FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - South Florida Congresswoman Donna Shalala has a new job in Washington, and it’s a big one.
“I’m the watchdog that was appointed by the speaker,” Shalala said.
She and only four others were selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to oversee all $2.2 trillion passed in Congress to keep the nation’s economy afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I do think it’s important for the people of Florida to have members they have elected that are real players during this terrible crisis,” Shalala said.
The main focus is to stop fraud and make sure the money allocated to keep people working does just that.
The congresswoman added that keeping small businesses from going under is key to preventing Florida’s economy from collapsing.
“I’m worried about the really small mom and pop organizations here in our community, about the bodegas, about these really small restaurants that need these resources,” she said.
Congress allocated $349 million to what is called the Paycheck Protection Program to help those small businesses, but all of that money has essentially dried up.
Shalala believes more money will be added to the program by the middle of the week, and if Congress can strike another landmark deal, she’ll have her eyes on every dollar sent to the state.
“Florida, Miami, South Miami — my district is just full of small businesses, and we need to get the money,” she said.
Shalala said she will be heading to Washington, D.C. this week to meet with the panel to look at how the money will be spent.
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