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...
This year marks the first anniversary of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks against Israel. 32 Americans died in those attacks, and four of the Americans taken hostage that day remain in captivity. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a video remembering the...
Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage throughout Florida’s gulf coast, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with the Florida Farm Bureau as well as local agricultural producers, farmers, and growers to discuss the storm’s impact. Photos are courtesy of...
Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage throughout Florida’s Gulf Coast, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with local officials and volunteers from the barrier islands to discuss the storm’s impact and current recovery efforts. Photos are courtesy of...
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) introduced the Treatment Restoration for Emergency Antibody Therapeutics (TREAT) Act. This legislation would prohibit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from implementing policies that restrict hospitals and other appropriate healthcare facilities from ordering and receiving COVID-19 monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatments directly from manufacturers and distributors. This legislation would ify the Biden Administration’s recent policy requiring hospitals and other facilities to work through states to receive mAb supplies as well as cease the administration’s ability to throttle the state’s supply of this life-saving treatment.
On September 17, Rubio led Republican members of the Florida congressional delegation in urging HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to reverse course on the department’s sudden change in policy, which is causing the State of Florida to face a severe deficit of doses.
“This abrupt change in policy from the Biden Administration is nothing but an attempt to punish Florida. We cannot let vindictive, politically motivated actions by this Administration jeopardize the health and safety of Floridians and others,” Rubio said. “My bill would bring back fairness by allowing hospitals and other appropriate healthcare facilities to directly access this life-saving treatment from manufacturers.”
“As our nation works to fully recover from and end the coronavirus pandemic, we must ensure that Americans have access to all options for treatment and prevention, including the COVID-19 vaccine and proven monoclonal antibody treatments,” Scott said. “The Biden administration’s recent decision to implement restrictions on monoclonal antibody doses — making it harder for Floridians to receive this life-saving treatment – is unacceptable and unethical. When lives are at stake, no resources should be intentionally held back by the Biden administration through dangerous political games. I’m proud to join Senator Rubio in introducing the TREAT Act to make sure Florida receives effective COVID-19 treatments. I won’t accept anything less.”
“The Biden Administration’s rule is misguided and threatens the efforts of providers seeking to administer this life-saving COVID-19 treatment to patients who need it most,” Marshall said. “Rather than forcing states to create a distribution network that will cause unnecessary bureaucratic delays, we should leverage industry’s well-established networks through public-private partnerships that will ensure all patients have timely access to care.”
“The Biden Administration is changing how COVID-19 antibody treatments are distributed to states in a way that does not reflect actual need across the country,” Cramer said. “Our bill would prohibit the implementation of these policies that would restrict hospitals and other providers from receiving life-saving treatments where the need is greatest, regardless of partisan politics.”