Staff Reports
Funding the military
With Congress poised to go on recess at the end of next week, one of the must-dos is half-completed. The William “Mac” Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which funds military operations, infrastructure, and other related items, is now in the Senate.
Earlier this week, the House passed the $741 billion NDAA by a 295-125 vote. Those voting for the bill included 187 Democrats and 108 Republicans, while 43 Democrats joined 81 Republicans to vote against it, a testament to the process that kept the bill from becoming totally partisan.
In another sign of bipartisanship, the bill is named after Thornberry, the Texas Republican and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, who is retiring at the end of the year.
“After last year’s partisan bill, I’m pleased to see the House returned to tradition of developing this bill with input from Republican and Democrat members,” said Clermont Republican Daniel Webster in a statement.
The bill contained items ranging from funding operations to combat ISIS, provide a deterrence to Russia, optimizing a presence in the Indo-Pacific, funding a pandemic preparedness fund, preserving environmentally sensitive areas from development, and others. Other provisions gaining significant attention included a 3% pay raise for the military and another calling for the removal of the names of Confederate army leaders from military bases.
President Donald Trump has pledged a veto over that provision, but there appears to be sufficient numbers to override any such veto.
Several members touted provisions they were able to insert into the larger bill, including provisions for the Coast Guard by Democratic Reps. Charlie Crist of St. Petersburg and Debbie Mucarsel Powell of Miami, as well as amendments named after constituents by Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch of Boca Raton and Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan of Longboat Key (see “Tougher on terror” and “Honoring fallen soldier” below).
Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor of Tampa, who was among all 13 delegation Democrats voting in favor, said the bill “is an important step to ensure our armed forces are inclusive for all who want to serve our nation and to honor American heroes who embody the values of America.” while Panama City Republican Neal Dunn of Panama City said that as a veteran “taking care of our troops is a top priority.”
Sarasota Republican Greg Steube was among five delegation Republicans voting against the bill.
“Funding for our national defense should not be used by the Democrats as an opportunity to further their partisan, progressive wish list, such as renaming military bases, and restricting funding for the border wall, all while forcing components of the Green New Deal on our military,” he said in a statement.
The other four “no” votes came from Reps. Ted Yoho, Brian Mast, Bill Posey and Matt Gaetz. Gaetz got into a public spat with GOP Conference chair Liz Cheney partly over a provision she helped insert into the bill making it more difficult for the President to remove troops from Afghanistan (see “Gaetz, Cheney tangle” below).
There appears to be no large obstacles to the bipartisan bill passing in the Senate, where the Armed Services Committee is on board with changing the names of bases. Which begs the question; what will Trump do?
Please go home
Earlier this week, the Department of State ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, dramatically heightening tensions between the two countries. China promised retaliation.
The Trump administration gave China until the end of the week to clear out, prompting what many believed to be a burning of documents on embassy grounds. Sen. Marco Rubio said there was ample reason to close the consulate.
“This consulate is basically a front,” Rubio said on Fox Business Network’s Mornings With Maria (Bartiromo). “It’s kind of the central node of a massive spy operation — commercial espionage, defense espionage, also influence agents to try to influence Congress …. So it’s long overdue to be closed.”
Rubio, the interim chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said embassy personnel have 72 hours to leave the country or face arrest.
After the Chinese were informed of the closure, Houston firefighters were dispatched to the consulate after smoke was seen. With embassies and consulates considered foreign territory, the firefighters were not permitted to enter embassy grounds, but Rubio said the conduct of consulate employees was to be expected.
“When your embassy or consulate is closed, they start destroying everything in there, they have a plan of destruction,” he told Bartiromo. “So, they’ll burn documents and shred documents and destroy computers and so forth.”
He predicted China’s retaliation would likely be the closure of a U.S. facility, “probably Wuhan.”
Two days later the Chinese ordered the U.S. to close its consulate in Chengdu, with Wuhan, the reported point of origin for the COVID-19 virus, another possibility. The Wuhan facility has been closed since its evacuation due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Funding more relief
Two months ago, the House passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act to provide more coronavirus relief. Senate Republicans are poised to reveal the details of a $1 trillion bill that would provide another $1,200 stimulus to individuals, unemployment benefits, funds to reopen schools, and relief to state and local governments.
There is already conservative pushback even on the Senate bill that is one-third the size of the House bill. Others say there has been little accounting of funds already appropriated.
Sen. Rick Scott and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin are asking fellow Senators to seek documentation from their states on how federal relief funds were allocated so far. In a letter to their Senate colleagues, they identified and thanked those who have already provided the information.
“We are disappointed in the lack of response from 42 states,” they wrote. “Therefore, we write today to ask that you consider encouraging the remaining states to immediately share this important information, which should be readily available, if not already submitted to the federal government for oversight activities by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.”
Florida and Wisconsin are among those states yet to provide the information. A similar letter went to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, the chair and vice-chair, respectively, of the National Governors Association.
The effort by Scott and Johnson illustrates a key subplot in the attempt to pass a new relief bill. Republicans are clearly divided on how to move forward with the extra unemployment benefits set to expire July 31 as Congress heads into the summer recess period.
In a major disappointment, Senate Republicans said their bill would not be ready until early next week.
Counting the undocumented
Last year, the Trump administration sought to include a question on the census form asking for the immigration status of respondents. The Supreme Court threw up a roadblock to the effort, but the administration pivoted and began to seek the same information from information already available.
Earlier this week, Trump signed a memorandum that would exclude those in the country illegally from counting toward determining the number of House of Representative districts and the distribution of federal dollars to affected states. Currently, districts are determined by roughly one representative for up to 700,000 residents
“We will collect all of the information we need to conduct an accurate census and to make responsible decisions about public policy, voting rights, and representation in Congress,” Trump said in announcing the memorandum.
Border states such as California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas would likely be affected the most, while Florida could also be impacted, but to a lesser extent.
“After failing to include a citizenship question in the census, the Trump Admin is again using the count as a cudgel against immigrant communities,” tweeted Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston. “Our Constitution is clear: EVERYONE must be counted & included for services and congressional apportionment.”
Some states have already begun sharing the data with the Census Bureau. Estimates on the number of undocumented immigrants range from 11 million to 30 million people.
“I’d like to provide a friendly reminder that the Constitution requires EVERYONE to be counted in the #Census,” tweeted Democratic Rep. Darren Soto of Kissimmee. “Our immigrant communities are here and they will not be erased by this divisive President.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is confident Trump will fail in the effort. Dale Ho, the director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project said: “We’ll see him in court, and win, again.”
On second thought
A little more than one month before it was set to begin, Trump announced the cancellation of the Jacksonville portion of the Republican National Convention. As Florida appears to be the epicenter of the coronavirus in the U.S. and large, possibly violent protests likely, the President said: “To have a big convention is not the right time.”
What will replace the Jacksonville portion is uncertain, but the Republican National Committee business will take place in Charlotte as scheduled. The reaction was a mix of disappointment and understanding.
St. Augustine Republican Rep. Michael Waltz appeared on Fox and Friends 12 hours after the announcement expressing disappointment for the local businesses that were already beginning to see reservations and other activity from delegates. Waltz, a member of the host committee along with Rep. John Rutherford, also said he understood the safety reasoning involved in the President’s call.
Local officials were equally disappointed and understanding.
“We appreciate President Donald Trump considering our public health and safety concerns in making this incredibly difficult decision,” said Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams. “As always, in Jacksonville, public safety is our No. 1 priority. President Donald Trump has once again has reaffirmed his commitment to the safety of Jacksonville, Florida, and the people of the United States of America.”
In the end, the GOP convention will likely look similar to the virtual gathering planned by Democrats earlier in the month.
Gaetz, Cheney tangle
Last year when Democrats were divided on whether to impeach Trump, caucus meetings yielded different perspectives, but any animosity that might have existed remained behind closed doors with few leaks. In a significant role reversal, Republicans are now battling each other on spending, foreign policy and military deployments, with their fissures now spilling into the open for the world to see.
Gaetz made a significant contribution to that dynamic this week. The Fort Walton Beach Republican and some members of the conservative Freedom Caucus, blasted Rep. Liz Cheney, the GOP Conference chair, for her occasional disagreements with Trump policies.
While most of the criticism came during a conference meeting, Gaetz used his podcast to tell Cheney it was time for her to go.
“I do not believe that Liz Cheney is the right person to lead the House Republican Conference into this upcoming November election,” Gaetz said. “Liz Cheney should step down or be removed.”
In addition to Cheney’s jabs at Trump, Gaetz and his colleagues hold a grudge that she backed a primary challenger — as did Trump — to Kentucky conservative Republican Thomas Massie.
Cheney was diplomatic, pointing out to Fox & Friends that “we don’t always agree,” but added she has voted with Trump 97% of the time. She said in the end, “we are going to be absolutely united” and pledging “I’m not going anyplace.”
Gaetz was also in the news this week after a POLITICO piece accused him of violating ethics rules involving taxpayer dollars used to fund a studio and the hiring of a speechwriting consultant. Gaetz denied any wrongdoing and was working to correct the highlighted “glorified clerical error” on the consultant arrangement while maintaining the studio matter was proper.
Earlier this month, the Office of Congressional Ethics ended a preliminary investigation into the leasing of office space by Gaetz from a supporter and former business associate. That investigation began after another POLITICO investigative piece.
AOC and the b-word
One says he didn’t direct abusive words to the other, yet offers a tepid apology, while the other says she does not accept whatever it is he is offering. Yoho, who is seldom seen or quoted by the major media, was suddenly featured by nearly every political publication after a dust-up with New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who seldom spends a day out of the limelight.
“You are out of your freaking mind,” Yoho was allegedly overheard saying to Ocasio-Cortez as they crossed paths outside the Capitol this week. Those who heard the exchange said Yoho then used the words “f***ing bitch” as they continued in opposite directions. He denied using the vulgar term to Ocasio-Cortez directly.
The Gainesville Republican attempted to apologize on the House floor for the “abrupt” conversation with Ocasio-Cortez.
“The offensive name-calling words attributed to me by the press were never spoken to my colleagues and if they were construed that way, I apologize for their misunderstanding,” Yoho said. “It is true that we disagree on policies and visions for America, but that does not mean we should be disrespectful.”
However, the Congresswoman ceremoniously rejected the apology on Twitter.
“I will not teach my nieces and young people watching that this an apology, and what they should learn to accept,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “Yoho is refusing responsibility.”
In another, she said she “gets along fine” with Republicans. That prompted Yoho’s colleague Gaetz to offer his own description of the first-term representative.
“I can confirm that AOC gets along w many of her Republican colleagues on a range of things that don’t have anything to do w legislation or politics,” he tweeted. “She is not a bitch.”
Going forward, Yoho pledged to “conduct myself from a place of passion and understanding that policy and political disagreement be vigorously debated,” He is retiring at the end of the current term.
Stormy weather
As if COVID-19 is not bad enough, Florida is heading into the more active portion of the hurricane season. Among those publicly urging Floridians to prepare for the worst is Rep. Michael Waltz.
The St. Augustine Republican has joined with The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore on a public service announcement to urge residents to develop a plan, and practice that plan, before trouble arrives. Cantore is the face of the network’s hurricane coverage, traveling to the highest impacted areas of each hurricane.
Glad to join @JimCantore from the @weatherchannel for an important PSA on hurricane preparedness.
Dangerous weather can happen anytime, anywhere. Make sure to create a plan to ensure you & your family are prepared. When we prepare together, we can weather any storm. Don't wait! pic.twitter.com/taAFTzZWMj
— Congressman Waltz Press (@RepWaltzPress) July 21, 2020
“Dangerous weather can happen anytime, anywhere,” Waltz says on the video. “I’m Congressman Michael Waltz, and I’m constantly working to make sure Florida is prepared for severe weather.”
Cantore focuses on developing family plans with the video that concludes with both saying “When we prepare together, we can weather any storm.”
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center forecasts 13-19 named storms, including three to six major hurricanes of category three or higher.
Time running out
Crist doesn’t want the clock to run out on federal unemployment benefits.
He released a statement Thursday calling for the Senate to respond quickly to extend the weekly $600 federal benefits — set to expire at the end of July — that were included in the Heroes Act passed by the House of Representatives back in May.
Crist called on the Senate to extend the $600 weekly benefits and provide nearly $1 trillion in state and local relief to prevent the layoffs of vital employees like teachers and firefighters.
The St. Petersburg Democrat also advocated for an additional $1,200 stimulus check and to allocate billions of dollars to meet the needs of testing, tracing, care and vaccine research. He also wants Gov. Ron DeSantis to extend the statewide moratorium on evictions.
“With millions of Americans without work, small businesses hit the hardest and families unsure of when and how they’ll earn their next paycheck, the people are crying out for help,” said Crist.
“Seventy days ago, the People’s House answered that call and passed The Heroes Act, a $3 trillion package that rises to meet the dual economic and health crises facing our nation. In those 70 days since Sen. McConnell called for a ‘pause’ on COVID relief, millions more Americans have lost their jobs and the virus has hit a tragic and tragically foreseeable second stride. Americans are begging for relief, the House has acted. It’s time for the Senate to step up.”
Homes for vets
Just one week after the introduction of bipartisan legislation aimed at enhancing mental health care for veterans, Rep. Gus Bilirakis announced that legislation he introduced more than a year ago has passed and is on its way to becoming law.
The Ryan Kules Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act looks to improve and expand the Veteran’s Affairs Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant program, which provides grants to the nation’s most severely disabled veterans. Funds from the grant can be used to meet these veterans’ unique housing needs while also assisting with buying, building, revising, and remodeling adaptive homes that are barrier-free.
Retired Army Captain Kules, who serves as the Director of Combat Stress Recovery at the Wounded Warrior Project, was among those facing challenges of buying a suitable home compatible with their injuries. To be eligible for this grant, veterans typically have lost at least two limbs or are reliant on a wheelchair.
“When I heard of the challenges Ryan faced when he wanted to buy a new home to accommodate his growing family, because he could not use the SAH benefit a second time due to program limitations, I knew something needed to be done,” Bilirakis said in a news release. “Many of these young and severely wounded warriors are returning home in their early twenties.”
Specifically, the bill will give prioritization in completing SAH grants to those with serious or terminal illnesses, increases the number of times a veteran can use the SAH grant from three to six, and increases the dollar cap amount on the payments by 15%. In addition, it authorizes the VA to provide additional SAH funding to veterans whose home no longer meets their needs 10 years after they had used the funding for their first grant.
“As they mature and (veterans’) circumstances change through marriage, the birth of additional children, etc., they need a benefit that changes with them so that they can fully enjoy their lives, Bilirakis continued. “Our bill helps to make that happen. I am proud we were finally able to push this important bill across the finish line.”
Kules called the vote “a great step toward ensuring wounded veterans have access to flexible resources to adapt their homes, which helps meet their changing needs throughout life.” The bill is co-sponsored by California Democrat Rep. Mike Levin, Chairman of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee.
The great outdoors
Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor hailed this week’s passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, a bill originally sponsored by the late Rep. John Lewis, as one of the “most significant investments in environmental conservation” made by Congress in a generation.
The bill — which passed the Senate in June and the House of Representatives this week — will fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund and work toward fixing maintenance issues at national parks.
Castor said that the fund has benefited some of the most special places in Florida and that protecting wild spaces will take a larger emphasis in the future due to climate change.
“Floridians understand that our public lands and water are central to our way of life and our economy,” she said. “We know that the changing climate poses a threat to everything we hold dear in Florida, and we also know that LCWF plays a powerful role in mitigating the climate crisis and restoring critical ecosystems and wildlife populations.
“In Florida, these funds are especially important to conserving and restoring wetlands that serve as hurricane storm buffers and protecting habitats that are shrinking as a result of rising temperatures and other climate impacts.”
Rep. Francis Rooney, a co-sponsor of the bill, hailed it as a giant success for Florida.
“Southwest Florida is home to some of the most beautiful and treasured natural landscapes,” said Rooney. “Throughout my time in Congress, I have worked to make certain that SWFL is given the resources needed to maintain its environmental quality. The Great American Outdoors Act is an extended effort to do just that.”
The Nature Conservancy supported passing the Great American Outdoors Act for the positive effect it could have on the preservation of the habitat of the Florida Panther, and it lauded Castor on Twitter for her support in helping to bring the legislation to fruition.
Crist, who also supported the act, noted that the LWCF has invested more than $1 million to protect Florida landmarks such as the Everglades, Osceola National Park, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and many other notable open spaces.
Reps. Soto, Buchanan and Brian Mast all celebrated the passage of the bill.
Honoring fallen soldier
Rep. Buchanan passed legislation as part of the National Defense Authorization Act to honor a constituent and help make service members safer in the future.
Buchanan’s amendment was inspired by Army Spc. Nicholas Panipinto, who died last November when an M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle rolled over during a road test.
The amendment will require the Pentagon to examine emergency medical services at U.S. military bases. If the NDAA is signed into law by the President, Buchanan’s amendment would require the Department of Defense to assess emergency response capabilities and services currently available at every U.S. military base around the world.
Buchanan cited a report by the Congressional Research Service that found that 32% of all military deaths between 2006 and 2018 were a result of training accidents, and only 16% of military deaths occurred in engagement with an enemy. In 2017 alone, nearly four times as many service members were killed in training than they were in action.
“The highest tribute that can be paid to the life of SPC Panipinto,” said Buchanan, “Is that the Defense Department will make sure that future military personnel who are injured during training exercises can quickly receive high-quality medical treatment that might help save their lives.”
Tougher on terror
Rep. Deutch wedged a pair of anti-terrorism bills as amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act that passed the House of Representatives this week.
The first bill, the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, is named after a Deutch constituent who is believed to have been held captive in Iran.
The former FBI agent disappeared in Iran in 2007 and his passing was announced by his family earlier this year. The bill named for Levinson is designed to strengthen United States government recovery efforts of American hostages abroad.
“Last year we named this bill in Bob’s honor as a symbol to him and his family that Congress had not forgotten about him,” said Rep. Deutch. “We adopted this amendment in Bob’s memory so that other families who have loved ones held hostage abroad won’t have to work as hard as the Levinsons did to get their loved one returned to them alive. This amendment will strengthen our hand to return American hostages home to their families.”
The second bill, Countering Global White Supremacist Terrorism Act, is designed to strengthen the U.S. government’s counterterrorism efforts against transnational white supremacy groups.
That legislation calls for the State Department to assess the global threat and develop a strategy to counter white identity terrorism. It also requires Country Reports on Terrorism to include credible information about white identity terrorism and a separate report on sanctions.
“The House of Representatives agreed that targeting transnational white supremacist groups is a national security priority,” said Deutch.
“We’re calling on the administration to develop a whole-of-government strategy to confront these terror groups just as it does with other extremist groups.”
Teachers, not martyrs
One of the areas of contention between Republicans in the struggle for a new coronavirus relief bill (see “Funding more relief” above) is additional funding for schools. Democrats are seeking $100 billion for schools, while some Republicans could go along with that if significant resources are directed toward ensuring schools can open safely next month.
Florida is among the most focused states in having students in classrooms. Pointing to health risks, that focus brought about a lawsuit from the Florida Education Association (FEA) and a hyperbolic rebuke from a Democratic Congresswoman.
“Florida educators are having to fight for their safety in court because @GovRonDeSantis is threatening to prematurely open schools,” tweeted Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell of Miami. “Our teachers are heroes … but they shouldn’t be asked to choose between their health and their jobs. They are educators, not martyrs.”
After proclaiming insufficient funding and infrastructure, FEA President Fedrick Ingram is calling for a “practical” plan that is “phased in.” The FEA position looks reasonable when compared to their Los Angeles counterparts, who demand that before schools can be reopened, charter schools must be shut down, police defunded, and Medicare-for-all approved, among other demands.
On the other extreme, Trump earlier pledged to withhold federal education funds to those states and districts that do not reopen.
As the relief bill takes shape, those wishing schools to immediately reopen will likely be forced to accept higher funding for education. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier this week Republicans will offer around $105 billion for education.
Caregiving Economy
Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s ‘caregiving economy’ plan resonates deeply with Mucarsel-Powell, who emigrated to the United States at age 14 and said the plan to add 3 million new jobs in caregiving and early education will greatly aid Latino families.
Mucarsel-Powell has said many times that the COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting members of minority communities, and Latino families have been hit doubly hard because they frequently work in essential industries and cannot always afford child care.
Caregiving and early education are both professions that are high-risk and essential to the economy, and Mucarsel-Powell said it makes sense to incentivize them both for the good of society but also for the benefits they provide to working families around the country.
“I know that Vice President Joe Biden understands the challenges and stress of caregiving. Vice President Biden has taken care of aging parents,” she said. “He’s been a single parent himself. Vice President Biden knows hard it is to raise a family and to care for a sick family member. He knows how hard it is for millions of Americans — especially Latino families — who are just trying to make ends meet. I don’t think the President we have in the White House, Donald Trump gets it.”
On this day
July 24, 1974 — A watershed moment in the Watergate investigation arrived as the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled President Richard Nixon must turn over documents and tape recordings of 64 White House conversations. Nixon said he would comply “in all aspects,” while his attorney said it would take some time to properly prepare them for release.
The ruling places the President in a precarious position with leading Republicans previously urging him to turn over the tapes in order to avoid impeachment. At the same time, the House Judiciary Committee was holding their first televised impeachment debate
July 24, 2019 — Before a packed House Judiciary Committee hearing room, Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified about his recently-released report that found no evidence Trump colluded with Russia. In a sometimes-halting presentation, Mueller insisted his investigation was not a “witch hunt” and reaffirmed his team did not clear the President of obstruction of justice and also confirmed Russia had interfered in the 2016 election.
Five delegation members of the committee, Democrats Deutch, Demings and Mucarsel-Powell, along with Republicans Matt and Greg, questioned Mueller in totally different tones, depending on political party. After the hearing, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she will not pursue impeachment for now.
Happy birthday
Greetings to Rep. Charlie Crist (July 24).
