FACT CHECK: DeSantis Should Be Thanking President Biden and Democrats

If you’ve got whiplash after listening to Ron DeSantis’s latest campaign ad, you’re not alone. That’s because now — after spending the last 18 months adamantly opposed to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — DeSantis is taking credit for funding made possible by both pieces of legislation.

In response to the ad, DNC spokesperson Ammar Moussa released the following statement:

“Ron DeSantis is a failed governor who needs to take credit for the American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and ride the coattails of President Biden and Democrats who are actually delivering for Floridians. If DeSantis had his way, Florida’s children wouldn’t have safely returned to the classrooms and businesses wouldn’t have had the resources they needed to reopen. Thankfully, Floridians can look to President Biden for leadership focused on delivering for them, even if DeSantis doesn’t say thank you.”

Last year, DeSantis had the audacity to oppose the American Rescue Plan.

Tallahassee Democrat: “DeSantis also said of the American Rescue Plan, ‘… It’s Washington at its worst.’”

Florida Politics: “Gov. Ron DeSantis… criticized the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework President Joe Biden will sign into law this week, alluding to ‘pork barrel spending.’”

FACT: It was the American Rescue Plan that funded bonuses for law enforcement, raises for teachers, and relief for small businesses and restaurants — no thanks to a single Florida Republican in Congress.

Florida Politics: “The announced plan would shore up the state’s emergency management system, as well as give $1,000 bonus checks to the state’s cadre of first responders under a spending proposal to disburse some of the first half of the approximately $10 billion the state is expected to reap under the latest federal COVID-19 relief bill.”

Tallahassee Democrat: “In addition, the $1,000 bonuses spread among teachers, law enforcement and first responders that the governor wants lawmakers to approve is financed with the federal aid.”

Click Orlando: “The federal Restaurant Relief Fund brought more than $24.27 million into the local economy, helping 120 Space Coast food purveyors get back on stable footing after severe COVID-19 pandemic losses.”

The ad claimed DeSantis lets people make their own decisions.

DeSantis Campaign Ad: “And you let us decide.”

FACT: Under DeSantis, Florida was the only state in the country not to preorder COVID-19 vaccines for children under five, impacting access for thousands of families.

Tampa Bay Times: “In a briefing to a congressional subcommittee Tuesday, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo confirmed that the state decision to block county health departments from obtaining the newly FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines for young children may prevent an estimated 30,000 disadvantaged kids from accessing the vaccines.”

FACT: DeSantis signed into law an extreme abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest and has vowed to pass an even more restrictive law.

CNN: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law on Thursday a Mississippi-style anti-abortion measure that bans the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy without exemptions for rape, incest or human trafficking.”

Politico: “Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis promised to expand ‘pro-life protections’ on Friday in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, a historic ruling from the high court that drew praise from Florida’s Republicans and condemnation from Democrats.”

DeSantis’s ad claims he “protected” Florida’s waters.

DeSantis Campaign Ad: “You protected our waters and kept Florida beautiful.”

FACT: Florida’s water conditions have become WORSE since DeSantis has been governor while he failed to act on recommendations from experts.

TCPalm: “‘Ecological conditions in Florida have not improved and, in many cases, they have worsened,’ the coalition wrote in its report released Wednesday. ‘A lack of meaningful water quality protections have resulted in persistent harmful algal blooms, a record number of manatees deaths, and an overall decline in water quality statewide.’”

TCPalm: “It’s been almost three years since a governor-appointed task force of water quality experts made their recommendations for combatting harmful algal blooms. Still, 87% of the Blue-Green Algae Task Force’s suggestions haven’t been fully adopted, either with new laws or any meaningful regulatory action from state government agencies, according to a report from a coalition of twelve Florida environment groups.”