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...
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm, causing catastrophic damage along Florida’s Gulf Coast. It’s crucial for the federal government to expedite state-requested resources and authorize key policy flexibilities in order for Floridians to make a swift...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host two in-person events to assist constituents affected by Hurricane Helene and help navigate applications for FEMA assistance. Food, water, and additional resources will be available at the events. Event...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host in-person and virtual 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...
Following the impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Debby, some local governments in Florida face looming budget shortfalls that could disrupt disaster recovery efforts. If these local governments receive reimbursements for past hurricanes from the Federal Emergency...
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released the following statement today after U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar announced that the agency will provide over $485 million in grants to help states fight opioid addiction, including more than $27 million to Florida:
“I continue to hear from local officials and members of law enforcement across the state about how the opioid epidemic is ravaging Florida communities. We must do more to ensure people seeking help are able to get necessary treatment and first responders are equipped with opioid-reversal drugs to save lives. I’m glad Secretary Azar has made this issue a priority, and that Florida will have these additional resources to tackle the dangerous substances that are destroying so many lives.”
Rubio supported the 21st Century Cures Act, which became law in December 2016 and authorized $1 billion over two years for states to combat the opioid epidemic. The grants announced today will be administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Yesterday, Rubio co-led an initiative adopted by the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee aimed at tackling the opioid crisis.
Last year, Rubio introduced the Synthetics Trafficking & Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act, legislation that would restrict the flow of fentanyl into the country via the U.S. Postal Service. The Senate also passed Rubio’s INTERDICT Act, legislation that will provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with additional tools to help detect and interdict fentanyl and other illicit synthetic opioids. Last March, the Senate passed a Rubio-sponsored resolution calling for international cooperation to address the trafficking of illicit fentanyl into the United States.
In 2016, Rubio chaired a Western Hemisphere subcommittee hearing on the international roots of America’s heroin epidemic, and helped pass into law the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act (CARA), legislation aimed at addressing the heroin and opioid crisis.