Chairman's Message

The Cuban people are peacefully protesting in historic numbers against the brutal Communist dictatorship that has made life deadly miserable for three generations. The people yearn to be free, to be heard, and Republicans will not equivocate: We stand for the Cuban people against the tyrants. We stand for freedom and against oppression. We stand for a new day for the island of Cuba, and against the old, bloody day. Let another Communist socialist tyranny be thrown into the dustbin of history.

We know the pivotal importance of this moment and are doing everything we can to support the people of Cuba.

Governor DeSantis sent a letter to President Biden Wednesday requesting federal assistance to provide Internet access to the people of Cuba who are standing up against Communist oppression and demanding a voice after decades of suffering under the yoke of a cruel dictatorship.

Read the full letter here: https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/71421-Letter-to-POTUS.pdf

Senator Marco Rubio, a long-time tenacious opponent of the oppressive Communist regime, said on the floor of the U.S. Senate: “In 62 years of Communist tyranny on the island of Cuba, we have never seen, there's never been, what now is up to 40 cities in which people took to the streets organically, unorganized, grassroots, to ask for the end of that tyranny.”

Do not be fooled. This is not about a failed response to Covid, as some in the Biden administration sadly want to claim. That may have been the spark, but the tinder of long suffering under a cruel despotism was waiting for any flare. This is about freedom for the 11 million people of Cuba, and the end of a long, dark era.

We Republicans stand with the Cuban people, and against the Cuban tyrants.

On Tuesday, Governor DeSantis was joined by Cuban-American leaders and elected officials in Miami for a roundtable supporting the Cuban people protesting the regime. The Governor called on the Biden Administration to take a strong stance against the oppressive, Communist regime. 

Governor DeSantis said, “We stand with the people of Cuba. For far too long, a tyrannical Communist regime has oppressed its people and used its power to silence any dissidents. Now, the Cuban people are making their voices heard to demand freedom and an end to this dictatorship.”

So far, the Biden administration response has been predictably feeble. 

“While the Cuban people are showing tremendous courage, the Biden Administration is showing cowardice. The Biden Administration has been weak in its statements, blaming COVID-19, and not mentioning socialism or communism. While the president and his spokespeople issue empty rhetoric, the federal government is inexplicably lifting sanctions in Venezuela. Right now, the Cuban regime is taking the measure of Washington.”

Read more of the Governor’s roundtable comments here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/07/13/governor-ron-desantis-holds-roundtable-to-support-the-cuban-people/
 

Florida Update

Team DeSantis launches @TeamRonDeSantis social media pages and merchandise store to connect with supporters and grassroots dedicated to Keeping Florida Free. The Team DeSantis store launch was a big big success--receiving national attention. 

Team DeSantis "Dont Fauci My Florida" merchandise receives national attention. 

Governor DeSantis has ensured Florida is an oasis of freedom, and we’ll be darned if we let federal bureaucrats and absurd government overreach mess with that!  Team DeSantis is a great opportunity to have some lighthearted fun and give his supporters a chance to feel even more connected with his message of keeping Florida free. 

The store includes Don't Fauci My Florida merchandise that highlights Fauci's flawed and devastating policies. Universal lockdowns, the closing of schools, including places of worship in some states, masking mandates for children as young as three, are not only unnecessary, but also have a negative impact on mental health. In Florida, we are fortunate to have the bold leadership of Governor DeSantis to support Floridians in the best way possible and you can bet he isn’t going to allow anyone to Fauci our Florida.

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Corporate media continues to get covid wrong in Florida. They have suggested COVID-19 cases are spiking in Florida, which is absurd, especially when you consider how far we have come from a year ago. Because of Governor DeSantis' focus to put seniors first and protect the most vulnerable, deaths and cases in long term care facilities have decreased precipitously: 

Since vaccinations were initially available late last year in Florida:

• Deaths overall have reduced by 95%.
• Cases overall have reduced by 83%.
• Deaths in long-term care facilities have reduced by 97%.
• Cases in long-term care facilities have reduced by 91%.
• Cases in individuals over 65 have decreased by 90%.
• Deaths in individuals over 65 have decreased by 95%.

The total number of daily reported deaths with COVID-19 continues to hover under 35, as it has now for the past two weeks. In that timeframe, it has been the lowest 7-day average of deaths recorded since early April 2020 when the pandemic began.

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Great leadership is about more than the next election, it's about building and maintaining foundations for a better future for coming generations. To that end, Governor DeSantis has made Florida a national leader in top quality civics education in our public schools. 

With that in mind, Governor DeSantis announced $106 million to establish the Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative. The money will be used to award qualified teachers with the Florida Civics Seal of Excellence, which includes a $3,000 bonus for educators who complete training to earn the endorsement. The funding will also be used to expedite the implementation of Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards civics curriculum in public schools.

“We have a responsibility to ensure our students are prepared to be great citizens,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “That is why we created a new civics curriculum in Florida and are making this important investment of more than $106 million. By July 4, 2026, our country’s 250th anniversary, we will make sure every K-12 student in Florida is educated with our new civics curriculum.” 

The Florida Civics and Debate Initiative has been a huge success. More than 161 schools from 48 districts with more than 5,500 students expected to participate in the coming school year.

Read more: https://www.flgov.com/2021/07/13/governor-ron-desantis-launches-national-model-civic-literacy-initiative/

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In June, Governor DeSantis signed legislation that is setting the pace for civics education in America. You can read more about that here:

https://www.flgov.com/2021/06/22/governor-ron-desantis-signs-legislation-to-set-the-pace-for-civics-education-in-america/

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The state of Florida has awarded grants totaling more than $30 million to improve infrastructure, community redevelopment and job creation in small and rural Florida communities.

Department of Economic Opportunity and Enterprise Florida Inc. awarded $29 million through the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant program, $1.2 million through the Community Planning Technical Assistance grant program, $280,000 through the Competitive Florida Partnership grant program and $198,500 through the Rural Expansion Toolkit initiative.

“Florida’s rural communities are vital to the wellbeing and prosperity of our state, and my administration is committed to helping them thrive,” Governor DeSantis said in announcing the grants.

Read more: https://www.flgov.com/2021/07/12/governor-desantis-announces-more-than-30-million-to-improve-infrastructure-community-redevelopment-and-job-creation-in-small-and-rural-florida-communities/

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Governor DeSantis announced that the Florida Department of Education awarded $44 million in federal Unified School Improvement Grant (UniSIG) funds to support 149 struggling schools in 29 districts.

“It can be hard for struggling schools to recruit and retain top talent, and today I’m proud to announce $44 million to address this problem,” Governor DeSantis said. “I have consistently said that the number one way to create great opportunities for our students is by ensuring they have great teachers. In Florida, we will continue to take a strategic, data-driven approach to make our schools the best in the country.”

Read more: https://www.flgov.com/2021/07/14/governor-ron-desantis-announces-44-million-to-support-floridas-most-vulnerable-students-and-schools/

ICYMI

Governor DeSantis made three judicial appointments this week, to the First Circuit Court, Eighteenth Circuit Court, and the Lee County Court:

• David Oberliesen, of Niceville, was appointed to serve as Judge on the First Circuit Court;
• Christopher Sprysenski, of Sanford, to serve as Judge on the Eighteenth Circuit Court;
• Nicole Mirra, of Fort Myers, to serve as Judge on the Lee County Court.

Read more here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/07/12/governor-ron-desantis-makes-three-judicial-appointments-2/

Social Media Highlights

REMEMBER: @FloridaGOP and retweet and share. The Republican message must be spread around the state and you are integral to making that happen.