Press Releases
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Congressman John Rutherford (FL-04) introduced H.R. 3103, the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act of 2019, which will increase access to service dogs for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The PAWS Act establishes a competitive grant program through the Department of Veterans Affairs for organizations, such as K9s for Warriors in Ponte Vedra, to pair service dogs with veterans suffering from PTSD.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman John Rutherford (FL-04), Congressman Michael Waltz (FL-06), and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced legislation to name a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic in St. Johns County after Private First Class Leo C. Chase, Jr., the first man from St. Johns County to be killed in the Vietnam War. The new VA outpatient clinic will be located at 207 Stratton Road in St. Augustine, and this bill would designate it as the "Leo C. Chase, Jr. Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.'' Groundbreaking for the clinic is expected in October.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2326, the Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William "Bill" Mulder (Ret.) Transition Improvement Act, which improves resources for members of the Armed Forces to transition from warfighter to civilian. Included in this package is Congressman John Rutherford's (FL-04) Veterans Armed for Success Act, which was reintroduced in March with the support of fellow Northeast Florida Congressman Al Lawson (FL-05).
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Rutherford (FL-04) is pleased to announce that the House Veterans' Affairs Committee voted to advance H.R. 2326, which included Rutherford's Veterans Armed for Success Act, to the full House for consideration.
Washington, D.C. – Congressman John Rutherford (FL-4) is pleased to announce the Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) $16.6 million in additional federal funding for the First Coast Flyer (FCF) Bus Rapid Transit project. This new funding will support expansion of the FCF's Southwest Corridor, known as the Purple Line. Rutherford, who is a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, sits on the subcommittee that funds DOT and has used that position to strongly advocate for this project in Washington.
Washington, D.C. – Congressman John Rutherford (FL-04) is pleased to announce he is joining the American Flood Coalition, a nonpartisan group of cities, elected officials, military leaders, businesses, and civic groups that have come together to drive adaptation to the reality of higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding through national solutions that support flood-affected communities and protect our nation's residents, economy, and military installations.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman John Rutherford (FL-04) and Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) are pleased to announce that they will serve as co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Lung Cancer Caucus for the 116th Congress. The group's membership included 37 representatives from both sides of the aisle in the 115th Congress.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman John Rutherford (FL-04) and Congressman Al Lawson (FL-05) reintroduced the Veterans Armed for Success Act, which passed the House last year. This bipartisanlegislation creates a grant matching program for organizations, such as Operation New Uniform in Jacksonville, that provide job readiness for veterans and their spouses. Eligible programs must display a commitment to ensuring our veterans have the skills they need to transition from warfighter to civilian.
Washington, D.C. – Today Congressman John Rutherford (FL-4), former sheriff of Jacksonville, and Congresswoman Val Demings (FL-10), former chief of the Orlando Police Department, announced that they reintroduced H.R. 1325, the Protect and Serve Act of 2019. This bill passed the House last year with overwhelming bipartisan support, but was not considered in the Senate. It would create federal penalties for individuals who deliberately target local, state, or federal law enforcement officers with violence.
Consider the following:
Washington, D.C. – Tonight, the House of Representatives passed the conference report to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019, fully funding the government until October 1, 2019. Included in this legislation is $100 million for grants authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, a bill introduced by Rutherford and signed into law last spring.