Peter Schorsch
Hostile atmosphere surrounds MLK Day 2018
Each year since 1986, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is observed as a federal and state holiday. It wasn’t easy getting there, but President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law on November 2, 1983.
The intended effect of the national holiday has in many ways been accomplished. There is no question respect and admiration for Dr. King has grown among all races during the past three decades.
The holiday we celebrated Monday was intended to honor not only its namesake but the progress made in race relations. Rereading the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is a poignant reminder.
Leading up to Monday, much of that was overshadowed by reports of comments uttered by President Donald Trump during a recent meeting in the Oval Office.
Following the firestorm, few discussed the purpose of the meeting, which was a proposal to settle the status of undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. at a young age. Instead, the debate centered on whether or not Trump is a racist.
“(Trump’s) words further illustrate his attitude toward race, and it is unfortunate that our children must hear this type of language spoken by the President,” Democratic Rep. Al Lawson of Tallahassee said in a statement.
“Donald Trump’s reported bigoted remarks are disgraceful and embarrassing,” said West Palm Beach Democrat Lois Frankel.
“The President says a lot of stuff, but racism is still the ghost in the room and now it, unfortunately, is the ghost in the White House,” Orlando Democrat Val Demings said on MSNBC.
Monday brought comments highlighting the message of the holiday and the man. At least for a day, King’s dream and the current divide were side-by-side.
Three-term Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson issued a statement on Monday that sought to preserve the legacy of Dr. King. That legacy “lives on in every man, woman and child who grows up believing they can do anything they put their mind to, regardless of race, creed, or color.”
In a Monday statement, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said: “I urge everyone to reflect on the principles that Martin Luther King, Jr. peacefully defended to that as a nation we can continue to embody his dream of opportunity and equality for all.”
Veteran Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings said via Twitter: “Honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today. We must never stop challenging ourselves to do better for all Americans.”
With the enormous political divisions existing not only in Washington, but in states and communities, the challenge seems a bit tougher.
Did Nelson praise Scott for Puerto Rico efforts or was that fake news?
On Friday, the three-term Democrat was in Orlando for a news conference that featured Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello, who took the opportunity to blast the federal government’s response to the damage wrought by Hurricane Maria. Rossello lamented what he described as unequal treatment between aid for the island commonwealth and that for states like Florida, Texas and California.
“One hundred years of U.S. citizenship, but not quite equal,” Rossello said at the news conference.
Democratic Sen. Nelson, who was at the news conference along with Democratic Rep. Darren Soto of Orlando, continued his advocacy for significant aid for Puerto Rico.
“Puerto Rico is out of funds,” he said. “And how are people going to get the health care that they need? We can’t just put dribs and drabs in. We’ve got to put a lot of money in.”
Also at the conference was Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who touted the state’s efforts to assist displaced Puerto Ricans that fled to the state. It included $1 million to help more than 7,000 refugees find employment.
The Associated Press story said, “Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson praised the Republican governor for his efforts and urged federal lawmakers to do more.”
It seemed strange to read of Nelson’s saluting a likely opponent to his bid for a fourth term in November. Upon further review, AP acknowledged that is not what Nelson did. It would not qualify, as some might say, as a piece of fake news.
By Saturday, AP had issued a correction, saying they should have made it clear Nelson was referring to Rossello’s efforts, not those of Scott.
The corrected story reads Nelson “praised the Republican Rossello….” While Rossello is officially aligned with the New Progressive Party, the party is more in step with conservatives than liberals.
Rubio celebrates renaming of D.C. street in honor of murdered Russian dissident
The two-term Republican saluted the District of Columbia City Council for honoring a Russian dissident in the nation’s capital. With the council’s decision to rename a street by the Russian Embassy as Boris Nemtsov Plaza, the name of a murdered opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin will be seen daily by his diplomats.
Rubio worked with Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware to bring the issue before the council.
“After prominent Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was brazenly murdered outside the Kremlin in February 2015, I worked to honor his legacy by renaming the block outside the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C.,” Rubio said in a news release. “Because this legislation faced an uncertain path in the Senate, Senator Coons and I looked outside the halls of Congress and enlisted the help of the D.C. City Council to implement this proposal as quickly as possible.”
Rubio began his efforts nearly three years ago shortly after Nemtsov’s murder. One the second anniversary of the assassination 11 months ago, he called for renaming the street in Nemtsov’s honor with a bill in the Senate.
Last month, the D.C. City Council agreed to take up the measure and approved the change last week. Nemtsov was a former Deputy Prime Minister.
“I am proud that the D.C. City Council has approved plans to rename the street ‘Boris Nemtsov Plaza,’ and I thank Chairman (Phil) Mendelson and Councilmember Mary Cheh for their leadership. Starting on the third anniversary of Mr. Nemtsov’s assassination, there will be a sign in front of the Russian Embassy to remind Vladimir Putin and his cronies that they cannot use murder, violence, and intimidation to silence dissent.”
Nelson, Rubio want prompt action on disaster aid
With the House-approved $81 billion in disaster aid languishing in the Senate, both Florida Senators urged Senate leadership to get things moving. In a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, and Minority Leader Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, Rubio and Nelson asked to “consider this much-needed appropriations measure on the floor as soon as possible.”
After the House approved the funding before the Christmas recess, which would include assistance to Florida’s beleaguered citrus industry, the Senate adjourned before taking it up. Now that Congress is again dealing with spending bill to keep the government open, other issues such as the disaster aid are caught in the middle.
“The House of Representatives passed a disaster supplemental, and while it did not fully encompass what is needed, it is past time for the Senate to act,” they wrote. “Unfortunately, Congress has delayed providing this aid for too long while our communities face the consequences of our inaction.”
Most members of the Florida and Texas delegation have pledged to vote against the overall government funding bill if action is not taking on disaster aid. Once the appropriations bill is taken up by the Senate, it is expected to grow larger than the House version. Schumer says it does not do enough to help Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and wildfires in western states.
“It is imperative that Americans nationwide know the federal government is both ready and willing to direct resources needed to help them in the recovery, process. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter,” the letter concludes.
Also signing the letter was Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy.
White House: Taking Florida ‘off the table’ not a political favor
The fallout following taking Florida “off the table” as it relates to offshore oil and gas drilling was still going strong days after Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke flew to Tallahassee to announce the change while standing next to Gov. Scott. Scott is widely expected to challenge Democratic Sen. Nelson for Nelson’s Senate seat in November.
The manner in which Florida was removed from the list visibly perturbed Nelson.
Nelson and other Democrats accused President Trump and Zinke of delivering a pre-announcement gift to Scott. The governor, after announcing opposition to the plan to open up Florida to more drilling, had sought a meeting with Zinke.
Was it a political favor?
At Thursday’s White House briefing, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders asserted that abandoned plans for drilling for oil off Florida’s coast were not a political favor to Gov. Scott.
“I am not aware of any political favor that would have been part of,” she said.
In response to questions from Florida Politics, Scott also rejected the idea that there was a prearranged capitulation on oil exploration off the Florida coast.
“This proposal came out of the Trump administration. I opposed it. I let them know before they came out with it,” Scott asserted.
The Governor made the policy change seem as a result of hard-won negotiation, not political gamesmanship.
Scott noted that he “met and talked … multiple times” with Zinke over the last year, and “was very clear” that he didn’t want to see offshore drilling off our coast.
“When he came out with the proposal a week and a half ago,” Scott continued, “I asked to meet with him as soon as I could … we had the opportunity to meet, and he took Florida off the table.”
Reassurances aside, this will not be the last word on the matter.
Gaetz announces next Open Gaetz Day
The Fort Walton Beach Republican will hold his next day-long interaction with constituents on Monday. Open Gaetz Day will feature events in the Cantonment and conclude in Pensacola.
Beginning with a visit to Tate High School in Cantonment, Gaetz will hold mobile office hours at the PenAir Federal Credit Union. After visiting two businesses, he will then go door-to-door to visit with residents in Cantonment and Ensley.
The day concludes with a town hall meeting at the Navy Federal Credit Union on Heritage Oaks Drive in Pensacola.
The media is invited to attend all events.
House passes Yoho bill to restore Taiwan’s status with WHO
Thanks to a bill sponsored by the Gainesville Republican, Taiwan is one step closer to becoming recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). With the House’s passing of HR 3320, Taiwan would regain its observer status with the WHO.
“Taiwan is an important democratic partner for the United States, and this legislation will advance our mutual interests by ensuring that the U.S. plan to support Taiwan’s involvement in global health is responsive to recent challenges,” Yoho said in a statement. “Taiwan has proven time and again that it is a model contributor to world health.”
Yoho, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, pointed to the $6 billion in aid invested by Taiwan for international medical and humanitarian efforts. He also highlighted their contributions to fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.
“Taiwan is a benevolent actor on the international stage and deserves to keep the place it has earned,” he said.
The bill, co-sponsored by 29 other members, was unanimously approved by voice vote. Included among the co-sponsors were Miami Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and West Palm Beach Democrat Lois Frankel.
Two more years for Rutherford
Rep. Rutherford confirmed to Florida Politics that he does, in fact, plan to run for re-election in Florida’s 4th Congressional District.
“It is a tremendous honor to serve my fellow Northeast Floridians in Congress,” Rutherford asserted, “and I am proud of all our hard work over the last year fighting for jobs, veterans, a renewed military, and secure borders.”
“But a great deal of work remains ahead,” Rutherford added, “and I look forward to seeking re-election to continue this work on behalf of the fine people I am so humbled to serve.”
This confirmation is a prelude to a formal announcement later in the primary season.
There were those in Northeast Florida Republican circles who speculated that Rutherford would stand down, setting off decision-making for local Republicans — current incumbents in other offices and otherwise — who might seek to replicate the very expensive and occasionally fractious 2016 primary.
However, Rutherford has never given any indication that he wouldn’t run to serve at least one more term. And now it is clear that any shaking of the #jaxpol snow globe will wait until at least 2020.
Rutherford faces a clear path to re-election in what Congressional Quarterly calls a solidly Republican district.
Demings picks up primary challenger
The first-term Democrat from Orlando will face a primary election this year after Orlando businessman Wade Darius filed to run against her. Darius claims Demings has neither been sufficiently aggressive in opposing President Trump nor able to bring home sufficient grant money to the constituents of District 10.
Darius also said he is concerned about criminal justice issues, notably prison reform, which he said is needed, and police brutality, which he alleged Demings did not address when she was police chief.
A Haitian immigrant to Miami as a child, Darius said immigration policy was his primary concern, especially considering the very large Haitian and El Salvadoran communities in CD 10, two communities facing mass deportations under Trump’s plans.
“We know our district is vastly populated by immigrants,” he said. “You must be on the side of the people.”
Darius said his campaign would refuse to raise any money from corporations because he believes there is a required quid pro quo response to all such donations. He said his campaign would be funded by himself and his family. He started that off by donating $500 to start a Go-Fund-Me account for his campaign.
Republican Thuy Lowe, whom Demings defeated in 2016, has filed to run again.
Buchanan: Florida not out of the woods on oil drilling
The Longboat Key Republican may disagree on several issues with Democratic Sen. Nelson, but on the topic of oil drilling, the two are in lockstep Nelson challenged Interior Secretary Zinke’s proclamation that Florida was “off the table” regarding drilling, Buchanan offered a similar assessment.
“Although I’m pleased the Trump Administration has backed off plans to expand drilling off Florida’s coasts for now, we need to pass my bill extending the drilling moratorium until 2027,” Buchanan said. “Without legislation extending and codifying the ban in law, any future administration could change that policy. We need to put it in law.”
Buchanan and Weston Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz introduced the Marine Oil Spill Prevention Act in May that was designed to extend the drilling moratorium from 2022 to 2027. Before Zinke’s declaration, the moratorium would have expired next year (instead of 2022) according to the Trump Administration’s proposal.
As co-chair of the Florida congressional delegation, Buchanan and South Florida Democrat Alcee Hastings crafted a letter from a bipartisan group of 21 members of the state’s congressional delegation last week calling on the Interior to oppose any rollback of safety regulations adopted after the Deepwater Horizon blast in 2010.
An Interior Department bureau recently said some of the regulations adopted in response to the tragedy created “potentially unduly burdensome requirements” on oil and gas operators. The proposal to roll back safety rules was published in the Federal Register at the end of 2017.
Not all were happy with Zinke’s move.
“This announcement is premature,” American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Jack Gerard said last week. “Americans support increased domestic energy production, and the administration and policymakers should follow the established process before making any decisions or conclusions that would undermine our nation’s energy security.”
Among the bill’s co-sponsors are delegation Democrats Charlie Crist, Demings, Ted Deutch, Hastings, Lawson, Stephanie Murphy, Soto, Frederica Wilson and Frankel. Two Republicans, Brian Mast and Francis Rooney, were co-sponsors.
Nelson is the sponsor of the companion Senate bill.
Mast releases first ad in re-election bid
The Palm City Republican released “Promises Kept,” his first ad of the 2018 re-election campaign in Florida’s 18th Congressional District.
The 30-second spot highlights three bipartisan legislative achievements that fulfill Mast’s major campaign promises: protecting seniors from fraud, preventing critical veterans’ programs from expiring and passing new funding to combat harmful algal blooms.
Also, the campaign announced that after raising $419,000 during the fourth quarter of 2017, the Mast for Congress campaign now has $1,039,000 cash on hand.
Click on the image below to watch the ad:
Frankel, Deutch join with Ted Cruz to combat human trafficking
The South Florida Democrats have teamed up with the conservative Republican Texas Senator to file legislation designed to combat the scourge of human trafficking. Along with Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the Visa Transparency Anti-Trafficking Act will bring more sunlight to the foreign temporary worker visa process.
Late last week, the four lawmakers participated in a national media conference call to announce the legislation and comment on the issue. Joining them was trafficking survivor Shandra Woworuntru.
“Too many foreign workers are being exploited, forced into sex trade and abusive labor practices,” said Frankel. “This bill will increase the transparency of workers’ activity and whereabouts, allowing human rights organizations to spot patterns of human trafficking and assist law enforcement in stopping what amounts to modern day slavery.”
Over the past 10 years, nearly 40,000 cases of human trafficking have been reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Of those, more than 4,500 came from Florida.
“Right under our noses, human traffickers are exploiting major gaps in our visa program,” said Deutch. “With so many different government agencies processing visas, our immigration system is failing to detect human traffickers who are abusing the system. By sharing the data between agencies and with the public, we can build a coalition to crack down on human trafficking and save trafficking victims from this modern form of slavery.”
The proposal would take information the government now collects about the temporary work visa applicants, the people who help them apply, and their employers, and make it much more widely available. Right now, Cruz and Deutch said, the information is tightly held, and not even law enforcement can comb through the data to figure out patterns: who’s disappearing, which unscrupulous employment services brought them to the country, which employers were involved.
“I believe intervention without prevention in combating human trafficking and exploitation is not a complete solution,” said Woworuntu. “We need more transparency and better data about workers who come to the U.S., and the Visa Transparency Anti Trafficking Act will be perfect to prevent temporary workers who come to the U.S. from being exploited and trafficked like me.”
Teachers’ union ad goes after South Florida Republicans
The nation’s second largest educators union is targeting the two South Florida Republicans over their position on DACA. It comes as the clock continues to count down for Congress to find a solution for the young immigrants known as “Dreamers” before Trump will cancel an Obama-era executive order known as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Action).
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is launching an advertising campaign around the issue demanding Curbelo and Ros-Lehtinen, along with 32 other Republican members of Congress, sign a letter saying they would vote for a DACA bill. The ads call on these 34 members to demand Speaker Paul Ryan hold a vote.
Click on the image below to watch the ad:
“The ad is disingenuous and is obviously designed to mislead people,” said Curbelo spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez. “No one in Congress — Republican or Democrat — has done more to force a compromise to help Dreamers than Congressman Curbelo. AFT should stop using teachers’ membership dues to spread lies.”
Trump and House Republicans are seeking enhanced border security (including some funding for a border wall) and an end to what they call “chain migration” and the diversity (a.k.a. lottery) visa program.
“We, all along, were going along with what the president said: He supports the Dreamers … and he wants to have some border security,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday during a press briefing in the Capitol. “Then this week it emerged that he wanted to change immigration policy [by] addressing family unification initiatives … and ending the diversity visa [program].”
Trump gave Congress until March to come up with a solution or he would end the DACA program.
Paulson’s Politics: The demographics of Florida’s congressional districts
Florida’s congressional districts have undergone more change than any of the 50 states. Beginning with its lone member of Congress at statehood in 1845, Florida now has 27 members and the third largest delegation of the 50 states.
The growth of the Florida congressional delegation is one of the most dramatic changes to occur among the 50 states. At the time of World War II, Florida’s congressional delegation had only grown to six members.
After the 1960 census, Florida added four more members to Congress increasing the size of the delegation to 12. It would grow by three after the 1970 census and by four more after both the 1980 and 1990 census. That 15-seat gain was more than any of the 50 states.
Florida added two more members after both the 2000 and 2010 census bringing the delegation total to 27. Projections are that Florida will gain at least one (and possibly two) more seats after the 2020 census increasing the delegation to 28 or 29 members.
From 2010 to July 1, 2017, Florida’s population grew from 18,804,594 to 20,984,400, a gain of 1.6 percent.
That 1.6 percent growth rate was the third most of the 50 states and reflected the addition of 327,811 people.
A second major change in the Florida congressional delegation is the partisan makeup. The Florida delegation was almost entirely made up of Democrats from statehood until 1954. In 1950, Democrats held all seven congressional seats in Florida. Republican Congressman Bill Cramer broke the Democratic dominance when he won a District in the Tampa Bay-area centered in Pinellas County.
Republicans would hold three of the 12 seats in the 1960s, five of 15 in the 1970s, and they would gain control of the delegation by a 10-9 margin in the 1980s. Republican control would continue in the decades that followed growing to a 19 to six advantage after the 2000 census. Currently, Republicans hold 16 of the 27 Florida congressional seats.
The Florida congressional elections are likely to increase in partisan competitiveness due to the 2010 passage of the Fair District Amendment pushed by the League of Women Voters and Democratic organizations. Fair Districts requires that Districts be compact and contiguous, and ignore partisan data or favor incumbents.
The districts drawn by the legislature after the 2010 census were first challenged in 2014. Judge Terry Lewis, who gained fame in the aftermath of the virtual tie in the Florida 2000 presidential election, ruled that the legislature violated Fair Districts and altered the boundaries of seven of the 27 congressional districts.
In July 2015, critics took their case to the Florida Supreme Court. They found that the legislature violated Fair Districts and the legislature was forced to redraw virtually all the districts. The redraw led to Democrats picking up two seats in the Orlando area and one seat in Pinellas County in the seat that Republicans has held since Cramer’s 1954 victory.
Republicans picked up one seat in Tallahassee and one seat in the Treasure Coast. The Democrats had a net gain of one seat.
The only thing that stays the same in Florida is growth. How that will play out politically remains to be seen.
Wilson will skip State of the Union
Trump will deliver his second State of the Union address in the House Chamber on January 30 before a national television audience and the assembled members of Congress. The Democrat from Miami Gardens will not be one of them.
“For the first time since I began serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, I will not be attending the president’s State of the Union address,” Wilson said in a statement. “I have no doubt that instead of delivering a message of inclusivity and an agenda that benefits all Americans, President Trump’s address will be full of innuendo, empty promises, and lies.”
Wilson and Trump have a history. They engaged in political warfare after the death in Niger of Sgt. La David Johnson, her constituent, and the subsequent condolence call from Trump to Johnson’s widow.
Wilson pointed to recent remarks attributed to Trump that described countries such as Haiti in vulgar terms. She used the term “racist” to describe those comments.
“It would be an embarrassment to be seen with him at a forum that under any other president would be an honor to attend,” she stated.
In addition to Wilson, fellow Democrats John Lewis of Georgia, Maxine Waters of California, Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Pramila Jayapal of Washington have announced they would not attend. That number is likely to grow.
Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
