JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Congressman Aaron Bean highlighted several major wins for Northeast Florida, including hurricane preparedness efforts, education achievements, and defense funding, in a recent interview on This Week in Jacksonville.
On hurricane readiness, Bean stressed the importance of being prepared during the peak months of August and September.
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“Have a plan. Get ready….if we’re told to evacuate, evacuate,” he said.
Bean also celebrated a milestone in education: Duval County Public Schools earned an A rating for the first time.
RELATED: Duval County Schools prepares for new year after earning first-ever ‘A’ grade
“Report cards are in... For the first time ever, Duval County is an A-rated school district,” he said, praising the school board and the new superintendent.
He mentioned that he marked the achievement on the House floor with a shout of “DUUUVAL.”
Addressing federal education funding, Bean fought to release Title II, III, and IV grants supporting teacher enrichment and student programs like English as a second language. Duval County faced losing about $7 million, Clay County $3 million, and Nassau County over $1 million.
Bean called the withholding unfair and recounted efforts to reverse it: “We met with Secretary McMann and the Office of Management and Budget... We were successful. Those funds were released, and school will launch with the resources needed.”
On government accountability, Bean highlighted his role in launching the Congressional DOGE Caucus and serving as its co-chair.
“America and Florida has DOGE fever. I’ve got DOGE fever,” he said. “Taxpayers want to make sure every precious dollar they give to government, whether federal, state or local, is used efficiently.”
MORE: Mayor Deegan speaks to press after Florida DOGE auditors arrive in Jacksonville
In defense spending, Bean said he secured wins for Northeast Florida in the fiscal year 2026 budget.
“Jacksonville Cecil Field will play a part in our national defense,” he said.
Existing funds were redirected there to support contractors handling military equipment, including Navy submarines. Bean called it “a win for Jacksonville and the United States.”
To watch the full interview with Congressman Bean, tune in to This Week in Jacksonville at 9 a.m. on Channel 4 or online at news4jax.com.
