Press Releases

Miami, FL – Today, Congresswoman Wilson joined 13 members of Florida's congressional delegation on a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis urging immediate action to alleviate the coronavirus pandemic's adverse financial impact on workers and small businesses as economic activity slows and individuals lose pay.

The U.S. House of Representatives has taken action to help states improve and strengthen unemployment insurance benefits, including $500 million for states to implement any necessary changes to their unemployment insurance programs. Florida provides only 12 weeks of unemployment insurance and caps the benefit at $275 per week, which is among the lowest in the country. The letter asks the governor to take action to raise benefits and make it easier to access them.

Congress also directed the SBA to make low-interest loans available to small businesses and nonprofit organizations that have suffered economically during this tumultuous time. The letter asks the governor to implement the program and provide guidance to small businesses on how to access this federal assistance.

"Businesses and workers are experiencing uncertainty on a variety of fronts and they are hurting. We must do everything within our power to help ensure that all Floridians have access to emergency financial assistance," said Rep. Wilson.

The letter specifically asks the state of Florida to:

• Submit a formal request for disaster assistance to the Trump administration to ensure Florida is eligible for emergency federal resources.
• Provide guidance to small businesses on how to access emergency loans from the SBA.
• Modify unemployment benefit requirements to ensure Florida residents will be eligible for emergency COVID-19 unemployment payments, to include:
  • waiver of work and job search requirements and the mandatory waiting period during the outbreak;
  • increase the length of time workers are eligible for unemployment during the outbreak to 26 weeks;
  • issue COVID-19 specific guidance for accessing state unemployment insurance benefits that provides the greatest flexibility possible.
  • increase the maximum payouts to ensure sufficient coverage;
  • call the Florida state legislature into session to take action on any of the above items that require their approval.
    

The letter was signed by Representatives Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Lois Frankel (FL-21), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Charlie Crist (FL-13), Val Demings (FL-10), Ted Deutch (FL-22), Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25), Alcee Hastings (FL-20), Al Lawson (FL-5), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26), Stephanie Murphy (FL-7), Donna Shalala (FL-27), Darren Soto (FL-9), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-21). For the full letter, click here.