economy Archives -

March 1, 2021February 22, 2021

Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL, 22nd District)

As we approach the first anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are reminded of how this public health crisis has impacted our community.

In the course of a year, we have lost over 28,000 Floridians, millions of Americans are still out of work, and the need for economic relief has never been higher. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and the Biden administration to provide critical resources to South Florida.

While many of us are eager that COVID-19 vaccinations are now being distributed, I know many are frustrated with how distribution has gone so far. As we await more shipments to vaccinate our most vulnerable community members, residents are asked to remain patient.

For more information regarding vaccination sites throughout South Florida, please visit my Facebook page (Facebook.com/CongressmanTedDeutch) and my website (Deutch.house.gov).

One in twenty seniors in the U.S. is a target of fraud schemes, costing them at least $36.5 billion per year. Yet, the National Adult Protective Services Association has found that only 1 in 44 seniors actually report that they are victims of a fraud scheme.

Last Congress, I joined Rep. Buchanan and Rep. Welch to introduce the Seniors Fraud Prevention Act that was incorporated as Title II of the Stop Senior Scams Act (H.R.2610). The Stop Senior Scams Act passed the House and the Senate but it was not signed into law.

This bill would create an office within the Federal Trade Commission charged with tracking scams, educating and alerting seniors to new scams, and establishing a more effective complaint system to ensure reports of fraud are quickly addressed by the appropriate law enforcement agency.

As we begin this year with a historic opportunity to continue our actions to help prevent gun violence, I am proud to rejoin the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force leadership for the 117th Congress. Task Force leadership is drawn from members with diverse backgrounds, including former prosecutors and members of law enforcement, gun violence survivors, veterans, hunters, and teachers. These leaders hail from rural and urban districts in states across the nation as well as districts that have experienced devastating gun- related tragedies.

As always, please feel free to reach out to my office if we can be of any assistance. I urge everyone to continue to follow CDC guidelines to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Stay safe!

January 29, 2021January 20, 2021

Commissioner Michael Udine (3rd District, Broward County)

Broward County is on the move. Investing in the future, creating sustainable job growth, and working with leading stakeholders to create a strong economy will provide opportunity for all. In the past two months, several new companies have announced they will be moving their headquarters here to Broward County. I am excited to work in partnership with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance to attract even more this year and will work tirelessly through all platforms to make sure everyone knows that Broward County is the place to be!

As Vice-Mayor of Broward County one of my top priorities is to encourage investment in the South Florida region by attracting top level tech and financial companies to call our community home. In collaboration with the Mayors of the City of Miami and Fort Lauderdale, I have been meeting with local officials to see how we can work together to bring investment, and good quality jobs, to our community. Creating a tech corridor with a solid foundation, led by our hometown universities like FAU and NSU, will create strong job growth for years to come.

In January I made a site visit to Port Everglades to see firsthand the dock expansion, and the brand-new gantry cranes that will service the supersized Panamax cargo vessels once the projects are complete. These new cranes, which I saw up close and in person (not for those afraid of heights), will increase our port’s economic potential. In addition, the port is working with Florida Department of Environmental Protection to protect and expand the mangrove habitats on site. This will help keep our water and wildlife healthy for future generations. I was honored to meet several District 3 residents who operate these cranes on a daily basis and learn everything that goes into doing their job for Broward County.

Over the past two months, the brand-new Motorola public safety radio system has come online in Broward County. This replacement was necessary to protect Broward County residents in the event of an emergency. From new towers, to new radios, and interoperability with neighboring counties like Palm Beach, we are focused on providing the fastest service when every second counts. I would like to thank the whole team of Broward County Emergency Management, and all stakeholders, for their steadfast support in getting this done.

It is difficult to find the words when I reflect on the three years that have gone by since the tragedy at MSD on February 14th. Our community has been forever changed by that fateful day. We miss those we have lost, continue to heal with those who are hurting, and fight for changes that will make schools safer and prioritize mental health. To all members of our community: the anniversary of this day will never get easier, but we will get through it together.

My staff and I have made staying connected with the residents of District 3 a top priority. We have been available by phone, answering questions by email, and getting out the most up-to-date and accurate information available. I can be reached as always at MUdine@ Broward.org or at my office at (954) 357-7003.

Follow me on social media @CommissionerMichaelUdine on Facebook and @MichaelUdine on Twitter or Instagram to receive important updates and see what is happening in our community. I look forward to connecting with you.

January 29, 2021January 20, 2021

Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL, 22nd District)

I’m honored to once again serve the people of Florida’s 22nd District. As we enter the new Congress, we continue to live through a pandemic that has weakened our economy, put millions out of work and taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans. We need efficient vaccine distribution, additional economic relief, and continued response efforts to heal and protect our neighbors and restore our economy.

Since last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous challenges for our community. In December, Congress passed a long overdue COVID-19 relief package to address our community’s top concerns. However, Congress must continue to support families and small businesses to help them get through this pandemic. I look forward to working with the new Biden administration to extend economic assistance and strengthen our pandemic response efforts throughout South Florida.

While many of us are eager that COVID-19 vaccinations are now being distributed, I know many are frustrated with how distribution has gone so far. I share your frustrations and have been pressing state and local officials to make public a comprehensive vaccine plan. We must be patient due to limited supplies but also continue to urge a distribution plan with full transparency for all Floridians.

For more information regarding vaccination sites throughout South Florida, please visit my Facebook page (Facebook.com/CongressmanTedDeutch) and my website (Deutch.house.gov).

As always, please feel free to reach out to my office if we can be of any assistance. I urge everyone to continue to follow CDC guidelines to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Stay safe!

I look forward to working closely with the new administration on shared priorities such as ensuring meaningful action on gun violence and climate change, two deeply personal issues to Florida. We need to strengthen Social Security by increasing benefits and extending solvency to ensure this essential program remains for generations. Congress must also exercise its role in foreign policy to defend human rights, support our allies, and protect our national security.

December 9, 2020December 2, 2020

The holidays during COVID

Approaching the 9th month of the pandemic, we are faced with the challenge, yet again, of how to celebrate a holiday during a time of isolation and separation.

As many families cancelled their annual Thanksgiving dinners with relatives in order to remain safe, we continue to experience the ongoing sense of loss and grief. I am not sure we will ever get to a stage of acceptance.

Hanukkah, known as the Festival of Lights, runs from December 10 through December 18. How can it help illuminate a dark and sad time for us? Originally intended to be a private celebration at home, hanukkiyahs, or menorahs, are displayed in the window for the passerby to enjoy. This year, they will continue to light the darkness, even if no one is on the street to see it. As the light grows with each night of the eight-branched candelabrum, we hope to bring more light into our world. The light commemorates the legend of the single cruse of oil that lasted eight nights. We traditionally eat foods fried in oil such as latkes, potato pancakes, or sufganiyot, jelly donuts. Due to the influence of other December holidays, it has also become the main gift- giving holiday for Jews in North America.

Most people do not know this, but because Hanukkah does not originate in the Bible, it is considered a minor festival. While Jews often gather for parties and public candle lightings, it is perfectly acceptable (although maybe not preferable) to celebrate with those only in your household. If not, virtual gatherings may be an option as well, or following CDC guidelines for celebrating outdoors.

The word Hanukkah comes from the Hebrew word for dedication, and it is derived from the Maccabees’ rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. While we are not celebrating as we might have in the past, we can rededicate ourselves to what is most important. The moral of the Hanukkah story in the ancient texts reminds us that “Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit says the Lord of Hosts” (Zech 4:6). Faith and hope can be more useful than strength sometimes.

I encourage you to see this holiday as an opportunity to help bring light into the world– from donating money or gifts to charitable organizations, called tzedakah. While we may feel physically restricted this year, we are still blessed with our religious freedoms to celebrate and many of us have the means to help others.

Let us remember the importance of the blessings we say on the fi rst night as we light the lone candle. In addition to thanking God for enabling us to fulfi ll the mitzvah or commandment of kindling the holiday lights, we thank God for helping us reach this season, and the great miracle that took place for our ancestors. No matter what we face in the world right now, we still can thank God for what we have, including the blessing of each new day and the hope for a brighter tomorrow.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2 We have been walking through a unique kind of darkness these past eight months. Without warning, we were plunged into darkness when the COVID pandemic arrived. In this darkness, we experienced fear of contracting the illness, worry, and grief for those affected, anxiety due to a shaken economy, tension over increased political division, and confusion over safe practices. The greatest darkness may well be a sense of isolation from each other.

The blessing of belonging to a community of faith is that our members have had many opportunities to “walk in the light” together. Our Bible studies and small groups have continued to meet through the blessing of Zoom and in person when safe. I’ll never forget the smiles of joy the first time some of our seniors figured out how to join us online! Safely distanced, we’ve been able to worship together since May. It is a strange thing as a pastor to preach to a room of bank robbers! One woman shared with me that her church is the only thing that has kept her from loneliness and despair. “How are those who don’t have a church getting through?” she wondered. Not well, I fear, for the darkness is deep.

My family has also been looking forward to the ray of light expected with our first grandchild’s arrival in January. Our weeks and months have been filled with the same kind of excitement and anticipation that inspired Isaiah to share words of hope to those people walking in darkness- “For to us a child is born, a son is given.” Isaiah 9:6 May such joy dawn on us all.