Hello, Friends —

Last weekend, Hurricane Isaias hit the Bahamas, tracked along the east coast of the United States, and finally made landfall on Monday evening in North Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane.

Though Northwest Florida saw few effects from Hurricane Isaias, large swaths of the Atlantic coast saw high winds and heavy rains. Sadly, nine people lost their lives from Isaias, and millions of Americans were left without power.

Every hurricane underscores the critical importance of preparedness. Hurricane season always poses a threat to coastal areas, and it is crucial to be prepared before disaster strikes.

The best preparation involves planning long before a storm threat emerges. Many people wait until the day before to buy supplies, but by that time, stores are frequently out of necessities. It is worthwhile to prepare ahead of time, and get supplies before a storm is imminent. Necessities include non-perishable and non-frozen food, bottled water, a first aid kit, and a flashlight. Batteries and a backup generator will help if you lose power for an extended period of time.

While staying inside your home is usually recommended during weaker hurricanes, in the event of a powerful hurricane, it may not be your safest option. Many websites provide information about evacuation plans and routes, and it is important to have this information in advance, in case conditions require action. Print out a copy of evacuation routes, as a storm may hinder your ability to connect to the internet.

The website http://floridadisaster.org/ is very useful, and has preparation tips and up-to-date evacuation maps for every county in the state. Similarly, Hurricanes.gov provides a great deal of information about current and future storms, including forecasts, radar, and more.

Finally, it is important to protect your property in the event of an imminent hurricane. Make copies of important documents and back up your electronic data. Survey the exterior of your house, and make sure there is no present damage, which can be greatly worsened by the water and wind of a storm. Make sure all gates and doors are securely locked, to lessen the chance of the wind ripping them from their hinges.

Most importantly, have a discussion with your friends and your loved ones, to make sure they are prepared, too.

Each hurricane season has the potential to be dangerous to our district. Good preparation will help keep you and your family as safe as possible.

HISTORIC LANDING

Last Sunday, history was made off the coast of Pensacola. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Demo-2 was the first landing to ever take place in a privately owned spacecraft. This is a testament to the power of private industry’s ability to test the boundaries of America’s innovative potential.

I applaud the work of SpaceX engineers and their cooperation with NASA to safely return astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley back to earth.

ASSISTANCE RESOURCES

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has taken great initiative in response to the economic impacts and job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, offered through the federal CARES Act and administered by DEO, provides up to 13 weeks of benefits to a claimant who has exhausted their Reemployment Assistance benefits.

Floridians will need to apply for PEUC benefits once the balance of their current claim is exhausted. Floridians who have already exhausted their benefits, or who have a Reemployment Assistance claim that expired after July 1, 2019, will also be able to apply.

Click here for more information on PEUC applications.
Click here for answers to frequently asked questions.
Click here for information on available benefits.
Click here for a guide on Reemployment Assistance.
Click here to file a Reemployment assistance claim.

ARE YOU LISTENING?

Listen to my podcast, “Hot Takes with Matt Gaetz,” for a behind-the-scenes look into the latest news from the Washington swamp. New episodes are released every weekday!

FLAG DELIVERIES

In an abundance of caution, we will be postponing flag deliveries until we can safely reopen our Washington, D.C. office, which I hope will be soon. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION

As Florida continues reopening its economy, click for further information on the status of Escambia, Okaloosa, Holmes, Santa Rosa, and Walton Counties:

Additionally, all of our local military installations are regularly updating their websites with details about base access (and more) due to the pandemic. For more information, visit:

GAETZ IN THE NEWS

Breitbart News — August 7, 2020

Gaetz: Why Is the DOJ Not in Federal Court Seeking an Injunction Against Social Media Companies to Stop Them from Election Interference?

"On Thursday, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) questioned why the Department of Justice was not being more proactive as social media giants, including Facebook and Twitter, were being more aggressive against Trump and his allies. Gaetz, one of President Donald Trump’s staunchest allies in the House of Representatives, pointed to restrictions placed on the President for sharing information on the coronavirus pandemic during an interview with Mobile, AL radio’s FM Talk 106.5."

The Federalist — August 6, 2020

HBO’s ‘The Swamp’ Explores D.C.'s Small Bipartisan Appetite For Populist Reform

"HBO’s “The Swamp” is a rarity, affording conservative politicians a relatively unfiltered major media platform to explain themselves. To the extent the documentary does filter its subjects — who are mostly Reps. Matt Gaetz, Ken Buck, and Thomas Massie — it’s through a welcome, anti-establishment lens. The film is predictably unkind to the president, but it’s willing to hear out some of his congressional foot soldiers. That may be a low bar, but the balance is immensely useful."

The Daily Caller — August 4, 2020

GOP Lawmakers Criticize The Way ‘Special Interest Overlords’ Control Congress In HBO Documentary

"'There is an essence of this place that doesn’t change no matter who wins the elections … the majority party is simply the party that is first in line to be the servant to the special interest overlords,’ Gaetz says early in the film. ‘I think that machinery, that infrastructure, that’s the swamp.’ The documentary shows how members of Congress are assigned seats to powerful committees not based on their merit, but on their ability to dole out huge sums of money to the party they belong to, something that special interest groups that have business before the committees know and exploit."

The Federalist — August 3, 2020

Jeff Bezos Pressed On Why Amazon Allows Hate Group To Determine Eligible Charitable Donations

"Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) questioned Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s decision to use the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as a determining factor in deciding which nonprofits are featured in the AmazonSmile charity program on Wednesday at the congressional tech antitrust hearing. Bezos admitted relying on the SPLC is ‘an imperfect system.'"

Breitbart News — July 30, 2020

Gaetz: Obama Was Willing to Embrace ‘Jim Crow Relic’ Filibuster as Senator in 2005, 2006 Blocking Bush Judicial Nomination

"'You know, when you look at Barack Obama, I guess it’s surprising and confusing, that he is such a fan of Jim Crow relics, because it was Senator Obama in 2005, on President Bush’s judicial nominations, and again in 2006, when Justice Alito was nominated, who said that the filibuster was necessary and important to debate in the Senate,’ Gaetz said. ‘So, you know, maybe he was more willing to embrace Jim Crow relics as a senator than he is as a former President. But gosh, you know, John Lewis is someone who just should be celebrated outside of politics of — you know, at his funeral.'"

Spectator USA — August 5, 2020

Republicans steal the show in HBO’s The Swamp

"The documentary mainly focuses on the bipartisan effort to stop corruption in DC through reforms on issues like party leadership influence, campaign spending, lobbying and executive war power. HBO tells this story mainly through the lenses of Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who have their own respective attempts at bipartisan legislative reforms during a partisan impeachment."

The American Conservative — August 5, 2020

The Foreign Policy We Need

"Yet the new national conservatism has produced exactly one reliable populist Republican politician who has shown a willingness to vote according to Trump’s foreign policy campaign promises when the going gets tough: Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida."

GAETZ IN THE NEWS

Fox News — August 6, 2020

Pelosi lashes out at PBS’ Judy Woodruff during interview, suggests anchor is a GOP ‘advocate’

Washington Examiner — August 5, 2020

John Durham set to interview John Brennan: Report

Fox News — August 6, 2020

Senate unanimously passes bill banning TikTok from government devices

Breitbart — August 4, 2020

Trump says generals feel Beirut blast was likely an ‘attack’

The Epoch Times — August 5, 2020

Yates Contradicts Strzok, Says Comey Brought Up Use of Archaic Law on Flynn

Reuters — August 6, 2020

U.S. lifts global health coronavirus travel advisory

Washington Examiner — August 6, 2020

Biden: Latinos have ‘incredibly different’ attitudes, unlike black Americans

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