U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist urged members of Congress to extend protections under the flood insurance program. WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, took the House floor Thursday (Nov. 29) to warn Congress of the repercussions of allowing the critical National Flood Insurance Program to expire. As a member of the Financial Services Committee that oversees the NFIP, Crist urged his colleagues to pass an extension and speed up work to secure a longer-term reauthorization, providi...
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In an effort to tackle the enormous problems posed by climate change and rising seas, a bipartisan group of Florida’s congressional representatives are co-sponsoring legislation to put a price on carbon dioxide emissions – and 100 percent of the revenues would go to the American public. Democrats Ted Deutch from Boca Raton and Charlie Crist from St. Petersburg are teaming up with Naples Republican Francis Rooney and two other members of Congress to co-sponsor the Energy Innovation and Carbon Div...
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U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist co-sponsored legislation aimed at reforming Veterans Affairs medical cannabis policies and practices. Crist introduced the legislation last week with U.S. Reps. Seth Moulton, Matt Gaetz, and Lou Correa to coincide with Veterans Day. The Department of Veterans Affairs Policy for Medical Cannabis Use Act amends the VA’s policy to protect a veteran’s benefits if they disclose the use of the controlled substance. Another bill, the VA Survey of Cannabis Use Act, requires the V...
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They designed a computer app that will be used by the Department of Veterans Affairs, recognized by the U.S. Congress and presented at the Capitol Building. They will also take a trip to Washington, D.C. PINELLAS PARK – Four students from Pinellas Park High School won U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist’s Congressional App Challenge. The challenge was to create an App to help Veterans access services and resources more efficiently. Yen Le, Oanh Le, Chau Nguyen and Thao Vo are students from Pinellas Park Hig...
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Calling the reports "shocking and unacceptable," U.S. Reps. Charlie Crist and Kathy Castor have fired off a letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Monday, demanding a full investigation into allegations that ZooTampa’s senior veterinarian harmed manatees with improper medical procedures. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which reports to Zinke, last month sent a letter to officials of what was formerly known as the Lowry Park Zoo regarding "credible reports" accusing the veterinarian, Ray Bal...
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INDIAN SHORES – Congressmen Charlie Crist and engineer Erin Duffy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers each received a key to the city and a token bottle of sand from the town of Indian Shores at the Oct. 16 Town Hall meeting. Mayor Pat Soranno made the presentation “in appreciation of their outstanding efforts to secure additional beach renourishment on the southern segment of our (Indian Shores’) beaches.” Three months ago a cluster of administrative and engineering problems threatened to wayla...
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From his perch on the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, a Florida congressman is looking “to drive down flood insurance premiums by creating a low-interest loan program to help property owners better protect their homes and businesses from storm damage, ultimately reducing post-disaster claims” with new legislation. This week, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., unveiled the “State Flood Mitigation Revolving Fund Act” which has U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, as a cosponsor. “Modeled aft...
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A federal agency is looking into online auto lender Marlin Financial. In a letter to Rep. Charlie Crist dated Tuesday, the head of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection called the findings of a Tampa Bay Times’ investigation into the lender "troubling," and indicated that the federal agency was following up. "The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection is aware of these reports and is evaluating actions we might take in response," Mick Mulvaney, acting director of the bureau, said. Last mo...
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Marlin Financial has stopped taking new customers as state investigators scrutinize its business practices. The online auto lender at the center of a Florida Attorney General investigation has a note on its website that it is "no longer accepting new loan applications" as of the end of September. The company offered no further explanation and did not elaborate after the Tampa Bay Times contacted its attorney on Tuesday. A Times investigation published Sept. 14 revealed that Marlin’s loan practic...
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U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., is leading the charge in trying to change how the VA handles veterans impacted by Agent Orange. Along with U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Dean Heller, R-Nev., and U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., Crist is championing the “Agent Orange Exposure Fairness Act.” Crist introduced the bill last week and showcased it on Monday. According to his office, the bill “requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to adhere to an expedited process to expand Agent Ora...
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