Any kind of travel restrictions could jeopardize the Florida economy, which is heavily dependent on tourists. The initial spate of blockades last spring sent the state’s tax collection into a spiral. Florida would be hit with a severe budget deficit, even if it were not for the nearly $ 5 billion in coronavirus relief Congress received.
DeSantis’s comments point to an increase in tensions between the Biden government and Florida. DeSantis was an ally of former President Donald Trump, now living in Florida, and used the relationship to provide federal aid and support for some of the governor’s key initiatives during his first two years in office.
Last month, DeSantis took a look at some of the initial distribution plans for vaccines discussed by the White House and demanded more doses – leading to Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, blaming Florida for not doing the used full allocation of vaccines. DeSantis responded by pointing out that some doses are saved to ensure there is enough to give a second chance.
But DeSantis gives a challenging response to the idea is a turnaround from last year when he imposed restrictions on visitors coming to Florida from other states such as New York, New Jersey and Louisiana. At the start of the pandemic, the governor demanded that anyone come to Florida for 14 days from several coronavirus hotspots to take self-quarantine. At one point, DeSantis even had the Florida Highway Patrol set up checkpoints on Interstate 10, the highway that connects Florida to Louisiana.
DeSantis, who is already raising money for his 2022 re-election campaign, is seen as a potential candidate for 2024 as president, especially if Trump abandons another chance. DeSantis has earned praise from conservative media and other Republicans for his refusal to apply strict lock-in and his ongoing dialogue with the media.
Tyler Pager contributed to this report.