FOR NOW THAT IS THE LATEST FROM KEY BISCAYNE, GLENNA, MICHAEL, BACK OVER TO YOU.
>> TRENT, THANKS VERY MUCH.
THE NEED FOR MUCH MORE TESTING
AND CONTACT TRACING IS AT THE
CENTER OF A DEBATE OVER WHEN AND
HOW FAST FLORIDA CAN REOPEN.
>> ONE OF THOSE MAKING THAT CALL
IS SOUTH FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN TED
DEUTCH WHO INCLUDED THAT IN A
REPORT TO THE WHITE HOUSE THIS
WEEK.
HE WAS AMONG LAWMAKERS APPOINTED
TO THE PRESIDENT’S OPENING UP
AMERICA AGAIN VITZRY BOARD.
AND CONGRESSMAN DEUTCH IS
SKYPING IN WITH US FROM BOXA
RATON.
I FEEL YOUR PAIN, THERE IS NO
BARBERSHOP, NO SALON OPEN, YOU
ARE LOOKING GOOD, THE BEARD IS
ON POINT TODAY, THANKS SO MUCH
FOR BEING WITH US.
>> THANKS FOR PUTTING IT THAT
WAY, GLENNA, APPRECIATE IT.
NICE TO BE WITH YOU.
>> THE FIRST QUESTION REALLY, IN
THAT REPORT YOU HAD MENTIONED
AND MADE A BIG POINT OF THE FACT
THAT MORE TESTING NEEDS TO BE
DONE PER CAPITA BEFORE THE
OPENING PROCESS AND YES, SO MUCH
OF THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING HOURS
RIGHT NEAR GOVERNOR DESANTIS IS
OPENING EVERYWHERE BUT SOUTH
FLORIDA TOMORROW, SO GIVE US
YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
>> WELL, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
AND I JUST, IF I CAN SPEND JUST
A SECOND AT THE TOP JOINING YOU
AND ALL OF THE VIERS AND
ACKNOWLEDGING HOW INCREDIBLY
DIFFICULT THIS HAS BEEN FOR OUR
COMMUNITY, FOR THE STATE, FOR
THE NATION, ACTUALLY FOR THE
WHOLE GLOBE, ALMOST 1400 PEOPLE
LOST THEIR LIVES IN FLORIDA,
OVER 65,000 AROUND THE COUNTRY,
DEF STAIGHT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT,
DEVASTATING SO AS WE LOOK TO
MOVE FORWARD, WE’VE GOT TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE GO FORWARD
CAREFULLY IN A WAY THAT LISTENS
TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS.
AND ON TESTING, THERE IS SO MUCH
TALK ABOUT WHETHER WE HAVE
ENOUGH TESTS OR DON’T HAVE
ENOUGH TESTS.
IT’S NOT JUST HOW MANY WE HAVE.
IT’S TRUE, THERE NEEDS TO BE A
TESTING AND TRACING PLAN AND THE
ESTIMATES ARE WE NEED TO DO
5,000 TESTS, 5,000 TESTS,-- FIVE
MILLION TEST, RATHER, FOR DAY,
WE WHERE NOWHERE CLOSE TO THAT,
WE ARE DOING SEVERAL 100,000.
BUT THE QUESTION IS HOW DOES
THIS WORK.
WE NEED A FORCE OF TRACERS SO
THAT WHEN SOMEONE TESTS
POSITIVE, THE PUBLIC HEALTH
FORCE CAN THEN GO OUT AND
CONTACT EVERYONE THAT THEY WERE
IN CONTACT WITH, LET THAT PERSON
KNOW THAT IF THE-- THAT THEY MAY
HAVE BEEN EXPOSED.
THEY SHOULD THEN GET TESTED.
WE NEED ENOUGH TESTS TO DO THAT.
AND THEY SHOULD STOP QUARANTINE
SO THEY DON’T SPRES TO OTHERS.
WE’RE JUST NOT AT THAT POINT
YET.
THERE HAS BEEN GREAT PROGRESS.
I TALKED TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH
OFFICIALS AT THE STATE.
THEY ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN
BUT WE JUST NEED TO DO IT IN A
WAY THAT WILL PERMIT US TO TEST
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, TO WORK
WITH OUR EMPLOYERS AND ALL
FLORIDIANS TO UNDERSTAND HOW
THIS NEEDS TO WORK SO WE CAN
MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING
EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PREVENT
ANOTHER SPREAD, ANOTHER SPIKE IN
THIS ONCE THEY DO REOPEN.
>> CONGRESSMAN, THE SENATE
RECONVENES TOMORROW IN
WASHINGTON.
THEY GO BACK TO WORK BUT YOU AND
YOUR FELLOW HOUSE MEMBERS ARE
NOT GOING BACK TO WORK IN
WASHINGTON.
WHY IS THAT AND HOW CAN ALL THE
SERIOUS WORK THAT YOU NEED TO DO
GET ACCOMPLISHED IF THE HOUSE
AND THE SENATE ARE NOT MEETING?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THERE HAS
BEEN A WHOLE LOT OF WORK THAT
GETS DONE EVERY DAY, THAT HAS
BEEN DONE, THE CARES ACT,
PROVIDED FIRST 350 BILLION, AND
THEN WE DID A FOLLOWUP WITH AN
ADDITIONAL $300 BILLION IN SMALL
BUSINESS LOANS.
WE EXPANDED UNEMPLOYMENT.
WE PROVIDED MONEY FOR THE STATE
FOR HOSPITALS AND TESTING, SO
THERE IS A LOT THAT HAS BEEN
DONE.
BUT YOUR QUESTION IS SPOT ON.
THIS INSTEAD OF HAVING THE
CONVERSATION ABOUT WHEN IS
CONGRESS GOING TO GET BACK TO
WASHINGTON, I HAVE BEEN WORKING
REALLY HARD TO IMPRESS UPON OUR
LEADERSHIP AND MY COLLEAGUES THE
FACT THAT WE’RE IN THE 21S
CENTURY.
DURING THIS PANDEMIC, SO MANY
BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS, VILDS
HAVE FIGURED OUT HOW TO USE
TECHNOLOGY LIKES THIS TO WORK
REMOTELY.
SO CONGRESS HAS CONTINUED TO DO
ITS WORK TO PASSION LEGISLATION.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO NOW IS USE
TECHNOLOGY TO HAVE HEARINGS TO
DO OVERSIGHT, THE KIND OF
OVERSIGHT OF THE ADMINISTRATION
IS NEEDED RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY TO DO IT, AND
WE HAVE, AND THE CONSTITUTION
ALLOWS US TO DO IT.
WE JUST NEED TO GET ON BOARD SO
THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CAN SEE
CONGRESS DOING EVERYTHING THAT
IT NORMALLY DOES IN WASHINGTON
FROM WHERE WE ARE NOW.
THAT NEEDS TO BE THE FOCUS RIGHT
NOW AND WE KEEP PUSHING THIS TO
MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
>> BUT LET ME FOLLOWUP, IF I
CAN.
YOUR HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI
IS TALKING ABOUT A ONE TRILLION
DOLLAR APPROPRIATION BILL, THE
LATEST AID BILL TO HELP OUT
MAINLY STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS WHO ARE JUST DYING
ON THE VINE BECAUSE THEY ARE
GETTING NO TAX REVENUE AND THEY
ARE SPENDING HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON MEDICAL
AND POLICE AND FIRE.
YOU KNOW, CITIES, COUNTIES,
STATES ARE DESPERATE FOR MONEY
AND THAT BILL WOULD PASS BUT THE
REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING NOPE, WE
AREN’T-- WE ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF
THIS.
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
>> WELL, MICHAEL, YOU DESCRIBED
IT EXACTLY RIGHT.
THIS IS NOT-- WE TALKED ABOUT
STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING.
WE INCLUDED BIG LOCAL FUNDING IN
THE FIRST BILL BUT THERE WAS NO
MONEY EAR-MARKED FOR CITIES OF
LESS THAN 500,000 PEOPLE, IN
SOUTH FLORIDA THERE AREN’T ANY
CITIES WITH MORE THAN 500,000
PEOPLE.
THAT IS NUMBER ONE.
BUT THE MAIN POINT HERE IS WE’RE
NOT TALKING ABOUT IF SENDING
UNTO KEEP OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND
POLICE OFFICERS AND OUR
TEACHERS, AND THOSE WHO ARE OUT
COLLECTING TRASH AND THOSE WHO
ARE WORKING ON THE FRONT LINES
IN THIS CRISIS AND WORKING IN
PUBLIC HOSPITALS.
THAT IS WHO WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT.
AND WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE
CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT AS STATE
GOCHTS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, DEAL
WITH THE SHORT, MASSIVE SHORT
FALL IN REVENUE BECAUSE OF THIS
PANDEMIC, THAT ALL OF THOSE
PEOPLE THAT WE RELY UPON SO MUCH
DON’T LOSE THEIR JOBS.
WE DON’T WANT THEM AT RISK
RESULT OF THIS TERRIBLE PANNED
JUST AS WE’RE WORKING HARD TO
PROTECT SMALL BUSINESSES AND
PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS
YOU HAD WRITTEN TO GOVERNOR
DESANTIS LAST MONTH MENTIONING
THE INCONSISTENCIES IN THE
REPORTING OF THESE NUMBERS.
AND IN FACT RIGHT NOW THERE IS
SORT OF AN ISSUE AT HAND AT THE
MEDICAL EXAMINERS IN DIFFERENT
COUNTIES WHOSE COUNT WERE HIGHER
THAN THE STATE COUNTS HAVE NOW
BEEN TOLD NOT TO
RELEASE-- RELEASE WHAT WE HAD
BEEN GETTING, DETAILED ACCOUNT
OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED,
CAUSE OF DEATH, COVID-19 WHICH
IS AN ESSENTIAL TRACKING
MECHANISM.
IF YOU WOULD, WEIGH IN ON THAT
SORT OF WHAT IS BEING CALLED A
PRIVACY ISSUE, WHICH DOES NOT
REALLY SEEM LIKE A PRIVACY
ISSUE, MORE LIKE AN OPEN RECORDS
ISSUE.
>> YEAH, I HAVE BEEN CLEAR
THROUGHOUT THAT THE SINGLE--
THAT WE KNOW WHERE IT
GOES SO THAT NO EMERGENCY ROOM
DOCTOR OR NURSE LIKE THE ONES I
TALKED TO LAST WEEK ARE ASKED
TOWER THE SAME MASK FIVE DAYS IN
A ROW.
AND IT’S TRUE IN REPORTING WHAT
IS HAPPENING IN NURSING HOMES,
SO THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEATHS,
THE LARGE INCH DEATHS IN OUR
NURSING HOMES AND ESPECIALLY
TRUE HERE ON REPORTING THE
NUMBER OF DEATHS THE STATE OF
FLORIDA DOESN’T INCLUDE IN
REPORTING, THOSE PEOPLE WHO DIED
IN FLORIDA FROM COVID-19 F THEIR
PERMANENT RESIDENTS-- RESIDENCE
IS SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND I’VE HAD INFORMATIONS WITH
THE STATE IT JUST DOESN’T MAKE
ANY SENSE.
ANYONE WHO IS WATCHING US WOULD
WANT TO KNOW IF SOMEONE IN
FLORIDA, IN THEIR COMMUNITY DIES
FROM THE VIRUS BECAUSE THEIR
PERSON MAY HAVE A PERMANENT
RESIDENT SOME PLACE ELSE BUT
THEY WERE LIVING IN OUR
COMMUNITY, THEY WERE TRAVELING
ABOUT IN OUR COMMUNITY,
POTENTIALLY SPREADING THE VIRUS
IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEIR
PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO-- I
DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY WE’RE
REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
AND AGAIN IT’S NOT COMPLICATED.
I TALK TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AGAIN ABOUT THIS, DATA IS
THERE.
WE SHOULD BE PROVIDING AS MUCH
INFORMATION TO THE PEOPLE OF
FLORIDA AS WE CAN.
THAT’S HOW THEY HAVE FAITH THAT
EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
TO MEET THESE CHALLENGES IS
BEING DONE IN A THOUGHTFUL WAY.
>> CONGRESSMAN, WE APPRECIATE
YOU SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US
THIS MORNING.
AND WE WILL FOLLOW WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN YOU DO GET BACK TO
WASHINGTON.
I GUESS IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.