Jobless Figures Highlight Need for Bipartisan Action

From the House Dems:

House Democratic Leader Franklin Sands (D-Weston) issued the following statement in response to today’s announcement about October employment figures:

“Families across Florida are devastated by the reality of a 34-year-high unemployment rate. It is hard to find a friend or neighbor who isn’t touched by today’s news that Florida’s unemployment rate is 11.2 percent.

“The challenges facing our families and small businesses are obvious to anyone paying attention. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in the Florida House has turned its back on countless citizens who see the need for helping jobless Floridians with a fairer Unemployment Compensation system.

“Florida House Democrats remain hopeful that Republican leaders will drop their opposition to modernizing Florida’s Unemployment Compensation system and will join Governor Charlie Crist in approving the use of $444 million in federal stimulus to assist the growing-number of jobless Floridians.

“These dollars will be spent helping families buy food, pay rent and will generally boost economic activity and retail business throughout the state. Additionally, as Governor Crist has asserted, jobless benefits approved by President Barack Obama and Congress would allow Florida to help individuals who lose their jobs due to family circumstances, such as domestic violence, family illness or the relocation of a spouse.

“It is time that Republican leaders begin working on bipartisan solutions that will put Florida back to work.”

Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman Applauds Release of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Yesterday, the Senate released the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which will reduce the federal deficit by $127 billion over the next 10 years while extending health insurance to 31 million Americans. In response, Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman released the following statement:

"Yesterday, we moved another step closer to passing historic health insurance reform legislation with the release of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in the Senate. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that this bill will extend health insurance coverage to 31 million Americans while reducing the national deficit by $127 billion over the next 10 years.

"This bill does just what the President has talked about for months - it offers stability and security for Floridians who have insurance, provides quality, affordable coverage for the uninsured and lowers costs for families, businesses and governments.

"Florida's families can no longer bear the burden of skyrocketing premiums, out-of-pocket expenses and unfair insurance company practices. On behalf of all Floridians struggling with our broken health care system, I thank President Obama and Senate Democrats for their commitment to passing reform now."

Letter from Congressman Meek to Governor Crist Regarding Reports that Unemployment Compensation Taxes Paid by Florida Businesses May Skyrocket Next Ye

U.S. Representative Kendrick B. Meek today wrote a letter to Florida Governor Charlie Crist and state leaders on averting a rise in Florida’s unemployment compensation taxes. A copy of the letter appears below:

November 18, 2009
The Honorable Charlie Crist
Governor, State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Fl 32399-0001

Dear Governor Crist:

This is the second letter that I have written you concerning Florida’s non-compliance with the Unemployment Insurance (UI) modernization provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The consequences of Florida’s failure to comply are now fully known as today’s news reports indicate that unemployment compensation taxes paid by Florida businesses will skyrocket next year.

What is your position on this critical legislation? Are you for the stimulus or are you against it? Is the position of your administration to tax small businesses or not? If the answer is the latter, the Legislature must move under your direction to pass necessary legislative fixes to ensure that Florida receives the $444 million in stimulus funds our state is due to help fund unemployment insurance coverage.

In voting for the Economic Recovery Act, I hoped that Florida would be able to maximize every federal dollar our state is due through the passage of this Act. That, however, has not occurred. By helping pass this federal legislation, Florida would have received $444 million in funds to provide a needed cushion for the state’s Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund that is quickly depleting because of the demands placed on the system by Florida’s unemployed, which swelled to 11-plus percent in September.

To take advantage of these federal dollars flowing into our state, the Legislature was required to pass a legislative fix to state law to comply with federal guidelines and receive these funds. I wrote last asking that you play a leadership role with the Florida legislature to pass this critical legislative fix, and if necessary, call that body into a special session in May to ensure passage. Our neighbor Georgia, a state led by Republican Governor Sonny Perdue and a Republican-controlled legislature, passed the necessary legislation, yet Florida did not even allow this issue to move forward in the legislative process.

Your leadership is needed as the Chief Executive of our state to ensure that Florida’s legislature takes up and passes this critical issue, and I urge you to call a Special Session and to have this matter added to the call.

Florida’s unemployed families are disadvantaged because of this inaction in Tallahassee, and next year, Florida’s businesses will be unfairly taxed to pay for these delays. My vote to help pass the Economic Recovery Act was a vote for Florida’s future, and these investment dollars needed throughout the state are being held up in Tallahassee.

Faced with an incredibly challenging economic crisis, Florida cannot delay – we have dragged our feet for too long, and the consequences of this failure are now realized. Our families and businesses deserve better from their elected leaders in Tallahassee.

Enclosed is the letter I sent you on May 1, 2009 first addressing this issue.
Sincerely,

/s/

KENDRICK B. MEEK
Member of Congress

Florida House Democrats Say: Don't Refuse Federal Economic Recovery Funds for Unemployed Families

From the House Dems:

Florida House Democrats today urged House Speaker Larry Cretul and other House Republicans to take immediate action to ensure that Florida doesn’t reject more than $1 billion in federal stimulus aid for out-of-work Floridians.

With the unemployment rate at 9.7 percent, Florida is under extreme economic duress due to the slowdown of the real estate market and the global economic recession. In the midst of this crisis, Florida’s unemployment trust fund is being drained.

Concerned about the thousands of hard working, middle-class Florida families who will suffer due to unexpected job loss, House Democrats are urging immediate legislative approval of two major actions before the end of the 2009 lawmaking session. Democrats are seeking:

· Approval of legislation that would allow the state to use $777 million in federal Recovery Act money for the rest of the year for an estimated 250,000 people whose benefits would otherwise expire.

· Passage of legislation that would implement the Unemployment Compensation Modernization Incentive program that would provide an additional $444 million for unemployed Floridians. This program would offer benefits to individuals who lose their jobs for certain family circumstances, such as the relocation of a spouse, family illness, or domestic violence.

Measures that would implement these changes have been authored by state senators and have been subject to modest review in the Florida House of Representatives. The House should take immediate steps to pass these bills, including CS/SB 810, CS SB 516, and House Bill 1333 by Representative J.G. Rader (D-Delray Beach).

Florida House Democrats appreciate concerns that have been raised about potential future-year expenses associated with adoption of these changes. However, Florida House Democrats have repeatedly noted that the economic recovery dollars that have been provided by Congress and approved by President Barack Obama are urgently needed to help Florida’s economy recover and for families to be able to avoid crushing financial crises due to unemployment during this recession.

Additionally, U.S. Department of Labor officials have again confirmed in a recent correspondence with Representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton) that “there is no requirement that the state return any money it if later repeals the provisions” of the Unemployment Compensation Modernization Incentive program.

Representative Skidmore offered these remarks:

“Florida’s unemployed and hard-working families should not be denied their full and fair share of economic recovery funds. The Legislature should not penalize people who have lost their jobs due to no fault of their own. These dollars will make a real difference to people who are hungry and need rent money. This money can keep a roof over someone’s head and stimulate Florida’s economy.”

U.S. Representative Kendrick B. Meek on Looming Rise in Florida’s Unemployment Compensation Taxes

In response to news reports that unemployment compensation taxes paid by Florida businesses will skyrocket next year, U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek today reiterated his call for state officials to put Florida in compliance with unemployment benefits provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 so unemployed Floridians can receive full unemployment benefits and businesses can avoid a crippling rise in unemployment compensation taxes.

"Our state has left critical stimulus dollars on the table in Washington, DC and these hard to come by funds are desperately needed to help Florida’s families,” said Congressman Kendrick Meek, who in May urged Governor Charlie Crist to call the Legislature into a special session so that legislation could be passed for Florida to receive $444 million in recovery dollars for unemployment insurance. “Officials in Tallahassee are not in a position to deny Florida’s families and businesses economic relief because of legislative inaction.”

In April, Congressman Meek urged the Florida Legislature to enact legislation necessary to put Florida in compliance with the Unemployment Insurance modernization provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

In May, Congressman Meek called on the Legislature to return for a Special Session to take advantage of $444 million in federal stimulus dollars meant to fund Unemployment Insurance (UI) to help unemployed Floridians and their families.

To date, the Legislature has failed to act and comply with federal guidelines, thus forgoing over $444 million in recovery dollars for unemployment insurance.

This inaction is particularly troubling given that states like Georgia were able to pass legislation to enact the necessary reforms, with Republican Governor Sonny Perdue and the Republican-controlled Legislature working across party lines to receive its share of UI stimulus dollars by legislatively working together to be compliant with the guidelines set forth in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

President Obama's Weekly Address

Who Will Tim Pawlenty Endorse in Florida?

From FDP:

As Minn. Gov. and Presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty prepares to visit Naples Friday, Floridians will be asking, which candidate will Pawlenty endorse in the Florida Republican Senate primary?

Following his endorsement of the Sarah Palin- and Glenn Beck-backed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd Congressional district, will Pawlenty choose to endorse his fellow Governor Charlie Crist, or will he endorse the Club for Growth-backed Marc Rubio? Or maybe he will simply wait until a week after Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck make an endorsement to decide, like he did in New York? In his own words, Tim Pawlenty says the purpose of his Freedom First PAC is to help Republicans win elections, and having failed to help his candidate win in New York, who will he endorse in Florida?

"After the GOP ate its own in New York's 23rd Congressional District, the far-right wing of the Republican Party has turned its attention to Florida's Senate race, unleashing its furor on Gov. Charlie Crist, promising a GOP civil war in our state. Tim Pawlenty is traveling across the country for what he claims is to raise money to 'help Republicans win elections' - well Governor, there is no more contentious Republican primary than in Florida, and it will be interesting to see who Pawlenty gives his money to. From looking at his record of pandering to the radical right in recent months, you might think Rubio has the upper-hand, but Pawlenty may have learned his lesson from endorsing the far-right candidate in New York. Then again, Pawlenty's pandering to the Sarah Palins and Glenn Becks of the world could be too important to his national ambitions," said Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman.