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Gov. Scott: The Securing Florida’s Future Budget Makes Historic Investments and Cuts Taxes

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Governor Rick Scott visited Northern Tool + Equipment, a supplier of high-quality tools and equipment in Jacksonville, to announce his Securing Florida’s Future budget which proposes $180 million in tax cuts to help Florida families. The Governor’s recommended budget also invests record funding in Florida’s education system, transportation, and environmental protection while continuing to support law enforcement and keep Florida’s economy growing. For more information, visit SecuringFloridasFutureBudget.com.
Governor Scott said, “When I made the decision to run for Governor in 2010, a lot of people doubted that a businessman who had never been in politics could cut taxes and get our state back to work. For years, politicians in Tallahassee had run our economy into the ground through tax increases, frivolous spending and a lack of focus on job creation. I have spent every day since taking office fighting to get Florida on the right track by turning back the harmful policies of past politicians and I am proud of the work we have accomplished to secure Florida’s future by creating an environment where Floridians of all ages have the tools they need to succeed in our state. Today, I am proud to announce my budget which cuts taxes and makes historic investments in education, transportation and Florida’s environment.
“Turning around Florida’s economy would not have been possible without our hard work to cut taxes and encourage business to thrive here in the Sunshine State. Since I took office, I have been proud to work with the Florida Legislature to cut taxes 75 times saving Floridians more than $7.5 billion. Together, we have paid down $9 billion in state debt and made government more efficient to save even more taxpayer money. These accomplishments have helped secure future success and prosperity, and have made it possible for more than 1.3 million Floridians to find a job so they can support their families. As we look ahead to the future of Florida, it is important to continue fighting every day to make sure that our children and grandchildren have every opportunity to lead successful lives in the Sunshine State. Our Securing Florida’s Future budget advances Florida’s record of success and represents years of fighting to do what’s right for Florida families and I will keep fighting every day to secure Florida’s future for every Florida family.”
Joe Apolloni, Senior Vice President of Retail at Northern Tool + Equipment, which has 12 locations across Florida and employs nearly 150 Floridians, said, “Northern Tool has seen firsthand how Floridians take action to prepare and recover from a hurricane, and we are proud to serve as a resource for important supplies like generators and water pumps. Providing a tax holiday for these essential products in times of great need will help more people be prepared and stay safe.”
Click here to view the Securing Florida’s Future Budget highlights.
Click here to view the Securing Florida’s Future Budget FAQ.
Click here to view the Securing Florida’s Future Budget complete budget.

Gov. Rick Scott Proposes Record Investments in Florida’s Environment

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Governor Rick Scott last week announced his proposal for $1.7 billion in funding for Florida’s environment as part of his 2018-2019 recommended budget. This $1.7 billion funding for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is a more than $220 million increase over the current year.
The proposed funding includes:

  • $50 million to expedite repairs for the federal Herbert Hoover Dike at Lake Okeechobee;
  • A record investment of $55 million for Florida’s springs;
  • A record investment of $100 million for Florida’s beaches;
  • A record $355 million for Everglades restoration;
  • A record $50 million for Florida’s state parks; and
  • $50 million for Florida Forever to help preserve and protect our natural lands

This April, Governor Scott met with President Donald Trump regarding the importance of fixing the federally operated Herbert Hoover Dike and received his commitment to fixing the dike. Last month, President Trump instructed White House Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney to accelerate the completion of repairs to Florida’s Herbert Hoover Dike. See more HERE.

Nelson says Trump’s pick for NASA chief ‘too divisive’ for the job

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“NASA needs leaders who will unite us, not divide us,”
the Florida Democrat says


U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees the nation’s space program, says President Trump’s pick to lead NASA is too “divisive and extreme” to head the nonpartisan agency.
“The NASA administrator should be a consummate space professional,” Nelson said during his opening remarks at today’s Commerce Committee hearing to consider Rep. Jim Bridenstine’s (R-OK) nomination to be the next administrator of NASA. “More importantly, the administrator must be a leader who has the ability to unite scientists, engineers, commercial space interests, policymakers, the Congress and the public on a shared vision for future space exploration.”
Nelson, who flew on the space shuttle and is widely viewed as a congressional expert on space matters, said Bridenstine’s past partisan behavior makes him unfit to lead the agency.
“NASA is not political,” Nelson said. “The leader of NASA should not be political. When [NASA] has been partisan in the past, we’ve had disasters.”
Nelson pointed to several highly-partisan comments Bridenstine has made recently criticizing both Democratic and Republican members of Congress for their efforts to work across the political aisle – including a television ad the Oklahoma Republican made attacking Nelson’s Florida colleague, Sen. Marco Rubio, for his efforts to seek bipartisan consensus on immigration.
Nelson called Bridenstine’s record and behavior in Congress “as divisive and extreme as any in Washington.”
“Congressman,” Nelson said, “on behalf of every member who has devoted their career to reaching across the aisle to build consensus and to find working solutions for the American people, I want you to know that his senator is quite skeptical and I take offense to that kind of quote – that ‘we need fighters, not people coming together.’ … That line of thinking is why Washington is broken.”
“NASA represents the best of what we can do as a people,” Nelson continued. “NASA is one of the last refuges from partisan politics. And when it has gotten partisan in the past, we have gotten in trouble. NASA needs a leader who will unite us, not divide us. Respectfully, Congressman Bridenstine, I think you’ve got a long way to go to prove to be that leader.”

Nelson says FEMA wait times 'unacceptable'

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U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), in remarks on the Senate floor, said today that it is “unacceptable” that Floridians are having to wait up to four hours to speak to a FEMA representative about housing assistance.
“It’s been two months since hurricane Irma hit Florida,” Nelson said, “and our people are still hurting because they don’t have sufficient housing.”
“FEMA – through Individual Assistance – is supposed to provide temporary housing,” Nelson continued. “This is the law. That’s what the people of Florida are entitled to … but it’s not happening in Florida. Why? Because they get on the telephone and they have to wait up to four hours to get somebody on the phone from FEMA.”
“That is just unacceptable,” Nelson said. “It’s got to be changed. And, thus, you see the bipartisan effort on behalf of my colleague from Florida, Marco Rubio, and I writing to the head of FEMA today and saying: look, what happened even under the debacle years ago of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, there they experienced an average wait time of ten minutes before they could get FEMA on to the line to help them. Now, we have people waiting as much as four hours.”
Nelson and Rubio sent a letter today to FEMA Administrator Brock Long to raise concerns about the amount of time Floridians are being forced to wait for assistance.
Noting that Floridians are facing longer wait times than victims of previous disasters, the lawmakers cited a March 2006 report by the Dept. of Homeland Security’s Inspector General that found victims of Hurricane Katrina experienced an average wait time of 10 minutes before speaking with an agent by phone, and approximately 10 days for a home inspection. 
“We recognize and appreciate the 4,000 inspectors in the field working tirelessly to help people in need of housing assistance,” the senators wrote. “However, the current wait times must be improved.”
The text of the senators’ letter to FEMA is available here. 
Video of Nelson’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here: https://youtu.be/bgKIhJAhkYc
And here’s a rush transcript of his speech:
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson
Remarks on the Senate floor
October 31, 2017
Sen. Nelson: Thank you, Mr. President. You know, it’s been two months since Hurricane Irma hit Florida and basically covered up the state and our people are still hurting because they don’t have sufficient housing.
If you lived in a mobile home, if you lived in a low- lying area, your home was destroyed. It is uninhabitable, the ceiling is collapsing, the mold and mildew, because of being all the water in, has now accumulated. It is an uninhabitable home.
And FEMA, through Individual Assistance, is supposed to provide temporary housing. This is the law. That’s what the people of Florida are entitled to just like the people of Texas are entitled to in the presiding officer’s state.
But it’s not happening in Florida. Why? Because they get on the telephone and they have to wait up to, documented, four hours to get somebody on the phone from FEM. Or it takes home inspection 45 days before they can get an inspector to come out and see the home before they can be declared and be eligible for Individual Assistance.
And that is just unacceptable. Because if they don’t have the means, especially if they don’t have a job as a result of the jobs being destroyed in the hurricane, where are they going to be able to get temporary assistance for housing?
This is a fact that is happening in the state of Florida and it’s got to be changed. And, thus, you see the bipartisan effort on behalf of my colleague from Florida, Marco Rubio, and I writing to the head of FEMA today and saying, look, what happened even under the debacle years ago of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, there they experienced an average wait time of ten minutes before they could get FEMA on to the line to help them. Now we have people waiting as much as four hours.
And so, Mr. President, I wanted to bring this to the attention of the Senate. We cannot have the aftermath of a hurricane, two months after, where our people are hurting, they are suffering. They can’t live in a healthy condition in the existing homes that have been destroyed in the hurricane.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Nelson: ‘Defending America isn’t a partisan issue’

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“Defending America isn’t a partisan issue,” U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) said today while speaking on the Senate floor about the charges filed in connection with U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s interference with the 2016 election.
“These are very serious charges,” Nelson said. “Yet, sadly, the response to these indictments has been seemingly split along partisan lines. That doesn’t make sense.”
“Russian President Vladimir Putin interfered in our election and, in so doing, he has attacked the very foundation of our constitutional democracy,” Nelson said. “It doesn’t matter if you are a Democrat or a Republican, it should be clear: if you help an enemy of the United States meddle in our Democracy, you will be held accountable!”
Nelson said too often lawmakers and the country as a whole find themselves divided on an issue because of party politics, but said that shouldn’t be the case here.
“There should be no disagreement when it comes to protecting America,” he said. “Finding out what happened is the only way we’re going to be able to prevent this from happening again.”
Below is a rush transcript of his remarks:
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson
Remarks on the Senate floor
October 30, 2017
Mr. President,
Everybody now in Washington knows that the special counsel announced charges against two of President Trump’s former campaign aides in connection with the ongoing investigation into whether or not Russia interfered with the 2016 election.
We know now after painstaking investigations in the intelligence community that, in fact, Russia did interfere in the election, and what many of us = are concerned about, since they have continued this pattern in other countries’ elections, we are concerned about the fact that they will interfere in the next elections coming up.
We’ve already seen attempts in this special election down in Alabama that they have bene trying to increase the number of hits going to a Facebook or Twitter account.
So they interfered.
Well, we learned also this morning that a third former Trump aide has pled guilty to lying to the FBI in January when he was asked about his interactions with Russians while he was with the Trump campaign.
Mr. President, these are very serious charges, and we should be united against any individual who helped further Russia’s interference in our elections.
Yet, sadly, the response to these indictments has been seemingly split along partisan lines. That doesn’t make sense. Defending America isn’t a partisan issue.
In fact, everyone in this Senate – all of our Democrats, Republicans, our two Independents — they have sworn an oath to do exactly that: to defend the constitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic.
Charging these individuals shouldn’t be seen as a victory for one party, or a defeat for the other.
These individuals are charged with crimes against the U.S. – crimes against all of us Americans.
And the fact is: Russian President Vladimir Putin interfered in our election and, in so doing, attacked the very foundation of our constitutional democracy.
We know that. We also know that we’re not the only country that he has attacked and, according to U.S. intelligence community, he will continue this type of behavior unless he is stopped.
And that’s why we have such a heavy responsibility to defend America from these types of attacks. And to defend our American constitutional foundations built on a process of free and fair and unfettered elections.
It doesn’t matter if you are a Democrat or a Republican, it should be clear: if you help an enemy of the United States meddle in our Democracy, you will be held accountable.
Too often, here in this Senate and throughout the country as a whole, we find ourselves suddenly divided on issues because of party politics, but that shouldn’t be the case. There should be no disagreement when it comes to protecting America. Because we should be Americans first, not Democrats or Republicans first. We should be Americans first.
We must continue to be patient with the Mueller investigation, and allow it to follow the facts wherever they may lead.
Because finding out what happened is the only way we’re going to be able to prevent this from happening again – and it’s the only way that we’re going to be able to keep our country safe.
Madam President, I yield the floor.