Peter Schorsch
Floridians join with tough questions for Attorney General
This week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions made yet another appearance on Capitol Hill. This time it was before the House Judiciary Committee.
Normally agency heads will see supporting comments or questions from members of their own party after taking a beating from a committee member of the opposition party. Sessions saw little relief Tuesday.
He was lambasted by Democrats about the truthfulness of his earlier responses about whether or not he met with Russians. For their part, Republicans are unhappy Sessions has not appointed a special counsel to look into the Uranium One deal and the facts surrounding the so-called Trump Dossier.
Fort Walton Beach Republican Matt Gaetz focused on Sessions’ recusal from the Russia investigation, while Jacksonville Republican John Rutherford asked about law enforcement programs.
GOP members also want action on the damaging leaks to the media.
Two of the hearing’s quotes came from other Floridians on the committee.
Boca Raton Democrat Ted Deutch expressed his concern that if the Congressional and special counsel investigations get too close to harming President Donald Trump, he may issue pre-emptive pardons or worse, fire Robert Mueller and others. Deutch went back to a dark moment in Watergate history.
“What you’ve told us today, in just this exchange, what we should all be concerned about is another Saturday Night Massacre, if you can’t tell us that the President may be able to pardon in advance all of those who are being investigated” Deutch expressed to Sessions. “We should be worried about the pursuit of the rule of law.”
Ponte Vedra Republican Ron DeSantis was focused on Uranium One, but also asked questions on prosecuting those who engaged in leaking. He asked Sessions whether anyone has been “held accountable criminally or administratively for leaking information against the administration with a political motive.”
Sessions revealed the existence of 27 ongoing investigations since Trump took office, adding “before there were only three per year or 9 before; that’s three times as many this year as there was in the three years before (Trump became president).”
Will Sessions’ future depend on Department of Justice of special counsel investigations sought by the GOP? Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested Sessions as a write-in candidate in an effort to defeat the beleaguered Roy Moore, the GOP nominee for Sessions’ old Senate seat.
While that is unlikely, perhaps there is a message in there that Republicans would prefer Sessions in his old job and find a far more aggressive prosecutor for his current job. Trump has made no secret that Sessions’ job evaluation is an ongoing process.
Nelson: Schools need more funding to absorb storm-displaced students
Another side effect of Hurricane Irma and Maria on Florida and other states has the attention of the three-term Democrat and some of his colleagues. With the devastation in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Texas and Florida so immense, tens of thousands of displaced students are enrolling in other schools.
Florida is directly impacted and Nelson and five of his colleagues are seeking more funds to make sure those schools are prepared to absorb the increased enrollment.
“We need to make sure these schools have the funding they need to handle this influx of students and provide them the quality education they deserve,” Nelson said.
In a letter to the chairman and ranking member of both the Senate Appropriations Committee and the subcommittee responsible for education appropriations, Nelson and his colleagues seek to avoid having schools not prepared to handle the increased student population.
“As many students are forced out of their schools as a result of these disasters, it is critical to think about the areas both directly affected by the natural disasters, as well as the areas that are enrolling displaced students,” they wrote.
Nelson was joined in the letter by Christopher Murphy and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California.
Rubio sharing credit with Ivanka for bump in Child Tax Credit
While he is not getting much of the early credit, Florida’s junior Senator has achieved one of his top priorities, at least for now. On Tuesday night, the Senate Finance Committee released details of several provisions surrounding their version of tax reform, including raising the Child Tax Credit from $1,000 to $2,000.
This has been a passion for not only Rubio and Utah Republican Mike Lee, it has another champion in the name of Ivanka Trump. Early news reports were crediting the president’s daughter more than the two lawmakers, who have advocated for the change for more than two years.
“Encouraging to see progress every day toward pro-family #TaxCuts,” Rubio tweeted. “More work remains, but the trend is good.
The child provision, like several others in the GOP plan, would sunset in 2025. The cut in the corporate tax rate from 35 to 20 percent, would be permanent.
House Blue Dogs pan GOP tax bill
Any hope Republicans had for obtaining individual or a bloc of Democratic votes for their tax reform bill died on Wednesday afternoon. The Blue Dog Coalition, a group of 18 fiscally-conservative Democrats, gave the bill thumbs down as the final vote approached on Thursday.
Among the group’s 18 members are first-term representatives Stephanie Murphy of Winter Park and Charlie Crist of St. Petersburg. Murphy asked for feedback from her constituents, while Crist said: “This is not true tax reform — and the American people know it.”
“We simply cannot support a bill that, by every measurement, has been determined to add over $2 trillion to the deficit at the expense of middle-class Americans,” said co-chairmen Jim Acosta of California, Henry Cuellar of Texas and Daniel Lipinski of Illinois. “It’s a fact that some middle-class Americans will see their taxes go up and small business owners will face a more complex tax system under this bill.”
During a Fox News town hall on Tuesday night, Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, told the audience “We believe everybody will benefit.”
Republicans were confident heading into Thursday’s vote. Even with the bill’s approval, the GOP faces similar difficulties in the Senate as they faced with the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Already, Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said he could not support the bill as currently written. Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson is a firm “no” while Republican Marco Rubio is now likely to vote “yes” after the Senate doubled the Child Tax Credit for $1,000 to $2,000 as he sought.
Delegation votes with majority to pass military spending bill
The House passed a compromise military spending bill this week. The 1,264-page, $700-billion bill sailed through on a bipartisan 356-70 vote.
The entire Florida delegation voted in favor.
“This bill delivers on our promise to rebuilt the military,” said Panama City Republican Neal Dunn. “We have not made necessary investments in assets and personnel over the last decade.”
Jacksonville Republican John Rutherford added: “This bill gives our troops their largest pay raise in 8 years and provides funding to increase the size and strength of our military.”
The bill exceeds the $603 billion requests from the Trump administration. It also far exceeds the $549 billion cap on military spending set by the Budget Control Act.
With funding containing items benefiting MacDill Air Force Base and her district overall, Tampa Democrat Kathy Castor pointed to other areas that also require additional funding.
“I oppose efforts to raise the caps only for military spending, but not for other crucial priorities like education, medical research, environmental protection, infrastructure, law enforcement, diplomacy and more,” she said in a newsletter to constituents. “Congress must address the budget caps in a way that does not add to the debt or pit national priorities against each other.”
The bill now moves to the Senate, where it is expected to also pass and be forward to Trump for his signature.
Delegation split on flood insurance reauthorization
Flood insurance doesn’t rise to the level of importance in landlocked states as it does in Florida. With coastal areas often rocked by flooding, Floridians account for more than one-third of all policies issued through the National Flood Insurance Program.
With the program expiring, the House voted to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program this week for five years. In the end, some bipartisanship showed up in the final vote.
The vote tally was 237-189 with the 14 Republicans voting “no” offset by 15 Democrats voting “yes.” All delegation Democrats voted against the measure and were joined by South Florida Republicans Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Carlos Curbelo and Mario Diaz-Balart.
Lakeland Republican Dennis Ross was all-in for supporting the 21st Century Flood Reform Act. Among his remarks from the House floor, Ross addressed the bill’s positives, especially expanding the insurance marketplace.
“Giving consumers choice in a competitive marketplace will not only drive down costs, but also help us reduce the unacceptable number of homes that are not protected by flood insurance,” he said. “We’re getting rid of the top-down, single-payer approach to insurance where we pretend there’s no danger until there is a tragedy.”
Democrats such as St. Petersburg’s Charlie Crist spoke out strongly against the bill. During his remarks on the House floor, Crist spoke on rising premium costs.
“We must get flood insurance right, and that starts with affordability,” he said. “If families can’t afford insurance, they simply will not buy it. In my home state of Florida, the number of NFIP policies has dropped 15 percent since 2012 when Congress started raising premiums.”
Boca Raton Democrat Ted Deutch also strongly opposed the measure by saying “we need a sensible flood insurance program that will actually protect us from the exorbitant costs of flooding.”
Crist and several Democrats favor the SAFE NFIP Act, a bipartisan bill still alive in the Senate. Both Florida Senators are among the bill’s 9 co-sponsors.
Gaetz touts funding for test range enhancements
The Fort Walton Beach Republican is celebrating the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for what it means for military ranges, including the Gulf Test Range. The bill provides for a $30 million increase in funding for the ranges.
The Gulf Test Range spans the coastline of Gaetz’ First Congressional District and covers 120,000 square miles of overwater air space. It is used for high altitude, supersonic air combat training, as well as air-to-air missile testing, drone targeting, hypersonic weapons testing, and space launches.
Additionally, the Air Force Special Operations Command, the 96th Test Wing, the 33rd Fighter Wing, and others all train on the Gulf Test Range.
“At the Gulf Test Range, over 80 training flights per year have been canceled because of congestion and airspace limitations,” Gaetz said in a release. “Increased funding for test ranges will give the men and women of our armed forces the space and resources they need, and I am glad that my colleagues recognized the vital importance of training ranges for America’s national security.”
Yoho to join Dinesh D’Souza for Benghazi remembrance
The Gainesville Republican will be in Jacksonville on December 3 for a memorial tribute to the four Americans, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, who were murdered in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012. Yoho and conservative filmmaker/author Dinesh D’Souza will be among the keynote speakers.
D’Souza is known for films such as 2016: Obama’s America and America: Imagine the World Without Her. His most recent book is The Big Lie: Exposing the Nazi Roots of the American Left.
The event is billed as America at a Crossroads and will include a memorial tribute with military honors to remember the lives of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Information Officer Sean Smith and former Navy SEALS Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods.
The event is organized by the Northeast Florida Benghazi Tribute Team, an organization dedicated to honoring “the abandoned U.S. Ambassador and the U.S. Veterans of the Battle of Benghazi.” It is made up of conservative organizations and individuals, including many veterans.
“This is your chance to find out what’s really happening all over the country today from some of the most knowledgeable experts in America,” said Northeast Florida Team Leader Beth Heath.
The event begins at 3 p.m. in the Riverfront Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Jacksonville.
DeSantis, Knesset colleagues want U.S. Embassy moved
The Republican from Ponte Vedra has been a committed and vocal supporter of moving the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This week he welcomed like-minded members of the Israeli Knesset to Capitol Hill to discuss the matter.
During a sit-down with fellow legislators Oded Forer and Avraham Neguise, DeSantis talked about ways to advance the United States-Israel relationship under the Trump administration and achieving peace in the Middle East. Moving the embassy was a key topic.
“We agree that the greatest obstacle to peace is the refusal of Palestinians to acknowledge Israel is the legitimate national home of the Jewish People,” he said in a statement. “America can help remove that obstacle by relocating our embassy to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel and a symbol of the Jewish People’s historic connection to the land.
DeSantis, Chairman of the National Security Subcommittee, went on to say he was “encouraged by President Trump’s promise that it is a question of when, not if” the embassy will be moved.
In June, DeSantis was unhappy with Trump for not taking action to move the embassy at that time, stating it was “deeply disappointing that the President has decided not to do so.”
Before Trump was sworn in, DeSantis and 101 of his colleagues wrote to the president-elect asking for the relocation. Among the signees were Republicans Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor, Carlos Curbelo of Kendall, freshly sworn-in Brian Mast of Palm City, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami, and Ted Yoho of Gainesville.
Nat’l Republicans blasting Crist’s vote against CHIP reauthorization
Earlier this month, the U.S. House voted to reauthorize federal funding to maintain the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides coverage to 8.9 million children and 370,000 pregnant women.
In a new digital ad, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is blasting St. Petersburg Democrat Charlie Crist for voting against the measure.
The Healthy Kids Act extends CHIP’s federal funding for five years and funding for federally qualified health centers for two years. Federal funding for those facilities lapsed on Sept. 30, the same day CHIP lost its funding.
While most House Republicans voted for the measure, most Democrats were opposed. That’s because they said the bill charged higher Medicare premiums to seniors earning more than $500,000, shortened the grace period for people who don’t pay their Affordable Care Act marketplace premiums from 90 days to 30 days, and also redirected money from the ACA’s prevention and public health fund to community health centers.
Try telling that to the voters, charges the NRCC.
“Self-serving, flip-flopping, politician Charlie Crist voted ‘no’ to providing health care for kids, and ‘yes’ to protecting the wealthiest one-percent,” said the NRCC’s Maddie Anderson. “Unfortunately — unlike the rest of his political career — he can’t flip-flop on this vote. Simply put — Charlie Crist does not belong in Congress.”
Erin Moffett, a spokesperson for Crist, said, in fact, the congressman “strongly supports” the CHIP program and community health centers, but voted against it because of the higher Medicare premiums.
Buchanan loses longtime staffer to USDA
The Sarasota Republican is in the market for a new Director of Operations for his Congressional Office. The opening occurred when Sydney Gruters was appointed as Rural Development State Director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Gruters, who has been with Buchanan for more than 10 years, will be responsible for helping implement USDA policies in planning, organizing and administering Farm Service Agency programs in Florida. USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue previously announced the appointment of state Rep. Neil Combee as Farm Service Agency State Director.
“These state directors will help ensure that USDA is offering the best customer service to our farmers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural producers across the country,” Perdue said. “FSA and RD both play a critical role in helping the people of agriculture, and are able to connect with people in their home states.”
Gruters is the wife of state Rep. Joe Gruters, who was the Trump campaign co-chair in Florida. During her decade with Buchanan, she was the Congressman’s liaison regarding all USDA issues that affect rural development.
City of Clearwater searches for federal lobbyist
The City of Clearwater is advertising a “request for proposal” for “federal lobbying services.”
The city’s ad says it’s accepting sealed proposals till 10 a.m. Dec. 19: “The City of Clearwater seeks an experienced lobbyist (person, firm or entity) to represent the City before Congress and the executive branch of the federal government.”
The contract is from February 2018 through January 2022.
Applicants must “demonstrate experience providing federal lobbying services with local governments and/or organizations” and provide references. Minimum qualifications include “ongoing relationships with members of the Florida Congressional Delegation,” “ongoing relationships with key members and Congressional Committee staff, executive branch agency staff, and describe how these relationships may be of assistance to the City.”
Applicants also “must demonstrate familiarity with federal agencies and a record of a successful working relationship with these agencies.”
Trump to issue pardon, then head for Florida
Some Democrats are concerned Trump will pardon those already, or soon to be, indicted in the Robert Mueller Russia probe. In reality, his next two pardons will come in the coming week … and met with broad approval.
Next week, the president will do the annual pardoning of a pair of lucky turkeys at the White House before jumping onto Air Force One and head to Florida. Neither is named Manafort.
On Tuesday, he will fly to his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach County for the Thanksgiving holidays before returning to Washington.
That will mean tons of overtime for local law enforcement protection and traffic details. Trump will need to pardon local officials if they are less than thankful he will be spending 5 days in the community.
West Palm Beach Democrat Lois Frankel has for months sought reimbursement for security costs borne by local law enforcement. Last month, the federal government reimbursed Palm Beach $1 million for costs incurred when Trump visited Mar-a-Lago while president-elect, while the trips as president are still pending.
Although the meter is still running, at least the first million reasons to be thankful have arrived.
