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Miami, FL – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, will convene a hearing titled, “Liberty City Rising: Achieving Upward Mobility through Small Business and Community Partnerships” on Friday, February 1, at 9:00 a.m. ET in Miami, Florida. The hearing will discuss how small businesses, entrepreneurs, and community stakeholders can help distressed communities achieve economic growth and foster upward mobility for low-income families. It will also explore how the Opportunity Zone Program, the Spurring Business in Communities Act (P.L. 115-333), the Safe Temperature Act, and the Liberty City Rising Act could benefit low-income communities, such as Liberty City.
Following a visit to Liberty Square in 2018, Rubio introduced the Liberty City Rising Act to improve safety standards for public housing complexes located in high-crime areas, such as Liberty City and Overtown. At the start of the 116th Congress, Rubio reintroduced the Liberty City Rising Act and introduced the Safe Temperature Act, which would give the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) authority to require air conditioning units in properties that receive federal assistance in areas that reach high heat indexes. Last Congress, Senator Rubio championed the Spurring Business in Communities Act, a recently enacted law that will encourage more venture capital formation and local investment in Florida. Background on Rubio’s efforts to protect low-income housing tenants can be found here.
The hearing will be livestreamed on the Small Business Committee’s Facebook page.
Media Guidance: Rubio will hold a brief media availability ahead of the hearing beginning at 8:30 a.m. Media interested in attending must RSVP to RubioPressShop@rubio.senate.gov.
Invited Witnesses:
First Panel
The Honorable Frederica Wilson (D-FL), Representative, United States House of Representatives
The Honorable Audrey Edmonson, Chairwoman, Miami-Dade County Commissioner for District 3
The Honorable Carlos Giménez, Mayor of Miami-Dade County
The Honorable Francis X. Suarez, Mayor of the City of Miami
The Honorable Jason Pizzo, Florida State Senator for District 38
Second Panel
Mr. Michael Liu, Executive Director, Miami-Dade County Dept. of Public Housing & Community Development
Mr. Brian Van Hook, Associate Director, Florida Small Business Development Center at Florida International University
Ms. Mary Burke Baker, Government Affairs Counselor, K&L Gates LLP
Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall, School Board Member, Miami-Dade County School Board
Hearing Details:
Liberty City Rising: Achieving Upward Mobility through Small Business and Community Partnerships
Friday, February 1, 2019
9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. ET
Fantasy Theater Factory At the Sandrell Rivers Theater
6103 NW 7th Avenue, Miami, FL 33127