The American people deserve safety at the border, fairness under the law, and dignity for those who contribute to our country. The Dignity Act delivers all three.

Here’s what my bill does:

Secures the Border by fully funding modern technology, infrastructure, and personnel to stop illegal crossings and drug trafficking.

Enforces the Law to restore accountability and protect American workers.

Creates a Path Forward for undocumented immigrants who have been here for years — allowing them to earn legal status through work, paying restitution, and contributing to society — without a path to citizenship and only if they have no criminal record.

This legislation proves that we can be tough and compassionate at the same time. We can secure the border while also recognizing the contributions of millions of people who are already part of our communities.

America is a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants — the Dignity Act honors both.

I will continue fighting every day in Congress to fix our immigration system, protect our workers, and preserve the American Dream for future generations.

In the news:

Bipartisan bill would grant legal status to certain illegal immigrant workers

Bipartisan Group of Legislators Keep Dream of Immigration Reform Alive with Reintroduced ‘DIGNIDAD’ Act

What is the Dignity Act? Congress reintroduces bipartisan immigration reform bill

Miami Republican has ‘simple’ plan to stop mass deportations. Trump should listen

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El rápido avance de la inteligencia artificial ha facilitado que los depredadores creen contenido falso y explícito que destruye vidas. La ley TAKE IT DOWN finalmente otorga a las víctimas herramientas legales reales para defenderse. Si explotas a alguien en línea, enfrentarás consecuencias—incluyendo penas de cárcel. No más excusas.

Más de 120 organizaciones que representan a grupos de defensa de víctimas, agencias del orden público y líderes de la industria tecnológica han expresado su apoyo a esta legislación. Entre ellas se encuentran Meta, Snap, Google, Microsoft, TikTok, X, Amazon, Bumble, Match Group, IBM, TechNet, la Cámara de Comercio de EE. UU., la Orden Fraternal Nacional de Policía, el Centro Nacional para Niños Desaparecidos y Explotados (NCMEC), RAINN y el Centro Nacional sobre Explotación Sexual (NCOSE).

La ley TAKE IT DOWN protege a las víctimas sin comprometer la libertad de expresión. Esta ley:

• Penaliza la publicación —o la amenaza de publicación— de imágenes íntimas no consensuadas (IINC) a través de fronteras estatales;
• Permite la divulgación de buena fe de IINC para fines de aplicación de la ley o asistencia médica;
• Exige que los sitios web eliminen el IINC dentro de las 48 horas posteriores a la notificación por parte de la víctima; y
• Aplica un estándar de “persona razonable” para determinar si una imagen generada por IA parece representar realísticamente a una persona, en conformidad con la Primera Enmienda.

Volví a presentar este proyecto en enero y lideré su aprobación en la Cámara. Esta es una victoria para las familias, la seguridad y la justicia.

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The rapid rise of artificial intelligence has made it easier than ever for predators to create fake, explicit content that destroys lives. The TAKE IT DOWN Act finally gives victims real legal tools to fight back. If you exploit someone online, you will face consequences—including jail time. No more excuses.

Over 120 organizations representing victim advocacy groups, law enforcement, and the tech industry have voiced their support for this legislation. That includes Meta, Snap, Google, Microsoft, TikTok, X, Amazon, Bumble, Match Group, IBM, TechNet, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Fraternal Order of Police, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), RAINN, and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE).

The TAKE IT DOWN Act protects victims while upholding free speech. It:

• Criminalizes the publication—or threat to publish—non-consensual intimate images (NCII) across state lines;
• Permits the good-faith sharing of NCII for law enforcement or medical assistance;
• Requires websites to remove NCII within 48 hours of victim notification; and
• Applies a “reasonable person” standard for AI-generated NCII to ensure realism without violating the First Amendment.

I reintroduced this bill in January and led the charge in the House to get it passed. This is a win for families, for safety, and for justice.

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“Supermarket” focuses on inflation & supply chain issues crushing Florida families, Salazar’s commitment to stop the Socialists in Congress.

The María Elvira Salazar campaign today released its first ad of the general election in Florida’s 27th congressional district. “Supermarket” puts a spotlight on high prices and supply shortages at the grocery store and the gas station and highlights Salazar’s mission to get the economy back on track.

The ad opens with Salazar drawing a stark contrast between the economic crisis we face today and the prosperity our country saw just two years ago before far-left politicians came into power. “We lived in another world,” she says after noting the empty shelves at local supermarkets and skyrocketing prices at the pump. Salazar closes by sharing her background as the daughter of refugees and promising to take the fight to the Socialists in Washington.

“Supermarket” will air, in both English and Spanish, in the Miami Media Market as part of an over $500,000 ad buy.

Watch “Supermarket” in English here.

Vea “Supermercado” en Español aquí.

Salazar was first elected to the United States Congress in 2020 and is seeking re-election in Florida’s 27th Congressional District which is based in the City of Miami and includes the neighborhoods of Coral Gables, Little Havana, Brickell, West Miami, Key Biscayne, Westchester, Coconut Grove, Kendall, Fountainbleau, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, and Cutler Bay.

Ad Script

María Elvira Salazar:

“When you go to the supermarket, you cannot get all you need. At the gas station, we can’t even fill our tanks.”

“I’m María Elvira Salazar. Two years ago, we lived in another world.”

“But now inflation is out of control, the environment is in danger, and the American Dream is slipping away.”

“I’m María Elvira Salazar, and I approve this message because my parents lost their country to socialism. Over my dead body will we lose ours.”

# # #

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With the frequency, intensity, and cost of climate-related disasters projected to rise over the next several decades, governments at all levels in the U.S. must act now to reduce the impacts of those events, particularly floods. Although some federal agencies, states, and localities have formalized natural disaster and climate adaptation and resilience plans, the country lacks a cohesive approach to resilience across all levels of government. Now, a bipartisan bill on Capitol Hill could help address this issue by creating a national strategy to coordinate federal initiatives and enhance support for local and state governments seeking to reduce risks from disasters, such as flooding.

The bipartisan National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy Act, introduced yesterday by Senators Chris Coons (D-Delaware) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA) and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) in the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, would create a chief resilience officer position in the Executive Office of the President to improve the effectiveness of efforts to address climate vulnerabilities. This would be achieved in part through establishment and oversight of interagency working groups and a council of nonfederal partners focused on taking stock of existing federal operations; identification of challenges and barriers to building climate resilience; and design of a national strategy and implementation plan to address those shortcomings. The Pew Charitable Trusts applauds this vision and supports passage of the bill.

Currently, natural disaster recovery and preparedness plans, programs, and funds are spread across at least 17 federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation, Small Business Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Department of Housing and Urban Development.  This siloed approach to resilience often creates inefficiencies within the federal government and challenges for state and local partners. As of June 2021, more than 15 states—coastal and inland, with governments across the political spectrum—had initiated comprehensive resilience planning processes that emphasize community-scale solutions, updated development codes, and use of nature-based solutions to mitigate flooding. Given this uptick in adaptation activity at the state level, implementing a national disaster resilience strategy is critical for the efficient use of state and federal resources.

State and local governments, as well as nongovernment entities, should be supported by an adaptation strategy that guides investments, leads with science, puts nature to work, and addresses historical inequities, such as how climate impacts disproportionately affect low-income neighborhoods. The comprehensive approach proposed in the legislation could help increase communities’ capacity to prepare for disasters and encourage greater collaboration among all levels of government and key resilience partners such as nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector.

The National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy Act would complement the Biden administration’s ambitious agenda to address climate change. If signed into law, the bill would move our country toward better use of taxpayer dollars through thoughtful climate change preparedness, response, and adaptation, and could jump-start more improvements in how the U.S.—and states and localities—weathers an uncertain future.

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Last week, U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., teamed up with U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-NH, in a push “to bring legislation to the floor that would improve recruitment and retention efforts by police departments while making necessary reforms and improvements.”

Pappas and Salazar led a letter to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., signed by more than a dozen other U.S. House members from both sides of the aisle on the matter.

“We write to urge you to bring legislation to the floor that would bolster the recruitment and retention efforts of police departments while honoring the officers who serve. Our law enforcement professionals show up every day with a steadfast commitment to serving their communities and standing up for equal justice under the law, yet many agencies are understaffed, underfunded, and lack the vital resources and training they need to do their jobs,” they wrote.

“These practical pieces of bipartisan legislation are necessary to reform, improve, and assist our law enforcement officers and agencies. The bills cover a broad range of issues. They include grants for programs such as hiring mental health professionals, supporting small police departments, and maintaining adequate staffing levels. Passing this legislation will provide departments with the tools they need to strengthen partnerships, build trust, and keep our communities safe,” they added.

Pappas and Salazar pointed to 13 “pro-law enforcement bills” that they wanted to see brought to the House floor for a vote.

“There is no doubt that crime is on the rise and our neighborhoods, unfortunately, tend to be significantly less safe than they were just two years ago,” said Salazar. “As the daughter of Cuban exiles, I firmly believe in the need for a strict and fair rule of law. That is why I am calling on House leaders to act in a bipartisan way to respond to growing concerns over crime and provide police with the support necessary to keep us all safe.”

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This week, U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., helped get a proposal to help battle “rising rates of substance use disorder and addiction across the country” through a subcommittee without opposition.

U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., introduced the “Summer Barrow Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Act” at the end of March with Salazar and U.S. Reps. Kelly Armstrong, R-ND, and Tom O’Halleran, D-Ariz., co-sponsoring it.

“The Summer Barrow Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Act, named for a Virginian who died by overdose in 2020, would reauthorize more than $900 million in funding through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) to support our nation’s fight against the substance use disorder epidemic which, from October 2020-2021, claimed a record-setting number of lives according to the CDC. Key programs funded by the legislation address overdose prevention, first responder training, co-prescribing programs, pregnant and postpartum women substance use disorder treatment, and alternatives to opioids in emergency rooms,” supporters noted.

“The addiction crisis touches all of our communities — whether urban, suburban, or rural. Right now, we need to recognize that there are two pandemics happening in our country; even as we’re making significant progress in the fight against COVID-19, the opioid and substance use disorder crisis continues to worsen. And going forward, we must focus on strengthening access to treatment and recovery programs,” said Spanberger when she introduced the proposal. “That’s why I am proud to lead this bipartisan, comprehensive effort to forcefully respond to the substance use disorder crisis through SAMHSA.”

The bill was sent to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee which sent it to the Health Subcommittee. The bill was included in the “Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act” from U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-NJ, which the subcommittee advanced this week without opposition

“Homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse are significant issues for South Florida, and Congress must confront these issues and the challenges they present,” said Salazar. “I’m very proud to see bipartisan support for this important bill, which will authorize grants to better equip community partners to assist those in need. It is time to provide the full range of tools available to save lives, improve health, and keep families together.”

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Last week, U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., threw her support behind a proposal to help battle “rising rates of substance use disorder and addiction across the country.”

U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., introduced the “Summer Barrow Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Act” last week with Salazar and U.S. Reps. Kelly Armstrong, R-ND, and Tom O’Halleran, D-Ariz., co-sponsoring it.

“The Summer Barrow Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Act, named for a Virginian who died by overdose in 2020, would reauthorize more than $900 million in funding through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) to support our nation’s fight against the substance use disorder epidemic which, from October 2020-2021, claimed a record setting number of lives according to the CDC. Key programs funded by the legislation address overdose prevention, first responder training, co-prescribing programs, pregnant and postpartum women substance use disorder treatment, and alternatives to opioids in emergency rooms,” supporters noted.

“The addiction crisis touches all of our communities — whether urban, suburban, or rural. Right now, we need to recognize that there are two pandemics happening in our country; even as we’re making significant progress in the fight against COVID-19, the opioid and substance use disorder crisis continues to worsen. And going forward, we must focus on strengthening access to treatment and recovery programs,” said Spanberger. “That’s why I am proud to lead this bipartisan, comprehensive effort to forcefully respond to the substance use disorder crisis through SAMHSA.”

“Homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse are significant issues for South Florida, and Congress must confront these issues and the challenges they present,” said Salazar. “That is why I am very proud to co-lead this important legislation, authorizing grants to better equip community partners to assist those in need. It is time to provide the full range of tools available to save lives, improve health, and keep families together.”

The bill was sent to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee. So far, there is no companion measure in the U.S. Senate.

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