Following Hurricane Milton’s catastrophic landfall, Governor Ron DeSantis has requested an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration to support Florida's response and recovery efforts. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and members...
Following Hurricane Milton’s catastrophic landfall in Florida, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined the U.S. Coast Guard to survey impacted areas across the State. Photos are courtesy of Senator Rubio’s office. Senator Rubio joins the U.S. Coast Guard for a flyover...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host in-person Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with federal casework issues in their respective local communities. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of Senator Rubio’s...
Major Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida, bringing with it devastating storm surge, winds, and inland flooding. The Seminole Tribe of Florida should have access to the federal resources required for emergency response and recovery preparations on...
Major Hurricane Milton is forecasted to potentially hinder or obstruct the Port of Tampa Bay, which receives more than 40 percent of Florida’s petroleum products. It’s crucial for the federal government to expedite all requested measures to protect Florida’s economy...
Major Hurricane Milton is forecasted to impact Florida with devastating storm surge, winds, and inland flooding. After just being hit by Hurricane Helene, it’s crucial for the State of Florida to have the support of the federal government. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio...
VA must take responsibility for tragic death in Gainesville
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
July 4, 2022
Gainesville Sun
…[I]n June 2020 in Gainesville[, s]taff at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center denied a veteran emergency care because they prioritized determining his eligibility over saving his life. The veteran died 10 hours later in a nearby hospital…. It’s an appalling reminder that our veterans still suffer from neglect at the hands of the government and nation they served.
Only a few years ago, incidents like the one in Gainesville were common across the country…. Finally, in 2014, policymakers took action, and together we passed the Veterans Choice Act, which expanded care for veterans. A few years later, Congress passed my VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, which reinforced the 2014 law by further empowering the VA secretary to fire bad employees and enhancing protections for employees who report unsafe and reckless actions….
But the tragic death in Gainesville shows we must keep fighting for our veterans—because new programs and benefits don’t mean anything if veterans’ local VA clinics and hospitals fail them. We cannot accept those failures. Not only is it immoral, but we also cannot expect Americans to sign up if they know their government will abandon them when they finish their service.
That means the VA must publicly acknowledge its faults…. Despite my letter to the VA secretary…, officials have done little in the way of community outreach. That must change if we are to rebuild trust in the institution of the VA.
Meanwhile, Congress must conduct rigorous oversight, reform old laws and pass new ones as needed. Some recent efforts to improve life for veterans—like my legislation to help vets reentering the workforce pursue careers in science and technology—are already on the books. Others, like my burn pit bill, will become law soon. When that happens, it will provide much needed assistance for millions of veterans suffering from toxic exposure, as well as for their families who care for them.
Americans pride themselves on having the greatest military in the world, and rightly so. If we want to keep it that way, we have to see justice is done for our veterans. Otherwise it is only a matter of time before our government’s incompetence catches up with us.
Read the rest here.