterans Affairs to secure a new contract for Volunteers of America. Beginning October 1, the VA’s Contract Emergency Residential Services (CERS) program will fund 36 beds at the Ritz Veterans Village in Ocala and 18 beds in Gainesville, part of 102 beds across North Florida. The facilities’ previous VA funding was set to expire September 30.

When Volunteers of America contacted Congresswoman Cammack’s office for help, she immediately called VA Secretary Doug Collins. Her district team then worked with VA leadership to confirm the new contract ahead of the October 1 transition.

“No veteran who wore this country’s uniform should have to wonder where they’ll sleep next month. The moment we heard these men were at risk, our team went to work, and we didn’t let up until this was done,” said Congresswoman Cammack. “They deserve a roof over their heads and a system that has their back. I’m grateful to the VA for working with us and to Volunteers of America for the work they do every day.” Continue reading →

LAKE CITY, Fla. — Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03) joined Florida Gateway College (FGC) leaders on the college’s Lake City campus today to announce a $3 million federal grant, the largest in the college’s history, to build a new Building Construction Technology Center and launch trades programs for students across rural North Florida.

Rep. Cammack backed FGC’s application with a letter of support. The five-year award comes through the Strengthening Institutions Program, a U.S. Department of Education program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. This year’s competition prioritized rural institutions and programs that build career pathways and workforce readiness.

Florida Gateway College Press Conference

“North Central Florida is full of folks who build things with their hands, and they shouldn’t have to leave home to learn a trade. This center means they won’t have to,” said Rep. Kat Cammack. “Florida Gateway put together a winning plan, and I was proud to back it. This is a federal investment done right, and I can’t wait to see the first class walk into that lab.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office arrested more than 20 individuals in a multi-county drug trafficking and racketeering enterprise operating in Palm Beach, St. Lucie, and Broward Counties. The organization distributed large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances, and utilized over-the-road freight carriers—without the carriers’ knowledge—to smuggle cocaine from California into Florida.

“This joint operation dismantled a sophisticated criminal enterprise that was pumping dangerous drugs into Palm Beach, St. Lucie, and Broward County communities,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Through the tireless work of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and our statewide prosecutors, we seized large amounts of cocaine, along with fentanyl and oxycodone pills. Florida families deserve safe streets free of these deadly substances, and we will hold every member of this organization accountable.”

“Let me be clear: if you bring dangerous drugs into Palm Beach County, we will find you, shut down your operation, and bring you to justice,” said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. “This operation sends a strong message that we will not tolerate drug trafficking in our communities”

“Our work in drug trafficking cases demonstrates one central truth: no single agency can address this challenge alone,” said FDLE Special Agent in Charge Michael Stein. “These cases depend on strong partnerships—across local, state, and federal agencies, the Attorney General’s statewide prosecutors, and the continued support of our state leaders and legislature to eradicate our communities of illegal and harmful drugs.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the Office of Statewide Prosecution secured prison sentences totaling 79.5 years against three child predators in Lee, Glades, and Okeechobee counties. Statewide Prosecutors also won convictions against two more child predators in Lee and Collier counties, who now face decades in prison.

“I can’t think of anything more evil than the sexual abuse of a child, and trading, purchasing, and soliciting in this vile material perpetuates that abuse,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “We’re throwing the book at these predators. Our statewide prosecutors have already secured over 800 years in prison sentences for crimes against children. Predators should know that if they come after children, they will lose your freedom.”

“Florida’s children are safer today because of Attorney General Uthmeier and the men and women of FDLE,” said FDLE Commissioner Larry Keefe. “We lead the charge against child exploitation. We identify predators and build the cases that put them away. This is how it works in Florida: FDLE finds them, the Attorney General convicts them, and the Department of Corrections keeps them.” Continue reading →