Vern Buchanan - U.S. House of Representatives - 112th Congress (2011-2012) - Legislative Agenda

Legislative Agenda

In January of 2011, Buchanan helped secure the construction of Sarasota National Cemetery through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The cemetery plans include 11,500 grave sites, 16,000 cremain sites and other buildings and structures necessary for funerals for veterans and their families.

In June of 2011, the House passed Buchanan's "Military Tribunals for Terrorists Act" as an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act. The bill requires foreign terrorists to be prosecuted by military tribunal, rather than in civilian courts.

In October of 2011, Buchanan "played a large role" in the passage of free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. The treaty was backed by the White House, and a bipartisan majority in Congress.

In December of 2011 the US House passed H.R. 527, part of Buchanan's "10-point Jobs Plan." The measure closed "loopholes in current law to ensure regulatory agencies will fully account for the effect of new regulations on small businesses before regulations are adopted."

In February of 2012, Buchanan supported President Obama's proposal to lower the corporate tax rate from 35% to 28%. In a statement, Buchanan said, "I appreciate the president's willingness to engage on such an important issue."

In the 112th Congress, Buchanan introduced a bill to crack down on so-called prescription drug "Pill Mills." "The proposed legislation would direct money seized from pill mill operators to be used for drug treatment, increase fines and sentences for those convicted of running pill mills and change standards, making hydrocodone drugs -- for example, Vicodin -- harder to obtain." The bill has bi-partisan support in the House, and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (WV) introduced companion legislation in the US Senate.