From the Desk of Chairman Joe Gruters

Chairman’s Message –

Even CNN acknowledges Governor DeSantis’ successes

There is no denying the glaring truth anymore: Governor Ron DeSantis’ policies of protecting Floridians’ personal freedoms, businesses, jobs and health during the pandemic have been an incontrovertible success.

No less of a media opponent than CNN has acknowledged this with an accurate story of the Governor’s successes. Here is their shockingly positive lead:

After a year of criticism by health experts, mockery from comedians and blistering critiques from political rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is standing unabashedly tall among the nation’s governors on the front lines of the coronavirus fight.

“Everyone told me I was wrong,” DeSantis, a Republican, said in a fundraising appeal on Tuesday, drawing attention to his defiance against the pandemic. “I faced continued pressure from radical Democrats and the liberal media, but I refused to back down. It’s clear: Florida got it right.”

As many parts of the country embark on an uneasy march toward normalcy, Florida is not only back in business — it’s been in business for the better part of the past year…”Those lockdowns have not worked. They’ve done great damage to our country,” DeSantis said.

Of course the story includes the normal tut-tutting from political opponents who urge policies that have flatly failed in other states. But when CNN concedes this truth, backing it up with statistics that have been apparent for months, it’s pretty much case closed.

Read it here: https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/17/politics/ron-desantis-covid-florida/index.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab&utm_content=algorithm

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While many blue state governors are still keeping people locked down or threatening to do so again, and President Biden talks disconnectedly about maybe having a BBQ in your backyard by the Fourth of July if we all do what we’re told, Governor Ron DeSantis was having a beer during Bike Week in Daytona. Because we’ve been having BBQs for nearly a year, Mr. President.

What a difference a Governor makes!

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As Chairman of the Republican National Committee’s Election Integrity Committee, I want to report that the Committee is making rapid progress. We have four Subcommittees meeting weekly and the full Committee also meeting weekly. We are investigating what went right and what went wrong in 2020, creating model legislation for our states, developing best election operations procedures, determining the integrity of various voting machines and more. The RNC has devoted significant staffing in support of our work.

This will not be a long, drawn out process. The Committee is temporary and I hope to have our first recommendations out to our state leaders in a few months. We must ensure that we have a level of integrity in our elections that all Americans can have faith in.

COVID-19 Update

Governor Ron DeSantis outlined how to best use a portion of federal funds the state is expected to receive through the $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package, which provides $195.3 billion to the states.

The Governor’s recommendations include providing assistance to Floridians in need, and making major investments in critical areas such as infrastructure, education, and workforce development to continue Florida’s rapid economic recovery.

A top priority of the Governor remains the support of pandemic first responders. The Governor’s recommendations include a one-time $1,000 direct payment to full-time sworn law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians. The Governor also is recommending money to modernize the reemployment assistance system to correct critical design flaws and improve the service.

To bolster Florida’s already strong recovery, the Governor is recommending over $500 million for economic development and recovery initiatives. The Governor’s recommendations also take important steps to invest in Florida’s infrastructure, resilience, and readiness. Finally, the Governor is recommending $185 million for workforce training and research initiatives.

Read more here: https://www.flgov.com/2021/03/16/governor-ron-desantis-announces-federal-stimulus-budget-recommendations/

Florida Update

Governor DeSantis announced the Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative, a $106 million proposal to make Florida a national leader in civics education. The Governor is urging the Florida Legislature to fund this by using the state portion of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund provided through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriation (CRRSA) Act.

The Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative emphasizes the development and support of high-quality civics education, rewards Florida teachers who participate and builds on the success of the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative.

“A high-quality education begins with a high quality curriculum, which is why I remain laser focused on developing the best possible civics education standards,” said Governor DeSantis.

Governor DeSantis took direct aim at President Joe Biden after the president’s national address, saying forcefully, “I am not going to let him lockdown Florida.”

The Governor was responding to a portion of the speech where the president implied we may need to shut things down again if cases start increasing. But Governor DeSantis has been protecting Floridians’ freedoms, businesses, jobs and health by keeping Florida open for business. He said, “to even contemplate any sort of lockdown…that’s insane.”

The Governor also wondered about the president’s stated goal of holding small gatherings by the Fourth of July. “We’ve been doing that for over a year in Florida,” Governor DeSantis said.