From multiple news sources:
The Careful Resumption Under Improved Safety Enhancements (CRUISE) Act, introduced by Sullivan and Florida Republican Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, sought to revoke the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s conditional sailing order for the cruise industry. “The CDC, Madam President, is dragging its feet,” Sullivan said Wednesday on the Senate floor.
Sullivan pushed for quick approval of the legislation, which would have required the CDC to issue guidance for safely resuming summer cruises by July 4. “They’re dithering. I have been meeting — my staff has been meeting with them certainly weekly. I have met twice with the CDC director,” Sullivan said. “And all we get is foot-dragging. All we get is excuses.”
Washington is another state that relies on cruise ships. Many cruises involving Alaska either start or end there. The industry supports 5,500 jobs and has an economic impact of $900 million to the local economies there.
Those numbers came from Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington), who opposed Sullivan’s measure. “Those jobs and that impact on the local economy have been severely disrupted,” Murray said. “But we have to ensure the safety of our friends and our families on these cruises before they disembark.” When Sullivan, Scott and Rubio attempted to advance the bill on the Senate floor, Murray objected, which blocked the bill from moving forward.
