Gus Bilirakis | |
|---|---|
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Bilirakis |
| Constituency | 9th district (2007–2013) 12th district (2013–present) |
| Member of theFlorida House of Representatives from the 48th district | |
| In office November 3, 1998 – November 7, 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Sandy Safley |
| Succeeded by | Peter Nehr |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gus Michael Bilirakis (1963-02-08)February 8, 1963 (age 62) Gainesville,Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Michael Bilirakis (father) |
| Education | St. Petersburg College (attended) University of Florida (BA) Stetson University (JD) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Gus Michael Bilirakis (/ˌbɪlɪˈrækɪs/BIL-ih-RAK-iss; born February 8, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician serving as theU.S. representative forFlorida's 12th congressional district since 2013. A member of theRepublican Party, he first entered Congress in 2007, where he succeeded his fatherMichael Bilirakis, representingFlorida's 9th congressional district until redistricting. His district includes much of the northern portion of theTampa Bay area. Bilirakis previously served as theFlorida state representative for the 48th district from 1998 to 2006.[1]
Bilirakis was born inGainesville, Florida, and grew up inTarpon Springs, Florida, the son of Evelyn (née Miaoulis) andMichael Bilirakis.[2] He lives inPalm Harbor and is the grandson ofGreek immigrants. His grandfather owned a local bakery where Bilirakis worked from a young age.
Bilirakis graduated fromTarpon Springs High School andSt. Petersburg Junior College. He then attended theUniversity of Florida, where he graduated in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in political science. He received hisJ.D. degree from theStetson University College of Law in 1989. He was an intern for U.S. PresidentRonald Reagan.[3]
Bilirakis operated a law practice, the Bilirakis Law Group, specializing inprobate andestate planning, which he took over from his father, Michael Bilirakis. His father served in Congress from 1983 to 2007, and Gus helped run his campaigns.
Bilirakis was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives 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, part of Pasco County, and part of Hillsborough County.
During his tenure inTallahassee (1998–2006), he chaired several panels including Crime Prevention, Public Safety Appropriations, and the Economic Development, Trade, & Banking Committee.[citation needed]
In 2006, Michael Bilirakis announced his retirement after 24 years in Congress, and Gus Bilirakis entered the race to succeed his father in what was then the 9th District. He defeated Hillsborough County Commissioner Phyllis Busansky in the general election with 55% of the vote to become the district's second representative. He has been reelected three more times without substantive opposition.
For the118th Congress:[4]
Bilirakis and RepresentativeTed Deutch formed the Congressional Hellenic-Israeli Alliance in February 2013.[5]
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.
He is a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge[12] and a pledge sponsored byAmericans for Prosperity promising to vote against any climate change legislation that would raise taxes.[13]
On September 29, 2008, Bilirakis voted against theEmergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.[14]
In 2022, Bilirakis voted against naming a federal building in Florida afterJoseph W. Hatchett, the first Black State Supreme Court judge in Florida and south of the Mason-Dixon line.[15]
Bilirakis supports repealing theAffordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.[16]
On February 11, 2017, Bilirakis hosted a townhall inPasco County, Florida, where he was faced with several protesters angry over the potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act, when a member of the local party (an unauthorized speaker for the county REC), Bill Akins repeated the now debunked claim that the ACA contains "what is effectively known asdeath panels". Bilirakis nodded in agreement and later told CNN, "The board exists, OK? And I've voted to repeal the board." Bilirakis seemed to equate the "death panel" with the Independent Advisory Board, a 15-member committee that issues recommendations for reducing healthcare costs, subject to congressional oversight and approval.[17][18]
In early October 2018, Bilirakis released a campaign advertisement touting his work fighting opioids in Pasco County, Florida. In the advertisement, he took credit for a law he did not have a hand in crafting. The 30-second ad flashed text about a "Bilirakis INTERDICT ACT" asPasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said Bilirakis is "giving us the tools to do our job and get traffickers off the street". The INTERDICT Act provides funding and equipment to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for detecting importedfentanyl. But Bilirakis was neither a sponsor nor one of 18 co-sponsors, making it unclear how it is the "Bilirakis INTERDICT Act".[19][20]
Bilirakis voted in favor of theTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[21]
From 2015 to 2016, Bilirakis accepted $2,000 in direct campaign contributions from theNRA'sPolitical Victory Fund;[22] As of 2017, he has an "A" rating from the NRA, indicating a voting record that is generally pro-gun rights.[23]
As a U.S. Representative, Bilirakis has voted on several pieces of legislation pertaining to firearms. He supportedH. R. 38, which would enableconcealed carry reciprocity among all states if and when it is signed into law.[24]
In March 2017, Bilirakis voted for theVeterans Second Amendment Protection Act, which, if signed into law, would prohibit, in any case arising out of the administration of laws and benefits by the Department of Veterans Affairs, any person who is mentally incapacitated, deemed mentally incompetent, or experiencing an extended loss of consciousness, of the right to receive or transport firearms, without the order or finding of a judicial authority of competent jurisdiction.[25]
After the2017 Las Vegas shooting, Bilirakis signed a letter written to theBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, urging it to reevaluate the legal status ofbump stocks. No action had been taken as of March 2018.[26]
In the wake of theStoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, Bilirakis said that he would be willing to considergun control legislation, "if that's what it takes".[27] He said that, specifically, he would support moreschool resource officers in schools.[27] He also announced his support for legislation that would ensure "that those who are mentally ill do not have access to weapons".[28]
On October 1, 2020, Bilirakis co-signed a letter to Secretary of StateMike Pompeo that condemnedAzerbaijan's offensive operations against theArmenian-populated enclave ofNagorno-Karabakh, denouncedTurkey's role in theNagorno-Karabakh war, and called for an immediate ceasefire.[29]
Bilirakis voted to provide Israel with support followingOctober 7 attacks.[30][31]
Bilirakis has four children[32] and is anEastern Orthodox Christian.[33]
In 2014, Bilirakis had a cameo as a job applicant in the feature filmWalt Before Mickey starringThomas Ian Nicholas,Jon Heder, andArmando Gutierrez.[34]
Greece
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| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's 9th congressional district 2007–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's 12th congressional district 2013–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 54th | Succeeded by |
| People | |
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| Other | |
