Congressman Brian Mast is in his third term representing the 18th Congressional District of Florida.
Prior to his election to Congress, Brian followed in his father’s footsteps by serving in the U.S. Army for more than 12 years, earning medals including The Bronze Star Medal, The Army Commendation Medal for Valor, The Purple Heart Medal, and The Defense Meritorious Service Medal. While deployed in Afghanistan, he worked as a bomb disposal expert under the elite Joint Special Operations Command. The last improvised explosive device that he found resulted in catastrophic injuries, which included the loss of both of his legs.
Around our community, the issues that I hear about most frequently are the basics needed to make life work—a job to put food on the table, savings to pay for retirement or college, and affordable healthcare. I am committed to fighting to ease the financial burden on families, while also creating an environment that allows American businesses to be more competitive in the global marketplace.
Making life easier for 18th District families starts with reducing government interference in every-day life and slashing government-imposed costs. Passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was major progress so Florida families can keep more of their hard-earned pay. It’s estimated that the average 18th District family will save more than $2,000 per year as a result of this historic change in law and filing taxes will also be much simpler. But there is more work to be done, such as making these tax cuts permanent. The government must do more with less by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse so that hardworking families can keep more of their paycheck.
In order to create an economic environment that allows for job growth, we also need to reduce regulations on small businesses. Excessive red tape makes it harder for small business owners—the true backbone of our economy—to turn the key in their door every day. Moreover, an explosion of government-imposed regulation is weighing down the economy and hurting families. I’m committed to working in a bipartisan way to undo over-burdensome, job-killing red tape.
In addition to changes to the tax code and efforts to reduce regulation, improving infrastructure is critical to the economy in our area and across the country. Locally, we need to resolve the water issues stemming from Lake Okeechobee. The waters surrounding our community are absolutely essential to sustaining and improving the quality-of-life on the Treasure Coast and in Palm Beach. Cleaning our water and improving the infrastructure in our area is one of, if not the most, important steps that we can take to improve our local economy.
Here’s the bottom line: the government needs to get back to work for Americans across the country. Sadly, the reverse has become the status quo. Together we can reduce government intervention in our lives, grow the economy and get Americans back to work.
Having served in combat operations in Afghanistan, I learned firsthand how the United States’ retreat from a leadership role in the international community has set the world on a dangerous course that threatens our national security and the security of our allies, including Israel.
The injuries that I sustained while serving are a reminder that radical Islamic terrorists wants to destroy our very way of life. As a direct result of the United States’s abdication of leadership, ISIS now has more fighters, money and land than al-Qaeda did leading up to 9/11. The United States must act decisively to mobilize the world against ISIS. Simply standing by and hoping for peace, as the Obama Administration did for eight years, is not a strategy. We need a national security strategy and defense budget that empowers our soldiers to defeat America’s enemies and support our allies.
In addition to the rapid rise of ISIS, Iran has continued its dangerous march toward a nuclear weapon, emboldened by billions of dollars in sanctions relief from the United States. There is no greater threat to the security of the United States and our closest Middle East ally, Israel, than a nuclear-armed Iran. While I believe that diplomacy is the best option to prevent a nuclear Iran, the agreement signed by the Obama Administration was a historic mistake that will haunt American security for generations. We must act to undo the damage caused by the agreement, reinstitute crippling sanctions and ensure that Iran is not left with any path to a nuclear weapon.
Unfortunately, the vacuum of power created by the Obama Administration has also been filled by Russia to sow chaos through both physical and cyber warfare. Russia’s expansion in Eastern Europe must be stopped and their attempts to influence the outcome of American elections must not be tolerated. As your representative in Congress, I am committed to supporting an aggressive, bipartisan response to Russian threats aimed at undermining American interests.
In conclusion, I am committed to ensuring the safety and security of the United States through robust funding for our military, strong support of our allies, and development of a comprehensive national security strategy that is founded on the idea that the world is safest when America is strongest.
I often hear from people that are frustrated by leaders in government that just don’t get it. Too often, politicians are more interested in helping themselves than helping the people they represent and seem more interested in fighting than finding solutions to the serious issues facing our country. The status quo is not good enough; it must change.
When serving in the Army, I drew strength from working together with my fellow soldiers: it didn’t matter where somebody came from, how much money they had or who they voted for. The only thing that mattered was working toward our common goal of protecting the United States. In Congress, I strive to apply this same principle: I’m willing to work with anyone, regardless of political affiliation, if they are dedicated to disrupting the status quo and willing to do the hard problem solving needed to make the United States a better, stronger nation.
Washington, D.C. wastes too much money on programs that don’t work, too much time writing new regulations that are a burden on working Americans, and too much energy finding loopholes to benefit the select few. I pride myself on being a taxpayer watchdog to ensure that every bill passed by Congress benefits the people we are sworn to represent and that decisions are not made just because it’s the politically expedient thing to do.
At the end of the day, we need to restore power to the people, reduce government interference in people’s lives and increase transparency. In short, we need to put people before politics.
Our nation’s veterans have earned the very best care our country has to offer. Sadly, as a veteran myself, I’ve seen firsthand how often the government fails our veterans. We can and must do better.
Improving care for our veterans starts with reforming the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. I strongly believe that the best way to do this is to give veterans the flexibility to choose anytime, anywhere medical care. The increased competition will force the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to provide quality care to our servicemen and women. Next, we must reduce corruption and incompetence at the Department of Veterans Affairs to reduce the claims backlog currently plaguing VA hospitals across the country. Fixing these problems will help us ensure that future generations of servicemen and women are not burdened with the same challenges facing today’s veterans.
In addition to physical health care, we must do more to help veterans with mental health care. More than 20 veterans take their own life every day--an unacceptable rate that far exceeds the average of the civilian population. Among the men and women that I served with, I’ve seen the impact that war can have on soldiers returning home. I am committed to doing all I can to increase mental health resources for veterans and to reduce veteran suicide rates.
We also must do more to assist returning veterans in their efforts to find jobs and start careers. I know that the men and women I served with were among the most talented and hardworking people in the world. Veterans know what it is like to work in high-pressure situations and to be held to a standard of excellence. They are among the most qualified potential employees for any position; however, veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan face an unemployment rate that is substantially higher than the national average. I am committed to working with local businesses and community leaders to discuss ways to reverse this troubling trend, as well as supporting legislation that will help our veterans get back on their feet.
If you are a Florida veteran needing help with a federal agency, including the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, please contact us here. It would be my honor to assist you.
I enlisted in the United States Army—and nearly gave my life for our country—because I believe deeply in the values on which the United States was founded. Following my service, I chose to volunteer alongside the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) because our countries share these common ideals of freedom, democracy and mutual respect for all people.
During my time in Israel, I served alongside soldiers driven by love for their fellow man, rather than by hatred for their enemies. I had the honor of getting to know some of the most creative and caring people I’ve ever met—who adapted to the worst of situations and have been forced to overcome challenges that many couldn’t even imagine. Every family that I encountered during my time in Israel shared a desire for their children to grow and be educated safely without the looming threat of war. I learned at the Shabbat tables of my hosts just how much each family truly desires peace between every neighbor of Israel, regardless of religion or history.
We cannot let Israel face its enemies alone. While the Obama Administration devalued America’s standing in the Middle East and held our Israeli friends at arm’s length, I worked to strengthen the relationship between our two countries, as both a private citizen and as a soldier, because the national security of the United States is directly tied to the strength of Israel.
In Congress, I am dedicated to advancing policies to embrace the Israeli people as our friends with my pro-Israel colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I am committed to expanding America’s security assistance to Israel. We will hold Iran accountable for promoting violence against Israel by rolling back the dangerous mistakes of the Iran nuclear agreement and reinstituting critical sanctions that deter war. I will do all I can to put an end to the dangerous Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. And, I will fight against any effort—such as the dangerous anti-Israel United Nations Security Council resolution passed in the waning days of the Obama Administration—that will undermine the opportunity for peace in Israel.
Here’s the bottom line: we cannot allow the defense of our ally Israel to be an issue of right versus left. For me, and for all freedom-loving Americans, standing with Israel—for democracy and human rights—will always be an issue of right versus wrong.
Washington’s spending habits are completely out of control. Today, the U.S. federal debt exceeds $20 trillion for the first time in United States history, which equals an average of more than $60,000 per person. These high levels of debt are simply unsustainable and will limit economic opportunities for future generations of Floridians if not addressed.
Every year families and small businesses across the country are forced to set and live by a budget. For far too long, the federal government has shirked this responsibility—passing budgets that never balance and put us into even more debt. I strongly support a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution to put an end to this damaging practice, and I am committed to working with Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to cut spending and responsibly shrink the size of our federal bureaucracy.
I’m also dedicated to continuing to reduce the tax burden on Florida families. Every dollar less the government takes is a dollar more back in your pocket. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act cut tax rates, doubled the standard deduction and drastically increased the child tax credit—just to name a few of the ways the bill is saving Americans money. The bill also made substantial changes to support small businesses and level the international playing field for American companies.
But, I know there is still more work that can be done to help American families. That’s why I will continue fighting to permanently cut taxes for American workers and support other changes that will help boost our economy. I believe that working together in bipartisan fashion is the best way to achieve these goals and put our country on a path towards long-term economic growth. Together, we can change the status quo in Washington, get our nation’s finances back on track and help struggling families around the country.
As the father of four young children, working to ensure a quality education for all students in our community is a top priority of mine. Education is the building block for everything that we hope to achieve as a nation--from curing cancer to reducing homelessness. I firmly believe that every child, regardless of their socio-economic background, should have access to a high-quality education that gives them the tools they need to succeed.
In order to achieve this goal, we need to take a local approach that relies on the expertise of parents and teachers instead of unelected Washington, D.C. bureaucrats. In a rapidly-changing economy that continues to be driven by the technology sector, it is critical that each state is empowered to be a laboratory of innovation and that we promote a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum for students of all ages.
Improving education is a critical component for tackling our nation’s serious poverty epidemic. Despite the fact that the federal government spends more than half a trillion dollars on anti-poverty programs every year, today there are nearly 50 million Americans living in poverty. Solving this problem requires meaningful action and change -- two things that Washington does not often do well. But the first step in the process is for Congress to recognize that throwing more money into the same failed, one-size-fits-all programs will not lead to any better results. I’m committed to working with community-level programs and local educators to ensure our schools and families have the flexibility they need to provide a high-quality education to all students.
Our country has had enough of politicians who put special interests ahead of the families they represent. It’s time to put families first, empower local educators and come up with some real, innovative solutions to improve our nation’s schools.
Our community has felt the social and economic consequences of environmental disaster firsthand. The water issues stemming from Lake Okeechobee exemplify why it's absolutely critical that we work together to strengthen conservation programs, promote public health, defend our environment, keep our air clean and protect our waterways.
In addition to fighting for local environmental priorities like cleaning the water coming from Lake Okeechobee, I know that we must work together as a country to fix many of the environmental challenges we face. As research tools have become more robust, scientists have developed a more comprehensive understanding of our planet’s changing climate. Their research has made clear that we must do more to protect our Earth and air quality.
That’s why I’m proud to be a member of the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus. The Caucus is an important tool to educate members on economically-viable options to reduce climate risk and protect our nation’s economy, security, infrastructure and environment. Together, we can find a path forward to protect our planet for future generations.
In conclusion, I’m dedicated to supporting bipartisan initiatives and ensuring a continued dialogue in Congress on ways to protect our air, water and other natural resources.
As I talk to people in our community, there is one issue that keeps them up at night more than any other: the lack of clean, safe water in our area. Cleaning the water in our community is a non-negotiable priority. These waterways are irreplaceable treasures, central to the economy and quality of life in our region.
Here’s the bottom line: the poor water quality in our area is the most important regional priority. Right now the water being discharged by Lake Okeechobee into the Treasure Coast is destroying our community, putting people out of business, killing sea life and even making people sick. This cannot continue. We cannot wait any longer. Our lagoon and beaches must be restored.
As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am working to strengthen the partnership between local, state and federal agencies to upgrade the infrastructure in our community—not just talk about it but actually get it done. The committee also has jurisdiction over the Army Corps of Engineers, which is in charge of many of the local projects affecting our water quality.
This issue doesn't discriminate based on demographics or ideology. It affects our whole community. That's why I'm determined to find a solution that can get bipartisan support and actually pass. Anything else is simply not good enough.
Among my top priorities in Congress are keeping our community safe, healthy and strong. Critical to this goal is supporting our local law enforcement and providing local community organizations with the support they need to fight crime, prevent domestic terrorism, combat the opioid epidemic, help those struggling with mental illness, reduce gun violence, stop domestic violence and more.
Our police officers selflessly put their life on the line every day to ensure the safety of their neighbors. We must present a united front in support of police officers and help mend the public trust. Together, we can tackle some of the most pressing issues facing our community.
Recent attacks in Florida and around the country have shown a light on the pressing need to support domestic anti-terrorism initiatives and help those struggling with mental illness. Far too often, people who have slipped through the cracks of our criminal justice or health care system have gone on to commit senseless acts of terror. We can and must do more to prevent these attacks and get people the help they need.
Locally, drug abuse - especially heroin - has also been on the rise. Research shows that nearly 5 million people have tried heroin at least once, many of whom started by abusing prescription drugs that they were prescribed to them. There are no easy solutions to this epidemic, but I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make progress alongside the many community organizations already doing life-saving work.
Furthermore, we must work to ensure our schools are as safe as the halls of Congress. We won’t accomplish this without a comprehensive approach that addresses security, mental health and gun violence. This will undoubtedly take hard, bipartisan problem solving, but Members of Congress aren’t sent to Washington just to do what’s easy. It is incumbent upon us to act now to save lives by reducing gun violence while also protecting the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners.
Finally, more must be done to stop domestic violence and prevent sex trafficking. Every 9 seconds in the United States, a woman is assaulted or beaten. Meanwhile, sex trafficking has truly become modern day slavery and it’s happening right in our backyard. As a society, we should have zero tolerance for violence against women and families. Working together with local law enforcement and advocacy organizations, we can make progress to keep families safe.
One of the roles I take most seriously in Congress is the opportunity to be a voice for the voiceless. Far too often, throughout the world and inside the United States, people are discriminated against because of their beliefs, religion, gender or ethnicity.
As the greatest force for human dignity in the world, the United States must stand up for oppressed people throughout the world. Upholding and advocating for human rights is a bipartisan goal that we can all agree on. We should use the privilege we are afforded as American citizens to help spread the values of freedom, democracy and individual liberty abroad.
I am also a member of the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism. The Task Force was formed to ensure that Congress plays an integral role in condemning anti-Semitism and promoting tolerance in the United States and across the world. As part of this task force, I work with Congressional leaders, the Executive Branch, foreign leaders and other organizations to counter hateful anti-Semitic movements.
I am also committed to using my position in Congress to counter inequality in our own country. We must confront the systemic barriers that have led to marginalization and promote opportunities to unify our communities.
One of my top priorities in Congress is protecting Medicare and Social Security for today’s seniors and for future generations. When the federal government created these programs, it made a commitment to America’s seniors, and it’s a commitment that must be upheld. I will always fight to protect and strengthen these programs.
Unfortunately, recent actions by both elected and unelected bureaucrats in Washington have threatened Medicare’s solvency while also cutting critical benefits. Among the most alarming cuts are $150 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Countless seniors have already seen their Medicare Advantage plans cancelled and have been prevented from continuing to see their doctor.
We cannot allow these and other cuts to remain in place. That’s why I’m committed to working with anyone that will stand up for seniors by reversing these cuts and protecting Medicare.
Strengthening Social Security is an equally important goal. The social security system is in need of bipartisan reform to ensure that Social Security is solvent for future generations. To be clear: I will not support changing Social Security for current retirees or for workers near retirement.
In short, we must honor the commitment we made to our nation’s seniors and I’ll work with Members of Congress in both parties to defend seniors’ access to care.
There is no question that our immigration system is broken, and for far too long, Congress has ignored its responsibility to fix the problem. The time has come for Congress to lead on this issue.
First, we must secure the border and improve our methods of preventing people from overstaying their visas. We are in the midst of a war on terror and continue to be the target of radicals who want to do our country harm. Ensuring we know who is entering our country and why they are here is critical to national security. Beyond the threat of terrorism, securing our border is critical to preventing drug and human trafficking.
Second, our legal immigration process must be reformed. Right now, it is very easy to come to the United States illegally but very hard to enter the country legally. This backwards system provides a perverse incentive to break the law. We must crack down on instances where employers engage in fraud and manipulate the visa system to replace American workers with cheaper labor, but we also should make it easier for highly-skilled foreign students and workers to legally enter our country when they will help our economy and won’t displace American workers.
Here’s the bottom line: America is a nation of immigrants. We should be welcoming to those who genuinely want to be in the United States and follow our laws, but we must protect American citizens above all else by preventing people from entering our country illegally and taking advantage of our country’s goodwill.
The rising costs of healthcare have prevented families from seeking the care that they need and a new maze of bureaucracy has led to less choice for American families. I am committed to repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act to give every American access to quality, affordable healthcare.
We need a healthcare system that puts patients first through common-sense, market-based reforms. This means more choices for families, not more mandates. Florida families should have the freedom and flexibility to choose the care that will be best for their unique situation. At the same time, you should never have to worry about being turned away or having your coverage taken away for any reason, including age, income, or medical conditions.
We also need to eliminate red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy to speed up the development of life-saving cures. Right now there are 10,000 known diseases, but we have treatments for only 500 of them. I support efforts that remove barriers to research collaboration to ensure we are getting the most out of our investments. By streamlining the process, we can save more lives and lower costs at the same time.
During the process of reforming our healthcare system, I am especially sensitive to any changes that will impact healthcare programs for our nation’s seniors. The Medicare Part D program has proven to be a highly successful partnership between the government and private insurance companies. I am working to ensure that Medicare is protected for future generations and Medicare recipients have more choices when it comes to their care.
In short, our healthcare system is too bureaucratic and too expensive. It didn’t work before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, and it has only gotten more expensive since then. I’m committed to opening up the system to new innovations that can provide families with the freedom and flexibility to pick a plan that meets their needs without breaking the bank.
As a member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, my top priority is completing the projects affecting the Indian River Lagoon and our beaches. We must work harder to strengthen the partnership between local, state and federal agencies to upgrade our local infrastructure.
It is an absolute embarrassment that the water infrastructure projects in Florida are taking so long to solve--at a large social and economic cost to our community. The Panama Canal took less than a decade to build once the United States got involved. The Hoover Dam was built in only five years. If these major projects can be completed so quickly, we should be able to do much more to preserve our marine ecosystem.
In addition to supporting local infrastructure projects, I am a strong supporter of improving our national transportation infrastructure, which is the backbone that supports economic growth and global competitiveness. Our community and our country needs a federal transportation program--including partnerships at the federal, state and local levels--that can support economic development and business growth.
I will support legislation that provides funding stability, cuts red tape and empowers state and local governments to fix their specific transportation needs. Improving our nation’s transportation network and infrastructure is not a partisan issue, and I will work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to provide much-needed certainty for local governments, businesses, families and everyone who relies on our transportation system.
For far too long, your taxpayer dollars have been used to fund gruesome and unnecessary experiments on animals. These painful and invasive tests include inducing heart attacks in dogs, severing the spines of cats, chaining monkeys inside tiny cages and more. The promised miracle cures never materialize, leaving only a cruel and wasteful track record in their wake. That’s why I am committed to ending this taxpayer-funded animal abuse so that Americans aren’t forced to subsidize this kind of “research” ever again.
Each year, agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Veterans Affairs collectively receive billions of dollars in federal funding. The federal government’s misuse of taxpayer dollars to fund these outdated, often deadly experiments must stop.
In 2019, after I helped introduce the KITTEN Act in the House of Representatives, the USDA agreed to end their experiments on cats and adopted out the survivors to loving homes. Additionally, thanks to legislation I helped pass in Congress that same year, the VA was also required to phase out their animal experiments.
We have made great progress in recent years, but there is more fight left. We need to pass legislation right now that will end the government’s grotesque treatment of animals once and for all. A few bills I am continuing to work on to achieve this include the PUPPERS Act, which I helped introduce and will prohibit the VA from inflicting any pain or serious distress on dogs; the AFTER Act, which requires federal agencies to adopt out animals they use for research; and the FACT Act, which will improve transparency in government research labs to help protect animals from unnecessary and ineffective chemical tests.
The bottom line is this: Taxpayer-funded animal cruelty is unacceptable, and it is well-past time for Congress to bring it to an end! Together, we can continue to build on our success until we do just that.
The ongoing opioid crisis in America is a national tragedy, and the problem is only getting worse. In recent years, the number of opioid-related deaths has skyrocketed, and the number of overdose deaths are on the rise. Congress has taken some action to combat this epidemic, but we must do more to build on our progress.
For me, this crisis is personal. When I woke up in Walter Reed Army Medical Center after surviving a bomb blast in Afghanistan, I was given a host of prescription drugs I had never even heard of before. My first priority became weaning myself off of these treatments, but nothing prepared me for the challenge of going from that lowest dose of morphine to getting off opioids altogether. I expected the pain of my injury to be the toughest challenge I faced, but getting off these drugs was even harder.
I know the toll opioids take, and I have learned there is no silver bullet that can solve this issue. But we can take steps in the right direction. Since coming to Congress, I’ve helped pass roughly 50 bills to support opioid treatment and prevention, and I have no plans of stopping. I will continue to fight for further action to end this epidemic, and I encourage you to reach out to those in your own life who are struggling with addiction or other mental illness. I would not be where I am today if my family didn’t do that for me in my own time of need.
For anyone currently trying to end dependence on opioids or other drugs, know that I support you in your efforts, and I am living proof that it is possible. If I can help in any way, please reach out to my office at 202-225-3026. You can also find additional resources below:
Understanding the Opioid Epidemic