Staff Reports
Kavanaugh on clear path to confirmation without Nelson’s vote
This week, the seemingly unflappable Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sat before Democratic senators on the Judiciary Committee, who threw everything they had at him from a limited arsenal of weapons. Before the hearings even began, Democrats held a conference call and discussed, among other things, staging a mass walkout.
While not taking that route, they did agree to engage in “disruption.”
The first day saw them complain about a lack of documents available to them. Throughout the next two days, Kavanaugh refused to answer questions based on hypothetical scenarios. Protesters stood and shouted, often over the voices of Democratic senators, before they were ejected by Capitol Police.
At the same time, Kavanaugh supporters argued on his behalf. Their view was summarized in an ad by the 45 Committee, which included Attorney General Pam Bondi as one of those urging confirmation. The group spent seven figures on the ad.
Barring a totally unforeseen event, it seems clear that Kavanaugh will be confirmed by the Senate. No Republican has indicated an inclination to vote against him, plus the Republicans are back in a full majority with the appointment of former Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl to come out of political retirement and replace the late Sen. John McCain.
All of this clearly opens the door for Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson to vote no on Kavanaugh. There was always a 95 percent chance he would vote that way regardless, but he is now free to vote against Kavanaugh with little threat of any political damage.
Had Kavanaugh’s fate rested with Nelson, he would have had some explaining to do no matter which way he voted. Moderates who wish to see the nominee confirmed could have leaned toward Gov. Rick Scott in November.
But it seems clear any Democrat who votes to confirm is in the proverbial crosshairs of the Democratic base.
Just ask Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Despite the New York Democrat’s constant railing against the appointment of Kavanaugh, using the issue to increase party fundraising, and threats to sue over the failure to force production of thousands of records, he should have done more, said 13 liberal action groups.
In a letter to Schumer, the groups got right to the point after “Dear Senator Schumer.” The first line reads “The Supreme Court is on the line, and you are failing us.”
Even though Republicans need only a majority – not 60 – votes to confirm Kavanaugh, they heaped scorn on Schumer’s efforts.
The activists lament the fact that all 49 Democrats have not come out against Kavanaugh. Wagging a figurative finger at Schumer they write “That is not the leadership we need.”
Among those signing on included Democracy for America, DailyKos, Friends of the Earth, Justice Democrats and Women’s March. The signees also understand there are some Democrats, like Nelson, who are in tough re-election races, but those senators receive no sympathy.
“It is wrong to assume that a no vote on Kavanaugh puts red-state Democrats in electoral peril or somehow protects them from Republican attacks,” they write. “Anything less than 49 Democratic votes against Kavanaugh would be a massive failure of your leadership. We hope you won’t let us down.”
Whether or not he needed a threat like this, Nelson will not let them down. As he runs in a dead heat with Scott, he can ill afford to lose a chunk of the base.
Rubio at center of social media hearing both inside and outside committee room
While not quite getting the media attention of the Kavanaugh hearings, another high-profile hearing took place this week. Top officials from both Twitter and Facebook appeared on Capitol Hill, including before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Plenty happened both before and during the committee meeting, with Sen. Marco Rubio front and center on both. Outside the hearing room, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones verbally sparred with Rubio after crashing his press briefing and drew a warning when he patted him on the shoulder.
“Hey, don’t touch me again, man.” When Jones asked if Rubio wanted to have him arrested, the senator said he did not, but added: “I’ll take care of you myself.”
Inside the hearing room, senators grilled Facebook Chief Operation Officer Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Republicans were concerned about the virtual silencing of some conservatives, but both sides were concerned with social media’s role in the degeneration of public discourse.
“The era of the Wild West in social media is coming to an end,” said the committee’s ranking member, Democrat Mark Warner of Virginia.
Google chief Larry Page was also invited, but declined to attend, leaving an empty chair. This got Rubio’s attention.
“There’s an empty chair next to you from Google and they’re not here today, and maybe it’s because they’re arrogant,” he said.
Google has recently been accused by Republicans of altering search parameters to bring negative stories to Trump and conservatives to the top of the list of search results. Senators also wanted to question them on reports they were working on a censored search engine for China.
Rubio asked both Dorsey and Sandberg about their company’s commitment to core values involving freedom of expression in foreign countries.
“Are your companies really built on these core values or are they global companies like all these other companies that come around here who see their number-one obligation to make money and therefore market access irrespective of what the price they have to pay to do so?” he asked.
Nelson launches bill to allow VA doctors to prescribe medical marijuana
On Wednesday, Nelson filed a bill that expands the use of medical marijuana at veterans facilities. The bill, co-sponsored by Hawaii Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz, would allow doctors at Veterans Administration (VA) medical facilities to prescribe medical marijuana to patients in the 31 states, including Florida, that have established medical marijuana programs.
In addition to creating a temporary, five-year safe harbor protection for veterans who use medical marijuana, the bill would also direct the VA to conduct research on the effects of medical marijuana on veterans who are in pain and how prescribing marijuana to veterans can be used to reduce opioid abuse.
“Federal law prohibits VA doctors from prescribing or recommending medical marijuana to veterans,” Nelson said in a release. “This legislation will allow veterans in Florida and elsewhere the same access to legitimately prescribed medication, just as any other patient in those 31 states would have.”
Proponents of the legislation argue that allowing the VA to prescribe medical marijuana to veterans who are suffering from a wide range of diseases and disorders, including pain management, in the 31 states where it is legal would help reduce the risk of opioid abuse among veterans. Veterans are twice as likely as non-veterans to die from an opioid overdose.
Nelson said the bill is supported by the American Academy of Pain Medicine, Veterans Cannabis Project, Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access, Americans for Safe Access, NORML, Marijuana Policy Project, Drug Policy Alliance, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, Veterans Cannabis Coalition and National Cannabis Industry Association.
Nelson, Scott tied in two recent polls
There are less than two months before Election Day, and the Senate race between Scott and Nelson is a clear tossup.
Two polls of likely voters find the candidates tied.
A survey by Quinnipiac University calls it a 49-49 race, while St. Pete Polls, in a survey commissioned by Florida Politics, says it is 47-47.
Both surveys point to hardening positions. The percentage of undecided voters is less than 10 percent.
The race will be one of the most expensive Senate campaigns in history with millions of dollars coming from both candidates as well an influx of ads and ground support coming in from outside the state. Scott has spent $28 million in campaign funds so far while Nelson has used $6 million.
The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows Scott with a statistically insignificant 1.7 percent lead.
As Congress tries to reform social media, some own stock in providers
With the appearance of top leadership of both Facebook and Twitter on Capitol Hill, some wondered who among members of the House and Senate is earning money by owning stock in Google, as well as the two social media giants. Roll Call did a survey which found 32 members of the House and Senate have financial interests with the companies.
Those elected officials are not actively trading the stocks, but hold assets contained in trust funds, IRAs or brokerage accounts. With that in mind, who holds stock in these companies, especially those asking questions of executives this week during hearings?
Elected representatives own more than $7 million in stock among the three tech giants. Half of that comes from Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, who owns $2 million in Google stock and $1.5 million in Facebook.
Among the Florida delegation, Republicans Carlos Curbelo and Francis Rooney own assets in both Facebook and Google. Curbelo’s combined total is $2,002 while Rooney owns $45,003.
Republican Tom Rooney holds $50,000 in Facebook stock. Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was the only Congressional stockholder involved in questioning Facebook and Twitter (Google did not show up) during Wednesday’s hearing on Capitol Hill.
Investing is bi-partisan. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi holds $500,000 with Facebook, while Democratic Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III has $600,000 combined with Facebook and Google.
Dunn, conference committee begin work on new farm bill
With the current federal funding for farmers and food-related entities set to expire on September 30, the conference committee appointed to approve a new farm bill held its first meeting on Wednesday. Panama City Republican Rep. Neal Dunn is one of 47 House conferees, while the Senate has 9 representatives.
The House passed their version of the bill by a razor-thin 213-211 margin on June 21 with an $867 billion price tag, while the Senate approved a somewhat different measure on June 28 by a vote of 86-11. All 11 no votes were from Republicans.
The committee must work out differences to create a new bill to come before both chambers and, if approved, sent to Trump for signature. In addition to subsidies for food producers, other provisions attracted the most media attention.
Among the more controversial in the House version was a reduction in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which includes EBT cards formerly known as food stamps. Trump supports a Republican proposal that requires work for able-bodied recipients.
“We all depend on a thriving agriculture industry and we need to ensure that this Farm Bill works for all of our producers,” Dunn said after his appointment to the committee. “Agriculture is a risky business, and while Congress can’t control the weather, we can create a climate of sound, consistent farm policy to help farmers and ranchers manage risks as they produce affordable, safe and abundant food and fiber.”
Soderberg has solid backing despite uphill battle in CD 6
Former Ambassador Nancy Soderberg has raised a lot of money for her bid to win Congressional District 6. No one, Democrat or Republican, raised more than Soderberg’s $1.7 million in the effort to win the seat currently held by GOP gubernatorial nominee Rep. Ron DeSantis.
Her cash on hand of more than $1 million is nearly three times more than Republican nominee Michael Waltz. She has the endorsement of delegation Democrats Charlie Crist, Val Demings, Ted Deutch, Darren Soto and Lois Frankel.
She also has strong union backing from NARAL and Emily’s List.
Still, Waltz is strongly favored to keep the seat in the Republican column with the Cook Political Report listing it as “Likely Republican.”
Despite a whisper campaign among Democrats that Waltz enjoys less-than-enthusiastic support from Congressional Republicans, Waltz and his team believe they will have sufficient resources to win. Detractors pointed to Waltz’s omission from the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Guns” list, unlike District 7 candidate Mike Miller and Maria Elvira Salazar, who is running against Donna Shalala in District 27.
Another possible factor in Waltz’s favor is the left-of-center leanings of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum. Every county in the district voted for the more moderate Gwen Graham, while having their current Congressman as Gillum’s opponent will not hurt either.
NRCC’s Young Guns adds two Florida candidates to list
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has announced 12 additions to its Young Guns list representing up-and-coming candidates in high-profile races for Congress. The newest candidates are state Rep. Mike Miller from District 7 and journalist Maria Elvira Salazar in District 27.
Joining the list culminates an evaluation process that begins with “On the Radar,” then on to “Contender” before qualifying for the Young Gun level. To reach that plateau the NRCC states “these candidates have met a series of rigorous goals and surpassed program benchmarks to establish a clear path to victory.”
The path may be clear, but significant obstacles litter the trail. Miller must defeat first-term Democrat Stephanie Murphy of Winter Park, who led Miller by $1 million in cash on hand as of the most recent FEC report.
Salazar is facing a well-known candidate in Donna Shalala for the Democratic-leaning open seat in Miami. The former member of the Clinton Cabinet and University of Miami President had more than twice the cash on hand as Salazar prior to last week’s primary.
“We have no shortage of compelling candidates in our Young Guns program,” NRCC Chairman Steve Stivers stated in a news release. “I’m thrilled to support this impressive, diverse group and look forward to welcoming them to Congress, where we can continue working to protect our communities and ease Americans’ cost of living.”
Both Miller and Salazar can expect targeted advertising and get-out-the-vote support from the NRCC.
Crist still in fundraising mode for “safe” re-election bid
While apparently coasting toward re-election to a second term in Congress, Democrat Charlie Crist from St. Petersburg is running like he’s tied or behind. The campaign is still raising substantial sums of money.
On September 28, a group of supporters that include state Rep. Ben Diamond and state Sen. Darryl Rouson will co-host a fundraiser in St. Petersburg. Contribution benchmarks go from $100 to attend up to the maximum of $2,700.
Crist has raised $3 million for his re-election and still has $2 million cash on hand according to the latest FEC reports. In November, Crist faces Republican George Buck, who had $5,000 cash on hand in August.
Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball rates Crist’s District 13 seat as “Safe Democratic.”
Among delegation members, only Republicans Brian Mast of Palm City and Carlos Curbelo of Kendall, both in competitive races, have brought in more than Crist this cycle. Mast reported more than $4.2 million in contributions while Curbelo raised more than $3.7 million.
Shapiro pledges not to vote for Pelosi if elected
A new ad by Longboat Key Republican Vern Buchanan has targeted his opponent, attorney David Shapiro, as a “puppet” for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
“Meet Nancy Pelosi’s hand-picked puppet, David Shapiro, a personal injury lawyer who’s made millions suing people: veterans, businesses, even elderly women,” the ad’s narrator says. “And when it comes to taxes, he failed to pay his own on time, but wants to raise yours. Shapiro opposed a tax cut that saved Floridians thousands. A vote for Shapiro is a vote for Nancy Pelosi.”
Almost as quickly, Shapiro responded to negate the attack.
“Politicians in Washington have failed when it comes to protecting Florida families, and that’s why I’m calling for new leadership on both sides of the aisle,” Shapiro said.
“A vote for me is a vote for replacing Vern Buchanan and Nancy Pelosi.”
Buchanan has been under attack by an outside group “Floridians for a Fair Shake,” who have pounded him for his purchase of a yacht on the same day the GOP tax cut passed in December. Buchanan refers to the group as “Sneaky Shapiro’s dark money group.”
With two months to go before Election Day, Buchanan remains the favorite with the FiveThirtyEight group giving Shapiro only a 14 percent chance of unseating the delegation co-chairman. The Cook Political Report puts it in the category of “Leans Republican.”
Mucarsel-Powell gets a lift from Congressional Democrats
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, the Democratic nominee for the District 26 seat held by Curbelo, got a boost from her party with two campaign ads hitting the two-term Republican from Kendall. The ads, produced by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), blasts Curbelo for his 2017 vote to repeal Obamacare.
The first ad features a fictional insurance industry executive writing to Curbelo thanking him for his vote that helped their profits go up. The repeal ultimately failed in the Senate when the late Sen. John McCain gave his famous wee-hours thumbs down.
The second ad is about a fictional former Curbelo voter angered by his support for repeal. It ends with “Goodbye, Congressman Curbelo.”
“Congressman Curbelo answers to his party, special interests and President Trump over his constituents in South Florida, and voters know that he has betrayed them in Washington,” said Cole Leiter, DCCC spokesperson.
The Curbelo campaign responded with an accusation of hypocrisy on behalf of Democrats and claimed Mucarsel-Powell is “out of touch” with the district’s needs.
“It’s ironic how quickly Washington Democrats forget that big insurance endorsed the ACA because it guaranteed their profits and put special interests before patients,” said Joanna Rodriguez, spokesperson for the Curbelo campaign.
Despite representing a Democrat-leaning district in a year favorable to Democrats, Curbelo remains a favorite to hold his seat. The Cook Political Report has the race as “Leans Republican.”
On this day in the headlines
September 7, 2012 – President Barack Obama accepted the nomination of his party on the closing night of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. He told the nation: “I won’t pretend the path I’m offering is quick and easy. I never had.”
Earlier in the evening, former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist took the stage to laud Obama. Crist described the president as “a leader with a cool head, a caring heart and an open mind” with the necessary qualities to “lead us to a brighter future.”
September 7, 2017 – President Donald Trump briskly overruled Congressional Republicans and his own treasury secretary to cut a deal with Democrats to keep the government open and raise the debt limit. The immediate goal was to ensure funds for hurricane relief as Hurricane Irma barreled toward the Florida coast.
In deal-making mode, Trump sided with “Chuck and Nancy” as he amiably referred to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Trump was reportedly still agitated at Republican House and Senate leadership for their failure to repeal Obamacare and began criticism of them immediately after Congress returned from the August recess earlier in the week.
