Ahead of Ron DeSantis’s inauguration today for his second term, DNC spokesperson Ammar Moussa released the following statement:
“In his desperate chase for the MAGA base, Ron DeSantis is setting the tone for his second term by vowing to sign an even more extreme abortion abortion ban, bailing out special interests while raising costs on Floridians, and promising to go after health care providers. As the 2024 GOP primary shapes up, it’s clear Republicans will race to out-MAGA each other, and DeSantis is no different.”
DeSantis ended the year spouting dangerous rhetoric on lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines and signaling his plan to prosecute health care providers.
Washington Post: “Early in the pandemic, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis repeatedly praised President Donald Trump for the expedited development and rollout of a coronavirus vaccine. The governor’s office pushed for $480 million in pandemic resources, including media campaigns promoting the shots, according to state budget documents. And DeSantis, a Republican, even lauded the Biden administration for helping to expand access to vaccines.”
HuffPost: “DeSantis, Who Once Praised Vaccines, Now Wants To Prosecute Those Who Pushed Them”
The same day, DeSantis took to the comforts of Fox News to double down on his anti-vaccine stunt and oppose the Respect For Marriage Act, which guarantees protections for same-sex and interracial couples’ right to marry.
DeSantis: “There was certainly no need to do this.”
Despite already signing an extreme abortion ban that has no exceptions for rape or incest and threatens to prosecute providers, DeSantis is setting the groundwork to follow through on his 2018 pledge to pass a dangerous 6-week abortion ban in Florida.
Florida Politics: “Gov. DeSantis ‘ready to sign’ abortion ‘heartbeat bill’”
Politico: “And there will be more steps by DeSantis to lure conservatives to his side in the coming weeks and months ahead. There are already rumblings that state lawmakers will hold special legislative sessions between now and March to tackle issues such as guns and abortion.”
Tallahassee Democrat: “In Florida, strategy sessions involving representatives of DeSantis, including his chief-of-staff, James Uthmeier, and anti-abortion advocates have already taken place, according to some participants who did not want to speak publicly about the internal discussions.
“DeSantis in his 2018 campaign for governor said during the Republican primary that he would support a law banning abortion when a fetal heartbeat is thought to be detected, usually around six weeks.”
Even more so, DeSantis is resurging his push to loosen gun safety laws in Florida and make it easier for criminals to carry a weapon.
Tampa Bay Times: “Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he expects lawmakers during the 2023 regular legislative session to pass a major change in Florida gun laws. The change would allow what supporters call ‘constitutional carry’ … ‘Basically, this was something that I’ve always supported,’ DeSantis said.”
To top it all off, DeSantis signed a bill to bail out big insurance companies at the expense of Florida homeowners, who have been suffering from some of the highest housing and insurance costs in the country.
Tallahassee Democrat: “Florida Senate approves insurance overhaul that hits homeowners hard”
Miami Herald: “It’s unclear if any of the changes will lead to lower rates any time soon for Floridians, who are paying the highest homeowners insurance premiums in the nation. But hundreds of thousands of homeowners covered by state-run Citizens Property Insurance are almost guaranteed to end up paying more.”
DeSantis has come out to flaunt some of the most extreme parts of his agenda as he races to out-MAGA Donald Trump and the rest of the expected 2024 Republican primary field. But he’s not finished yet – as the GOP primary draws nearer, you can expect to see DeSantis take even more dangerous actions and positions at the cost of the people of Florida.
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