Peter Schorsch
Failure of health care bill might give new meaning to “repeal and replace”
Yogi Berra is credited with once saying “when you come to a fork in the road, take it.” When Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell waived the white flag on the Republican health care bill on Monday, the GOP arrived at that fork guided by nothing more than Yogi’s advice.
The health care issue, which helped Republicans reclaim majorities in both the House and Senate in 2010, is now threatening their own political health. The first casualty could be McConnell himself.
With Monday’s political disaster, Republicans in the Senate are desperately looking for quick answers. A repeal-only strategy is one of the paths favored by President Donald Trump. However, that idea collapsed nearly as quickly as McConnell offered it.
House Republicans are becoming openly hostile with their GOP counterparts in the Senate. The frustration expressed Tuesday by Panama City Republican Neal Dunn likely represents the view of several of his colleagues.
“The Senate’s inability to act on the legislation the House already passed in unconscionable,” the first term member and medical doctor said. “The Senate should bring the repeal bill Congress sent to President (Barack) Obama in 2015 to the floor immediately. Then the House can act and send the bill to President Trump. Enough is enough.”
Florida Democrats have, so far, mostly stood back and let Republicans begin to jab each other. Tampa Democrat Kathy Castor did weigh in saying Republicans failed in the attempt to “rip health coverage away from millions of Americans as part of their repeal scheme.” Miramar Democrat Alcee Hastings added “Democrats won’t let Republicans destroy health care, but we will work together to improve the system.”
So where was Florida’s Republican senator on the bill? Marco Rubio kept a low profile and last week only committed to voting to let the bill proceed to the Senate floor, where he and others could seek changes.
“You can’t even start that (amendment) process unless you vote to proceed,” Rubio was quoted by NPR. “So, I’m prepared to vote to proceed so we can get on the bill and begin to make those changes.”
Rubio said Tuesday he would support a repeal-only bill if it comes to the Senate floor.
With all of the air now out of the balloon, where do the Republicans go from here?
Trump is putting some distance between himself and Capitol Hill. On Tuesday, he suggested Congress just “let Obamacare fail” and he’s “not going to own it.”
Whether or not the President is resorting to bluster as part of his “art of the deal” strategy,” it now appears his “suggestion” may be a probable conclusion. He says the Democrats will then come to the GOP majorities asking for help in finding a solution.
Some Republicans, who campaigned for 7 years on “repeal and replace,” now fear that “replace” might actually apply to them.
Meanwhile, here are this week’s insights from the Beltway to the Sunshine State.
Nelson not a fan of Space Corps
Florida’s Democratic senator and one-time astronaut believes a plan to add a new branch branch of space defense to the Pentagon is a bad idea.
The House is proposing, as part of legislation covering defense authorization, that a new agency, called the Space Corps, be created. If approved by the Senate, the military would then consist of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and the Space Corps.
Alabama Republican Mike Rogers, the sponsor of the provision, located within the National Defense Authorization Act, said the new agency is vital because the nation has allowed our primary adversaries, Russia and China, to gain peer status in just the last few years.
But Sen. Bill Nelson isn’t buying it. He called the new agency premature and unnecessary, reported Ledyard King with USA Today.
“It ought to stay with the Air Force until there’s a compelling reason to change,” Nelson said. “There’s no sense to go out and create another reorganization and all the disruption that comes with that.”
While Space Corps would not have direct oversight of military missile launches, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, a former GOP Congresswoman from New Mexico, is also opposed.
“The Pentagon is complicated enough,” Wilson told reporters in June. “So to make it more complex would add more boxes to the org chart and cost more money.”
Nelson’s colleague, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, an Arizona Republican, is more sympathetic to the concept, if not the House bill. His committee forwarded a bill creating a Chief Information Warfare Officer within the current military structure.
If and when the Senate bill passes, a conference committee between the House and Senate will determine the shelf life of the Space Corps.
Rubio thanks House for passing cancer legislation
Florida’s Republican Senator praised the House of Representatives for passing the RACE for Children Act last week. The bill, among other things, seeks to accelerate the testing of cancer drugs already approved for use on adults. RACE stands for Research to Accelerate Cures and Equality.
“(Last week’s) passage of the RACE for Children Act in the House is great news,” Rubio said in a statement. “We are one step closer to developing innovative and promising cancer drugs for children across the country who desperately need them.”
The bill is supported by numerous cancer treatment providers around the country including the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, the Arnold Palmer Hospital, the Moffitt Cancer Center, the Harvard Medical School and many others.
The Senate version of the bill is sponsored by Colorado Democrat Michael Bennet, with Rubio, Colorado Republican Cory Gardner and Delaware Democrat Chris Van Hollen signed on as co-sponsors.
Bennet called the House action “a significant step for children around the country who deserve life-saving treatments.”
“We should be able to tell parents with kids who are battling cancer that we’re doing everything we can to develop breakthrough drugs to treat their children,” he said in a statement.
Paulson’s Principles: Will the courts end partisan gerrymanders?
The federal courts have long held that racial gerrymandering violates the “equal protection clause” of the 14th Amendment, but they have never struck down partisan gerrymanders. They came close in a 2004 Pennsylvania case where the justices split 4 to 4.
The courts have always held partisan gerrymandering to be a “political question,” best left to the legislatures and not the courts. In the Pennsylvania case, Justice Anthony Kennedy argued that there might come a day when the court strikes down partisan gerrymanders “if some limited and precise rationale were found to correct an established violation of the Constitution in some redistricting cases.”
I have always compared reappointment to the family portrait. The only thing you care about is how you came out. The hell with everyone else.
Both parties have employed partisan gerrymanders when it is advantageous; i.e., when they are the majority. Democrats dominated Florida politics for about 110 years from the end of Reconstruction in the 1880’s to the Republicans becoming the majority party in the 1990’s.
Republicans proposed a “fair districting” process to the Democrats around 1990, and the Florida Democrats quickly rejected the plan. When Republicans became the majority party in Florida just several years later, they lost their devotion to “fair districts.”
In 2010, Florida voters approved the Fair Districts Amendment to the Florida Constitution. Promoted as bipartisan, the key supporters and financial backers of the proposal were overwhelmingly Democrats. So far, it has had limited impact on partisan alignments in Florida.
Democrats dominated Florida politics until the 1990’s. One of the first barriers to fall was partisan control of the Congressional districts. It was not until 1990 that Republicans won control of the Florida congressional delegation by a slim 10 to 9 margin.
After the 1990 census, the size of the Florida delegation grew from 19 to 23, and Republican control jumped to 13 seats to 10 for the Democrats. The 2000 census brought two more seats to the Florida delegation, and Republican control increased to 18 to 7. 2010 brought two more members to the delegation now numbering 27. Republicans held a 17 to 10 advantage that was reduced to its current Republican lead of 16 to 11. That one seat Republican loss was due in part to the newly Court-drawn congressional districts as a result of the Fair District Amendment.
According to a recent analysis of the 435 congressional districts by the Associated Press, Republicans hold an extra 22 seats due to partisan gerrymandering. When you consider that Dems need to flip only 24 seats to win control of the House, these gerrymandered seats stand out.
According to The Brennan Center for Justice in their recent report on partisan gerrymandering, seven states, including Florida, account for most of the partisan bias in Congressional gerrymandering. The Brennan Center found that Florida Republicans were advantaged by 2.5 congressional seats in the 2012 and 2014 election, but only 1.5 seats in 2016 due to the intervention of the state courts.
The Associated Press came to a slightly different conclusion. While Republicans benefited in the Florida House and Senate due to partisan gerrymanders, their advantage in congressional races could not be attributed to partisan gerrymandering.
Entire Florida delegation votes to increase defense spending
One of the most far-reaching pieces of legislation in the current Congress was approved on Friday. The House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act with a bipartisan vote of 344-81.
The bill received unanimous support from the Florida delegation.
One of the the key provisions of the bill was a 2.4 percent pay increase for members of the military, a boost Rep. Vern Buchanan applauded.
“No one deserves a raise more than the brave men and women of the Armed Forces,” he said. “They put it all on the line in defense of our freedoms.”
The legislation also increases defense spending by 10 percent to help raise the readiness level of the country’s armed forces. Another provision concerning a military space agency is detailed below.
“(This) vote fulfills the promise that we made to our military at home and abroad to continue to rebuild our capabilities and keep our nation safe,” said Jacksonville Republican John Rutherford in a statement. “Northeast Florida is home to critical military installations that are essential to foreign and domestic missions, and this legislation bolsters the tools required to execute their duties.”
Winter Park Democrat Stephanie Murphy inserted an amendment designed to assist small business owners in pursuing more funding opportunities through existing defense programs. The amendment passed unanimously.
“I thank my colleagues for including my amendment in this en bloc package,” Murphy said on the House floor. “These federal programs enable small businesses to perform research and development that advances the national interest and has the potential for commercialization.”
Hutchinson Island Republican Brian Mast was able to insert two provisions into the bill. One seeks to prevent suicides by veterans with an Oath of Exit that calls for those leaving the military to pledge to look out for their fellow veterans. Another calls for collaborating with Israel on missile defense.
“For the past decade, we have just been getting by – cutting resources as the world becomes more dangerous and putting off tough choices,” Mast said in a statement. “This week, we decisively ended that trend.”
Orlando Democrat Darren Soto was able to get 5 amendments passed ranging from protecting Americans to employing veterans to saving taxpayers’ money.
“Our servicemen and women put their lives on the line to defend our freedom,” Soto said. “The NDAA provides a great opportunity for us to pursue policies like these to improve their lives on and off the battlefield.”
The Senate is working on its version of the bill.
Delegation fights for home health care services
Eleven members of the Florida delegation have signed a letter urging Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta to make it easier for elderly and disabled persons to stay in their own homes.
“This letter is about fighting for individuals to receive care in the comfort of their own home, instead of in an impersonal and unfamiliar setting,” said Rep. Francis Rooney, a Naples Republican who signed the letter, in a statement. “An individual that is elderly or disabled, and chooses to self-manage their home care, shouldn’t be treated as if they were running a for-profit business. Requiring these individuals to follow federal record keeping rules is absurd. The government should be making it easier, not more difficult, for elderly and disabled persons to stay in their own homes.”
The letter — which was also signed by Republicans Neal Dunn, Ted Yoho, John Rutherford, Ron DeSantis, Daniel Webster, Gus Bilirakis, Dennis Ross, Tom Rooney, Brian Mast, and Carlos Curbelo — asks Acosta to take actions to remedy problems which have arisen since the implementation of New Home Care Regulations. Enacted in 2013, the regulations overturned 40 years of precedent and accomplished “a de facto repeal of the companionship-services exemption, which — since its enactment in 1974 — has protected the elderly and disabled who receive home-care services from the overtime, minimum wage and record-keeping requirements that the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 imposes on employers with respect to their employees,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter.
“Unless DOL takes prompt action to address the adverse impact of the New Home Care Regulations, the Florida regulatory structure risks being fundamentally undermined, by nurse registries being gradually eliminated from the marketplace,” reads the letter. “Without nurse registries, elderly and disabled individuals in Florida who self-manage their home care will be exposed to a heightened risk of abuse and exploitation, due to the absence of a licensed source for obtaining referrals of independent homecare providers who have been thoroughly background-screened.”
The lawmakers asked the Acosta to suspend any ongoing investigations of Florida nurse registries, develop and publish clarifying guidance on how nurse registries can avoid being deemed a an employer; and issue a new set of regulation that rescinds the New Home Care Regulations, reinstates prior regulations, and “restores to Congress its legislative prerogatives concerning this important exemption.”
Gaetz, John Morgan soulmates on medical marijuana
It is hard to imagine Rep. Matt Gaetz being passionately on the same side as super lawyer John Morgan on any issue, but that issue exists. Anyone reading a transcript of Gaetz’s criticism of current laws governing cannabis preventing research would be forgiven for believing the words might have been uttered by Morgan.
Gaetz, a conservative Republican, was telling his colleagues last week on the House Judiciary Committee that “it is absolutely insane that marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug and we’re not unlocking cures and the potential to improve people’s quality of life.” he said. The Committee was taking up legislation designed to regulate controlled substances.
It was also Gaetz, not the liberal potential candidate for Florida Governor and leader of the effort to legalize medical marijuana in Florida, who said “it seems ludicrous to me that the notion of conservative, limited government would put the federal government between someone who is ailing, in pain, and something that could potentially help them.”
The congressman told stories of constituents in need of “non-euphoric” cannabis and his attempts to help the University of Florida launch therapeutic research. He was told UF could not do the research, in large part because of what Gaetz described as “an idiotic federal law.” He later used the term “indefensible” concerning that law.
“This should not be a partisan issue,” Gaetz continued.
He did not conclude with “for the people.” That was the giveaway to know it was the Congressman from the Panhandle speaking and not the trial attorney from Orlando.
Gaetz helps Okaloosa airports score $350K in DOT grants
More than $350,000 will be directed from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) toward the Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview and the Destin Executive Airport, Rep. Gaetz recently announced.
Both airports are receiving funds designed to help them update planning with the goal of achieving key objectives for future development. The region is an important tourist destination in the Panhandle.
“Northwest Florida’s popularity as a destination for tourism, business, and government travel continues to grow and our airports help drive that growth,” he said in a statement. “Maintaining and upgrading our airport facilities is critical to maintaining Northwest Florida’s status as a world-class destination.”
This is not the first time Gaetz has succeeded in obtaining federal funding for airport improvements. In June he announced DOT grants totaling more than $2.6 million for Escambia and Okaloosa airport repairs.
“We thank Congressman Gaetz for bringing much-needed dollars to our two general aviation airports,” said Carolyn Ketchel, Okaloosa Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. “He’s working hard in the best interest of the citizens of Okaloosa County.”
Dunn-backed tax reform proposal gets nod from Norquist
Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, is throwing his support behind a tax reform plan being pitched by Rep. Dunn, reports Kevin Derby of Sunshine State News.
The legislation — dubbed the Refund Rights for Taxpayers Act — aims to rectify an unfairness in current law that gives the IRS three times as long to collect back taxpayers as it gives taxpayers time to collect refund. The issue came to Dunn’s attention when a constituent reached out for help to try and recoup taxes erroneously paid to the IRS.
According to Dunn’s office, taxpayers currently only have three years to claim overpaid taxes before the money is given to the Treasury Department. In the case of the constituent seeking help, more than three years had passed and he was unable to recoup the money.
But the IRS has 10 years to collect back taxes, and has the ability to levy a taxpayer’s income, personal bank account or seize a taxpayer’s property to collect a debt.
Dunn’s bill would put the taxpayer and IRS on equal footing, giving both the taxpayer and the IRS a seven-year window.
“This legislation is a simple, yet important solution that ensures taxpayers and the IRS are held to the same standard,” said Norquist in a letter to Dunn.
Derby reports that co-sponsors include Republicans Steve King of Iowa, Joe Wilson of South Carolina, John Faso of New York, and Floridians Tom Rooney and Dennis Ross.
Yoho praises House action on human trafficking
A Gainesville Republican praised the work of the House of Representatives in the area of combating human trafficking.
This week, the House passed three bills targeting this insidious crime. All three passed via a voice vote with no dissention.
The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Act was co-sponsored by Miramar Democrat Alcee Hastings and West Palm Beach Democrat Lois Frankel.
The Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act was co-sponsored by Ponte Vedra Republican Ron DeSantis while the Empowering Law Enforcement to Fight Sex Trafficking Demand Act was also co-sponsored by Hastings.
“This modern-day slavery has no place in the 21st century,” said Rep. Ted Yoho. “Our votes, in addition to the 13 bills we passed earlier this summer, are positive steps forward in hunting down those who exploit the innocent and in giving law enforcement the tools they need to find and prosecute traffickers.”
President Trump also offered praise to the House.
“My Administration is focused on ending the horrific practice of human trafficking, and the three bills the House of Representatives passed (last week) are important steps forward,” the president said in a statement.
Rutherford seeks immigration law changes to help entrepreneurs
The Jacksonville Republican is looking to make it easier for job creators and investors to obtain legal resident status in the U.S. Rutherford has introduced legislation to allow those in the country on “E-2 investor treaty” visas for more than 10 years to apply for permanent resident status.
This bill would also allow children of those affected to remain in the U.S. until age 26 and also apply for work authorization. Current law only allows those 21 or younger to remain.
“E-2 visa holders are entrepreneurs bringing their abilities, resources, and jobs to the United States,” said Rutherford in a release. “They pay taxes and invest their livelihood into the communities they serve. They deserve to be able to plan for their businesses, employees, and especially their families.”
As an example of those who would be affected by his legislation, Rutherford offered SOHO Network Solutions of Jacksonville, an exporter of crime scene investigation products. Despite the many contributions made by the company’s owners, current law does not allow them to apply to become permanent residents.
“This bipartisan legislation is a much-needed update to current immigration laws that will provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to establish small businesses and roots in our communities,” Rutherford said.
He estimates the legislation could help more than 100,000 families and businesses around the country.
Bilirakis welcomes congressional art winner to Capitol
Clare Hernandez got a chance to her artwork hanging in the halls of the U.S. Capitol, thanks in part to Rep. Gus Bilirakis.
The Palm Harbor Republican welcome the 18-year-old Dade City Republican to the nation’s capital recently to see her winning artwork on display in the national student art exhibit. Her drawing, “Portrait of an Unknown Soldier,” was selected by a panel of judges from the Pasco Arts Council.
“Her artwork will rightfully be displayed in the U.S. Capitol among the best student art in the nation, where dignitaries and millions of visitors from the country and world will see it,” said Bilirakis in a statement. “I extend to Clare my best wishes for the future as she begins her freshman year of college in the fall.”
The Congressional Art Competition is an annual nationwide event recognizing high school artists in each congressional district. Since 1982, more than than 650,000 high school students have participated.
Hernandez’s drawing will be on display in the Capitol for one year.
Ross talks modernizing National Parks
A self-described lover of the U.S. National Park system, Rep. Dennis Ross said he was pleased to hear that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was interested in pursuing public-private partnerships to modernize the park system.
Ross, who was “raised in the RV industry traveling the country and going through all the National Parks,” said more than 9 million Americans own RVs and a quarter of a million are employed in the industry. Florida, he said, “is rich with National Parks and provides nearly $1 billion in economic output through the RV industry,” even playing host to the largest RV consumer show in North America. But, the Lakeland Republican said the “National Parks haven’t kept pace.”
“Now we have an opportunity with our conservation friends, outdoor recreation friends, and RV industry friends to partner together to make sure we modernize our parks, where experienced concessionaires could finance and upgrade campsites on federal lands, while balancing vital conservation needs and keeping the iconic National Park Service look and feel,” said Ross, after a meeting with Zinke, other members of Congress and outdoor recreation industry leaders this week.
“Park partnerships are a win-win-win solution for the American people, the U.S. economy, and federal land agencies,” he continued. “These partnerships would not only boost federal revenue and address backlogged maintenance, but better respond to the desires of Millennial, urban and traveling Americans and today’s RVers.”
Ross said he looks forward to working to determine the best way to improve the National Parks to “allow for their preservation, conservation and enjoyment for generations to come.”
F. Rooney, python slayer
Rep. Francis Rooney is going python hunting.
The Naples Republican announced this he plans to take part in the South Florida Water Management District’s python elimination program on Aug. 10. The program aims to eliminate the Burmese python, an invasive species, which damages the Everglades ecosystem and its native wildlife.
“I am looking forward to hunting these devastating and invasive snakes,” said Rooney in a statement. “The python is a predator impacting the delicate balance of the ecosystem across the Everglades and the State of Florida. Innovative ideas such as the Python Elimination Program incentivize members of the public to assist in removing this invasive species and remind us that we all have a vested interest in restoring the Everglades.”
Rooney is the latest Florida politician to head out on a python hunt. In May, Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera joined python hunter Tom Rahill on a hunt in South Florida. The Miami-Dade Republican killed a 15-foot Burmese python with a pocket knife during his trip, posting photographs on social media.
The South Florida Water Management District renewed the program in June, after the pilot program eliminated 158 snakes in about two months. The district’s governing board also expanded the area where python hunters are allowed to access to include Broward and Collier counties. Previously, the hunt was only allowed in Miami-Dade County.
“Joining this hunt is a worthy challenge,” said Dan O’Keefe, the chairman of the SFWMD Governing Board in a statement. Having also experienced the program firsthand by participating in a live hunt, I cannot say enough about the tremendous work of our bounty hunters working long hours and enduring the harsh summer elements to rid the Everglades of this destructive python threat.”
Rooney is expected to head into Big Cypress swamp for his python hunting adventure.
Deutch rips Trump admin for teen pregnancy prevention funding cuts
A Boca Raton Democrat is unhappy with the Trump Administration after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cut short a program designed to help prevent teen pregnancy. The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP) was authorized during the Obama administration to award grants through the year 2020. Now the funds will stop on June 30, 2018.
In a release, Rep. Ted Deutch used the word “lambastes” in the title, which accurately describes his reaction.
“After decades of progress toward reduced pregnancy rates and healthier teens, this Administration is trying to drag our country back in time,” Deutch said. “This is nothing more than an attack on the health and financial security of teens who would have benefitted so much from access to programs like Project PAUSE.”
Deutch was referring to a program which “provides essential information about teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS prevention.” A Ft. Lauderdale grantee, OIC of South Florida, will see their annual $1.25 million grant to carry out the PAUSE (Prevent Achieve Understand Succeed Educate) Program come to an end in less than a year.
Deutch’s advocacy for teen pregnancy prevention programs goes back to his days in the Florida Senate.
Florida gets $3M for drug courts
The federal government is giving Florida $3 million grant for drug court program in the wake of the opioid epidemic, reports the Associated Press.
The funding will bolster drug court programs for those in the criminal justice system with substance use disorders and mental health problems, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week. The programs, according to the Associated Press, have been praised for connecting people struggling with addiction to treatment with oversight from the courts to make sure they follow through.
The announcement came as some lawmakers feared proposed Medicaid cuts under a health care overhaul would leave them without enough resources to fight the opioid crisis.
A revised version of the bill includes $45 billion to combat opioid misuse, but the fate of the bill remains uncertain.
FEC sues ex-Rep. Rivera over 2012 campaign financing
The Federal Election Commission has sued former U.S. Rep. David Rivera over allegations he secretly funneled thousands of dollars to a little-known Democratic candidate in 2012, reported POLITICO Florida.
The lawsuit claims Rivera secretly and illegally contributed $69,400 to Justin Sternad in an attempt to weaken the rival Democratic campaign of Joe Garcia, who would go on to win the seat. Filed last week in Miami federal court, the lawsuit seeks more than $480,000 in penalties.
Attorneys for the FEC say Rivera’s scheme involved “concealing in-kind contributions by paying vendors mostly in cash to produce and distribute materials for Sternad’s campaign,” reported Patricia Mazzei and David Smiley of the Miami Herald.
The Herald reported the civil case is the latest indication that Miami federal prosecutors don’t intend to criminally charge Rivera.
The Associated Press reported Ana Alliegro, an associate of Sternad and Rivera, pleaded guilty to criminal charges in the scheme. Rivera, who narrowly lost a bid for the Florida House in 2016, has never been charged with a crime and has long denied any wrongdoing.
#FLSEN 2018
National Republicans go after Nelson — The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) on Monday unveiled a new digital ad that will run on Facebook targeting Florida’s senior senator and other Senate Democrats who will be on the ballot next year for their support of the ACA. According to NRSC Communications Director Katie Martin, the ad will run throughout the month.
“As Democrats continue to grandstand without offering solutions, Bill Nelson’s broken promises are fresh on Floridians’ minds,” said Martin. “Bill Nelson should be held accountable for being dishonest with voters and being complacent in Obamacare’s death spiral.”
Anticipating the attack, Nelson sent a preemptory warning to his supporters on Sunday night, which included a swipe at Gov. Rick Scott, who is widely expected to challenge Nelson for his seat in 2018.
“Mitch McConnell’s national group just started running brand-new ads against me here in Florida,” Nelson wrote. “It’s clear these right-wing groups are more determined than ever to try to replace me with a rubber stamp for their extreme agenda. That’s because instead of having to deal with someone like me – who will continue to fight to keep oil rigs away from our coast, slow the effects of climate change and prevent the passage of this disastrous health-care bill – they’d rather have someone like Gov. Rick Scott, who will quietly go along with their plan.”
The NRSC is already running Facebook ads linking Nelson to progressive Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who favors a single payer health care system.
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Nelson fires salvo Scott — The Florida Democrat’s first shot at his possible opponent for re-election unofficially came on the Senate floor on Monday. He did not mention Gov. Rick Scott by name, but took aim at one of his recent actions.
During a floor speech, Nelson accused some “elected officials” of trying “to muzzle the scientific community.” He was referring to controversial legislation passed by the Florida Legislature and signed by Scott. That legislation allows individual challenges to what is being taught in Florida public schools “regardless of whether or not they have a student in school.”
Nelson expressed concern about challenges to the science surrounding climate change.
“Sea level rise in Florida is a fact,” he said. “But if there are some who object to that climate science, then, under this new law just signed by the governor, they are going to be able to object to that subject being taught in our public schools and a single hearing officer will determine – lord only knows who that officer is appointed by – the single person will determine if the objection is justified” and require changes.
He wasn’t finished going after Scott.
“In fact, in 2015, Florida’s governor went so far as to reportedly ban state officials from even using the term ‘climate change’ in their reports,” he said. “Doesn’t that sound like muzzling?”
The Scott administration denied such a policy existed, but some DEP officials claimed verbal instructions were given.
Nelson’s concluding message was simple: “Let’s stop this war on science,” he said.
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Scott takes heat for involvement in “Trumpcare” — Efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act may be crumbling in D.C., but American Bridge 21st Century wants to make sure Floridians hold Gov. Scott accountable for his involvement in the GOP proposals.
The progressive research and communications group blasted Scott this week, saying the Naples Republican is “stuck with a cruel plan to take away health care from millions.”
Earlier this year, James Rosen with McClatchy D.C. reported that Scott, a former health care executive, said he was working closely with HHS Secretary Tom Price to help federal officials devise a less costly alternative to Obamacare.
“Whether it’s Trumpcare or repealing the Affordable Care Act without a replacement, Rick Scott is stuck with a cruel plan to take away health care from millions — like gum stuck to a shoe,” said American Bridge spokesperson Joshua Karp in a statement. “Despite Trumpcare’s collapse in the Senate, Scott helped write the bill and supported disastrous ACA repeals to rip away coverage from Americans who desperately need it, and Florida voters will hold him responsible.”
Scott, who can’t run for re-election again because of term limits, is largely expected to challenge Sen. Nelson in 2018.
Top dogs on Capitol Hill
Like cute dogs? Then this is the election for you.
The Independent Journal Review is in the midst of its annual “Cutest Dogs on the Hill” competition, and this year the online news outlet is opening up voting to the American public.
Haley Byrd with IJR reported that thousands of “Americans went to the polls to choose their favorite dog,” helping to winnow the field from 25 down to the Top 10 dogs competing to “win a golden water bowl and bragging rights as the Cutest Dog on the Hill.”
The Top 10 list includes two Florida pups — Nola, whose owner is Cesar Gonzalez, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart’s chief of staff, and Riggins, whose owner is Joanna Rodriguez, Rep. Carlos Curbelo’s communications director.
Other handsome hounds in the Top 10 are Koji, the House Energy and Commerce Committee office dog; Hank, California Democrat Rep. John Garamendi’s office dog; Maddie, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner’s office dog; Sherlock, the Senate Finance Committee office dog; Tilly, North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis’ office dog; and Reilly, Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Lou Barletta’s dog.
IJR named Reilly the cutest dog on Capitol Hill in 2015.
Florida has been well represented on the list in the past. In 2016, Glory, whose owner Bale Dalton served as a military policy legislative aide to Sen. Bill Nelson, was ranked among the Top 5 cutest dogs on the Hill.
There’s still time to vote for the 2017 “Cutest Dog on the Hill.” The polls are open through this week, with the final list set to be unveiled July 25.
