Florida Democrats in the House of Representatives sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis Friday, urging him to take action on the spread of coronavirus in Florida.
Rep. Lois Frankel said that the governor has not responded to previous letters on issues related to the pandemic.
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“For us to resort to a press conference to even try to get his attention is very awful, but this is an emergency,” Frankel said.
These Congress members want to be included in the conversations on handling the state's spike in COVID-19 cases. They are calling for a pause in reopening the state, with measures like a statewide mask order and stay-at-home orders for coronavirus hotspots.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz highlighted medical and public health experts' concerns, including an increase in intensive care unit occupancy and shortages of staff and personal protective equipment.
“When Florida shut down in the spring, the reason we shut down is because we needed to flatten the curve so that our hospitals and health care system didn’t become overwhelmed,” Wasserman Schultz said. “Well we are there … particularly here in South Florida.”
She said the handling of the pandemic is another example of failed Republican leadership.
“Donald Trump, Ron Desantis – two peas in a pod allowing Rome to burn around them while skipping along through life … it’s dangerous and irresponsible,” Wasserman Schultz said.
Rep. Ted Deutch echoed this sentiment, adding that there is a blockade in Congress by Senate Republicans regarding federal aid that would help states deal with rising COVID-19 cases.
“[It] prevents small businesses, the unemployed, Americans who have been devastated economically by this pandemic, from getting access to the help that they need,” he said.
Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell said Floridians are confused by the mixed messaging from state and local officials, who she argues have acted slowly in containing the spread while quickly reopening. She said the numbers show the leaders' level of incompetence.
“We are trying to save lives,” Mucarsel-Powell said. “I don't care about politics. Enough with the partisanship. Let's get together, let's work with the governor … so that we can put a plan in place. Enough with the excuses, I don't want to hear them blaming our own constituents.”
Mucarsel-Powell added that a second shutdown has to be done right. She emphasized the need to provide economic relief to constituents and small businesses, as well as to expand testing and contact tracing.
“We have to make sure that if we’re asking our constituents, our small businesses, to make that sacrifice once again, that we have a very, very strict plan,” Mucarsel-Powell said.
Wasserman Schultz said the delegation will continue to sound the alarm bell and pressure the governor to act according to the advice of public health experts.
“Death and sickness is lying at the feet of Ron DeSantis and he needs to stop the bleeding,” she said.
