Gus Bilirakis, U.S. Congressman representing Florida’s 12th district since 2007, has recently highlighted several public safety and health issues through a series of posts on his social media account.
On July 22, 2025, Bilirakis reported a meeting with the Acting Chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC), Peter Feldman, focusing on child fatalities related to above-ground pools. He stated, “Today, I had a productive meeting with @USCPSC Acting Chair Peter Feldman to discuss the heartbreaking issue of child deaths in above-ground pools. We explored actionable steps to help prevent these tragedies and protect our children. Recently, 5 million above-ground pools have”.
The following day, July 23, Bilirakis addressed environmental hazards in his district. In a post about geological risks in Tampa Bay neighborhoods, he wrote, “In recent years, Tampa Bay has seen firsthand how dangerous sinkholes can be for our neighborhoods. To protect public safety and better inform homeowners, we must understand their causes and risks. That’s why my colleague and I have authored the Sinkhole Mapping Act, which passed”.
Later that same day, Bilirakis turned attention to military health concerns stemming from burn pit exposure: “ICYMI -Exposure to toxic emissions from burn pit toxins has led to tragic consequences for far too many members of our military community. We owe it to our heroes to transition to safer, more sustainable waste management technologies. Our bill is an important step in the right”.
Bilirakis was born in Gainesville in 1963 and resides in Palm Harbor. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and a law degree from Stetson University before entering Congress after serving in the Florida House of Representatives from 1998 to 2006.
