Staff Reports
Rubio, the gift that keeps on giving
Each election cycle, voters are treated to campaign ads and mailers touting the good works of one candidate and the warts of the other. Opponents are often compared to an unpopular member of their party.
In Congressional elections, Republicans will tout their record and qualifications while comparing Democrat opponents to Hillary Clinton or House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
On the Democratic side, it is hard to imagine any candidate not having their opponent’s name and that of President Donald Trump contained in the same sentence. Due to some eye-catching comments from a prominent Florida Republican this week, look for him to be included in ads across the country, but especially in campaigns involving the delegation.
When Sen. Marco Rubio sad down for an interview with The Economist, perhaps he thought the conversation and ensuing article would be about the conservative approach to economics. What emerged in print was the dream of any Democratic campaign consultant.
The simple takeaway message was, as Democrats have said from day one, that the tax cuts touted by Trump and Republicans did indeed favor wealthy corporations over average people.
“There is no evidence whatsoever that the money’s been massively poured back into the American worker,” Rubio was quoted as saying.
He may have thought throwing the word “massively” into it would soften the statement, but the talking point for the other side is there for all to see — and use. Golfers and kids having their first experience playing baseball can relate that the Rubio comment teed up a cycle’s worth of ads.
“We couldn’t have said it any better,” said Matt House, spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has no problem saying lots of things. Neither could Charlie Crist, had he won the election against Rubio in 2010.
It won’t help Nevada GOP Sen. Dean Heller, who is in a tight race for re-election. Nevada Democrats pounced by saying “Sen. Rubio is admitting what’s become clear over the past few months: the Republican tax bill was designed to keep big corporations happy instead of protecting hardworking Nevada families.”
Kendall Republican Carlos Curbelo was a strong proponent of the tax cuts, as was Palm City GOP Rep. Brian Mast. Both were facing quality opposition in their bids for re-election before the Rubio comments.
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who is seeking a fourth term in November, must be rejoicing at his good fortune. Nelson and Rubio, who already enjoy a Capitol Hill bromance relationship, now seemingly agree on what the signature achievement of Trump’s first year in office does and does not do.
Rubio is already sitting on the sidelines by refusing to campaign against Nelson. Now, with The Economist piece in hand, Nelson’s team may be committing campaign malpractice if they are not already working on at least a digital ad touting the Rubio comments.
Perhaps Florida’s junior Senator has a long-range goal by dissing the tax cuts and not helping to flip a Senate seat. On Wednesday, he tried to undo some of the damage in a National Review op-ed.
But in the short run, the 2018 election season just became more interesting.
Nelson warns about mosquito-carried disease
Diseases spread by insects have tripled over the past decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC reveals that 640,000 cases of diseases carried by mosquitoes, fleas and ticks were reported between 2004 and 2016.
Nelson carries that a step further by pointing out the avalanche of Zika cases that have been reported in Florida since 2016. He is urging Congress to act.
“CDC reports that mosquito-borne diseases have been on the rise, as FL had over 1,700 Zika cases since 2016,” he tweeted. “It’s another reason why the House needs to pass the SMASH Act, our bipartisan bill to expand mosquito control, which the Senate passed last year.”
Nelson was referring to the Strengthening Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act sponsored by Maine Independent Angus King. Nelson and Rubio are co-sponsors of the bill which passed the Senate last September on a voice vote.
Orlando Democrat Darren Soto is the sponsor for the House companion bill. A bipartisan collection of 14 delegation members have signed on as co-sponsors.
Rubio blames teen violence on Obama policies
Rubio is asking the Trump administration to address increasing school-related violence in Broward County. The two-term Republican is asking both Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to look into Obama-era policies that send lawbreaking youth to counseling instead of to jail.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz, among others, did not face arrest despite prior offenses that were worthy of incarceration.
Rubio wrote to Sessions advising him students were allowed to return to school after committing “serious crimes, including rape, murder, attempted murder, sexual battery, or (a) firearm-related’ offense.’ He rhetorically asked whether a person (without mentioning Cruz) would have been prevented from legally purchasing a firearm had he been convicted of a violent crime.
He wrote to DeVos asking her to determine if Broward school parents were “notified that their child would soon be attending school with a student previously convicted of rape, murder, attempted murder, sexual battery or a firearm related offense.”
Rubio also asked DeVos for “any information available regarding the department’s decision to financially reward a school that knowingly allowed students to return to schools after being convicted of serious crimes.”
DeVos has put the policy under review.
Trump considering Jeff Miller for VA
Following the fiasco involving former White House physician Ronny Jackson as the nominee to head Veterans Affairs, Trump is now looking at a reformer as a possible new nominee. Former Republican Rep. Jeff Miller is talking with Trump about the position, according to the Washington Examiner.
Miller represented the Pensacola area in Congress for 16 years before announcing his retirement before the 2016 elections. He is now a lobbyist for McDermott Will & Emery in Washington.
In 2011 until the conclusion of his term, Miller served as the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, where he was a key figure in revealing the multitude of problems at the VA. He also advocated for the privatization of VA health care. If nominated, he could run into some tough questions from both Republicans and Democrats on this position.
Also in the 2016 election cycle, Miller was a pioneer of then-candidate Trump’s 10 point plan to reform the VA. Part of that plan called for Congress to pass legislation allowing the VA secretary to discipline or terminate any employee who has jeopardized the health, safety or well-being of a veteran.
Miller was allegedly rumored to be a top pick for the job during Trump’s transition into the presidency but was passed over by David Shulkin. He was also mentioned before Trump nominated Jackson.
Delegation praises citrus farmer relief
It has been a long time coming, but help is finally here for Florida citrus farmers. On Tuesday the Trump administration announced growers will receive a $340 million block grant to reimburse them for losses suffered during Hurricane Irma.
Nearly the entire delegation, led by Nelson and Rubio, has regularly called for the aid over the last 6 months. Nelson was quick to welcome the news and challenge the state government run by Republicans to get the money where it needed to go.
“I’m glad @USDA is finally sending more federal help to our Florida citrus farmers,” he said in a tweet, “I fought hard to make sure this money is available to growers still hurting after Hurricane Irma. Now the state needs to make sure this funding goes straight to the farmers who need it most.’
The aid is desperately needed to help the reeling industry, which provides 60 percent of the oranges that become orange juice. The distributions will begin not later than July 16, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Secretary Sonny Perdue said “While nothing in this town works as quickly as I would like, our team is working as hard as we can to make these resources available to farmers in need, as quickly as possible,”
Rubio said the money should “make sure that crop yields, and life throughout Florida’s heartland, return to normal as quickly as possible.”
The funds will not solve all the farmers’ problems, but it is a reprieve. Okeechobee Republican Rep. Tom Rooney, who represents several growers, said the relief “will give Florida’s citrus industry some financial certainty to get through the next couple of seasons.”
The funding is part of a $2.36 billion disaster relief package passed by Congress in February.
Gaetz backs Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
It started with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Now a group of GOP lawmakers, including Matt Gaetz of Fort Walton Beach, believe Trump should be awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
On Wednesday, 18 Republicans led by Luke Messer of Indiana, wrote to Berit Reiss-Andersen, the Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, officially placing Trump’s name in nomination. The lawmakers cited Trump’s effort to “denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, and bring peace to the region.”
“Since taking office, President Trump has worked tirelessly to apply maximum pressure on North Korea to end its illicit weapons programs and peace to the region,” they wrote. “His administration successfully united the international community, including China, to impose one of the most successful international sanctions regimes in history.”
“The sanctions have decimated the North Korean economy and have been largely credited for bringing North Korea to the bargaining table,” they added.
Following Moon’s successful meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, Trump suggested Moon should be considered for the Nobel Prize.
“It’s really President Trump who should receive it; we can just take peace,” Moon was quoted by his office as saying.
The legislators took it from there. Gaetz was the only member from the Florida delegation to join in the nomination.
There is a precedent for a U.S. president winning the Nobel Peace Prize early in their term. Obama was awarded the Nobel less than 10 months into his first term in 2009.
Grayson returns
He’s back. After leaving office in 2016 to run for the U.S. Senate, bomb-throwing Democrat Alan Grayson will try to re-claim an Orlando-area seat in Congress this fall.
After toying with the idea of running against Republican Daniel Webster, Grayson revealed he will challenge first-term Democrat Darren Soto in the August primary. Grayson said his paperwork to run in Florida’s 9th Congressional District, “my old seat,” has been submitted.
He appears ready to rumble.
“I take no pleasure in saying this saying this because my own sense is I want what is best for the people in Central Florida, but I think he’s been entirely ineffective,” Grayson said of Soto in an interview with FloridaPolitics.com. “I literally can’t think of anything meaningful he’s accomplished in the 16 months he’s been on the job.”
Soto quickly responded with a written statement defending his record on progressive values, and on building local alliances. The latter observation was a jab back at Grayson, whose bombastic character has often alienated him, even among party regulars.
“I have been endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus and every Democratic member of the Florida House delegation precisely because I have stood up for progressive values in Congress and delivered for the district,” Soto stated. “I will be joined by numerous local and state officials and supporters on Thursday to launch my re-election campaign. In contrast, Grayson stands alone today pushing his typical self-promoting smearfest.”
In the end, Grayson sees confronting Trump as a key requirement for representing the people of Congressional District 9.
“Somebody has to stand up to this bully,” Grayson said of Trump. “And I don’t see that happening right now with Soto.”
As of March 31, Grayson had nearly $700,000 cash on hand for the primary. Soto has raised $570,000 and had $364,000 cash on hand through the first quarter of 2018.
Buchanan petitions for opioid funding
The opioid crisis has the full attention of the Congress, who is funding state programs designed to combat the epidemic. After Congress recently awarded another $27 million to Florida, Longboat Key Republican and delegation co-chairman Vern Buchanan urged Gov. Rick Scott to allocate a significant portion of federal drug funding to Manatee and Sarasota counties.
Buchanan argues that these two counties are two of the hardest hit counties in the state. In 2016, Manatee County saw the highest rate of Fentanyl analog deaths in the state, while Sarasota had the second-highest rate of children being removed from their homes in Florida — primarily due to parental neglect as a result of opioid abuse.
“These two counties in my congressional district have been disproportionally affected by the drug epidemic and by one statistical measurement rank No. 1 and 2 in the state,” Buchanan said in a letter to Scott. “The drug epidemic is destroying lives and families on the Suncoast.”
“As you distribute these funds, I urge you to focus on helping communities that have experienced the brunt of this crisis,” he added
Earlier this month, Buchanan introduced a bipartisan, 7-point legislative package called the Opioid Emergency Response Act.
F. Rooney creative on term limits
Florida has had term limits for several years, but members of Congress have not been receptive limiting their time in Washington. Naples Republican Francis Rooney has come up with an idea that would lead to term limits without going through the process of amending the Constitution.
Rooney recently proposed the Thomas Jefferson Public Service Act of 2018, which would not directly attempt to put term limits into place but take another route to reach the goal. He proposes that after six terms in the House and two consecutive terms in the Senate, a legislator’s salary would be reduced to $1 per year.
Heretofore, federal term limit discussions have focused on proposals which require amending the Constitution,” Rooney said. “These well-intentioned efforts, in the form of at least 12 bills in the current session of Congress, with over 90 co-sponsors, are stymied by the arduous process of amending the Constitution.”
Rooney points out that a nationwide poll taken this year found that 82 percent support Congressional term limits, including 89 percent of Republicans, 83 percent of independents and 76 percent of Democrats.
“Is it possible that a disruptive, game-changing measure like this could instill public confidence in Congress and set the stage for a wave of innovation and accomplishment?”
It will take some convincing. So far, Rooney’s bill has 7 co-sponsors, including Gaetz and two Freedom Caucus stalwarts, Dave Brat of Virginia and Mark Meadows of North Carolina.
Deutch frustrated with FBI
The murders of 17 students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland revealed mistakes by local and federal authorities, including the FBI, who may have been able to prevent the shootings. The FBI had previously received specific tips on Nikolas Cruz, but failed to follow through.
Nearly three months after the tragedy, Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch of Boca Raton is growing increasingly frustrated with the FBI. Deutch is looking for answers from the bureau on their role in the mishandled warnings about Cruz.
On Thursday, he expressed his frustration at a breakfast meeting with business leaders.
“I don’t understand how it is that we’re still waiting for action from the FBI on this,” Deutch told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “We know that problems existed. The FBI acknowledged that right at the start, and I give them credit for it. But at this point, Congress and certainly our community is waiting for some accountability, and for changes in policy at the FBI.”
Deutch said further he is looking for policies “to ensure that what happened in this case — where there were online tips that weren’t fully investigated; then the phone call that wasn’t fully investigated, to make sure that those things don’t happen in any other community and that when people call in, when people actually do what they’re supposed to do — which is when they see something, they say something — they can be confident knowing that something is going to be done as a result.”
As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, Deutch may have some clout to get more answers from the FBI. His Republican colleague on the committee, Marineland Republican Ron DeSantis, is also demanding the bureau be more forthcoming. Weston Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz has also weighed in on the issue.
On this day in the headlines
May 4, 1970 — Four students were shot and killed by Ohio National Guard Troops on the campus of Kent State University. The students were protesting the war in Vietnam and were throwing rocks as they approached the guardsmen before coming under fire.
President Richard Nixon said the shootings should remind everyone that “when dissent turns to violence, it invites tragedy.” His press secretary further added that “the President, of course, shares the sadness of the parents of these young people and the sadness all Americans feel about unnecessary deaths.”
May 4, 2011 — Osama bin Laden’s death could force President Barack Obama to change his strategy for ending the nearly decade-long Afghan war, including keeping tens of thousands of U.S. troops in Afghanistan at least until 2014, according to some Western experts and officials. Bin Laden was killed May 2 by Navy SEALs during a raid on his hideout near Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Key lawmakers indicated Tuesday that Congress could slash the $3.1 billion the administration is seeking in 2012 for Pakistan if it is determined that the Pakistani Army or spy agency were complicit in hiding bin Laden outside Abbottabad.
Historical photo of the day
The story behind Bush 41’s socks
George H.W. Bush paid a touching final tribute to his late wife, Barbara Bush by wearing socks with books on them to her funeral on Saturday, April 21, but the viral moment wouldn’t have been possible without John Cronin. It was the fall of 2016 and John — a young man with Down syndrome — was in his last year of school when he told his father he wanted to be in business with him.
So, on Dec. 9, 2016, John’s Crazy Socks was born. In 2017 — the business’ first full year in business — John came across an article about Bill Clinton gifting H.W. Bush some crazy socks and decided that he wanted to send Bush 41 socks as well.
Bush wore John’s socks on several occasions including on World Down syndrome Day (March 21), which featured a superhero John personally designed, but the most viral moment was for the funeral of Barbara Bush.
“As soon as we realized how popular they were getting, we immediately made it so that 100 percent of the profits from those socks would go to the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation,” said Cronin. “We sold about 1,500 pairs of book socks. The demand was so high that we wiped out the supplier, and the socks won’t be back in stock until mid-August.”
