Saturday, April 11, 2020

FLORIDA - SENATOR RICK SCOTT'S WEEK IN REVIEW 04/11/2020

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This week, ahead of 2020 Hurricane Season beginning June 1, Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio wrote a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor requesting that FEMA issue guidance to address the CDC’s Coronavirus guidelines and procedures to keep Floridians safe and healthy in the event of a storm.

Also this week, Senator Rick Scott announced he will donate his first quarter Senate salary to the University of South Florida (USF) Health’s new Pandemic Research and Response Fund to support response and training efforts, research, and the continued production of 3-D printed supplies for Coronavirus testing. 
See more of what Senator Scott has been up to this week below.
Senator Rick Scott is committed to keeping Florida families safe and healthy. Following the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Senator Rick Scott released a CARES Act Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document with information on how Floridians can get help amid the Coronavirus crisis and details about the support available to small businesses, individuals, non-profits. 

See the FAQ document HERE or more resources and information available to Floridians by visiting www.RickScott.senate.gov/CoronavirusResources
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Senator Rick Scott released the following statement about ongoing discussions on more funding for the Paycheck Protection Program and oversight of small business loans.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are once again trying to use this crisis to waste taxpayer dollars. We should focus our efforts on the individuals and small businesses that need it most. 

“It’s great that small businesses around the country are taking advantage of the Paycheck Protection Program that was funded by Congress two weeks ago. Our small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and many are suffering. We should do everything we can to give them the support they need. If Congress intends to move forward with more funding for this program, as has been reported, there should be greater clarity on two important topics.

“First, the legislative text is worded vaguely enough that companies that are not being harmed at all by the Coronavirus crisis have the ability to receive taxpayer-funded loans that can be forgiven. This drains resources away from the small businesses that need it most. Congress should clarify that only small businesses that have seen a substantial reduction in their revenue can qualify for these loans, so we make sure the funds available are helping businesses hurt by this crisis.

“Second, I have heard from many constituents that they are unable to access the loans at their bank because of requirements individual banks are setting. These requirements were not in the law and are leading to many small businesses having a very hard time accessing these dollars. Congress must make it clear that banks should not and cannot set these requirements that actively withhold help from those in need.” Read more HERE.
Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza urging them to immediately address problems with the Paycheck Protection Program and issue clear guidance for businesses and lenders, so Florida’s small businesses can access the relief they need. Read more, including the full letter, HERE.
Senator Rick Scott announced he will donate his first quarter Senate salary to the University of South Florida (USF) Health’s new Pandemic Research and Response Fund to support response and training efforts, research, and the continued production of 3-D printed supplies for Coronavirus testing. Read more about USF’s work HERE

Senator Rick Scott said, “Our nation is facing an unprecedented crisis. We, as Americans, have to come together to innovatively adapt and solve problems, and that’s exactly what USF Health is doing. Their work to quickly develop Coronavirus testing supplies with 3-D printing technology will help us ramp up testing efforts nationwide and curb the spread of the Coronavirus NOW. I’m grateful to USF Health and all the incredible businesses, individuals and organizations across our state and nation doing their part to end the Coronavirus, and I encourage every American to follow their lead. Together, we can beat this.” Read more HERE.
El senador Rick Scott anunció que donará su salario del Senado del primer trimestre al nuevo Fondo de Investigación y Respuesta para Pandemias de Salud de la Universidad del Sur de Florida (USF), para apoyar los esfuerzos de respuesta y capacitación, investigación y la producción de suministros para pruebas de Coronavirus impresos de manera 3-D. Lea más sobre el trabajo de USF AQUÍ.

El senador Rick Scott dijo
“Nuestra nación enfrenta una crisis sin precedentes. Como estadounidenses, tenemos que unirnos para adaptarnos y resolver problemas de manera innovadora, y eso es exactamente lo que USF Health está haciendo. Su trabajo para desarrollar rápidamente suministros para pruebas de Coronavirus con tecnología de impresión 3-D nos ayudará a intensificar los esfuerzos para incrementar el acceso a pruebas en todo el país y frenar la propagación del Coronavirus YA. Estoy agradecido a USF Health y a todos los negocios, individuos y organizaciones increíbles en nuestro estado y nación que hacen su parte para terminar con el Coronavirus, y animo a todos los estadounidenses a seguir su ejemplo. Juntos, podemos superar esto”. Lea más AQUÍ.
Ahead of 2020 Hurricane Season beginning June 1, Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio wrote a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor requesting that FEMA issue guidance to address the CDC’s Coronavirus guidelines and procedures to keep Floridians safe and healthy in the event of a storm. Read more, including the Senators' full letter, HERE.
Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin requesting he make sure state and local governments use taxpayer dollars from the Coronavirus Relief Fund in the CARES Act for spending directly related to their Coronavirus response – not to backfill lost revenue or plug holes in poorly designed state budgets. Read more HERE.
This week, Senator Rick Scott continued to release updates on the growth rate of cases of the Coronavirus by state, and by county in Florida, according to Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering and Florida Department of Health data. Senator Scott is releasing this information daily to show which states are slowing the growth of Coronavirus. See updates from this week HEREHEREHEREHERE and HERE.  
Senator Rick Scott announced a resolution honoring the memory of Jereima ‘‘Jeri’’ Bustamante, Senator Scott’s long-time press secretary, who was lost in a tragic accident two years ago this week.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Jeri Bustamante was a magnetic force of a person who made the world a brighter place. Words could never do justice to describe her or the impact that she had on the lives of people around her. As my press secretary, she spent practically every day traveling the state to go to events with me and teach me Spanish. It wasn’t an easy job, but she was so talented, hardworking and loved what she did. And despite the long hours and the time spent away from her family, Jeri always had a hand ready to help others and a smile so bright that you couldn’t help but smile too. She was incredibly determined, never met an obstacle she couldn’t overcome or a circumstance she couldn’t make the best of, and she inspired everyone around her to do better and be better. Every day, when I practice my Spanish, I think of her, how she got me to where I am today, and how she always pushed me to keep working hard to learn the language. My team and I are forever grateful that she came into our lives, and while we wish she was still with us, we know she is watching down on us and encouraging us to do more for the state she loved so much. As we honor her memory, I challenge you to be brave, be determined, be courageous, work hard, and most of all, be kind – be like Jeri.” Read more HERE.
El senador Rick Scott anunció una resolución en honor a la memoria de Jereima ‘‘Jeri’’ Bustamante, antigua secretaria de prensa del senador Scott, quien falleció en un trágico accidente hace dos años.

El senador Rick Scott dijo: “Jeri Bustamante era una persona con fuerza magnética que hacía del mundo un lugar más brillante. Palabras nunca podrán hacerle justicia a quien era o al impacto que tuvo en la vida de las personas a su alrededor. Como mi Secretaria de Prensa, pasaba prácticamente todos los días viajando por el estado para ir a eventos conmigo y ensenándome español. No era un trabajo fácil pero era talentosa, trabajadora y amaba lo que hacía. Y a pesar de las largas horas y el tiempo que pasaba lejos de su familia, Jeri siempre estaba lista para ayudar a los demás con una sonrisa tan brillante que me hacía sonreír. Era decidida, nunca encontró un obstáculo que no pudo superar o una circunstancia a la que no le podía encontrar algo positivo, e inspiró a todos a su alrededor a ser mejores personas. Todos los días cuando practico mi español, pienso en ella, en cómo me llevó a donde estoy hoy y en cómo siempre me empujó a seguir trabajando duro para aprender el idioma. Mi equipo y yo estamos agradecidos de que ella haya entrado en nuestras vidas, y aunque deseamos que todavía esté con nosotros, sabemos que nos está mirando y alentando a hacer más por el estado que tanto amaba. Hoy, mientras honramos su memoria, te desafío a que seas valiente, tengas determinación, que trabajes duro y, sobre todo que seas amable, como lo era Jeri ". Lea más AQUÍ.
Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Lindsey Graham and colleagues in a letter to the Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai urging the closure of all operating wet markets in China to protect global health. Read the full letter HERE
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Senator Rick Scott wrote an op-ed for the Washington Examiner about his demand that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) move the 2022 Olympic Games out of Communist China and rebid it to a country that respects human rights, especially considering China’s role in the spread of the Coronavirus.

In the op-edSenator Rick Scott wrote, “For two-and-a-half weeks every two years, the world stops and watches. The Olympic Games give us an opportunity to cheer for our country and our favorite athletes, and for a short time, our political and geopolitical differences fade into the background as we celebrate athletic talent and our shared values 

… How, then, does the IOC justify allowing communist China to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, an event meant to promote a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity? The communist government is denying basic rights to the people of Hong Kong, cracking down on protesters, journalists, and dissidents, holding 1 million Uighurs in concentration camps because of their religion, and continuing to lie about the spread of the coronavirus.

… And now, in the last few months, the world has been faced with the scourge of the coronavirus, a global pandemic that, while not entirely preventable, has done considerably more damage to the world economy and public health because of communist China’s unwillingness to be open, honest, and transparent.

China lied, and thousands of people died.
…The IOC has an obligation to create an environment where athletes feel safe to compete. And we all have an obligation to use one of the world’s biggest stages to speak out when host countries do not create a safe environment for their own people.

Last month, I introduced a resolution with Sen. Ed Markey and a bipartisan coalition of our colleagues that gives China a choice: Clean up its human rights abuses, or have the IOC take the 2022 games out of China and rebid them to a country that values and respects human rights. The role communist China played in the spread of the coronavirus has only strengthened our case.

I stand with the freedom-loving people of Hong Kong, the historically persecuted people of Tibet, peaceful communities of Chinese Muslims including Uighurs, Falun Gong, and the journalists and political dissidents in China.

I hope every freedom-loving country joins us in demanding that the IOC rebid the 2022 Olympic Games should China fail to abandon its indefensible course.” 

Read the full op-ed in the Washington Examiner HERE.
Senator Rick Scott wrote an op-ed for FOX News on how the World Health Organization should be held accountable for its role in helping Communist China cover-up the Coronavirus pandemic, which cost thousands of lives around the world.

In the op-edSenator Rick Scott wrote, “Amid the coronavirus pandemic and Communist China’s New Cold War with the United States, the World Health Organization (WHO) has served as a puppet for the Chinese Communist Party.

 ...The World Health Organization failed the world. These tragic months revealed a deep-seated corruption within the organization.

The United States is the largest contributor to the WHO, giving more than $1.5 billion since 2016. Congress appropriated this money with the understanding that the WHO is supposed to focus on world health. Unfortunately, the WHO spends more time kowtowing to Communist China and General Secretary Xi.

I have called for an immediate congressional hearing, along with a full investigation, to determine if the United States should continue to spend millions in taxpayer dollars to fund an organization that willfully parrots propaganda from the Chinese Communist Party.

I am working with the Chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Ron Johnson, to get this critical hearing done quickly. Whether we cut funding or tie future funding to certain changes in the organization, we have to take action.”

Read the full op-ed in FOX News HERE.

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