Earlier this week, Congressman Carlos A. Gimenez, FL-R, denounced the Biden Administration’s proposed travel ban to Florida.
Gimenez, joining seven other Florida delegation members, sent a letter to President Biden that lays out the negative economic impact on the Sunshine State, should a travel ban be implemented.
Last week, Florida Governor DeSantis said, “The recent report that the Biden administration is considering restricting the travel of Floridians is completely absurd, especially when Biden allows illegal aliens to pour across our southern border.”
“We won’t allow Floridians to be unfairly targeted for political purposes.”
In additional comments to reporters, DeSantis reiterated that statement, labeling such restrictions as “absurd.”
“It would be unconstitutional, it would be unwise, and it would be unjust,” he added.
“Restricting the right of Americans to travel freely throughout our country, while allowing illegal aliens to pour across the southern border unmolested, would be a ridiculous, but very damaging, farce,” DeSantis said.
In the letter sent to President Biden, Congressman Carlos A. Gimenez said, “While we fear the economic impacts on our state that would flow from a domestic travel ban, we note also that such a ban would separate families and impose unknown but significant impacts on other sectors of our economy. Freedom to travel within the United States has not been materially interrupted during our history. Such travel is understood among our people as being a right. The social impacts would rival the economic impacts when we seek cooperation and unity.”
In releasing the letter, Gimenez highlighted the proactive steps Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has taken to keep Florida’s economy moving forward amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in thousands of businesses closing down and millions of Americans losing their jobs.
“Governor Ron DeSantis has done an exceptional job in keeping our communities safe while doing everything in his power to keep Florida’s economy moving forward. Florida was among the first states to vaccinate frontline workers, to implement a program to vaccinate seniors 65+, and get long-term care facilities the resources they need throughout the pandemic.”
“Florida ranks 28th in COVID-19 cases per-capita, 30th in hospitalizations per-capita, 42nd in fatalities per-capita, and overall, Florida is trending downwards. This proposal is not one rooted in science. Instead, it is a political attempt to tarnish Governor DeSantis,” Gimenez said.