releases: http://alceehastings.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402460
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://alceehastings.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402460 | Hastings Calls on FL Governor to Extend Waivers for Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF Benefits | 2020-10-06 | 2020 | 2020-10 | Democrat | Senate | FL | Alcee Hastings | H000324 | alceehastings.house.gov | legacy | [1] Florida food stamp recipients may see limits to aid return this week. The Tampa Bay Times. Alison Ross. August 31, 2020. Economic Self-Sufficiency ACCESS. Department of Children & Families (DCF) COVID-19 Information. Accessed: September 9, 2020. reported the children do not have enough to eat due to economic difficulties between June 25th and July 7th. The same study cited a 36 percent increase in SNAP beneficiaries in Florida between February and May.[2] Families in Florida that have benefitted from the waiver of requirements and recertifications during the pandemic are the same families that are more likely to lose these benefits due to the reinstatement of restrictions that affect eligibility for these programs. Waiving requirements for basic safety nets like Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF can support those struggling to acquire necessities like nutritious meals, healthcare, and financial stability in a time of great uncertainty. As you know, our state's unemployment as reported by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) for August was 8.4 percent; double the rate of August 2019.[3] Unemployed Floridians from all sectors of our economy face immense uncertainty in the job market, in their ability to access nutritious food, and in their ability to access afford housing. The tourism industry, one of Florida's top economic contributors, illustrates these concerns. VISIT FLORIDA Research estimates a loss of visitors for the first and second quarters of 2020 of 35.2 percent, only receiving 44.8 million visitors, compared to almost 70 million visitors in 2019.[4] In addition to the concerning rates of unemployment now, as well as the uncertainty the future job market holds, far too many Floridians cannot confidently and safely go into work or send their kids to school due to the presence of COVID-19 in their communities. We must continue to thoroughly monitor the spread of COVID-19 and use guidance to develop further plans to protect communities from another spike like the one Floridians experienced this summerthis is especially important as we enter flu season. It is unclear how quickly our economy will rebound and make up for the enormous losses experienced over the last few months. What is clear is that requiring a person to be employed before being able to access life sustaining benefits will exclude the most vulnerable who are unable to reenter the workforce due to barriers like the inability to secure safe and affordable childcare, or the need to care for elderly or ill family members. For many Floridians, meeting work requirements for these benefits amid a pandemic and economic downturn of enormous proportions is an impossibility. Further, waiving the recertification requirements until the end of the pandemic for beneficiaries will be crucial for their overall stability so they can focus their energy and time on keeping their families healthy and their heads above the water. There is a clear need to extend waivers for SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid until such time as Florida's unemployment rate reaches the statewide 2019 average of 3.1 percent;[5] the statewide rate of COVID-19 positivity cases reaches 5 percent or below for 14 days, per World Health Organization (WHO) guidance;[6] and the statewide State of Emergency Declaration originally imposed by Executive Order (E.O.) No. 2020-52-COVID is lifted for at least 60 days.[7] As Governor of Florida, it is your responsibility to ensure that all Floridians have the ability to access any and all safety net programs. We stand ready to assist you in this endeavor. Thank you for your consideration of these requests, we hope to continue to work with your office to resolve these complex problems that lie ahead. Sincerely, Alcee L. Hastings Member of Congress Frederica S. Wilson Member of Congress Ted Deutch Member of Congress Al Lawson Member of Congress Kathy Castor Member of Congress Val B. Demings Member of Congress Darren Soto Member of Congress Charlie Crist Member of Congress Debbie Wasserman Schultz Member of Congress Stephanie Murphy Member of Congress Donna Shalala Member of Congress Lois Frankel Member of Congress Debbie Mucarsel-Powell Member of Congress CC: Secretary Chad Poppell Florida Department of Children & Families 1317 Winewood Blvd. Building 1, Room 202 Tallahassee, Florida State Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, M.D. Florida Department of Health 4052 Bald Cypress Way Tallahassee, FL 32399 [1] Florida food stamp recipients may see limits to aid return this week. The Tampa Bay Times. Alison Ross. August 31, 2020. Economic Self-Sufficiency ACCESS. Department of Children & Families (DCF) COVID-19 Information. Accessed: September 9, 2020. [2] More Relief Needed to Alleviate Hardship | Households Struggle to Afford Food, Pay Rent, Emerging Data Show. Sharon Parrott, Arloc Sherman, Joseph Llobrera, Alicia Mazzara, Jennifer Beltrn, and Michael Leachman. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). July 21, 2020. [3] Unemployment Rate Seasonally Adjusted, January 1976-August 2020. Prepared by: Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO). Update Released: September 18, 2020. [4] Florida Visitor Estimates: 2019 | 2020. Resources | Research. VISIT FLORIDA. Accessed September 1, 2020. [5] Regional and State Unemployment, 2019 Annual Average Summary. Economic News Release. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Published: March 4, 2020. Accessed: September 1, 2020. [6] Which U.S. States Meet WHO Recommended Testing Criteria? Coronavirus Resource Center. Johns Hopkins. Accessed: September 21, 2020. [7] #2020-52 Executive Order (E.O.) re: Emergency Management COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Originally issued March 9, 2020. Extended by E.O. #2020-114 on May 8, 2020 for 60 days and E.O. #2020-166 on July 7, 2020 for 60 days. Congressman Alcee L. Hastings serves as Vice-Chairman of the House Rules Committee, Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and Co-Chairman of the Florida Delegation. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |