Florida AG calls for restarting the cruise industry after 1 year of being docked due to COVID-19
Ashley Moody says she doesn't want to see 'a loss of revenue that is so vital to Florida's success'
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody called for restarting the cruise industry on Wednesday, saying she doesn't want to see “a loss of revenue that is so vital” to the state’s success.
Moody made the comments on “Mornings with Maria” five days after Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis threatened to launch a lawsuit against the federal government, unless the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lift the no-sail coronavirus order by this summer.
March 14 marked one year since all cruise lines were forced to dock following the outbreak of the coronavirus, a move that has reportedly cost Florida $3.2 billion in the first six months of the pandemic, along with 49,500 jobs and $2.3 billion in wages.
The CDC has ordered all cruise lines to remain docked through November 2021, but DeSantis pushed back on this mandate, calling it “baseless.”
Moody also condemned the CDC order that heavily affects the Sunshine State.
“Florida is the number one state for cruises in the nation,” Moody told host Maria Bartiromo on Wednesday. “We have been effectively under a no-sail order for over a year and for the foreseeable future cruises are going to be docked here that means nearly $9 billion in revenue in Florida is just simply lost.”
She then blasted the Biden administration, arguing that “they’ve almost just ignored the fact that they have an entire industry shut down.”
CDC WILL NOT LIFT CONDITIONAL SAILING ORDER EARLIER THAN NOVEMBER
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
Bartiromo asked Moody if she thinks the cruise industry can operate safely and if there have been “changes in terms of the air flow that would enable business to get back to at least some capacity.”
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCL | CARNIVAL CORP. | 17.27 | +0.17 | +0.99% |
| NCLH | NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE HOLDINGS LTD. | 18.47 | +0.11 | +0.60% |
| RCL | ROYAL CARIBBEAN GROUP | 153.58 | +1.60 | +1.05% |
“Cruises are already operating in other countries and that’s one of the reasons Governor DeSantis and myself met with leaders last week and said how can we insist that the CDC lift these restrictions [and] work with the industry,” she responded.
“They’re doing it in other countries and our biggest fear is they start shifting ships to other countries, they’re sailing with little to no COVID infections already and so what we don’t want is a loss of revenue that is so vital to Florida’s success.”
Moody also addressed the fact that Florida is pretty much fully open.
“Our administration is focused on looking at the science, understanding what the risks are, but balancing that with the effect on Floridians and how this has been affecting their lives,” she said, adding that shutdowns are “not worth what we’re seeing in terms of consequence to Floridians and the economy.”
“And so we’re insisting that this government get off their derrieres and start coming out with guidance so the ships can set sail,” Moody said. “It’s time.”
She went on to say that “frustrations are boiling over with this administration not living up to their job as required by federal law or they’re overreaching in certain areas.”
Moody also pushed back against new immigration policies and is suing the Biden administration over the release of criminal aliens.
CRUISE LINE ASSOCIATION CALLS ON CDC TO LIFT CONDITIONAL SAILING ORDER IN EARLY SUMMER
Earlier this month Moody announced that she is suing the administration over "egregious" immigration policies that she believes go against federal law and endanger American citizens.
Speaking on “Fox & Friends” earlier this month, Moody said she plans on holding the administration "accountable" for "thumbing its nose" to responsibilities regarding deportations and handling of illegal immigrants.
On Wednesday, Moody further explained why she is suing the administration, telling Bartiromo, that “one of the most reckless, insane policy decisions of this administration has been to stop deporting all serious offenders that are here in our country illegally.”
She added that the administration is “completely disregarding history” by “just releasing these folks back into the communities” and canceling detainers.
“Our prisons, our sheriffs are having to release them and that is putting our communities in danger,” Moody continued. “It’s insane. I can’t believe that this is the policy decision.”
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President Biden has scrapped a number of former President Trump's policies, which included having asylum seekers remain in Mexico instead of staying in the U.S. while they wait for their cases to be heard. The moves have led to a record surge in migrants, including unaccompanied minors, that has strained capacity at immigration facilities at the southern border in recent weeks.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment regarding Moody’s lawsuit either.
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Fox News’ Adam Shaw and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.