Protecting our Great Florida Reef

Dear friends and neighbors,

This week, we made great strides in our effort to restore America's reefs by passing the bipartisan Restoring Resilient Reefs Act out of the Natural Resources Committee. This critical legislation will help us act on climate and ensure that those closest to the crisis have the tools they need to preserve these ecosystems for future generations.

In Polk County, we were also excited to honor a Central Florida trailblazer and civil rights leader who led the case to desegregate Polk schools in the 1960s with the dedication of the Althea Margaret Daily Mills Post Office Building. Although she passed away in the summer of 2008, her legacy, work to better her community, and drive to ensure every child has equal access to a good education continues to live on to this day.

In Washington, D.C., Democrats continue working hard to deliver President Joe Biden's Build Back Better agenda. We are committed to bringing lower costs, middle-class tax cuts, and millions of good-paying jobs to hard-working Americans.

Building Back Better also includes getting out of the COVID-19 pandemic. President Biden has outlined a six-part, science-based approach which includes vaccinating the unvaccinated, further protecting the vaccinated, keeping schools safely open, increasing testing and requiring masking, protecting our economic recovery, and improving care for those with COVID-19. I support these efforts and will do my part to help the Biden administration achieve its goals.

In Central Florida, getting our community vaccinated continues to be our main priority. Below you will find information on vaccination sites throughout our district.

Additionally, we are closely monitoring guidance on booster shots. Currently, the CDC recommends the following:

In the District

Honoring a Central Florida Trailblazer

Ms. Althea Margaret Daily Mills was a trailblazer and civil rights leader in Polk County who led the case to desegregate Polk schools in the 1960s. As the first Black career employee for the USPS in Winter Haven, she also worked to better our community. Today, we honored her legacy at the Althea Margaret Daily Mills Post Office Building.

Marching in the Orlando Come Out With Pride Parade

I was thrilled to march in the Orlando Come Out With Pride Parade with the Gay Officers Action League, Sheriff John Mina, and Chief Orlando Rolón. We stand with the LGBTQ+ community and for equality.

Preparing for Flu Season

It’s time to get your flu shot! Due to a weak flu season last year, health experts warn it could be a much worse flu season this year. I was grateful that Walgreens hosted us in Kissimmee this week to discuss.

DOJ Grants for Osceola, Kissimmee, and Winter Haven

I am proud to announce that the Justice Department has awarded over $100,000 to Osceola County, the City of Kissimmee , and the City of Winter Haven to fund key initiatives that will help prevent crime and keep residents in FL-9 safe.

Supporting Laborers by Building Back Better

I am proud to stand with the Laborers International Union of North America. We hosted them at the office this week and discussed my strong support for the bipartisan infrastructure framework and the Build Back Better agenda.

Celebrating Ten Years of LEGOLAND Florida

Team Soto had a great time celebrating the 10th anniversary of LEGOLAND Florida and their impact on Central Florida. We look forward to seeing their continued growth in our community.

In Washington, D.C.

Coming Together to Pass the Restoring Resilient Reefs Act

On Wednesday, the bipartisan Restoring Resilient Reefs Act passed out of the Natural Resources Committee. Congress must come together to save the Great Florida Reef and ensure that those closest to the crisis have the tools they need to preserve these ecosystems for future generations.

Watch my speech on H.R. 160 here

Natural disasters intensified by climate change like hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and droughts are costing us over $100 billion every year. At the Natural Resources Committee, we know that pretending everything is okay and doing nothing is not an option.

Watch my speech on the climate crisis here

Supporting Florida's Farmers

I was proud to join a bipartisan Florida delegation letter to support fruit and vegetable growers in FL-9 and throughout our state. We must ensure fair trade and competition for Florida’s farmers.

Protecting the Florida Everglades

Oil drilling in the Everglades would put Congress’ restoration efforts in direct jeopardy and cause irreparable harm to our community. I’m proud to stand in opposition with my Florida delegation colleagues on both sides of the aisle and hope the extraction is not authorized.

COVID-19 Testing in the District

With the rise in COVID-19 cases due to the highly contagious Delta variant, it is incredibly important that anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 gets tested. Tests in Osceola, Polk, and Orange county are free of charge.

In Polk County, testing is provided Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the following location:

Lake Ariana Clubhouse, 321 Ramsgate Road, Auburndale, FL 33823

In Orange County, testing is provided seven days a week at the following locations:

Barnett Park, 4801 W. Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL 32808 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
Econ Soccer Complex, 8035 Yates Road, Orlando, FL 32807 (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)

In Osceola County, testing is provided by appointment only at these locations.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution in the District

All Floridians 12 years of age and older are eligible to pre-register for a vaccine appointment NOW. After registration, individuals will be notified when appointments become available in their area.

Please visit this website to monitor updates provided by the state and do your part to end this pandemic and return to prosperity!

Pre-register here

If you live in Orange County, please continue to use their website.

In Polk County, The Florida Department of Health is providing COVID-19 vaccines to those wanting one from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following locations:

Mondays - Lakeland Health Department, 3241 Lakeland Hills Blvd. in Lakeland
Wednesdays - Auburndale Testing location, 245 E. Lake Ave. in Auburndale
Fridays - Haines City Health Department, 1700 Baker Ave. E. in Haines City

Central Florida Health Care will be offering COVID-19 vaccines to those wanting one at the following locations:

Frostproof Clinic (1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.)

109 W Wall St, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (Moderna), Friday (Pfizer)

Haines City Clinic (1 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.)

705 Ingraham Ave, Monday (J & J), Thursday (Moderna), Friday (Pfizer)

Lake Wales Clinic (3 p.m. - 5 p.m.)

305 W Central Ave, Monday, Tuesday Wednesday, Friday (Moderna), Thursday (Pfizer)

Lakeland Pediatrics (4 p.m. - 6 p.m.)

601 South Florida Ave, Wednesday, Thursday (Moderna), Tuesday (Pfizer)

Winter Haven Women and Children (1 p.m. - 4 p.m.)

201 Magnolia Ave SW, Tuesday, Wednesday (Pfizer), Thursday, Friday (Moderna)

Call (866) 234-8534 if you have any questions.

COVID-19 Vaccines by County

As COVID-19 infections rise in Central Florida, we are working with local officials to provide up-to-date information on vaccinations. For more information on your county's distribution plans, please visit the websites linked below.

Orange County

Osceola County

Polk County

Florida has many sites that are providing COVID-19 vaccines. Appointments may be required and vaccine availability will vary from day to day and week to week.

Click here for a full list of vaccine sites in Florida

Click here for a vaccine finder

Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccinations and Community Vaccination Sites

Many local pharmacies and community sites are offering the COVID-19 vaccine. As we receive more information, we will update our list to ensure that everyone has access to these vaccination opportunities. At the moment, vaccinations are available at:

Publix

ALL Publix locations will be offering the COVID-19 vaccine
To register, please click here

CVS

To register, please click here

Walmart

Supercenter 1086, located at 4400 13th Street, Saint Cloud, FL 34769
Supercenter 817, located at 4444 W Vine St, Kissimmee, FL 34746
Supercenter 725, located at 36205 US Highway 27, Haines City, FL 33844
Supercenter 859, located at 2000 State Road 60 E, Lake Wales, FL 33898
Supercenter 3347, located at 7450 Cypress Gardens Blvd, Winter Haven, FL 33884
Supercenter 5420, located at 3250 Vineland Road, Kissimmee, FL 34746
Neighborhood Market 5846, located at 3183 West Vine Street, Kissimmee, FL 34741
Neighborhood Market 5265, located at 2125 Nolte Road, Saint Cloud, FL 34772
Neighborhood Market 4159, located at 2850 E Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34743
To register, please click here

Sam’s Club

Sam's 4782, located at 4763 West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee, FL 34746
To determine eligibility and register, please click here

Winn-Dixie

To register, please click here

Central Florida Health Care

Call 866-234-8534 to be connected to a convenient site
Offering vaccinations to individuals 12 years and older

FDOH Orange County - Night Lite Pediatrics Urgent Care

Located at 1267 W Osceola Pkwy, Kissimmee, FL 34741
Vaccinations are offered by appointment only Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Individuals can schedule an appointment here or by calling 407-569-0220

Centro Cristiano Dios De Pactos Church

Located at 1130 Simmons Road, Kissimmee, FL 34744
Vaccinations provided by appointment only
Individuals can pre-register here

Chambers Park Community Center in Osceola County

Located at 2380 Smith Street, Kissimmee, FL 34744
Vaccines offered on a first-come, first-served basis
Opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 2 p.m. or when vaccines run out

Orlando VA Healthcare System at Lake Nona*

Located at 13800 Veterans Way, Orlando, FL 32827
Appointments and walk-ins are available
Monday from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and Tuesday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Orlando VA Healthcare System at Lake Baldwin*

Located at 5201 Raymond Street, Orlando, FL 32803
Appointments are offered from 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. and walk-ins until 1 p.m.

Over 100,000 Veterans have been vaccinated so far! The below individuals can receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the VA now:

Enrolled Veterans
Non enrolled veterans
Veterans who are normally unable to receive services at the VA
Spouses/Surviving Spouses
Caregivers
Active-Duty Service Members
Reservists
National Guard
CHAMP VA Beneficiaries
Department of Homeland Security employees
Food and Drug Administration employees

*To schedule an appointment, call (407)631-0499, Monday - Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Central Florida Health Care Mobile Outreach Services

Spring 2022 Internships in our Office

Click here to apply

Drive-Thru Vaccinations in Orlando

Valencia College American Rescue Plan Grants

Valencia College received more than $102 million through the American Rescue Plan. This Fall, any degree- or certificate-seeking student enrolled in at least one class will be eligible to apply for emergency grant aid. The grant application will ask students to confirm that they have financial need related to the cost of attendance or emergency costs related to COVID-19 (such as tuition, housing, health care (including mental health), or childcare). Grant awards for degree- or certificate-seeking students with exceptional financial needs will be $2,000; grant awards for all other degree- or certificate-seeking students will be $1,500. In addition, students enrolled in any Accelerated Skills Training programs this Fall will be eligible to apply for a $1,000 emergency grant. Students enrolled in any English language programs this Fall will be eligible to apply for a $500 emergency grant.

Click here for more information

Congressional App Challenge

The Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide challenge that allows middle and high school students from across the country to compete by creating a unique app on a platform of their choice. Applications will close on November 1, 2021. For more information, click here.

Rental Assistance for Central Floridians

The programs below have been established to help residents in Polk, Orange, and Osceola Counties with rental and housing costs.

Orange County Emergency Rental Assistance Program

For additional information and to apply, please click here.

Osceola County Emergency Rental Assistance/Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention

To access assistance, please click here.

Osceola County COVID-19 Elderly & Disabled Housing/ Utility Assistance Program

Up to six months of assistance available
Must be 62 years of age or older or permanently disabled
Paper applications only. Packets will be available at Osceola County Human Services (1392 E. Vine Street, Kissimmee, FL 34744) on:
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (8:30 a.m. – noon)
Tuesdays and Thursdays (1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
Payments will be made directly to the mortgage company/landlord and utility company
If you have any questions regarding the program, please call 407-742-8403

What’s needed?
Driver’s license or state of Florida identification card
Current lease or mortgage statement in applicants/co-applicants name
Utility bill in applicants/co-applicants name
W-9 form from landlord, property manager, or mortgage company
SSDI eligibility documentation

Polk County Eviction Prevention Program

For additional information and to apply, please click here.

The City of Orlando has also announced that they will distribute over $7.8 million in emergency rental assistance to households affected by COVID-19. An online portal is now open and can be accessed here.

The Florida Department of Children and Families has launched the OUR Florida rental assistance program to provide rental and utility assistance to families in need. To verify eligibility and apply, please click here or call (833)493-0594 from 7 a.m. — 6 p.m. EST.

If you need help with utilities, please click here to access information from the United Way.

Emergency Rental Assistance Programs

The U.S. Department of Treasury has collected websites associated with grantees’ Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) programs to help tenants and landlords find rental assistance programs in their local areas. Click here for more information.

COVID-19 Mortgage Payment Relief

Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

Eligible households are able to enroll in the program to receive a monthly discount off the cost of broadband service from an approved provider. Eligible households can enroll through an approved provider or by visiting this website.

Resources for Veterans

Take a moment today to check in with a veteran. You can direct them to mental health resources listed here.

“We’ve Opened Safely” Program

Osceola County is working to promote safety and consumer confidence as businesses start to re-open in our district. The county is also allocating funding towards an emergency grant program for locally owned and independently operated small businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic. Click here for more information.

FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Cost Reimbursement

Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will provide financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020. For further information, please click here.

Fraud Alert: FEMA has received reports of scammers reaching out to people offering to register them for funeral assistance. FEMA has not sent any such notifications and will not contact people prior to them registering for assistance.

Passport Services Assistance

As the world opens back up and Americans feel more confident traveling internationally, we’ve seen a large increase in requests from constituents needing help with passport services. Below are some tips and helpful resources.

Effective immediately, the only way for the public to schedule an appointment is to call the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778 (TDD/TTY) 1-888-874-7793 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. The appointment line is closed on the weekend and on federal holidays. It may take more than one hour to reach a customer service representative when calling NPIC to make an appointment.

Check your passport application status online
Keep in mind, processing times begin AFTER the Department of State receives your application and has opened it. This could add anywhere from 5-10 days to the overall time it takes to get your application processed, reviewed and a passport issued. It’s best to give them an additional two weeks on top of their processing times.
Save $60 by applying now for routine service and expect to receive a passport in 10-12 weeks.*
If you need your passport in less than 10-12 weeks due to international travel plans, you can pay an additional $60 fee to expedite your passport. If you plan to expedite your application, send your application using USPS’ Priority Mail Express. Expect to receive a passport in 4-6 weeks when applying for expedited service.
It may take up to 4 weeks from the day you apply until your application status is “In Process.” During these 4 weeks, your application is delivered to a mail facility, your payment is processed, and your application is scanned and sent. If your passport status update says “Not Available,” your application and supporting documents are safely on their way.

If all else fails, please contact Soto.Casework@mail.house.gov

Please include your passport number and/or passport locator number on your privacy release to help speed things along.

Check Status by Phone

Call 1-877-487-2778 or 1-888-874-7793 (TDD/TTY) to speak to a customer service representative (Spanish speakers available) Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET (excluding federal holidays).

*If you applied for routine service more than 12 weeks ago and have not received your passport yet, you may have received a letter requesting additional information to continue processing your application. Please respond to this letter.

Tips:

TIP 1: Send applications via trackable mail. This allows you to track your application before it enters the system and can be done whether you are applying at an acceptance facility or by mail. Pay an extra $17.56 for 1-2 day delivery for the return of your new passports.
TIP 2: Apply 4-6 months in advance of travel. Save $60 by applying for routine service and reduce last-minute planning stress.
TIP 3: Check the expiration date on your current passport. Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip.
TIP 4: It may take up to six weeks after applying before your application is “In Process.” During this time, applications are at the service partner facilities. We cannot locate them in the system until they are shipped to the agencies and centers.
TIP 5: Check your application status online. This tool provides the same information about your application status as a call center representative.
TIP 6: Do not rely on a last-minute appointment at an agency or center to receive a passport. Plan around the 18-week and 12-week door-to-door times.
TIP 7: Do not re-apply while waiting for your passport unless instructed to do so by an agency or center.
TIP 8: Do not mail applications directly to an agency unless a customer service manager instructed you to do so.

I am proud to be your representative and look forward to our continued efforts to improve our district! Please do not hesitate to call my office with any questions or concerns.

In Community,