Hi John,
As April comes to an end, I want to give you an update on our efforts to help Central Floridians during this difficult Coronavirus Pandemic.
We have worked to support more testing in Florida, provide mobile testing sites in hardest-hit communities of color, back our first responders and hospitals, and conduct weekly tele-town halls with our constituents, as well as state and local elected officials. We are also conducting extensive outreach teleconferences with veterans, first responders, healthcare professionals, small businesses, local unions, educators, Hispanic, African American, Muslim, Jewish, Caribbean, and other minority communities in our district.
With nearly 825,000 Floridians having submitted unemployment claims, it is crucial for the State of Florida to give them a clear timeline of when they will receive much-needed aid. I have urged Governor Ron DeSantis to be transparent in his handling of the situation. I also commit that we will not stop until hardworking Floridians receive the unemployment insurance dollars that they earned.
Small businesses — especially veteran, women and minority-owned businesses and small family farms — have also been hurt deeply by this crisis but left behind in the last round of Paycheck Protection funding. This is why I am proud to have fought for $370 billion in new funding for Central Florida’s small businesses, including $60 billion set aside to help these smallest, most vulnerable businesses to stay afloat.
I am standing up for DREAMers who have been unjustly left out of student relief funding. We care so much about DREAMers in Florida that we give them in-state tuition (another issue we worked hard on many years ago). This unnecessary and cruel exclusion cannot stand! I am also standing up for our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico who face delays in food assistance, disaster relief and testing.
Although the uncertainty of what life will be like in the future may be overwhelming, our community has always been strong and there is no doubt in my mind that we will return to health and prosperity once this is over.
In the meantime, I urge you to do your part to stop the spread of COVID-19 by following CDC guidelines and practicing social distancing. Please visit our website for more information or reach out to my campaign directly with any questions or concerns.
Darren
