Feb 4, 2021 - Politics

St. Petersburg and Miami mayors issue bipartisan call to pass Biden's relief plan

Picture collage of St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman on the left and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez on the right — Rick Kriseman and Francis Suarez. Photos: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic via Getty Images

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez don't agree on everything. But the mayors both know Florida needs help addressing the coronavirus pandemic.

What's happening: Kriseman, a Democrat, and Suarez, a Republican, co-wrote a guest column in the Tampa Bay Times in support of the Biden administration's COVID relief package.

Why it matters: The mayors are coming together to ask Florida Republicans to pass the bill. They write:

"To Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott and all of Congress: Florida’s — and America’s — mayors are begging you to pass the president’s bill and get your people the help they need."

Biden's American Rescue Plan includes:

$1,400 stimulus checks.
More funding for vaccine distribution.
Extended unemployment benefits.
Funding to help state and local governments keep frontline workers employed.

"We cannot afford to wait. Florida’s cities are in agony and are crying out for help. This is not sustainable."

— Mayors Kriseman and Suarez

This story first appeared in the Axios Tampa Bay newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in their own backyard.

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St. Petersburg and Miami mayors issue bipartisan call to pass Biden's relief plan

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