Spencer Fordin
U.S Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell convened a group of Miami-Dade political leaders and residents on a conference call Monday in an effort to persuade Senators to pass the HEROES Act.
Mucarsel-Powell, who represents Florida’s 26th Congressional District, said 22% of the workforce in Miami-Dade County is relying on unemployment benefits.
Federal assistance is set to run out at the end of July, and Mucarsel-Powell wants the Senate to pass some form of relief.
“We need to extend federal support for those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own during this crisis,” she said. “Five months into this pandemic, we’re still seeing unemployment levels that are comparable to the Great Depression.
“And Republicans think now, as we’re experiencing alarming resurgences of COVID-19, is a good time to tear away the federal assistance that has been a lifeline for workers.”
Mucarsel-Powell said more than 1.1 million Floridians who are out of work will lose their benefits at the beginning of August unless the Senate acts to extend benefits, and she pointed out the House of Representatives passed the legislation back in May.
Sen. Annette Taddeo and Rep. Javier Fernandez were also part of Monday’s call, as was Miami-Dade County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava.
A pair of South Florida voters — Donna Windle and Ana Perez — also shared how their lives have been affected by the pandemic.
Mucarsel-Powell said communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and she hears every day from constituents who are still waiting for their unemployment benefits. Now, she said, those benefits are about to disappear.
“Health experts are saying that because of how dire the situation is in Florida, it may necessitate further devastating shutdowns,” she said. “We must be prepared to support workers who are harmed by this. We cannot rip the support away from them before our state has even had a chance to recover. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott must join our calls for Mitch McConnell to pass the HEROES Act and extend unemployment now, today, before it’s too late for our constituents.”
Taddeo, who represents Florida’s 40th Senate District, said people are struggling and the state’s unemployment benefits are not adequate to keep people current on their financial obligations. Florida offers $275 a week for 12 weeks and many people, she said, are still waiting for assistance because the system hasn’t gotten to them.
“We’re actually going backwards,” Taddeo said. “A lot of people are in trouble again. We’re receiving phone calls not only from those who haven’t been paid, but we’re receiving phone calls from people who are in the situation that now they’re out of work again. The restaurant or the bar they went back to is now closed. Many businesses are shutting down for good. … We need help.”
Fernandez, who is running for a seat in Florida’s Senate District 39, drew a clear line between Florida Republicans giving relief to corporations and not to the average citizen.
“We live in a tale of two states where the largest, wealthiest multinational corporations can depend on their state government communicating with consistency and predictability when it comes to returning more than $550 million in corporate tax refunds,” he said. “The poorest Floridians and the ones most directly impacted by this crisis have to wait until the 11th hour for our government to act.”
Windle, a Realtor in Key West, said she has tried to help her tenants navigate the unemployment system, and she said she knows 25 people who have gone through the application process since March without receiving anything in benefits to this day.
“Of that first 25, of course people want to go back to work. How stupid to think otherwise,” she said. “I don’t know if there’s a way to force the Governor of this state to wake up and smell the roses.”
Perez, a part-time worker in Miami, said she has been out on furlough since March 30 and has not been able to receive her benefits because of a bureaucratic entanglement.
“I’m a part-timer because I have little kids. I’m the only one who can take them to school and pick them up,” she said. “When I was told I was being furloughed and should apply for unemployment, I immediately did so. It’s been a very frustrating experience. … I’ve cried. Thankfully, the people I’ve spoken to have been very nice and very helpful. But my issue is still the same.”
