Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) and Congressman Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Co-Chairs of the Florida Delegation, led a bipartisan delegation letter urging FEMA Administrator Peter T. Gaynor to immediately deliver supplies requested by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Divison of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz to address the growing public health crisis caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The hospitals, doctors, and first responders in Florida require immediate, emergency supplies as they address the rapidly growing outbreak of COVID-19. Joining Hastings and Buchanan in signing the letter were Representatives (19): Waltz, Shalala, Posey, Murphy, Gaetz, Spano, Soto, Mucarsel-Powell, Mast, Steube, Rutherford, Dunn, Diaz-Balart, Deutch, Bilirakis, Wasserman Schultz, Crist, Rooney, and Demings. (Please find below and attached a copy of the letter):

March 20, 2020

Administrator Peter T. Gaynor
Federal Emergency Management Agency
500 C Street S.W., 8th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20472

Dear Administrator Gaynor:

As Members of the bipartisan Florida Congressional Delegation, we write to express our support for the request for immediate delivery of additional resources to combat COVID-19 as recently announced by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Director Jared Moskowitz.

Florida has been uniquely vulnerable to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, as it serves as a high-volume ingress point for foreign and domestic travelers and is home to the largest 65 and over population in the nation. These realities have created conditions that have contributed to the rapid spread of the disease throughout Florida, especially in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties which have almost half of the 520 cases reported in the entire state.[1]

Our hospitals, doctors, and first responders require immediate, emergency supplies to respond to COVID-19. We echo the Direct Federal Assistance request made by Governor DeSantis and FDEM Director Moskowitz:

• 5 mobile intensive care units
• 5,000 ventilators
• 5,000 hospital beds
• 50,000 two oz. bottles of hand sanitizer
• 250,000 coveralls
• 500,000 gloves
• 500,000 gowns
• 500,000 collection kits
• 100,000 16 oz. bottles of hand sanitizer
• 150,000 Personal Protective Equipment kits, including coveralls, gowns, and goggles   
• 2 million N95 face masks

Providing these essential supplies to our medical teams on the frontlines of the outbreak will ensure adequate response to the evolving conditions they face as we test for and treat new cases of COVID-19 and will support their efforts in mitigating and containing the spread of the virus in Florida.

We ask that you give full and fair consideration to the State of Florida’s request. We look forward to working with you as we all come together to mitigate the effects of the current crisis.

[1] As of 4:15PM on Friday, March 20, 2020, per the Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard.
 
Sincerely,

Alcee L. Hastings
Member of Congress

Vern Buchanan
Member of Congress

Michael Waltz
Member of Congress
 
Donna E. Shalala
Member of Congress
 
Bill Posey
Member of Congress
 
Stephanie Murphy
Member of Congress
 
Matt Gaetz
Member of Congress
 
Ross Spano
Member of Congress
 
Darren Soto
Member of Congress

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell
Member of Congress
 
Brian Mast
Member of Congress
 
W. Gregory Steube
Member of Congress
 
John H. Rutherford
Member of Congress

Neal P. Dunn, M.D.
Member of Congress
 
Mario Diaz-Balart
Member of Congress
 
Ted Deutch
Member of Congress
 
Gus M. Bilirakis
Member of Congress

Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Member of Congress
 
Charlie Crist
Member of Congress

Francis Rooney
Member of Congress

Val B. Demings
Member of Congress
 
Cc: U.S. Vice President Michael R. Pence

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Congressman Alcee L. Hastings serves as Vice-Chairman of the House Rules Committee, Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and Co-Chairman of the Florida Delegation.