Congress

Frieze on the front of the United States Capitol Building

It is my privilege to serve as your U.S. Representative in Congress. As your representative, I am focused on serving the people of Florida’s 5th District above all else, and I hope and expect you to hold me accountable.

For more information concerning my activity in Congress, please contact our office.

Rutherford Announces Funds for Vilano Beach Recovery, NE Florida Counties

July 6, 2018

Press Release

JACKSONVILLE, FL – Today, Congressman Rutherford announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will invest supplemental disaster relief funds in Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns counties for hurricane and natural disaster recovery. The USACE will invest $36.8 million in St. Johns County for the Vilano Beach renourishment project, as well as $2 million dollars in each of these counties for flood and storm damage reduction projects to make our shorelines more resilient against future storms.

Issues: Congress

Rutherford Statement on House Passage of FY 2019 Defense Appropriations Bill

June 28, 2018

Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2019 (FY 2019) Defense Appropriations bill by a vote of 359-49. The bill funds the Department of Defense – including operations, readiness activities, equipment modernization, and health and quality-of-life programs for our troops and military families. It also provides funds for several of Congressman Rutherford's initiatives that are of particular interest to Northeast Florida.

Issues: Congress Military and Veterans

Rutherford Announces Key Funding for Northeast Florida Included in Defense Appropriations Bill

June 13, 2018

Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman John Rutherford (R-FL), member of the House Appropriations Committee, announces the successful inclusion of key funding for Northeast Florida in the Fiscal Year 2019 (FY 2019) Defense Appropriations bill, which was passed today by the full committee. The bill funds the Department of Defense – including operations, readiness activities, equipment modernization, and health and quality-of-life programs for our troops and military families. It also provides funds for several of Congressman Rutherford’s initiatives that are of particular interest to Northeast Florida.

Issues: Congress Military and Veterans

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: House Passes Three Appropriations Bills for Fiscal Year 2019

June 8, 2018

Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2019. This bill makes major investments in water infrastructure and coastal flood protection, increases funding for veterans’ health care and benefits, and bolsters our military assets.

Issues: Congress Military and Veterans Economy

Sunshine State News: John Rutherford, Ted Deutch Want DOJ to Quickly Release Funds to Fight School Violence

May 31, 2018

In The News

Sunshine State News: John Rutherford, Ted Deutch Want DOJ to Quickly Release Fu…

The two Florida congressmen who led the charge in the U.S. House to pass the “Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act” are now calling on the U.S. Department of Justice for guidance on how to implement it. U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., brought out the bill at the start of the year with U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., as a co-sponsor. Introduced at the end of January, before the Parkland shooting, the proposal “would create a grant program to train students, teachers, school officials, and local law enforcement how to identify and intervene early when signs of violence arise, create a coordinated reporting system, and implement FBI & Secret Service-based school threat assessment protocols to prevent school shootings before they happen" and “would boost school efforts to develop violence prevention programs and coordinate with law enforcement to improve school.”

Issues: Congress Community Safety Education

Rutherford, Members of Congress Send Letter to AG Sessions to Release Guidance on STOP School Violence Act Grants

May 30, 2018

Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman John Rutherford (R-FL), as well as the original cosponsors of the STOP School Violence Act – Reps. Ted Deutch (D-FL), Hal Rogers (R-KY), and Derek Kilmer (D-WA) – led a letter signed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking that the Department of Justice work quickly to release guidance for the school security grant programs funded by the Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus bill that was passed in March.

Issues: Congress Community Safety

Rutherford Statement on House Passage of National Defense Authorization Act

May 24, 2018

Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Rutherford (FL-04) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a vote of 351-66. The bill now heads to the Senate for debate and passage.

Issues: Congress Military and Veterans

Rutherford Appointed to House Appropriations Committee

May 16, 2018

Press Release

Washington, D.C. – 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.

Issues: Congress

Rutherford, Demings Introduce Protect and Serve Act of 2018

May 8, 2018

Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, 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...

Issues: Congress Community Safety

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

March 22, 2018

Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives 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.

Issues: Congress

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