By John Ney

U.S. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Florida), representing Florida's Ninth Congressional District, which includes Riverview residents, recently released a statement on the announcement of a bipartisan agreement reached between congressional leadership from both parties and the White House on an economic stimulus package.

The deal, announced in late January by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and the White House's lead negotiator, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, would be worth billions in tax rebates affecting more than 117 million families.

"With the median household income in my congressional district hovering slightly above $40,000, many of my constituents and their families will benefit from this plan. As the first major accomplishment of the second session of the 110th Congress, I am hopeful that Congress will embrace this renewed willingness to work together to get things done,” said Bilirakis. “This bipartisanship should now be carried into other major reforms facing this Congress, including reforming the tax code, improving education and health care, and addressing the problem of wasteful and expansive government spending."

Executive Director Kitty Cunningham, an officer of the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce (GRCC), indicated small businesses in the Riverview area would benefit from some form of tax relief but felt it would more likely come from concrete property tax reductions. "There is a lot that can be done," said Cunningham. "I am not certain on how the Economic Stimulus Plan (the agreement reached between congressional leadership and the White House) proposed will end up, but we do need to do something. Small businesses need help."

Bilirakis, who lives in Palm Harbor was elected to Congress on November 7, 2006, to represent Florida's Ninth Congressional District, which includes portions of Pasco, Pinellas, and Hillsborough counties. Prior to being elected to Congress, he served four terms as a member of the Florida House of Representatives. During his tenure in Tallahassee (1998-2006), Bilirakis chaired several prominent panels, including Crime Prevention, Public Safety Appropriations, and the Economic Development, Trade, & Banking Committee, gaining valuable expertise that benefit his constituents today.