Peter Schorsch
GOP launches tax bill; Brazile whacks Hillary, Obama, Wasserman Schultz
The horrible tragedy of the terrorist attack Tuesday in New York City rightfully focused the nation’s attention on public safety. We are being forced to come to grips that while walking on any public sidewalk, we are potential targets of a lunatic who hates our way of life.
Images of the crushed bicycles and the smashed Home Depot truck, mixed with real-life stories emanating from lower Manhattan, will soon move to the back burner. By Thursday, that had already occurred in Washington, D.C.
After a 24-hour delay, the House of Representatives launched the much-ballyhooed tax reform package on Thursday. Not surprisingly, Democrats, joined by special interests representing industries not likely to benefit from the legislation, came out swinging.
So did some Republicans, including Sen. Marco Rubio. He said the bill falls short of addressing his key issue of raising the Child Tax Credit.
The draft calls for raising the credit from $1,000 per child to $1,600 per child. Rubio, who along with Utah Republican Mike Lee are pushing for an increase to $2,500 per child, gave the bill thumbs down for that reason.
While calling it “a starting point,” Rubio went on to align with President Donald Trump and those who mostly do not pay income taxes and would therefore not be in line for an income-tax cut.
Rubio says these Americans would, in reality, face a tax increase under this bill. He tweeted “$600 #ChildTaxCredit increase doesn’t achieve our & @Potus goal of helping working families.”
A true sign one side is either taking, or expecting, incoming fire is to say that changes are likely. Rubio called it “a starting point,” while Kendall Republican Carlos Curbelo said “This isn’t the last product. This is just the kickoff to this tax reform exercise.”
The Democratic choir will sing “tax cuts for the wealthy,” despite Republicans leaving the highest tax bracket alone with no cuts. Changes to the mortgage deduction and limiting state and local tax deductions from high tax states will keep the GOP busy for the coming weeks.
While tax reform is a big deal, the biggest political news of the week also came on Thursday. In advance of her upcoming book “Hacks — The Inside Story of the Break-Ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House,” former interim DNC Chair Donna Brazile threw prominent Democrats under the bus via a must-read piece in POLITICO.
She told the story of a call to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, admitting the DNC was stacked against him and that Hillary Clinton’s campaign had taken over operation of the DNC before she was the nominee. Brazile described that arrangement as a “cancer.”
As for Florida’s Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who was DNC chair during the primaries, Brazile described her as “not a good manager” and “she didn’t come to the officers of the DNC for advice and counsel. She seemed to make decisions on her own and let us know at the last minute what she had decided, as she had done when she told us about the hacking only minutes before The Washington Post broke the news.”
Brazile also made the astonishing revelation that former President Barack Obama left the DNC $24 million in debt.
Other than all of that, it was a fairly quiet week.
Nelson launches on nominee for NASA Administrator
Florida’s senior Senator trashed President Donald Trump‘s nomination of Oklahoma U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine as the next NASA administrator. Nelson, the ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee and a former space shuttle astronaut himself, went after Bridenstine during a committee confirmation hearing, calling Bridenstine divisively partisan, extreme, and scientifically unqualified to be leader of America’s space agency.
“The NASA administrator should be a consummate space professional,” Nelson said. “More importantly, the administrator must be a leader who has the ability to unite scientists, engineers, commercial space interests, policymakers, the Congress and the public on a shared vision for future space exploration.”
Nelson said his “greatest concern” regarded Bridenstine’s record of comments, which Nelson declared was, “divisive and it has been as extreme as any we have seen,” including harsh comments about former President Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden, former House Speaker John Boehner, Florida’s Republican U.S. Sen. Rubio, Arizona Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain, bipartisan efforts in general, and positions on climate change, gay rights, and immigration.
Rubio joined Nelson in criticizing Bridenstine’s nomination when it was announced two months ago.
“NASA represents the best of what we can do with the people, and NASA is one of the last refuges of nonpartisan politics and when it has gotten partisan in the past, we’ve gotten into trouble. NASA needs a leader who will unite us, not divide us,” Nelson said.
Bridenstine, a three-term Republican, is a former U.S. Navy pilot, and a former executive director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium.
Rubio doesn’t ‘Like’ Facebook blocking Chinese dissident
During Wednesday’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia and other countries using Facebook to meddle in U.S. elections, the second-term Republican took the opportunity to ask Facebook’s general counsel about removing the page of a wealthy exiled Chinese dissident.
“What I want to be clear is, was there any pressure from the Chinese government to block (Guo Wengui’s) account?”
Colin Stretch, Facebook’s General Counsel, admitted the Chinese government had contacted the company, but that was not the reason action was taken against Guo. Stretch said it was “solely based on our policies.”
Rubio brought up the fact Facebook’s platform is blocked in China and insinuated the social media behemoth could be trying to please the country’s leaders to get a toehold in the most populated country in the world.
While Guo was blocked for “posting personal information” the Chinese government found objectionable, Rubio asked Stretch and representatives from Twitter and Instagram whether posting personal information on behalf of a foreign government is against company policy.
All three answered that it was not, but such conduct usually falls under other violations.
Rutherford introduces bill to address VA doctor shortage
The first-term Republican from Jacksonville has introduced the Veterans Affairs Physician Recruitment Act of 2017. The legislation is designed to help the VA fill health care provider positions that are in critical shortage.
As of March 2017, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employs 25,268 full and part-time physicians, with an average age of 51.5 years old. Eighteen percent of VA physicians are eligible for regular retirement, with that number growing to more than half within the next 10 years.
The recent scandals involving VA health facilities focused on fudging records and other actions that led to long wait times. Rutherford and Panama City Republican Neal Dunn, a bill co-sponsor, say there is another big reason for the substandard service some veterans receive.
“When the VA struggles to fill these positions, veterans experience longer wait times and a decrease in the quality of care,” Rutherford said in a news release. “We must equip the VA system with the tools it needs to compete with the private sector and other governmental programs to ensure it is fully staffed with qualified providers.”
“Ensuring our veterans have access to the care they need and deserve is one of our top priorities in Congress,” said Dunn. “This legislation will help ensure our veterans receive the care they have earned, and I commend Congressman Rutherford for his leadership on this issue.”
Bilirakis seeks dental care for veterans through VA
While improving veterans’ health care has been on the “to-do” list for several years, dental care is another unmet need for many who have served in the military. The Palm Harbor Republican is trying to do something about that for some of his constituents.
On Friday, he will co-host another “Stars, Stripes, and Smiles” event to help needy veterans obtain free dental care. Bilirakis is working in conjunction with the West Pasco Dental Association, Pasco-Hernando State College, the Henry Schein Cares Foundation and other sponsors.
The dental care for 75 veterans will be provided by local dentists. The event ties into a bill Bilirakis has sponsored: the Veterans Early Treatment for Chronic Ailment Resurgence through Examinations (VET CARE) Act. Among the bill’s four co-sponsors is Palm City Republican Brian Mast.
Current law allows the VA to treat only those veterans with a 100 percent disability rating, prisoners of war, and some special exceptions. According to Bilirakis, that leaves 19 million out of 20 million veterans ineligible for dental care through the VA.
“Each year when I co-host the Stars, Stripes and Smiles event, I am heartbroken to hear the stories of Veterans suffering [from] conditions that are exacerbated by poor oral health,” Bilirakis said in a release announcing Friday’s event. “Many of them are in pain and cannot afford treatment. We know that preventive care leads to better health outcomes and to long-term savings. My hope is that the VET CARE bill will serve as a catalyst for expanding dental health care services to all Veterans while saving the Veterans Affairs money due to fewer complications of chronic ailments.”
Ross pleased with go-ahead from Fish & Wildlife on local project
The Lakeland Republican is quite pleased with the Secretary of the Interior for helping speed up approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for a local project. This week, the agency officially allowed construction to begin in Winter Haven’s Maude Park in advance of obtaining the required permit.
Last week Ross wrote to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke seeking expedited approval. He cited a slow-moving USFWS.
“I write to request your immediate assistance with the City of Winter Haven (City)’s, Florida, efforts to secure an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife (USFWS) for their Lake Maude Park project,” Ross said. “Over the course of the past two years, Winter Haven has repeatedly contacted USFWS about its application for an ITP, and has not received an adequate response from USFWS. I respectfully request that the USFWS respond and promptly address the City’s application.”
Ross, the House Senior Deputy Majority Whip, apparently went to the right guy. Less than a week later, Winter Haven received the go-ahead.
“I’m glad that the Fish and Wildlife Service came to understand the importance of this project and that further delays would place it in jeopardy,” said Ross. “While I’m continuing to work with USFWS to address other projects in my District, this positive outcome shows that we’re making progress.”
Deutch leads effort to address eating disorders
The Democrat from Boca Raton has joined with a Republican colleague to bring attention to the health hazards associated with eating disorders. Deutch and Oklahoma Republican Markwayne Mullin wrote to Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urging the CDC to continue collecting information about high-risk behaviors associated with eating disorders.
“There is still so much that we don’t understand about eating disorders,” they wrote. “What we do know is that as many as 30 million Americans will face a significant eating disorder at some time in their lives, and that eating disorders have the highest mortality rates of any mental illness.”
Included among the most common eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating.
Deutch and Mullin were joined by 46 bipartisan co-signers of their letter. Those included Florida Democrats Alcee Hastings of Miramar, Wasserman Schultz of Weston, Lois Frankel of West Palm Beach, Charlie Crist of St. Petersburg, Val Demings of Orlando, and Stephanie Murphy of Winter Park.
Also signing the letter were Republicans Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami and Bilirakis of Palm Harbor.
Sen. Susan Collins: Recall Wasserman Schultz before Intelligence Committee
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has been a thorn in the side of her party’s leadership on major issues from repealing the Affordable Care Act to Tax Reform. Now, she is making things uncomfortable for two prominent Democrats.
Collins is recommending Weston Democrat and former Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Debbie Wasserman Schultz pay a return visit to the Senate Intelligence Committee. Former Hillary Clinton campaign chief John Podesta will be welcome as well.
During a Sunday appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation, Collins indicated the committee needs more answers from Wasserman Schultz and Podesta. The added interest comes after revelations the Clinton Campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) paid for a sensational “dossier” that helped lead to accusations of Russian collusion against President Donald Trump.
“They absolutely need to be recalled,” Collins said. “It’s difficult to imagine that a campaign chairman, that the head of the DNC would not know of expenditures of this magnitude and significance. But perhaps there’s something more going on here. But certainly, it’s worth additional questioning of these two witnesses.”
Collins is a member of the committee chaired by North Carolina Republican Richard Burr and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat. Florida Republican Marco Rubio is one of 7 GOP members.
South Florida Republicans want answers on Cuban sonic attacks
Mysterious attacks are causing health problems for American diplomats in Cuba and three South Florida Republicans want some answers. They are among 5 Members of Congress demanding answers from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on how the State Department has responded to the sonic attacks that harmed 24 diplomats.
Miami Republican Ros-Lehtinen authored a joint letter with New Jersey Democrat Albio Sires to the GAO, which oversees federal agencies. They were joined by Curbelo of Kendall and Mario Diaz-Balart of Miami, along with West Virginia Republican Alex Mooney.
“To what extent did State follow its policies and procedures with respect to the attacks in Cuba? To what extent have you taken steps to identify lessons learned by reviewing the facts surrounding, and its response to the attacks?” they asked in the letter addressed to Gene L. Dodaro, head of the U.S. Office of the Comptroller General.
These were among 8 specific questions asked of Dodaro. Among others included queries whether private American citizens were harmed.
The letter came on the heels of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s decision to withdraw most American officials from Cuba and expel most of the regime of Raul Castro officials from the U.S.
Democrats alone in celebrating ACA open enrollment
Wednesday marked the first day of open enrollment for health insurance plans under the Affordable Health Care Act (ACA). Those looking to sign up for government-sponsored health care, or to make adjustments to current plans, could begin that process that lasts for 6 weeks.
With all of the political rancor over the ACA, also known as Obamacare, it comes as no surprise that open enrollment is celebrated by only one party. With Republicans silent, several Democrats are encouraging constituents to sign up.
Florida Democrats take on the GOP message of higher premiums and deductibles from the ACA, saying “coverage may be more affordable than you think.” They highlight that 8 in 10 Americans received help to pay premiums last year.
Orlando Democrat Darren Soto is hosting an Open Enrollment Town Hall on November 9 to assist constituents with their options. Soto reminds newly-arrived Puerto Ricans they are eligible to apply.
Several put out news releases including Charlie Crist from St. Petersburg, who urged constituents to “Get Covered, Pinellas!” and provided a video on how to do that. Alcee Hastings of Miramar, Ted Deutch of Boca Raton, Stephanie Murphy of Winter Park and Val Demings of Orlando were among those issuing releases.
Most, if not all, Democrats tweeted about getting covered. Using the Halloween theme, Kathy Castor posted a picture of the Grim Reaper, warning constituents not to listen to his message of not signing up for health care.
Open enrollment ends December 15.
Former Rep. Brown seeks probation instead of prison
The former Democratic Congresswoman from Jacksonville is fighting until the bitter end to stay out of prison. As has been the case in so many days since Brown’s indictment last year, her legal team this week filed yet another motion to slow the wheels of justice.
It was Brown’s second motion within a month, another attempt to delay her November sentencing on 18 counts related to a nonperforming educational charity, One Door for Education. Noting the sentencing report recommends “significant and lengthy prison time,” the six-page filing throws up caution flags.
Brown, improbably, is seeking a sentence of probation — a hilarious concept, given that she likely will never again be able to exploit a position of federal trust to work donors for hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of years.
Brown — unsurprisingly to those watching all of this unfold — is playing the “health card.”
The “defendant is still undergoing testing and evaluation by physicians at a local facility mentioned therein, for which additional suspected medical conditions have not yet been fully diagnosed. It is probable that the anticipated findings and evaluation are significant.”
The prosecution objects to this latest, of course. Expect a response soon. From there, we will continue this narrative cycle.
Sentencing, as of now, is slated for Nov. 16.
Sayfie looking to catch up with Florida politicos
Is Justin Sayfie homesick, or just looking to party? The Florida lobbyist, Sayfie Review publisher, and longtime Jeb Bush confidante is marking 6 weeks in his new workplace in Washington, D.C. with a get-together for Floridians.
Sayfie left South Florida to join the rapidly-growing team of Ballard Partners’ in Washington. He is looking to see some familiar faces.
“With so many expats here, I thought it would be fun to have a Sayfie Review gathering in Washington for those of us who are interested in Florida politics or have called the great state of Florida home.”
Sayfie Review will host a complimentary cocktail reception at Florida House on Capitol Hill on November 14, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Those interested in attending MUST RSVP.
A Delegation Halloween
Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Halloween!#Halloween2017 pic.twitter.com/BRpgXVRI8Y
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017
Always great to chat with neighbors at the Sweetwater Senior Center. This morning, they were celebrating Halloween! pic.twitter.com/FMnEdKYx8Z
— Mario Diaz-Balart (@MarioDB) October 31, 2017
Happy Halloween from #TeamMurphy! 🎃 👻 pic.twitter.com/OoP3fdoODc
— Stephanie Murphy (@SMurphyCongress) October 31, 2017
Oh no, grim reaper showed up to warn about signing up for affordable health insurance on #Halloween 🎃 Don’t listen to him! #GetCovered 👉 https://t.co/jg7KLzK86J @TopherSpiro @loril @CoveringFL pic.twitter.com/9GcYycBOhV
— US Rep Kathy Castor (@USRepKCastor) October 31, 2017
Happy Halloween from your House Majority Office! 👻 pic.twitter.com/cmVw5EJ7w6
— FL GOP Majority (@FLGOPMajority) October 31, 2017
