Press Releases

I am deeply grateful that the FBI arrested this individual before he was allegedly able to do harm to the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center and its congregants, so many of whom are my constituents, who were observing the end of Passover. I will be in contact with federal and local authorities immediately and working with them to ensure our community's places of worship – no matter what faith – are safe for all those who worship in them. As the month of May begins and we recognize Jewish American Heritage Month, this attempted attack is a harsh reminder that there are many in our community who are motivated by bigotry and violence. As a community and a nation we must work together to confront this kind of hatred. Read more »

I'm saddened to learn that we have already suffered our first death from the Zika virus and my thoughts are with the victim's family. As I've said for months, this is an unfolding public health crisis in Florida and Puerto Rico and soon, other parts of the nation. We need House Republicans to stop dragging their feet on emergency supplemental funding for Zika and join President Obama and Congressional Democrats by taking immediate action to arrest this burgeoning health crisis. Read more »

As a Floridian, it is unconscionable to me that House Republicans have failed to act on the Zika virus. Florida has the most confirmed cases of Zika virus in the continental United States, and further south, Puerto Rico has more than 500 confirmed cases of Zika. This bill helps protect pregnant women, travelers and the general public as we get into mosquito and travel season, and it's time for House Republicans to stop making excuses and work with Democrats to short circuit this rapidly evolving crisis immediately. Read more »

People have the right to make their own health care decisions. The Florida's Supreme Court's decision to halt the demeaning state law to force women in our state to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion restores the rights of women to make important health care decisions and is an important step towards women's health care equality. The injunction puts a hold on Governor Rick Scott and Republican lawmakers' insulting presumption that women don't think long and hard before making a decision to terminate a pregnancy. Florida's women should not have to rely on the legal system to ensure their right to have access to a safe and legal medical procedure. Governor Rick Scott and Florida lawmakers supporting this intrusive law should get the message: these so-called "women's health care" laws are unnecessary, intrusive, and unconstitutional. Read more »

I am glad to be spending this Earth Day in the Everglades with U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and a group of dedicated public officials who are actively working together to restore our Everglades for every Floridian and their children. I have worked since my earliest days in the Florida Legislature to restore and support our "River of Grass" and I have been honored to be a congressional partner of President Obama's bold environmental and climate agenda. We must use this important day to rededicate ourselves to the most urgent of causes – the call to save our planet for all those yet to come. Read more »

Sundown marks the beginning of Passover, a holiday of reflection, storytelling, and a recommitment to the values of freedom and liberty. We retell the story of Jews who were held as slaves in Egypt and the miraculous story that led to our redemption. As we go through the traditional Seder, each food we eat and word we say holding significant meaning, we also look to the future. We remind ourselves that many among us in our own communities and throughout the world still yearn for redemption and freedom. There are those among us who are still not free from the shackles of human slavery, nor from the realities of hunger. Read more »

Every child deserves to grow up safe from exploitation and I will continue to be a voice and a vote for our nation's children. Read more »

While the people of Puerto Rico face both a financial and public health crisis, House Republicans have decided the best course of action is to sit on their hands. Let me be very clear – doing nothing to help Puerto Rico is not an option. Read more »

As Congress returns from the spring recess, I am proud to cosponsor an amendment with my colleagues, Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey and Labor-HHS Subcommittee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, in support of the President's request for supplemental funding. Although the Republican leadership has refused to consider the Administration's request, I'm committed to ensuring women and children have access to the resources they need at home and abroad to combat this disease, including research into a vaccine, education campaigns and comprehensive family planning resources. It is time for Congress to join together in solving public health crises like this one and time for Republicans to stop sticking their heads in the sand. Read more »

For those who do not know, Equal Pay Day marks how far into 2016 the average woman has to work to earn the same wages the average man earned in 2015 We are four weeks into spring. The Marlins have started their regular season and many South Florida high school seniors are picking out their prom attire. It is a national embarrassment that it takes this far into the year for women to earn what men made in the previous year. Read more »