Delegation for 10.9.20: Debates over? — Chinese media — relief now — Big Tech — Lightning celebrated

No more debates?

This week’s debate encounter between Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence was 90 minutes focusing mostly on policy with limited interruptions. Both had clear goals with Pence seeking to frame the election as a choice between Joe Biden and President Donald Trump, while Harris consistently portrayed the election as a referendum on the President.

While the debates between the No. 2 people on the tickets do not move poll numbers, this one was anticipated for the fact that the first presidential debate was such a disaster. Both candidates dodged questions with Harris declining to answer whether Biden will go along with packing the Supreme Court and Pence dancing around whether the White House event introducing Judge Amy Coney Barrett was a “super spreader” of COVID 19.

Some, like Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson, thought the debate should not happen at all, feeling the Vice President should be quarantined. Wilson said via social media “he should not be on a debate stage spreading the coronavirus! HELP AMERICA! SPEAK OUT!” There were no reports of Pence testing positive.

The Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus, led by Pence, was a repeated line of attack by Harris. Pence recited actions taken by the administration and repeated the administration’s consistent response that the virus originated in China.

“Tonight Sen. Harris basically said America, not China, is in the wrong,” tweeted Sen. Marco Rubio.

Harris pointed toward the loss of millions of jobs and businesses, blaming Trump for most of them. She frequently referred to Biden’s plan for economic recovery.

“So proud of @KamalaHarris for presenting #BidenHarris2020 economic vision to #SaveAmerica,” tweeted Democratic Rep. Darren Soto of Kissimmee. ‘It’s about investing in the people of our country!’”

The star of the final three minutes was the fly that landed on Pence’s head and was apparently unable to fly away. The Biden campaign cleverly began selling campaign fly swatters within hours of the debate.

It is within the realm of possibility that the Harris/Pence debate could be the final debate of the cycle. When the Commission on Presidential Debates unexpectedly announced Tuesday’s town hall debate in Miami would be conducted virtually, Trump quickly responded he would not participate.

Bill Stepien, Trump’s quarantined campaign manager, said the President will have “posted multiple negative tests before the debate” and called the decision to cancel “pathetic.” The Biden camp sent word they will attend the remaining debates as scheduled. Deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said in a statement that “Trump doesn’t make the debate; the debate commission does.”

The President indicated he would attend a rally instead, providing he tests negative for COVID. Biden will take part in a town hall organized by ABC News.

The final debate is still scheduled for October 22 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Monitoring Chinese journalists

Six months ago, China expelled American journalists working in their country. Credentials were not renewed for reporters working for The New York Times, Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.

Sen. Rick Scott believes some curbs on Chinese journalists working in the U.S. are in order. He has joined with Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee to sponsor the Chinese-Backed Media Accountability Act, which Scott claims would create accountability for China’s censorship of free speech and failure to treat American journalists fairly.

“For years, the Communist government in China has tried to push its propaganda in America through state-owned media outlets, while refusing to treat American journalists in China fairly,” Scott said in a news release announcing the bill. “General Secretary Xi (Jinping) wants to punish anyone that disagrees with him and has built his regime on censorship of free speech. We can’t allow this to continue and we have to take action.”

The bill seeks an accounting of the Chinese journalists in the U.S., subjects journalists to a 90-day visa renewal, and requires the number of Chinese journalists in the U.S. to match the number of American journalists in China. The bill further requires a report from the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security on the monitoring of “state-run” journalists.

“We have to stand up and say that this behavior by Communist China is unacceptable, and I look forward to my colleagues supporting this proposal,” Scott added.

Relief can’t wait

Trump shocked leaders of both parties when he instructed his lead negotiators — Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin — to break off negotiations with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a coronavirus aid package. He claimed Pelosi and Democrats were “not negotiating in good faith” and put off getting a bill until after the election.

The response from numerous Democrats was swift, accusing the President of abandoning those in need. The White House had recently increased their offer to $1.6 trillion to cover funding for small businesses, an airline industry bailout, stimulus checks to individuals and $250 billion for state and local governments.

Republicans blasted the House Democrats’ decision not to take something now instead of holding out for White House acceptance of the $2.2 trillion HEROES Act 2.0. Rubio was among a small group of Republicans indirectly criticizing the halt in talks.

“Don’t wait until after [the] election to pass another round of #PPP #SmallBusiness need it immediately,” the chair of the Senate Small Business Committee tweeted.

Whether that tweet — or a combination of factors — prompted the President to alter course, Trump began to seek individual bills for stimulus checks and help for small business and the airlines.

Pelosi rejected an airline stand-alone bill, demanding a comprehensive package instead.

Confronting ‘Big Tech’

The growing dominance of some “Big Tech” companies has both Democrats and Republicans on the same side. In July, the CEO’s of Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon faced tough questions from the members of the House Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee that includes Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz and Greg Steube.

Both sides expressed concern over the tech giants’ power over competitors with Republicans claiming conservatives face an extra burden of being censored. This week, subcommittee Democrats issued a report seeking to rein in the companies that included steps to force them to spin off their platforms from their other lines of business. It did not discuss any bias toward Republicans.

Subcommittee Republicans joined with Judiciary Committee ranking member Jim Jordan of Ohio to issue their own document, focusing on what they describe is hostility toward the party and conservatives in general. The 28-page report chronicles what they describe as a pattern by Google, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Amazon to single out those with whom the companies’ leadership disagrees.

“The evidence against Big Tech is overwhelming and these companies need to be held accountable for their clear ideological discrimination against conservatives,” Steube said in a news release. “If Big Tech can’t be fair and balanced, they should not receive any immunities under Section 230,” referring to the protection offered by law for providers who merely provide a forum for speech.

Other subcommittee Republicans offered another report led by Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado that praised portions of the Democratic report, while also seeking to tweak some items while arguing against others. Gaetz was one of the co-authors.

“These predatory companies have used their vast size to unfairly harm competition and consumers,” Gaetz said in a joint release. “This has had many negative effects, including the widespread censorship of conservative voices, which is only possible due to the sheer size and scale of these companies.

“While I do not agree with all of the legislative remedies proposed in the majority’s report, Rep. Ken Buck’s ‘Third Way’ shows that there is a great deal of common ground that can be found.”

In July, Gaetz made a criminal referral to the Department of Justice, accusing Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg of providing false testimony to Congress in 2018.

Energy exploration halted

In order to achieve the status of a worldwide leader in energy production, the Trump administration constructs pipelines, engages in fracking, and a process known as seismic air gun testing on the ocean floor, among others. The practice, known to adversely affect mammals such as dolphins or whales, has drawn legal challenges in court from environmentalists.

During a recent case status conference, the industry revealed they would not be engaging in the practice this year or for possibly several years. Rep. John Rutherford remarked that the news was “outstanding” and “proof that bipartisan action delivers results.”

“Since coming to Congress, I have been proud to fight alongside many of my colleagues to prevent offshore drilling and seismic testing off our coast and today’s announcement is very encouraging,” Rutherford told the Fernandina Beach News-Leader. “But the fight does not end here. We’ll keep pushing forward with legislation that protects our coastal communities, tourism economy, military operations, and diverse ocean habitat.”

Some of these mammals off the coast of Georgia and Northeast Florida rely on sound to feed, mate and communicate. Rutherford said that seismic testing “would not only disrupt our delicate ocean ecosystem, but it would also interfere with our military operations in the Atlantic.”

In 2018, a coalition of nine attorneys general from East Coast states joined a lawsuit that Oceana, National Resources Defense Council, and others filed in South Carolina to prevent seismic air gun blasting in the Atlantic Ocean. Also joining them were eight different fish-related-entities, five Governors that included then-Florida Gov. Scott, and more than 240 East Coast municipalities.

Food programs extended

Food insecurity has been an issue of concern for 5th Congressional District Rep. Al Lawson. The Tallahassee-based Democrat, who also represents a portion of Jacksonville, has joined calls to extend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the COVID pandemic, including co-sponsoring legislation to do that.

In July, he joined with Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge and others to co-sponsor the Emergency SNAP Flexibilities Extension Act that eliminates red tape to give states additional flexibility to process surges in SNAP applications brought about by the pandemic. According to Fudge, 17 million children were not getting enough to eat during the summer.

The bill was rolled into the stopgap spending bill which passed last week to avoid a government shutdown. Lawson, who sits on the House Agriculture Committee, worked with colleagues to obtain a successful result.

“I’m pleased that my efforts to extend pandemic SNAP waivers and EBT extensions to families who are struggling to put food on their tables during this difficult time was included in this bill,” said Lawson. “The pandemic is far from over, and this bill will make sure that American families continue to have access to nutritious food.”

The Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), formerly known as food stamps, is renewed for another year and increases the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s school meal commitment through the pandemic.

Teacher tax deduction

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were often forced to purchase basic supplies for their classrooms, but now they must sometimes purchase air purifiers, cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, and other items to protect themselves and students.

In response, Rep. Stephanie Murphy and Indiana Republican Jackie Walorski, both members of the Ways and Means Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure that K-12 teachers can claim a federal tax deduction for these purchases.

The Supporting Educators During COVID-19 Act is a response to concerns expressed to Murphy by educators in the Central Florida area. They informed her they were buying these supplies with their own money and not seeing reimbursement.

“No teacher in America should feel compelled to purchase air purifiers, cleaning products, and masks for their classrooms with their hard-earned money in order to keep their students and themselves safe,” the Winter Park Democrat said in a news release. “School districts should cover the cost of those purchases with help from the federal government.”

Murphy points to a provision in the federal tax code known as the “educator expense tax deduction” which allows an elementary or secondary school teacher to deduct up to $250 per tax year for the unreimbursed purchase of supplies and equipment. This can be claimed by teachers regardless of whether they take the standard tax deduction or itemize them on their tax returns.

“As congressional gridlock continues to prevent us from sending additional resources to our K-12 schools, this bipartisan bill will ensure that, at the very least, educators who buy these products will be able to claim a tax deduction for those purchases,” Murphy added.

In July, Murphy wrote a letter to the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) asking whether air purifiers, cleaning supplies and PPE qualified for the deduction. Last month, the IRS responded that such purchases did not qualify, based on their reading of the federal tax code.

Murphy’s bill would require the IRS to issue regulations “to clarify that the educator expense tax deduction includes expenses for personal protective equipment and other supplies related to the prevention of the spread of COVID-19.”

In the meantime, Murphy said: “I’ll keep urging congressional leaders to enact another COVID relief bill that supports students, teachers and schools.”

Biden backs Crist

Among Biden’s most consistent supporters in Florida is Rep. Charlie Crist. While the Democratic field of candidates for President numbered nearly 20 and Biden was gaining little traction, the St. Petersburg Democrat endorsed the former Vice President on September 19, 2019.

Just over a year later, Biden is returning the favor, endorsing the two-term congressman in his race for another term over Republican Anna Paulina Luna. Crist is heavily favored to win reelection, but Luna is running a tough campaign.

“Congressman Crist delivers on the issues Floridians care about most — access to good health care, preserving Florida’s coastlines and bodies of water, and making sure workers have access to good-paying jobs,” the Democratic presidential nominee said. “He is a tireless advocate for the veterans of Pinellas County and the working families in the Tampa Bay area. I am proud to endorse Charlie Crist for Congress.”

Political pundit Larry Sabato, who publishes the Sabato Crystal Ball, recently elevated Crist’s race as “Safe Democrat.” The most recent poll showed Crist with a 16-point lead.

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of Vice President Biden,” said Crist. “He is a man of integrity and will bring civility back to the White House. I am grateful for the words of support and I am looking forward to serving another term under a Biden administration.”

Enhancing school nutrition

Ensuring underprivileged children have enough to eat has been an additional concern during the pandemic. The havoc COVID 19 has inflicted on livelihoods, schools and food programs has prompted delegation Democrats to urge the Trump administration to use recently-approved funding to help alleviate the problem.

Delray Beach Democrat Alcee Hastings led a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Agriculture Sonny Perdue and USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Administrator Pam Miller, calling on them to use the authority provided to them in the recent stopgap budget bill to help children in need.

“We believe you should make full use of the broad authorities granted to you in Congress’ comprehensive COVID-19 relief bills and the recently passed continuing resolution to extend child nutrition flexibilities through the end of Fiscal Year 21, and utilize the authority to access such sums as are necessary in order to ensure that our children have access to nutritious food,” the letter reads.

“Such authorities are crucial tools in preventing school nutrition programs from becoming more financially untenable.”

The lawmakers said between February and August of this year, an estimated 11 million jobs were lost with an estimated 8 to 15 million children living in a household that was unable to afford food resulting in these children not eating enough throughout the day.

“As our nation battles a dual pandemic and economic crisis, we must redouble our efforts to ensure our children and their families can access healthy meals preventing the physical, emotional, and mental harm that hunger can bring,” Hastings said in a news release. “Our schools, educators, and administrators are already stretched thin feeding and educating our communities’ children and they are in dire need of the relief authorized by Congress.

Foreign aid needed

When Congress begins to look for areas to cut in the federal budget, defense and foreign aid are frequent targets for slashing. A bipartisan pair of Florida representatives recently spoke out on foreign aid and agree that cutting foreign aid during the ongoing pandemic could lead to instability in regions of the world.

Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch of Boca Raton and Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Hialeah joined Florida political, business, and community leaders in a virtual town hall to discuss the importance of working beyond party lines to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was sponsored by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC).

“We cannot lose momentum in the fight against this deadly pandemic at home and abroad,” said Diaz-Balart. “We can slow the global spread of COVID-19 and ease the impact on our health, economy and well-being — but only by working together — and why our country’s global health, diplomacy, and development programs are critical to [protecting] the health and safety of all Americans — in Florida and across the country.”

The USGLC maintains that U.S. international engagement is crucial to deal with the pandemic, from a global health perspective as well as an economic one, especially in Florida, where over 2.2 million jobs in the state are tied to international trade and exports to foreign markets total more than $55 billion a year.

“Global health security is closely tied to national security. To protect our country during this pandemic, we must also do our part to help counter COVID-19 in the global community and resources for the CDC, USAID, and State Department are critical to [accomplishing] this,” said Deutch. “As a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I know how vital America’s global engagement is to address complex challenges like COVID-19.”

Diaz-Balart is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

Alzheimer’s bill passes

The House has approved legislation sponsored by Deutch that would support professionals dealing with those living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The Promoting Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act passed unanimously.

Deutch introduced the bill in May along with original co-sponsor Guy Reschenthaler, a Pennsylvania Republican. It directs the Department of Justice to develop best practices and training materials for assisting professionals such as law enforcement, firefighters, emergency personnel, social workers, court officials and medical professionals — those who encounter and support people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia.

“With this vote, a unified House of Representatives voted to support the more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s and others living with forms of dementia and their families,” Deutch said in a news release. “For our loved ones living with this disease, we want the first responders and professionals caring for them to be properly trained in how to interact with them.”

This population is particularly vulnerable to scams as their condition makes it more difficult for them to communicate the crimes to law enforcement or to seek lifesaving assistance from first responders. Deutch says that during the coronavirus pandemic, having best practices will help first responders and other professionals effectively interact with people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia targeted by fraud and those in need.

“Whether it’s responding to emergency calls or protecting them from predatory scammers, these best practices will help prepare these health and emergency workers to properly respond to and care for them,” Deutch added.

Included among the bill’s 78 co-sponsors were Republican Reps. Rutherford, Gus Bilirakis, Francis Rooney and Ted Yoho. Democratic co-sponsors included Reps. Soto, Hastings, Wilson, Lawson, Val Demings, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Lois Frankel.

Shalala team cited

Rep. Donna Shalala was cited this week for both the quality of her office’s workplace as well as its performance. She was cited by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF).

The first-term representative from Coral Gables was one of two members of Congress to be selected for a Life in Congress — Workplace Environment Award. The CMF describes her congressional office as fostering “a welcome and positive office environment” and that “all staff members have regular access to the member.”

“I am honored to be recognized by the Congressional Management Foundation. From the moment I was elected to Congress, I promised my office would do its best to serve my constituents and this award is proof positive of our efforts,” she said. “I am committed to building on our achievements and continuously improving the service we provide to the people of Miami-Dade County.”

Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of CMF, congratulated Shalala and her staff “for not only being a model for her colleagues in Congress but for helping to restore trust and faith that our democratic institutions can work.”

Shalala was also a finalist in the category of constituent services. That award went to Republican Sen. John Cornyn’s office and the office of Massachusetts Democrat Seth Moulton.

She was one of only two members of Congress to be nominated in two categories, joining Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

On this day

October 9, 2005 — Officials from President George W. Bush on down cautioned that if the bird flu became a pandemic, millions of people around the world could die. Scientists linked the worst-case scenario to the 1918 Spanish flu that killed 40 million people.

“If the bird flu breaks out, (Hurricane) Katrina is going to seem relatively mild,” said Dr. John Sinnott from the University of South Florida. Bush’s top health official said the world is not ready for a pandemic and the President is reportedly considering the imposition of military quarantines if necessary.

October 9, 2016 — The second debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton was an aggressive encounter. Trump added to the open hostilities by vowing to prosecute Clinton if elected.

Clinton responded that it was good that a person with “the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law,” prompting Trump to interject “because you’d be in jail.” Moderator Anderson Cooper later pointedly used the term “sexual assault” toward Trump in reference to a recently-released recording of Trump bragging to Billy Bush about grabbing women. Trump quarreled with the term, saying he was engaging in “locker room talk.”

Resolution honors Lightning

A tradition on Capitol Hill continued this week with the introduction of a resolution in the Senate congratulating the Tampa Bay Lightning for winning hockey’s Stanley Cup. The salute was sponsored both by Scott and Rubio.

The resolution mentioned every player on the roster. Singled out for high praise was defenseman Victor Hedman, who was chosen as the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs and right wing (his position, not political philosophy) Nikita Kucherov, who tallied the most points in the playoffs.

“It is my honor to introduce this resolution recognizing the Tampa Bay Lightning for winning the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals,” Scott said in a joint statement. “After years of hard work, a difficult season away from family and playing without fans in the seats, the Lightning made Floridians proud by bringing the Stanley Cup back to Tampa Bay for the first time since 2004. I join all Floridians in celebrating this victory, and in looking forward to another great season next year. Go Bolts!”

Politicians from both parties routinely introduce resolutions honoring teams from their states who win a major sports championship. This marked the first time a Florida team won a championship since the Miami Heat won back-to-back championships in 2012-13.

“The Tampa Bay Lightning had an incredible 2020 season, and I am honored to be able to recognize the team, as well as the entire organization, on winning the Stanley Cup,” Rubio said. “I am proud that Tampa, Florida is home to this amazing organization, and it is fitting that this resolution permanently honors their incredible achievement.”