ABOUT 4 TO 7 DAYS.
THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY SAYS IT'S PROCESSED
MORE THAN 3.2 MILLION CLAIMS
FOR UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE
SINCE MID-MARCH.
HANG OUT MORE THAN 12.8 BILLION
DOLLARS IN BENEFITS.
BUT THE PROCESS TO GET THAT
MONEY HAS BEEN FRUSTRATING FOR
MANY.
GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS TOLD OUR
REPORTED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS
BUILT WITH POINTLESS ROLE ASKED
TO PAY OUT THE LEAST NUMBER OF
CLAIMS.
TONIGHT HIS COMMENT ABOUT THE
SYSTEM IS PROMPTING A RESPONSE
FROM THE REPUBLICAN SENATOR.
JIM JOINS US NOW WITH WHAT
SENATOR SCOTT HAD TO SAY.
Reporter: ELLIOTT, YOU KNOW
THIS WAS A LITTLE BIT OF BACK
AND FORTH BETWEEN THESE TWO
MEN.
AND WHAT WAS INTERESTING WAS
JUST HOW THIS IS GOING TO PLAY
OUT IN THE FUTURE.
BEFORE WE GET TO RICK SCOTT'S
COMMENTS.
LET'S JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO
REMIND PEOPLE WHAT THE GOVERNOR
SAID WHEN I SAT DOWN WITH HIM
ON MONDAY.
AND I ASKED HIM A QUESTION
ABOUT THE WEBSITE THAT SO MANY
PEOPLE HAD TROUBLE WITH.
BEING ABLE TO GET THEIR
BENEFITS.
HERE IS WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD
TO SAY.
DO YOU BELIEVE THE SYSTEM WAS A
PART PUT TOGETHER THE WAY IT
WAS TO DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM
BEING ABLE TO COLLECT?
HOW IT WAS INTERNALLY
DISTRACTED, I THINK IT WAS
DESIGNED TO PUT MANY ROLE ROCKS
ALONG THE WAY SO PEOPLE CAN SAY
I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
BUT I THINK DEFINITELY, IN
TERMS OF HOW IT WAS INTERNALLY
CONSTRUCTED, IT WAS DEFINITELY
DONE IN A WAY TO LEAD TO THE
LEAST NUMBER OF CLAIMS BEING
PAID OUT.
Reporter: NOW OF COURSE,
THIS LED TO A HUGE KERFUFFLE.
BECAUSE JUST THINK ABOUT IT FOR
A SECOND.
THE GOVERNOR ADMITTING THAT THE
WEBSITE, DESIGNED TO HELP
PEOPLE, WAS ACTUALLY HURTING.
WAS ACTUALLY KEEPING PEOPLE
FROM BEING ABLE TO GET THIS TO
THE MONEY THEY DESPERATELY
NEEDED FROM THE INSURANCE
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.
THAT THEY PAID INTO FROM THE
STATE OF FLORIDA.
THAT'S A TERRIBLE THING RIGHT
THERE.
THE GOVERNOR SAID, HE BACKED
AWAY FROM SAY RICK SCOTT WAS
DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE.
THE REPORTERS IN WASHINGTON, TO
RICK SCOTT TODAY.
HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE IS
UNHAPPY WITH WHATEVER THE
GOVERNOR SAID.
IT IS TOUGH TO BE IN
POLITICS.
SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.
SOME PEOPLE JUST BLAME OTHERS.
THIS IS A TOUGH TIME TO BE A
GOVERNOR.
IS NO UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE
SYSTEM SET UP FOR THIS
UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF NEW
PEOPLE APPLYING FOR
UNEMPLOYMENT.
THEN THE $600, THEN ADDING THE
GIG WORKERS.
I KNOW KIM LAWSON WAS WORKING
HARD ON IT.
Reporter: HE SAID SOME
PEOPLE BLAMED OTHERS.
THE BUT THAT HE WENT ON TO
MENTION KIM LAWSON.
REMINDERS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF
THE SANTOS AND SCOTT.
THEY HAVE NEVER REALLY
GOTTEN ALONG.
RICK SCOTT HAD A DIFFERENT
PERSON IN MY, WANTING TO RUN
FOR GOVERNOR.
SO THESE TWO MEN HAVE BEEN AT
ODDS FOR A WIFE.
THERE HAS ALSO BEEN TALK THAT
THEY ARE SOMEWHAT COMPETITIVE.
BECAUSE BOTH THEY WANT TO RUN
FOR PRESIDENT OR HAVE THOSE
PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRATIONS IN
2024.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHEN I
ASKED THE GOVERNOR THAT
QUESTION, HE DENIED IT.
BUT STILL THE TENSION BETWEEN
THESE TWO MEN, IT IS NO SECRET
THEY DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER.
SO IT IS CLEAR THAT THE
SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK AS
EFFECTIVELY AS IT COULD.
IT IS CERTAINLY FLAWED, NO
MATTER WHO IS TO BLAME HERE.
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX IT?
Reporter: THERE ARE A NUMBER
OF LAWMAKERS WHO ARE SUGGESTING
THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SPECIAL
SESSION CALLED TO DEAL WITH A
NUMBER OF ISSUES REGARDING AN
EMPLOYMENT.
NOT JUST MAKING SURE THAT THOSE
WHO ARE STILL OWED MONEY
BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM OF THE
WEBSITE ARE MADE WHOLE, BUT
ALSO RAISING THE AMOUNT OF
MONEY THAT THE STATE OF FLORIDA
CASE.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA CASE IS
BENEFITED 275.
AND WITH CONGRESS STILL LOCKED
ON WHETHER THEY CAN GIVE OUT
$600, THERE ARE PEOPLE STILL
TRYING TO EKE OUT A LIVING AT
$275 AT MOST.
YOU CANNOT LIVE ON THAT IN
FLORIDA.
THERE IS ONE POSTSCRIPT TO THIS
STORY WHICH IS FASCINATING TO
ME.
SO OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF
DAYS, AS WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSING
ON WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAID ABOUT
THE STATE WEBSITE, WHICH WAS
IMPLEMENTED, PUT TOGETHER BY
DELOITTE & TOUCHE, THE ACCOUNT
COMPANY, YOU KNOW ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT WE JUST LEARNED IS
THAT THE GOVERNOR, WHILE
CRITICAL OF DELOITTE & TOUCHE,
IS READY TO AWARD THEM A $135
MILLION STATE CONTRACT.
A NEW CONTRACT, TO BASICALLY
OVERHAUL AND TAKE CHARGE OF THE
STATES MITIGATE THAT
INFORMATION WEBSITE.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS GOING TO BE