MIAMI, Florida, Aug. 1 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) urged President Donald Trump to approve Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration ahead of Hurricane Isaias' potential damaging effects to the peninsula. * * * Dear Mr. President: We write in support of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration in expectation of Hurricane Is  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Florida, chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, issued the following news release: As the House of Representatives passed the second FY 2021 minibus appropriations bill on Friday, Chair Kathy Castor of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis highlighted the important investments in climate solutions included in the legislation. "Once again, House Democrats are demonstrating the leadership and commitment needed to protect our co  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Florida, issued the following news release: The U.S. House of Representatives approved a provision spearheaded by Reps. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., and Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., to provide $1 million for independent experts to publish a study on the potential mental health effects of active shooter drills in elementary and secondary schools. Once schools re-open in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the report will give state leaders and school adminis  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Bill Posey, R-Florida, issued the following news release: An amendment offered by U.S. Representatives Bill Posey (R-FL) and Brian Mast (R-FL) to study pedestrian safety along the high-speed rail corridor being constructed on Florida's East Coast cleared the House of Representatives today. Earlier this month Reps. Posey and Mast introduced the Pedestrian Safety Study Act to direct the Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Highway Administration to study moto  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26), member of the Congressional Coronavirus Task Force, held a telephone town hall on Thursday, July 30, where she answered questions, received live feedback, and connected with over 5,000 constituents on the phone and over 853 on Facebook Live. Mucarsel-Powell was joined by Dr. Aileen Maria Marty, Infectious Disease Specialist at Florida International Universit  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Florida, issued the following statement: U.S. Representative Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburg) released the following statement on House passage of the FY'21 minibus Appropriations package (H.R. 7617), consisting of the Defense; Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; Financial Services and General Government; Labor-HHS-Education, and Transportation-HUD funding bills. * * * "With passage of this Appropriations package, the People's   more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Florida, issued the following statement: "Federal unemployment expires tomorrow, tens of millions are out of work, we just had the worst economic quarter in our nation's history, our travel, tourism and hospitality industries have been decimated - we need a powerful economic boost now! "The House passed the CARES Act in May, robust relief that would provide the economic boost our nation requires to ride out this health and economic tsunami. "We nee  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Florida, issued the following news release: Representative Lois Frankel (FL-21), member of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after voting to pass the final funding bill package of fiscal year 2021. "This spending package invests For the People, providing strong funding for programs that expand opportunities for every person in every corner of the nation and responding to the COVID-19 crisis," said Rep. Frankel. "It rej  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Florida, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Donna Shalala highlighted significant victories for South Florida's 27th Congressional District and other communities across America in H.R. 7617, the second "minibus" appropriations bills of fiscal year 2021, which passed the House on July 31. "Funding is a reflection of our priorities - it tells us about what our government values most," said Rep. Shalala. "This spending package makes critic  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Florida, issued the following statement after President Trump suggested postponing the November general election via his twitter account: "President Trump's suggestion is absolutely ridiculous. "Again the president has shown us that he has no idea what is written in our Constitution - only an act of Congress can change the date of a presidential election. "Rather than stifling our democracy, President Trump should be encouraging everyone to registe  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Darren Soto, D-Florida, issued the following news release: Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09) announced appropriations wins for Central Florida included in H.R. 7617, the second "minibus" of fiscal year 2021 spending bills: Defense, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy and Water Development, Financial Service and General Government, Labor-HHS-Education, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development. * "For years, we've seen how emerging technologies, such as blockchain   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Ross Spano, R-Florida, issued the following news release on July 31: Last night, U.S. Representative Ross Spano (R-FL) passed an amendment to invest in Florida's Space industry. "Space is the next frontier and the State of Florida is strategically positioned to play a crucial role in its exploration," said Spano. "From defense, to civilian, to commercial purposes, space will be critical in ensuring America stays at the forefront of space travel and stands up to rival  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- 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, introduced a bill with Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) to establish the Community Advantage Loan Program to help underserved small-businesses nationwide. "The Paycheck Protection Program has successfully provided immediate relief to millions of small businesses and saved over 51+ million jobs, including  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Ross Spano, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Ross Spano (R-FL) supported President Trump by voting against H.R. 7617, a bill that would spend billions of dollars on liberal priorities. "Nancy Pelosi's out-of-control spending bills have become nothing more than legislative vehicles for socialist wish-list items, indebting our future generations-- I'm proud to have voted 'No'," said Spano. President Trump, in a Statement of Administra  more

OKEECHOBEE, Florida, Aug. 1 -- Rep. W. Greg Steube, R-Florida, issued the following statement: U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) released the following statement after his request for mechanical harvesting language was included in this year's appropriations package. "This is a major victory for Florida water quality. For too long, we have over-relied on the continuous spraying of toxic chemicals in our lakes and waterways. The inclusion of this safe alternative to spraying will help Flo  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), John Rutherford (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), and Greg Steube (R-FL) this week introduced H.R. 7868, the Strengthening America's Families Act (SAFA), which would use research and the science of child development to transform the child welfare system. There is irrefutable scientific evidence demonstrating the clear link between ab  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Florida, issued the following news release: This week, U.S. Reps. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26) and Darren Soto (FL-09) sent a letter urging Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott to encourage the Senate to take up the House-passed HEROES Act and prioritize the health and safety of Latino communities bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. "With each passing day, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to deteriorate the health and econo  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Rep. Darren Soto, D-Florida, issued the following news release: Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), John Rutherford (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), and Greg Steube (R-FL) this week introduced H.R. 7868, the Strengthening America's Families Act (SAFA), which would use research and the science of child development to transform the child welfare system. There is irrefutable scientific evidence demonstrating the clear link between abuse i  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Darren Soto, D-Florida, issued the following news release: This week, Reps. Darren Soto (FL-09) and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26) sent a letter urging Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott to encourage the Senate to take up the House-passed HEROES Act and prioritize the health and safety of Latino communities bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. "With each passing day, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to deteriorate the health and economic well-being o  more

MIAMI, Florida, Aug. 1 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released the following statement on reports that the Trump Administration will soon order ByteDance to divest of its ownership of TikTok's U.S. operations. "In its current form, TikTok represents a potential threat to personal privacy and our national security," Rubio said. "I applaud the Trump Administration for taking this critical step, but we must do more than simply r  more

MIAMI, Florida, Aug. 1 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following statement: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued a statement after the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, imposed sanctions against Sun Jinlong, a former Political Commissar of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) and Peng Jiarui, the Deputy Party Secretary and Commander of the XPCC for their their links   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following joint op-ed with Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips on how Sen. Scott's Unnecessary Agency Regulations Reduction Act can help support the U.S. response to the coronavirus, published in the Tampa Bay Times: In the op-ed, Senator Rick Scott and AFP President Tim Phillips wrote, "The COVID-19 pandemic has presented Americans with a vivid lesson in the costs of regulation. The primary takeaway should be that we nee  more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following statement: "Every Floridian needs to be careful and take this storm seriously. Even if Hurricane Isaias stays off our coast, we should still expect potential impacts like deadly storm surge, rip tides and rip currents. Although preparing for a storm might look a little different amid the coronavirus, we cannot let our guards down. Get prepared now. "Make sure you have 7 days of food and water, medication and emergency supp  more

MIAMI, Florida, Aug. 1 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and John Cornyn (R-TX) sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging the State Department to designate Vietnam a Country of Particular Concern for its religious freedom violations and consider enacting Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act sanctions to reverse its declining human rights situation. "Vietnam is an important security partner in the region   more

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced the Air America Act of 2020 (S. 4380), bipartisan legislation that would allow Air America employees to be eligible for federal retirement benefits. The legislation is identical to an amendment that Rubio filed to this year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and continues the Senator's past support for these Americans. "The brave men  more

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Florida, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26), Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, voted to pass the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Previously Mucarsel-Powell had advocated to remove the "new start" requirement that was delaying the construction of the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir - a crucial part of Everglades Restoration - and had passed the bill throu  more