Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings released the following statement marking the 76th anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): “The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 set a new standard for worker rights in our nation. Establishing a national minimum wage, time-and-a-half overtime pay for certain jobs, and prohibitions against child labor, the FLSA set our country on course as a land of opportunity. “Through the years, the FLSA has evolved with our growing nation, extending workplace p...
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Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement marking World Refugee Day: “We mark this year’s World Refugee Day knowing that there are now more than 50 million people displaced across the globe, the highest number since World War II. This staggering figure demands attention and the international community must do more to stem the tide of refugees, while seeking an end to conflicts around the world. “Whether it is because of war and violence, environmental disasters, poverty, ...
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Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement after President Barack Obama announced the creation of a task force to promote the health of honey bees and other pollinators: “I am pleased that President Obama is taking the issue of pollinator loss seriously. Pollinators such as bees, birds, bats, and butterflies are vital to our food supply and the U.S. economy at large. The loss of pollinators has been severe and persistent in recent years and must be addressed. “I...
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Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement on the kidnapping of three Israeli students in the West Bank: “My thoughts and prayers are with Eyal Yifrah, Gilad Sha’er, Naftali Frenkel, and their families at this most difficult time. Those individuals who kidnapped these innocent teens should be held accountable for their cowardly actions. Acts of terror like this have no place in our society. I stand in support of Israel as they work to bring these brave young people home sa...
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Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement after the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) made available $300,000 through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for farmers and ranchers in Florida to support conservation practices to help reverse the loss of pollinator food and habitat: “The Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides much needed support for conservation efforts across America. I am pleased that EQIP is proving funding the p...
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Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement in recognition of the 8th annual National Pollinator Week, which is celebrated from June 16 - 20, 2014: “As the co-founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Pollinator Protection Caucus, I am pleased to mark this year’s National Pollinator Week. Our nation continues to see an alarming decline in pollinators and we must do more to protect the birds, bats, bees, and butterflies that pollinate our food. “Seventy-five percen...
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Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement after the number of Americans cut-off from Emergency Unemployment Insurance (UI) reached 3 million: “I continue to strongly oppose Republican efforts to prevent the extension of Emergency Unemployment Insurance. Since they first let UI expire in December 2013, more than 3 million people have lost their benefits. Every week Congress delays action on renewing UI, 72,000 more Americans will be affected. “The Senate passed a bipar...
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Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement marking the 70th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, known as D-Day: “I join with people around the world in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Today, we honor the brave men and women that made Allied victory in World War II possible. “The names of the Normandy beachfronts of Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword are to this day known as hallowed places, where at great cost, Allied forces took the first steps...
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Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement marking the ninth anniversary of Caribbean-American Heritage Month: “The United States and the nations of the Caribbean have grown and prospered alongside each other for generations. This month, I am pleased to pay tribute to the countless Caribbean-Americans that have contributed to the development of the United States, and the generations of Caribbean-Americans that have called America home. “Throughout our nation’s history, Car...
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Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement to mark the beginning of this year’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month: “With the passing of another year, we come together this June to celebrate the diversity and many contributions of our nation’s LGBT community. In particular, 2014 marks the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and while discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression is still very much a r...
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