HELPING HEROES DURING COVID-19
Some of our nation’s veterans have been hit hard by COVID-19. Last Thursday, the Wounded Warrior Project announced that it would distribute $10 million to veterans in need. Recipients will receive the assistance in the form of $1,000 grants intended to go towards groceries, utilities, or housing. Challenging times reveal our nation’s character and inner strength, and I am confident that we will emerge from this crisis stronger than ever before.
For More:
Wounded Warrior Project Donating $10 Million to Veterans Affected by Pandemic
ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENTS
On Wednesday, nearly 80 million Americans received ‘economic impact payments,’ a central component of the CARES Act, in their bank accounts. Social Security recipients will receive checks even if they are not required to file tax returns. Those who do have direct deposit information on file with the IRS will receive paper checks over the next several weeks. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, check the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Information Center HERE.
TESTING IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA
My office has received many questions about testing: who should get tested, and when? If you have come in contact with an infected person, or are showing symptoms, please click HERE for more information on how and where to get tested. Note: residents with COVID-19 symptoms will be prioritized.
FIGHTING FRAUD
The Treasury Inspector General has established a dedicated page where people can report coronavirus related tax scams. If you do find yourself victim to what appears to be a scam, you can report it directly to the federal government here by filling out a short online form.
The website also has helpful information for taxpayers to ensure people don’t fall victim to scams, such as:
- The IRS will generally first contact people by mail — not by phone — about-tax related matters.
- If the IRS does contact you by telephone, they will not insist on any pre-payment in order for you to receive economic impact payments.
- The IRS will also never request personal or financial information by e-mail, text, letters, or any social media.
STATE AND LOCAL INFORMATION
Visit the COVID-19 dashboard created by the Florida Department of Health (updated twice daily). The Agency for Health Care Administration published a data dashboard of current hospital bed availability to provide the public with greater visibility on hospital capacity.
If you have questions about what Florida is doing to combat the Coronavirus, call the Florida COVID-19 hotline at 866-779-6121, or email [email protected]. They can answer questions about Coronavirus symptoms, news, and how to donate or volunteer in areas impacted by the virus.
Click on your county for the most up-to-date information on closures in Escambia, Okaloosa, Holmes, Santa Rosa, and Walton Counties:
Additionally, our local military installations are regularly updating their websites with information about base access (and more) due to the pandemic.
Here is NAS Pensacola’s website.
Here is Eglin AFB’s website.
Here is Hurlburt Field’s website.
Finally, on April 12, Governor Ron DeSantis appeared on “Life, Liberty, and Levin” on Fox News to discuss how Florida is fighting COVID-19. Watch it here:
 |
| Click for video! |
GAETZ IN THE NEWS
Fox News — April 16, 2020
Deputies: US, Canada have funded Chinese lab eyed as likely source of coronavirus outbreak
“I’m against funding Chinese research in our country, but I’m sure against funding it in China,” Gaetz said, calling for an end to such grants. “The NIH [National Institutes of Health] gives a $3.7 million grant to the Wuhan Institute of Virology [and] they then advertise that they need coronavirus researchers and following that, coronavirus erupts in Wuhan.”
Associated Press — April 15, 2020
Florida Doctors Who Took Down Trump Flag Arrested
The district’s Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz tweeted Tuesday that their actions showed “despicable parenting.” He included a version of a surveillance video with captions added that said their older child asked them to stop. “Apparently two medical degrees lack the decency & common sense of a child,” Gaetz added.
Breitbart — April 15, 2020
Gaetz: We Have Been Taken Advantage of in Globalist Infrastructures for Far Too Long Under Both Republicans, Democrats
Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) applauded President Donald Trump’s announcement to halt funding to the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), and urged more of those actions from the administration.
Washington Examiner — April 12, 2020
Taxpayer-funded animal experiments tied to Chinese ‘wet markets’ and Wuhan laboratory
“When I learned our government was spending taxpayers’ money at China’s disgusting wet markets to buy and slaughter cats and dogs for cruel experiments, I helped lead the successful effort to stop it last year,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was instrumental in ending the USDA’s kitten experiments, reacted to the news in a statement.
Fox News — April 11, 2020
Rep. Matt Gaetz on how coronavirus has changed his daily routine
“This has been my daily focus — connecting Florida’s needs with Trump administration officials who can respond quickly. I’m proud to be working alongside great public servants at the local, state and federal level — though I never imagined I’d be doing so in response to a crazy Chinese Bat Virus when I ran for Congress. I’m a Floridian; we do hurricanes.”
WHAT WE’RE READING
Townhall — April 17, 2020
Joe Biden’s Latest Rambling of Words on CNN Continues to Not Instill Confidence for a Trump Debate
National Interest — April 16, 2020
Could the Wuhan Coronavirus Really Have Been Released From a Lab? the Simple Answer Is: Yes
The Federalist — April 15, 2020
Newly Declassified Papadopoulos Transcript Exposes Crossfire Hurricane Corruption
Independent — April 14, 2020
Will Cannabis Bail Out County in COVID-19 Crisis?
Washington Post — April 14, 2020
State Department cables warned of safety issues at Wuhan lab studying bat coronaviruses
The Atlantic — April 13, 2020
Millennials Don’t Stand a Chance
|
