Sen. Rick Scott Recognizes National Travel and Tourism Week
Dear Floridian,
I am honored to join the nation in recognizing National Travel and Tourism Week! This week gives us the opportunity to celebrate Florida’s incredible tourism industry and all that our beautiful state has to offer.
Florida is a tourism state – we have the best weather, natural resources, and people – and we’re open to visitors!
Throughout my time as Governor of Florida, we welcomed more than 100 million visitors every year, shattering annual tourism records.
As we continue to work to recover from the coronavirus and get our economy back on track, I’ll do everything I can as Senator and Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion to support our tourism industry in Florida and across the United States.
After repeatedly calling on the CDC to issue clear guidance to the cruise industry on when they can safely reopen, the CDC finally answered my call, and cruises can resume safe operations this summer.
I will always work to support Florida’s tourism industry, strengthening the economy and creating thousands of jobs for Florida families.
Sincerely,
Rick Scott
United States Senator
CDC Answers Sen. Rick Scott’s Call to Get Cruise Industry Reopened
Senator Rick Scott released the below statement following the news that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued updated guidance allowing the cruise industry to resume sailing out of U.S. ports by July 2021. The CDC’s action follows repeated calls from Senator Scott for the CDC to immediately issue clear guidance for the resumption of operations for the cruise industry. Earlier this month, Senators Scott and Senators Marco Rubio and Dan Sullivan introduced the Careful Resumption Under Improved Safety Enhancements (CRUISE) Act to revoke the CDC’s current No Sail Order on cruises and require the CDC to provide COVID-19 mitigation guidance for cruise lines to resume safe domestic operations.
Last year, Senator Scott also introduced the Set Sail Safely Act, which would establish a Maritime Task Force, in coordination with a Private Sector Advisory Committee, to address the health, safety, security, and logistical changes needed to allow for cruise lines and ports to resume operations.
Senator Rick Scott said, “For months, America’s cruise lines have waited for guidance and the opportunity to reopen while so many other industries were able to restart safely. I am glad that the CDC has finally answered my calls to get things moving in the right direction so our cruise industry can get back to work. Florida is a tourism state with thousands of jobs relying on the success of our ports, cruise lines, and maritime industries. This new guidance from the CDC is a welcome change in course that will provide desperately needed clarity for so many employers and families in Florida and across the nation. However, I will not let up. The CDC has treated America’s cruise industry terribly over the past year and I will continue my fight to hold the CDC accountable and make sure we reach a quick and equitable solution that keeps people safe and protects jobs in Florida and across the nation."
Read more HERE.
Sens. Rick Scott, Dan Sullivan, Marco Rubio Introduce CRUISE Act to Resume Cruise Line Operations
Senators Rick Scott, Dan Sullivan, and Marco Rubiointroduced the Careful Resumption Under Improved Safety Enhancements (CRUISE) Act, which would revoke the CDC’s current No Sail Order on cruises and require the CDC to provide COVID-19 mitigation guidance for cruise lines to resume safe domestic operations. Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar is leading this legislation in the House of Representatives.
In March, Senator Scott sent a letter to Jeffrey Zients, the White House COVID Response Coordinator, urging the Biden Administration to immediately issue clear guidance for the resumption of operations for the cruise industry. The CDC still has not responded to his letter or provided the cruise line industry with a timeline of when they can begin sailing, which is urgently needed. Senator Scott also introduced the Set Sail Safely Act last year, which would establish a Maritime Task Force, in coordination with a Private Sector Advisory Committee, to address the health, safety, security, and logistical changes needed to allow for cruise lines and ports to resume operations.
Senator Rick Scott said, “Florida is a tourism state with thousands of jobs relying on the success of our ports, cruise lines, and maritime industries. While many sectors of the economy have been safely operating for months under CDC guidelines, Floridians, and those across the nation that rely on the cruise industry for work, continue to wait for updated guidance from the CDC. The CDC’s refusal to properly address this shutdown is wrong and it’s time to get the cruise lines open safely. Our bill, the CRUISE Act, says we’re not waiting on the CDC any longer. Cruises can and should resume, and we’re going to do everything we can to bring back our cruise industry safely."
Read more HERE.