Delegation for 2.14.23: Crash — aliens? — memorial — sea change — slap down

Computer crash

The decision by Twitter to censor a story about Hunter Biden’s stolen laptop continues to drive action in Washington. The House Oversight Committee held a hearing this week on the matter, where numerous members of Florida’s congressional delegation had spotlight roles.

Rep. Byron Donalds, a Naples Republican, has pushed on the de-platforming of a New York Post article on the computer. The platform originally questioned allowing news based on potentially hacked information amid questions of whether the device was legitimately one dropped off by the son of President Joe Biden. But since that time, the veracity of the laptop has been confirmed, elevating anger over the censorship.

“The Twitter executives at our hearing repeatedly stated that they could not recall who from the Biden team they communicated with, but when shown this email exchange, which included random URLs of tweets, they were acutely aware of the details of each specific URL,” Donalds wrote in his weekly newsletter. “We need answers!”

But Rep. Maxwell Frost, an Orlando Democrat, noted the laptop was hardly the only time a presidential campaign questioned if content should remain on Twitter. He had a memorable exchange about a Chrissy Teigen tweet calling former President Donald Trump an expletive.

“It was not my intention to get PAB in the Congressional Record, but I’m glad the hearing wasn’t a complete waste of time,” Frost later tweeted.

At the hearing with Twitter executives, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said it was distinctly troublesome that social media were communicating with federal sources at all about the censorship of information. Luna called the communications “highly illegal.” She grilled Yoel Roth, former head of safety and integrity, about communicating with the federal government on private servers. She came to the hearing with printed flowcharts she said provides coordination between Twitter, “leftist nonprofits” and organizations communicating “their version of misinformation” using the private cloud server Jiro.

But Democrats have increasingly started to treat the interest in the laptop as an obsession and a distraction from actual governance. Rep. Jared Moskowitz joked about that during a short break in proceedings.

“Power is out in the House Oversight Hearing Room and areas of the Capital,” he tweeted. “Republicans focus grouping whether to blame Hunter Biden.”

I want to believe

Has the Chinese spy balloon drama confirmed apprehensions raised by Sen. Marco Rubio for years?

Florida’s senior Senator has at times endured ridicule for demanding answers on unidentified flying objects (UFOs).

“We have things flying over military installations, over military exercises and other places, and we don’t know what it is,” he told Fox Business in early 2021, for example. “It isn’t ours. It isn’t anything that’s registered to the Federal Aviation Administration. And in many cases exhibits attributes of things we’ve never seen technologically, the kinds of technology we haven’t seen before. At least that’s what it seems like.”

The association between UFOs and science fiction about aliens from outer space fueled both attention from true believers — and derision from those painting him as a nut.

Those looking at past tweets and headlines often know the Senator was more interested in spyware than little green men. But following news the U.S. military shot down four unidentified objects in eight days, the Senator sounds like a man vindicated.

“The last 72 hours revealed to the public what has been happening for years, unidentified aircraft routinely operating over restricted U.S. airspace,” he tweeted. “This is why I pushed to take this seriously and created a permanent UAP task force two years ago.”

He linked to previous coverage in 2021 when Rubio, in his role on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called for increased data collection and transparency from the Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon Task Force.

Mitch slap

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has protested the notion he in any way punished Sen. Rick Scott for mounting a leadership challenge against McConnell. But he also took to conservative radio last week to assert Florida’s junior Senator may be in trouble with voters.

McConnell spoke to Kentucky radio host Terry Meiners shortly after the State of the Union and discussed the lingering disagreement with Scott over the “Rescue America” plan released last year.

After Biden hammered the entire Republican caucus for wanting to “sunset” Social Security and Medicare, it drew new attention to the message that Scott, as head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, wanted Senate Republicans to run on nationwide. McConnell distanced the GOP Senate caucus from the position but said Scott can’t do the same.

“Unfortunately, that was the Scott plan,” McConnell said. “It’s not a Republican plan. That was the Rick Scott plan.” He also suggested Scott’s proposal was to raise taxes on half the American people.

Scott, of course, has protested the notion he ever proposed an end to the programs. His plan called for a sunset and review of all ongoing federal spending, implying good spending would pass muster and stay. In the wake of renewed attention, Scott at a roundtable this weekend in Sun City Center announced his Protect Our Seniors Act, which among other things would make it nearly impossible for Congress to cut or reduce Medicare or Social Security spending.

“It establishes a rule to prevent cuts to Medicare and Social Security. If it is determined that any legislation will cause a cut or reduction in Medicare or Social Security, this rule will force two-thirds of Congress to vote to approve it, making it much more difficult for Congress to make cuts or reduce benefits,” Scott said.

Scott of late has unearthed decades-old proposals by Biden when he served in the Senate to cut Social Security.

But McConnell for his part voiced out loud the fear voters will more closely associate Scott to an agenda he announced in 2020 than they will Democrats to Biden proposals in 1995 or 1975. He circled back to the Scott plan, dismissing Scott’s protestations to its contents.

“I mean, it’s just a bad idea,” McConnell said. “I think it will be a challenge for him to deal with this in his own reelection in Florida, a state with more elderly people than any state in America.”

Cheap repairs

Advances in proprietary automobile technology can mean more repairs at the dealer instead of mom-and-pop shops. But Rep. Neal Dunn said Congress can level the playing field. The REPAIR Act (HR 906) would require manufacturers to provide consumers with access to data on vehicles, including any critical repair information, to ensure choices for service.

“When it comes to repairing their automobiles, consumers deserve options,” the Panama City Republican said. “The REPAIR Act would give owners, including the rural communities in my district, secure access to critical data so their chosen service center can replace parts and repair their vehicles. I am proud to support competition in the vehicle repair industry.”

Dunn introduced the bill with Democratic Reps. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, as well as GOP Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio.

Gluesenkamp Perez similarly stressed the importance of remote areas.

“Working families in rural America can’t afford to take a day off to drive their car to the dealership for a costly repair,” she said. “The REPAIR Act is a bipartisan solution to improve vehicle data access laws to give working families more choices for repair when their car breaks down.”

Foreign affairs

Rep. Michael Waltz, a former Green Beret, just landed a couple of key committee assignments further entrenching him in foreign policy. He was appointed to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“Our country is facing many threats from adversaries around the world, including the Chinese Communist Party,” the St. Augustine Beach Republican said. “It is critical we address those threats head-on and hold the Biden Administration accountable for its national security policy.”

He will serve on the House Intelligence Subcommittees on Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency and Cyber, and on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittees on Indo-Pacific and Oversight and Accountability.

“I am ready to get to work to ensure our Intelligence Community remains focused on countering the espionage efforts of our foreign adversaries, especially the CCP, and to ensure political motives are not factored into their decision-making,” he said.

Superfund site

The Environmental Protection Agency will direct $5 million to a Superfund site in North Tampa, part of $1 billion approved in last year’s infrastructure package. The grant will go to clean up the Southern Solvent Superfund Site.

Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, announced the news in a video conference with EPA Administrator Michael Regan and Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat.

“With this new funding, Administrator Regan is providing the good news of hope for a healthier, more prosperous tomorrow for many communities, including Tampa Bay,” Castor said.

“Through Superfund cleanups, we are revitalizing neighborhoods, putting Americans in good-paying jobs, and cleaning up the places people call home. Thanks to the over $5 million awarded to clean up Southern Solvent, a former dry cleaning solvent distributor in Tampa, we’ll be able to clean up soil contamination and limit further groundwater contamination.

“My North Tampa neighbors know that this site has been on the EPA’s radar since 1999 when it was first issued a cleanup plan — now, thanks to strong bipartisan action, funds are headed home to address this contaminated site.”

Regan said this is just the start of investment in environmental improvements.

“Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, we are moving faster than ever before to progress clean up at contaminated sites — from manufacturing facilities to landfills — in communities across the country,” Regan said. “But our work is not yet finished — we’re continuing to build on this momentum to ensure that communities living near many of the most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination finally get the investments and protections they deserve.”

Tax cut man

Rep. Vern Buchanan has filed legislation to prevent Donald Trump-era tax cuts from expiring.

“In 2017, Republicans delivered the most comprehensive overhaul of the U.S. tax code in more than three decades and achieved historic economic growth,” Buchanan said. “With Americans continuing to suffer under the weight of record-high inflation and an uncertain economic future, we need to provide some much-needed relief and certainty to hardworking families and Main Street businesses and ensure these tax cuts do not expire.”

The Longboat Key Republican introduced similar legislation last year when Democrats held a majority in the House.

The legislation addresses 23 provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Buchanan helped to craft that legislation as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee when Republicans last held a majority and Trump served as President. At the time, Buchanan served as Ways and Means Tax Policy Subcommittee Chair.

With Republicans not in charge of the House, the bill has a clearer path to passage, at least in Buchanan’s chamber. It still may be a challenge for the bill to become law as written. Democrats control the Senate, and Biden can veto a bill coming from Congress regardless.

Pump the brakes

Is “Motor Voter” a roadway to fraud? Rep. Greg Steube wants to repeal the provision of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 allowing people to register to vote when they get a driver’s license.

A big concern to the Sarasota Republican is the number of noncitizens who obtain licenses to drive.

“I’m introducing legislation that takes important steps to safeguard our elections and keep the federal government out of a task that should be left solely to each state,” Steube said. “U.S. citizens are the only ones who should vote in our elections. ‘Motor voter’ registration threatens election integrity by allowing registration with little proof of citizenship. Further, it forces election-related tasks on already overburdened DMV staff.”

He doesn’t want to repeal the entire law, he said, and still supports anti-fraud measures like cross-referencing of state voter rolls and punishments for fraudulently registering illegible people to vote.

Fast track

After Hurricane Ian, Rep. Scott Franklin pushed to streamline the grant process for small local governments. Now, he has refiled the Simplifying Grants Act for the new Congress.

“People living in rural areas pay federal taxes like everyone else, but they are less likely to see their fair share of those dollars reinvested in their communities,” the Lakeland Republican said. “I continually hear from the smaller communities I represent how the deck is stacked against them. The Simplifying Grants Act will level the playing field and give them a real opportunity to compete.”

The bill would require a simpler process for communities with less than 50,000 people. That covers 26 Florida counties and many municipalities. Rubio will carry the bill in the Senate.

Remembering Parkland

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, a tragedy some members of the Florida delegation know much about.

Moskowitz won his seat in Congress in November, but the Parkland Democrat half a decade ago stood for the community in the Florida Legislature. He released a statement on the anniversary of the tragedy that claimed 17 lives.

“For so many, Feb. 14, 2018, feels like it was yesterday,” he said. “It was the last day of normalcy; the last day families heard their loved ones’ voices before the unthinkable happened. Five years have not lessened the pain of this tragedy. There are still empty rooms and empty chairs in people’s homes. Parents should be visiting their kids at college. Instead, parents will do today what they’ve done for the past five years: visit their kids at a cemetery.

“Today is a reminder why I fight every day for these families and to prevent this tragedy from happening in another community in our country. This solemn day is about the victims and their loved ones. Please join me in remembering the 14 students and three staff members at MSD taken from us too soon.”

He held a short news conference early today alongside Frost, who before his election was active in the March for Our Lives movement spawned by the Parkland shooting.

“Like so many others of my generation, I got involved in the fight for gun reform because I didn’t want to get shot in school,” Frost said. “Let’s be clear that every single student, teacher, and administrator deserves to live in a community where they don’t have to fear for their lives inside of a classroom. Americans deserve to live without fear of dying at the hands of a senseless shooting. That is true freedom.”

Repurposing

Florida and Hawaii may be on different sides of the country, but they share a similar ecology. Coral Gables Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar joined forces with Rep. Ed Case, a Hawaii Democrat, on efforts to create artificial reefs offshore.

The two introduced the Reusing Equipment for Environmental Fortification (REEF) Act, which would allow submerging retired Navy ships for adding to marine environments. Rubio also introduced a Senate companion bill.

Salazar noted sunken ships also spur tourism, with SCUBA divers exploring the underwater environments.

“Miami’s coasts are filled with history and wildlife. This bill allows us to use our retired Navy ships to protect South Florida’s beautiful coastal ecosystems for decades to come,” she said. “I am proud to support this bipartisan bill with my colleague to continue making good use of our nation’s military infrastructure.”

It also supplies habitat for wildlife as natural reef systems face challenges, Rubio noted.

“Florida’s marine ecosystems are of vital importance to the state’s biodiversity, economy, and way of life. The REEF Act would create new opportunities to utilize retiring navy ships as artificial reefs to the benefit of marine life and Florida’s tourism-based economy,” the Senator said.

Case said Hawaii, like Florida, noted his tropical state also relies on healthy reefs.

“Creating artificial reefs using excess naval vessels can help restore and preserve our fragile ocean ecosystem and create opportunities for those who want to explore the biodiversity that would surround a sunken structure,” Case said. “There are a number of structures, including small boats and planes, in waters off my home state of Hawai‘i that both restore our threatened marine ecosystem and draw those who want to experience our marine life up-close and understand how it must be preserved.”

On this day

Feb. 14, 1849 — “Oldest surviving photo of a serving President taken” via On This Day — Photographer Matthew B. Brady took a photo of President James K. Polk in the White House. He was not the first person to photograph the President, as it is believed William Henry Harrison had been photographed in 1841. However, Harrison died only 31 days into his term and the photo has been lost. A photo was later unearthed of John Quincy Adams in 1843, but Adams had by that point been out of office for almost 20 years. This would count as the earliest photograph of an American President. Polk left office in 1849 and died shortly after.

Feb. 14, 1903 — “Department of Commerce and Labor created” via the Theodore Roosevelt Center — After becoming President, Theodore Roosevelt favored a Department of Commerce and Industries. However, opposition from labor eventually influenced a name change, apparently to Roosevelt’s chagrin. In a letter to Sen. Mark Hanna, he requested that “and labor” be removed from the bill and described those two clearly superfluous words as “cumbrous, misleading and slightly ridiculous.” His appeal was unheeded, and Roosevelt signed the bill creating the United States Department of Commerce and Labor. The first Secretary of Commerce and Labor was George B. Cortelyou, who had been working as Roosevelt’s private secretary.

Happy birthday

Best wishes to Reps. Kat Cammack, who turns 35, and Neal Dunn, who turns 70, on Thursday, Feb. 16.

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Delegation is published by Peter Schorsch and compiled by Jacob Ogles and edited and assembled by Phil Ammann and Ryan Nicol.