WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S Representative Charlie Crist (D-FL) released a statement announcing the United States Coast Guard will soon be establishing a Coast Guard Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program in Pinellas Park High School. Crist introduced legislation back in September of 2019 calling for the creation of a USCG JROTC in Pinellas, which led to a provision in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act a  more

ORLANDO, Florida, July 9 -- Rep. Val Demings, D-Florida, issued the following news release on July 8: Rep. Val Demings (FL-10) commented on U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman's resignation following personal and professional retaliation from the President of the United States. Said Rep. Demings, "Today the United States lost the national defense expertise of a decorated war hero due to political retaliation from a president who dodged the draft and attacked Gold Star families. "Lt. Col.   more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Florida, issued the following statement on July 8: Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D. released the following statement following the U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Affordable Healthcare Act requirement to include contraceptive and abortion drug coverage in employee healthcare plans. * * * "Today's Supreme Court decision is not just a win for religious liberty, but also life. For too long, Obama-era mandates have st  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, D-Florida, issued the following news release: In a bicameral letter to the President of the European Commission, Helsinki Commission Chairman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) joined the Black members of the Helsinki Commission, Representatives Gwen Moore (D-WI), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), and Marc Veasey (D-TX), in leading 35 other Members of the United States Congress, including the Congressional Black Caucus Chair and other Helsinki Commissioners, in calling  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Florida, issued the following news release: In an immediate response to the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Trump administration's controversial rule that allows employers to refuse to cover their employees' birth control under their company health insurance plan, a group of federal lawmakers announced today they will be filing new legislation tomorrow to repeal the rules before they can take effect. The legislation, known as the Protect Access  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Rep. Al Lawson, D-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Al Lawson (FL-05) announced that he and his staff have recovered more than $3.4 million owed to residents of Florida's 5th Congressional District by helping to push their cases through the federal bureaucracy. Since taking office in January 2017, Rep. Lawson and his staff have closed more than 1,100 constituent cases, with 170 resulting in a financial reimbursement, with federal agencies. "A large n  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Florida, issued the following interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe: U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26), member of the bipartisan Congressional Coronavirus Task Force, appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe and discussed Florida's failed state and local response to the coronavirus pandemic, the uncertainty faced by the re-opening of schools, and the dangers of holding large indoor conventions and gatherings. Highlights: Florida Coronavirus Respon  more

LAKELAND, Florida, July 9 -- Rep. Ross Spano, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Ross Spano (R-FL), the sole Florida representative on the House Small Business Committee, released the following statement after his most recent bill H.R. 7397, received support from local Chambers of Commerce. The bill would allow Chambers of Commerce nationwide to receive loans through the Small Business Administration's Payroll Protection Program (PPP). Spano worked with Senator Te  more

LAKELAND, Florida, July 9 -- Rep. Ross Spano, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Ross Spano (R-FL) released the following statement after the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of the Treasury released the most up-to-date information and data regarding 'Paycheck Protection Program' and program recipients. "The Paycheck Protection Program worked, and I am honored to have been part of this effort that helped over 6,900 business in our community   more

MIAMI, Florida, July 9 -- Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Florida, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Wilson led a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis urging him to make free or affordable face coverings universally available throughout the state. In the past few weeks, the rate of confirmed coronavirus infections has surged in Florida, making it one of the nation's top five hot spots. On July 4, for example, the state reported a record-breaking, single-day high of 11,458 new cases and the daily  more

MIAMI, Florida, July 9 -- Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Florida, issued the following news release: At the urging of Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson, the Federal Aviation Administration announced today that it will extend to July 24, the public comment period on the Draft Environmental Assessment for the South-Central Florida Metroplex NextGen Project. The decision was made a day after the Florida lawmaker hosted a conference call with several representatives from the agency, Miami International A  more

MIAMI, Florida, July 9 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement after the Supreme Court issued a decision in Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania that the Little Sisters of the Poor cannot be forced to provide free birth control to their employees by the government. In November 2019, Rubio joined his colleagues in an amicus brief to request the Supreme Court hear the Little Sisters   more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Senators Rick Scott, Tom Cotton, Steve Daines, Mike Enzi, Josh Hawley, Kelly Loeffler, David Perdue and Thom Tillis introduced the Unnecessary Agency Regulations Reduction Act to reduce burdensome government regulations and create more efficiency by modifying, consolidating, or repealing outdated, duplicative or unnecessary agency regulations. Senator Rick Scott said, "Throughout my time as Governor of Florida  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Senator Rick Scott released the below statement following a letter he received from Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). The letter came in response to a request by Senator Scott and his colleagues for information regarding the WHO's failed and delayed response to the coronavirus. Senator Rick Scott said, "Throughout this pandemic, the WHO has served as a pup  more