Gus Bilirakis
Encyclopedia
Gus Michael Bilirakis is the U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...

.

Early life, education and career

Bilirakis grew up in Tarpon Springs, Florida
Tarpon Springs, Florida
Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 21,003 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 22,554....

, as the grandson of Greek immigrants. His grandfather owned a local bakery where Bilirakis worked from a young age. He attended Tampa Bay area public schools and continued to work in his grandfather's bakery while growing up.

Bilirakis graduated from Tarpon Springs High School
Tarpon Springs High School
Tarpon Springs High School, is a Public High School in Pinellas County, Florida. The school graduated its first class of seniors in the year 1906....

 and St. Petersburg Junior College. He then attended the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...

, where he graduated in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in political science. He received his law degree from the Stetson University College of Law in 1989.

Bilirakis has a Tampa Bay area
Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently...

 law practice, the Bilirakis Law Group, specializing in probate and estate planning, which he took over from his father. While his father Michael Bilirakis
Michael Bilirakis
Michael Bilirakis , American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1983 until 2007, representing the 9th District of Florida....

 was a Member of Congress from 1983–2007, Gus helped run his campaigns.

Tenure

Bilirakis was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...

 in 1998 when he won the District 48 seat held for 10 years by Representative Sandy Safley, R-Clearwater, who decided not to run again. This district covers most of north Pinellas County
Pinellas County, Florida
Pinellas County is a county located in the state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest city is St. Petersburg. This county is contained entirely within the telephone area code 727, except for some sections of Oldsmar, which have the area code 813...

, part of Pasco County
Pasco County, Florida
Pasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 344,765. The July 1, 2007 census estimate according to the U.S. Census Bureau for the county is 462,715. Its county seat is Dade City, Florida which is in the northeast part of the county - somewhat...

, and part of Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...

. He quickly became known as a consensus-builder who worked across party lines for the common good, as well as for focusing on constituent service.

Committees

During his tenure in Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...

 (1998–2006), he chaired several prominent panels including Crime Prevention, Public Safety Appropriations, and the Economic Development, Trade, & Banking Committee.

Committee assignments

  • Committee on Foreign Affairs
    • Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia
    • Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia
      United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia
      The U.S. House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia is a subcommittee within the House Foreign Affairs Committee.-Jurisdiction:The subcommittee is one of five with what the committees calls "regional jurisdiction" over a specific area of the globe...

  • Committee on Homeland Security
    United States House Committee on Homeland Security
    The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. Its responsibilities include U.S...

    • Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications (Chairman)
    • Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management
  • Committee on Veterans' Affairs
    United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
    The standing Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the United States House of Representatives oversees agencies, reviews current legislation, and recommends new bills or amendments concerning veterans. Jurisdiction includes retiring and disability pensions, life insurance, education , vocational...

    (Vice Chair)
    • Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity
      United States House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity
      The United States Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity is one of the four subcommittees within the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.-Jurisdiction:From the House Rules:...

    • Subcommittee on Health
      United States House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health
      The United States Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health is one of the four subcommittees within the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.The Subcommittee on Health has legislative and oversight jurisdiction for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ health care system, programs and research...


  • Republican Study Committee
    Republican Study Committee
    The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...



In January 2009, Bilirakis was appointed Ranking Member http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/feb/04/na-bilirakis-is-homeland-security-watchdog/(Lead Republican) on the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Management, Investigations and Oversight. In this role he is his party's top congressional watchdog over the Department of Homeland Security United States Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...

.

Party leadership

Bilirakis is a member of the Republican Party's Whip Team and is Chair of the Veterans’ Affairs Task Force for the Republican Policy Committee. Additionally, Bilirakis serves as a Co-Chair of the Congressional Military Veterans Caucus and the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues.

Platform

Bilirakis has led efforts to enhance the United States' visa screening capabilities and has played a key role in efforts to strengthen America’s borders; most notably passing legislation to enhance the collection of biometric information from migrants captured at sea who are seeking illegal entry to the United States. He successfully placed legislative initiatives in the 9/11 recommendations bill that was signed into law to increase America's rail and public transportation security.

Bilirakis is also a leading sponsor of legislation to create a nationwide Silver Alert
Silver Alert
A Silver Alert is a public notification system in the United States to broadcast information about missing persons - especially seniors with Alzheimer's Disease, dementia or other mental disabilities - in order to aid in their return....

 program. He is a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge

On September 29, 2008, Bilirakis voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Division A of , commonly referred to as a bailout of the U.S. financial system, is a law enacted in response to the subprime mortgage crisis...

.

Bilirakis will support a limit on consecutive terms in Congress should the House of Representatives consider relevant legislation.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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