Today, following Senator Arthenia Joyner’s letter to the Florida Surgeon General urging the immediate reinstatement of quality standards for pediatric heart surgery, Florida Democratic Party Chair and mother Allison Tant made the following statement:  

“As the mother of a child who required open heart surgery at 23 months old, I know firsthand the painful decisions parents are forced to make in these awful situations. It is essential for parents to have confidence in the medical treatment their children are receiving. Politics is the furthest thing from these parents’ minds. 

“The thought of Rick Scott suspending medical standards that have been in place for 38 years after receiving political contributions is sickening. The lives of children are on the line and injecting politics into the medical decision-making process is simply unconscionable. I thank Senator Joyner and her Democratic colleagues for sending this letter to the Surgeon General and I urge every member of the legislature — regardless of party — to stand up for Florida’s vulnerable children and their parents.” 

Please see Senator Joyner’s letter below: