Gus M. Bilirakis dossier →

• Bilirakis has shifted away from open in-person town halls with unfiltered questions — relying instead on telephone town halls and controlled-format 'Coffee with Your Congressman' events 851 days silent
  Expected position: As the elected representative of 820,692 constituents, Bilirakis would be expected to hold regular open, in-person town halls — particularly given that his 2017 listening sessions drew hundreds of engaged constituents and he previously stated town halls were 'definitely worthwhile.' Evidence of activity on adjacent topics: Bilirakis held three well-documented in-person town halls in February 2017 that drew large crowds (250+ per event) and national media attention. In contrast, his recent public-facing events are controlled formats: telephone town halls and 'Coffee with Your Congressman' sessions. A constituent Facebook comment on July 5, 2025 on Bilirakis' own page reads 'Your constituents are NOT in favor of the big beautiful bill,' suggesting a disconnect between constituent sentiment and the congressman's representation. Despite having been historically praised for holding town halls when other Republicans refused (Tampa Bay Times, March 2017), the shift to screened-question formats during the contentious 119th Congress is notable. Bilirakis has been active on other fronts: issuing press releases on veterans' legislation, holding a bipartisan press conference for the Written Informed Consent Act (April 2026), and introducing numerous bills — proving communicative activity through controlled channels rather than unfiltered public forums. Primary URL: https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2017/03/03/march-column-bilirakis-unlike-rubio-finds-local-town-halls-definitely-worthwhile/
• Bilirakis told constituents 'nothing would change' for their health care under the One Big Beautiful Bill — then CBO estimated 1.9 million Floridians could lose coverage 122 days silent
  Expected position: As the representative of a district with a median age of 46.8 and where 18% of residents are 70+, heavily reliant on Medicare and Medicaid, Bilirakis would be expected to accurately characterize the impact of H.R. 1 rather than dismissing coverage-loss projections. Evidence of activity on adjacent topics: A constituent letter published October 24, 2025 in the Chronicle Online states Bilirakis 'stood in front of his constituents and lied outright' — telling in-person meeting attendees and newsletter readers 'that nothing would change for his constituents' health care' and that HR 1 'would not impact Medicare.' Before the vote the CBO said up to 1.9 million Floridians might lose health care. Bilirakis was active on health care during this window: he held a Coffee with Your Congressman event in Brooksville on August 12, 2025 where he promoted the bill, and his Facebook page from July 5, 2025 shows him defending the bill against 'fear-mongering.' A later Chronicle Online letter (October 31, 2025) attempted to rebut these claims, insisting 'Medicaid funding for our state was never reduced.' This silence — the gap between Bilirakis' public reassurance and the independent projections — is substantiated by multiple citizen accounts. Primary URL: https://www.chronicleonline.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/gus-bilrikas-lied-to-us/article_fe3e5fd8-58b2-5691-91a7-9b4a3c7ec447.html
• ideological & single-issue
  Interested donors: Lincare Holdings Employee Action Fund
  Lincare Holdings Employee Action Fund (amounts: $7,500 (2026)) — interest area: ideological & single-issue
• colleagues' leadership pacs
  Interested donors: Gridiron-PAC, Bringing Republican Excellence To Town PAC (Brettpac), Nooga PAC, Let'S Get To Work PAC, Buckeye Liberty PAC, El Sueno Americano, Raptor PAC, Cmr Political Action Committee, Eye Of The Tiger PAC, Space Coast Leadership PAC
  Gridiron-PAC, Bringing Republican Excellence To Town PAC (Brettpac), Nooga PAC, Let'S Get To Work PAC, Buckeye Liberty PAC, El Sueno Americano, Raptor PAC, Cmr Political Action Committee, Eye Of The Tiger PAC, Space Coast Leadership PAC (amounts: $5,000 (2024), $5,000 (2024), $5,000 (2026), $10,000 (2024), $5,000 (2026), $5,000 (2026), $6,000 (2026), $5,000 (2024), $5,000 (2026), $5,000 (2026)) — interest area: colleagues' leadership pacs
• corporate pacs, industry unlisted
  Interested donors: Alticor Political Action Committee (Altipac), S. C. Johnson And Son, Inc PAC, Gainwell Holding Corp PAC, Lundbeck LLC Employee, Vsp Holding Company Inc Political Action Committee, Hall Render Killian Heath Lyman PAC, Catalent, Inc PAC
  Alticor Political Action Committee (Altipac), S. C. Johnson And Son, Inc PAC, Gainwell Holding Corp PAC, Lundbeck LLC Employee, Vsp Holding Company Inc Political Action Committee, Hall Render Killian Heath Lyman PAC, Catalent, Inc PAC (amounts: $5,000 (2024), $5,000 (2026), $7,000 (2024), $5,000 (2024), $6,000 (2026), $10,000 (2026), $6,500 (2024)) — interest area: corporate pacs, industry unlisted
• other / unclassified
  Interested donors: American Osteopathic Information Association, National Funeral Directors PAC, Kelley Drye & Warren PAC, Society For Vascular Surgery PAC, Labpac, Society For Cardiovascular Angiography And Interventions (Scai) PAC, Psychology PAC Of American Psychological Association Services Inc., Americans For Responsible Innovation Ltd PAC
  American Osteopathic Information Association, National Funeral Directors PAC, Kelley Drye & Warren PAC, Society For Vascular Surgery PAC, Labpac, Society For Cardiovascular Angiography And Interventions (Scai) PAC, Psychology PAC Of American Psychological Association Services Inc., Americans For Responsible Innovation Ltd PAC (amounts: $5,000 (2026), $5,000 (2026), $5,000 (2026), $10,000 (2024), $10,000 (2026), $10,000 (2026), $5,000 (2026), $6,000 (2026)) — interest area: other / unclassified
• other candidates' committees
  Interested donors: Huck PAC
  Huck PAC (amounts: $5,000 (2024)) — interest area: other candidates' committees
• party & leadership pacs
  Interested donors: Eye Of The Tiger PAC, Huck PAC, Space Coast Leadership PAC
  Eye Of The Tiger PAC, Huck PAC, Space Coast Leadership PAC (amounts: $5,000 (2026), $5,000 (2024), $5,000 (2026)) — interest area: party & leadership pacs

• H.J.Res. 72 ↗ NAY_UNVERIFIED 2026-02-12
  Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 1, 2025 (terminating tariffs on Canada)
  why contradicted?

  [against_constituent] Bilirakis voted nay on a resolution to terminate Trump's emergency tariffs on Canada. The resolution passed 219-211 with 6 Republicans defecting. Canada is Florida's largest international trading partner; tariffs on Canadian lumber, energy, and agricultural goods affect construction costs and consumer prices in his district. Bilirakis' vote prioritized party loyalty over the economic interests of homebuilders, retailers, and consumers in his district who face higher prices from tariffs.
• H.R. 2550 ↗ NAY_UNVERIFIED 2025-12-11
  Protecting America's Workforce Act (restoring collective bargaining rights for over one million federal workers)
  why contradicted?

  [against_constituent] Bilirakis voted against restoring collective bargaining rights for federal workers. His district includes thousands of federal employees (Pasco County alone lists the Federal Government as its 11th-largest employer with 1,063 employees, plus USPS, veterans' facilities). The AFL-CIO gave Bilirakis a 0% 2025 score and 1% lifetime score. This vote went against the material interest of federal-worker constituents in a district where government employment is a significant economic pillar.
• H.R. 1 ↗ YEA_UNVERIFIED 2025-07-03
  One Big Beautiful Bill Act (budget reconciliation — Medicaid/SNAP cuts, tax reform)
  why contradicted?

  [against_constituent] Bilirakis cast a decisive vote in a 218-214 nail-biter for what the AFL-CIO assessed as 'devastating cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other important social safety programs to provide tax-cuts to the rich.' His district has a median age of 46.8, 18% of residents are 70+, and the district's poverty rate is 9% — making Medicaid and Medicare critical. Before voting, Bilirakis told constituents 'nothing would change' for their health care. The CBO estimated up to 1.9 million Floridians could lose coverage. Bilirakis posted on Facebook July 5 calling reporting on the bill 'disgusting fear-mongering.' This was against the material interest of his older, healthcare-dependent constituency.
• H.R. 9747 ↗ NAY_UNVERIFIED 2024-09-25
  Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (three-month CR including FEMA disaster relief funding)
  why contradicted?

  [against_constituent] Bilirakis was one of 11 Florida Republicans and 100 Republicans total to vote against a continuing resolution that funded FEMA's disaster relief fund — one day before Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Panhandle. His Gulf Coast district is highly vulnerable to hurricanes. After Helene and Milton devastated his region, Bilirakis led bipartisan letters to FEMA requesting flexibility for debris removal. Newsweek and other outlets named him among Republicans who 'voted against FEMA funding' while 'facing Hurricane Milton threat.' The vote put his district at risk of delayed disaster response for a point of fiscal principle.

No documented broken promises on file.

• statement_vs_disclosure SCORE 90
  Bilirakis told constituents face-to-face that the One Big Beautiful Bill would not change their health care or impact Medicare, while the CBO and independent analysts projected 1.9 million Floridians could lose coverage. The constituent letter published in the Chronicle Online on October 24, 2025 explicitly calls this a lie. A pro-Bilirakis letter published October 31, 2025 denied the cuts characterization but did not dispute that Bilirakis made the 'nothing would change' representation. The two sources — a constituent's account of a face-to-face conversation and the AFL-CIO's legislative scorecard citing CBO projections — come from independent outlets.
• statement_vs_disclosure SCORE 60
  Bilirakis took credit in a campaign ad for the 'Bilirakis Interdict Act,' but the DCCC and Tampa Bay Times reported he did not sponsor or craft that legislation. Simultaneously, his 2016 co-sponsorship of a law that the Washington Post/60 Minutes investigation found severely hampered DEA opioid enforcement went unmentioned in the ad. Bilirakis accepted $69,000-$80,850 from pharmaceutical industry donors across the 2016-2018 cycles. His 'no idea' defense regarding the DEA law's effects drew editorial criticism from the Tampa Bay Times calling for explanations.