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Dear Friend,
Thank you for reading my newsletter! My team and I continue to work for you and our community. It was a very eventful week and I’m excited to tell you about what we accomplished. Here are some highlights:
- Patrick Air Force Base was named one of six finalists for the U.S. Space Force's new Space Command headquarters
- Moderna and Pfizer have made breakthroughs on a COVID-19 vaccine
- I sent a letter to urge the U.S. Department of Defense to recommend President Trump to posthumously award Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe the Medal of Honor
- NASA and SpaceX successfully launched Crew Dragon from the Kennedy Space Center
FLORIDA MAKES SPACE COMMAND CUT: Florida has been at the forefront of space exploration and innovation for decades and there's nowhere better for the Space Force to call home than our beautiful state. On Thursday, the Air Force announced Patrick Air Force Base on our Space Coast will be one of six finalists for the U.S. Space Command headquarters. This headquarters will house our Space Force, which protects America's assets in space. I've been working with leaders all around our state to bring SPACECOM to Florida, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, Rep. Bill Posey, Space Florida and our congressional delegation. I'm excited to see the Sunshine State is back in the running!
Click below to hear more about bringing SPACECOM to Florida:
OPERATION WARP SPEED UPDATE: This week we received groundbreaking COVID-19 news, with two pharmaceutical companies announcing they've made huge COVID vaccine progress, with distribution plans as early as December. Moderna and Pfizer both announced vaccines with nearly 95 percent effectiveness against COVID infections. These companies have been working hard to quickly deliver a vaccine and I'm grateful to the Trump administration for prioritizing the development of this vaccine to save millions of lives.
CASHE MEDAL OF HONOR CLOSE TO THE FINISH LINE: As many of you know, I've been working with Reps. Stephanie Murphy and Dan Crenshaw to posthumously award SFC Alwyn Cashe the Medal of Honor for his heroic acts in Iraq in 2005. Our bill has made it through Congress and now awaits President Trump's approval. As President Trump prepares to sign our bill and award Cashe the Medal of Honor, we sent a letter to the Department of Defense this week, urging swift action to honor this great American hero.
ASTRONAUTS LAUNCH AMERICA BACK INTO SPACE: As a kid, I remember standing in my backyard watching in amazement as NASA rockets blasted off from Cape Canaveral. For the second time in almost 10 years, Floridians experienced the same feeling as NASA and SpaceX launched Crew Dragon from Florida's Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station this week. This historic launch is just the beginning for restarting human spaceflight, with many more launches on the horizon. I can't wait to watch the next successful launch from Florida soil!
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ready for launch
RED SNAPPER SEASON EXTENDED: Fishing is one of Florida's favorite pastimes and the industry adds millions of dollars to our local and state's economy. On Wednesday, Gov. DeSantis approved an additional five days for this year's Florida Gulf red snapper season. Dates include: Nov. 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29. Make sure to get your line in the water starting this weekend!
HELPING YOU NAVIGATE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY: Are you struggling to navigate federal bureaucracy? My office can help with the VA, a passport, Social Security, the IRS or any other federal agency. Click here for more information about how we can assist you or call one of my three district offices below:
Please follow my daily work on social media by liking my Facebook page and following me on Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. As always, feel free to reach out to my offices in Florida or Washington, D.C. if my team or I can ever be of service.
In Service,
Michael Waltz |