Delegation for 6.23.23: Crackdown — proof of life — Schiff — Ag & AI

Weak signal

As news develops about China potentially running a spy base from Cuba, Sen. Marco Rubio wants the federal government to crack down on who holds communication codes.

The Miami Republican filed the Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency (FACT) Act, which would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publish a list of companies that hold U.S. authorizations, licenses, or other grants of authority and which are owned, in whole or part, by hostile foreign powers such as China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba or Venezuela.

“We know that adversaries like China and Russia exploit and infiltrate our telecommunications infrastructure, which poses a serious threat to our national security interests,” Rubio said. “This bill would shine a light on the problem by mandating disclosure of companies with FCC licenses that are under the influence of our adversaries.”

In November, Rubio was among those who cheered a decision by the FCC to ban imports of communication equipment deemed to pose a national security threat to the U.S. That acted on bipartisan legislation the Senator introduced.

A companion bill to Rubio’s latest legislation will be run in the House by Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican and GOP Conference Chair.

Proof of life

Sen. Rick Scott has another concern about Cuba he wants immediately addressed. Family members of imprisoned human rights activist José Daniel Ferrer say they haven’t heard from him since March. Scott, a Naples Republican, said it’s time for President Joe Biden’s administration to demand proof of life.

Ferrer, who previously had been imprisoned and kept under house arrest by the Cuban government for years, was arrested again in July 2021 amid pro-democracy protests.

“It’s absolutely despicable and unacceptable that the illegitimate Cuban regime has prevented José Daniel Ferrer’s family from seeing him for months on end,” Scott said.

“José Daniel is being unjustly detained in isolation, where he is subjected to physical and psychological torture by the brutal communist Cuban regime in an attempt to end his life. It’s time for the mainstream media to wake up to President Biden’s complete abandonment of Latin America, that is allowing this torture and attempted murder to happen. Biden’s lack of leadership in the region undermines both our national security and human rights across Latin America. That must end today.”

In December, Biden called for releasing all political prisoners in Cuba. But Scott said the administration hadn’t treated matters with the required urgency.

“President Biden must use this moment to end his appeasement of the brutal and illegitimate (Raul) Castro/(Miguel) Diaz-Canel regime and make clear to the world that the United States will never ignore these horrific human rights abuses.”

Grayson returns

Former Rep. Alan Grayson appears poised to make another run for U.S. Senate. The Orlando Democrat filed to challenge Scott, a Naples Republican running for a second term.

There remains no mention of a new candidacy on Grayson’s social media pages. His last posts date back to a run for U.S. House last year, when he lost the Democratic Primary in Florida’s 10th Congressional District to now-U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost.

But Grayson has run for Senate before. He vacated his U.S. House seat in 2016 to run against Rubio. He didn’t have support from the party leadership at the time. Then-Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid lambasted Grayson as having “no moral compass” and saying he wanted the Orlando Democrat to lose the Democratic Primary. That wish came true in August 2016 when Grayson lost the nomination to then-U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy. Murphy went on to lose to Rubio.

Grayson kept his House campaign from last year open. It reported $3.4 million in debt at the end of the first quarter. But he filed a new statement of organization this week for the committee to support a Senate run in 2024. Daughter Star Grayson is listed as campaign treasurer and filed the new paperwork. Grayson also filed a statement of candidacy.

Durham on defense

Testimony to the House by Special Counsel John Durham, who issued a report earlier this year calling into question the beginnings of the Russian collusion investigation, mostly drew fire from Democrats. Republicans for months have pointed to his findings as vindication for former President Donald Trump.

But one strong Trump ally, Rep. Matt Gaetz, took Durham to task for handling the investigation. The Fort Walton Beach Republican went as far as to suggest Durham helped sweep important information under the rug until after the 2020 Election.

“When you are part of the cover-up, Mr. Durham, then it makes our job harder,” Gaetz said at a House Judiciary Committee meeting.

The Congressman expressed frustration that Durham could never track down Joseph Mifsud, who had been cited in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Trump as a source connected to Russia. Former House Intelligence Chair Devin Nunes, who now runs Trump’s Truth Social venture, said Mueller mischaracterized Mifsud and believed him to be a former U.S. Senate intelligence source.

Durham rebuffed accusations from Gaetz that he didn’t do a complete job or slow-walked the investigation.

“If that’s your thought, there’s no way of dissuading from that,” Durham told Gaetz. “I can tell you that it’s offensive, and the people who worked on this investigation spent their lives trying to protect the people in this country and pursued within the law to pursue what it is we were authorized to do.”

Florida readiness

Rep. Michael Waltz said the House appears on track to pass a defense budget that boosts Florida’s military facilities. The St. Augustine Beach Republican chairs the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, which this week signed off to support the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.

“With the Committee’s passage of this bill, we secured military construction funding for bases and installations in our district and across Florida to ensure the Sunshine State remains the most military-friendly state in our country,” Waltz said.

Specifically, he noted support in the budget for Cecil Airport in Jacksonville and other general aviation airports, along with direction to increase and accelerate the manufacturing of sonobuoys in DeLeon Springs.

As far as the rest of the state, the budget includes funding for construction at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, Patrick Space Force Base, MacDill Air Force Base, Eglin Air Force Base, and Jacksonville Air National Guard Base.

The budget includes some policy directives that Waltz supports, like refusing to fund the teaching of critical race theory at military academies and reviewing all diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the Defense Department. A vital matter to the Space Coast, Waltz said the budget would promote collaboration and threat sharing between Defense and commercial space operators.

It also allows members of Congress to nominate more students for entry into the Service Academies.

“Each year, this bill provides our military with the resources necessary to face challenges ahead,” Waltz said. “I am glad to see the progress made in this year’s defense bill during the House Armed Services Committee markup and hope this bipartisan legislation is worthy of the brave men and women in uniform that we depend on to keep America safe and free.”

DeSantis-bashing in D.C.

A few members of Florida’s congressional delegation labeled Gov. Ron DeSantis a “fascist” at an unofficial hearing on the Florida leader’s alleged anti-democratic policies.

“We’re here because the third largest state in our union, home to around 22 million people, has an extremist Governor and state Legislature that are dismantling democracy before our very eyes,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost.

The Orlando Democrat, a member of the House Oversight Committee, called for congressional investigations of state governments trampling on democratic ideals. But the Republican majority hasn’t answered those calls. Instead, Frost asked several Democratic politicians and activists to testify in an “Emergency Ad Hoc Hearing on Anti-Democratic Abuses in Florida.”

Notably, that means the hearing lacked the balance of a typical congressional hearing. Held in the Capitol Visitor Center, only Democratic lawmakers participated in questioning witnesses, all of whom came at the invite of the Democratic lawmaker. In contrast, the majority and minority caucuses in committees typically invite slates of witnesses on hearing subjects.

The resulting event played out more like a two-hour indictment of what Democrats feel are the greatest abuses of power by Florida’s Republican Governor, who launched his campaign for President in May.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the Democratic Co-Chair of the Florida congressional delegation, said DeSantis’ tactics bear all the marks of fascism, from removing books from libraries with dissenting political views to criminalizing protests and punishing officials who offer anything but “unquestioning obedience” to the state leader.

“Each of the Floridians on this panel can say all elements are gleefully met,” Wasserman Schultz said.

Those witnesses included state Rep. Anna Eskamani, suspended Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren, fired substitute teacher Brian Covey and Equal Ground founder Jasmine Burney-Clark. Each took turns attacking the Governor for what they considered the weaponization of state government, a favorite attack line for Republicans against Biden.

“DeSantis has shown remarkable disdain for the laws he has sworn to uphold,” Warren testified. “If you cross the Governor, you are at risk of political reprisal.”

Schiff riff

It took some rejiggering and a decision to drop any financial consequences, but the House passed Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s resolution censuring Rep. Adam Schiff.

Luna, a St. Petersburg Republican, had spearheaded the effort to denounce the California Democrat. As House Intelligence Committee Chair, she called the move warranted because Schiff had leaked information during the Russia investigation to embarrass Trump.

“For well over five years, Rep. Schiff has betrayed the American people, purposely abused his position of heightened authority, practiced continuous deceit with total abandon, and violated the civil liberties of an American citizen. Until today, Rep. Schiff has faced zero consequences for his behavior, the likes of which would make any Member unfit for office,” Rep. Luna said.

“Tonight, our conference stood with me in holding this man accountable for tearing apart our country and creating lasting rifts between American families. Today’s vote brought some credibility back to an institution that has failed the people it serves for a long time.”

Last week, 20 Republican members objected to a bill version threatening Schiff with a $16 million fine. Luna dropped that language and Schiff was then censured with a complaint forwarded to the House Ethics Committee.

Schiff became the 25th House member ever censured but stood defiant as Speaker Kevin McCarthy read the resolution. Ultimately, the House Speaker didn’t finish the entire reading amid heckling by House Democrats.

Schiff, who has used Luna’s resolution to fundraise for a Senate bid, said he had no regrets.

“I will not yield,” he said on the House floor. “Not one inch.”

Info in Ukraine

Rep. Vern Buchanan remains a supporter of Ukraine but said the U.S. needs to seek a way to end the conflict between the Eastern European nation and Russia.

“We say ballots over bullets,” he said on a Ballard Partners podcast. “We’re pushing democracy. It’s something they want in their part of the world. Ukraine is one of our member countries and they’re very, very concerned about what’s going on. I’ve been there multiple times, and I can just tell you that we’re trying to work with them and get them through this process.”

To watch the podcast, please click on the image below:

 

The Longboat Key Republican and Co-Chair of Florida’s congressional delegation is interested in bolstering free trade agreements in Ukraine and African states like Kenya.

He also suggested one essential part of dealing with the Ukrainian conflict is ensuring those living in the country have good information about what’s happening globally. A military police officer in Ukraine recently told Buchanan, “Most of the stuff that they receive in information is misinformation, so they don’t know what the truth is.”

“We’ve got to find a way to address that,” he said.

Ag meets AI

Can artificial intelligence revolutionize American agriculture? Rep. Scott Franklin says it’s a topic worth exploring.

The Lakeland Republican filed a bipartisan bill, the Land Grant Research Prioritization Act, which would direct funds to universities to enhance AI and mechanization research to develop solutions to the most significant challenges facing farmers now.

“Labor shortages, inflation, supply chain disruption, invasive diseases and extreme weather have created significant challenges for American agricultural producers,” Franklin said.

“AI and other important research into mechanization, invasive species and aquaculture are promising solutions to keep growers economically competitive. At a time when growers in Florida and around the country need support, our bipartisan Land Grant Research Prioritization Act is a timely fix to boost U.S.-grown food production and keep growers on the cutting edge.”

He introduced the bill with Rep. Sanford Bishop, a Georgia Democrat. Several Florida lawmakers signed on as co-sponsors, including Republican Reps. Neal Dunn, Laurel Lee, María Elvira Salazar, Waltz, Daniel Webster, and Democratic Rep. Darren Soto.

Out of the gate, agriculture groups, including Florida Citrus Mutual, Florida Farm Bureau, Florida A&M University, Georgia Pecan Growers Association, Vidalia Onion Business Council and Georgia Blueberry Commission endorsed the legislation.

“Authorization for (the U.S. Department of Agriculture) to fund research into agricultural applications for artificial intelligence is essential to the future of American farms,” said Dr. J. Scott Angle, senior vice president of Agriculture and Natural Resources for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food Agriculture Sciences.

“The land-grant universities engaged in first-rate science cannot deliver it at the speed necessary to keep us globally competitive without USDA support. Funding for AI-guided agricultural science will drive the innovation that keeps America globally competitive and not reliant upon other nations for its food supply.”

Franklin and Bishop said the universities in Florida and Georgia are already leading the nation in studies on technology’s effects on the industry.

“I am pleased to work with Congressman Franklin through this legislation to harness the power of our 1862 and 1890 land-grant institutions to explore how mechanized harvesting and artificial intelligence can help improve U.S. agriculture,” Bishop said.

Rubio is expected to file a companion bill in the Senate.

De-woking Foggy Bottom?

A prioritization of diversity over diplomacy has weakened America’s standing abroad, according to a report released this week by Rubio and Rep. Brian Mast. The South Florida Republicans also filed legislation restricting federal funding for “radical social initiatives.”

Apparently, this includes any work with the United Nations.

“Neither America nor the world needs a woke agenda right now,” said Mast, a Stuart Republican. “If President Biden doesn’t see the negative consequences of his policies globally, Congress needs to put an end to this woke nonsense.”

The report claims “Wokeness is Weakening the U.S. State Department,” asserting Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Biden administration have promoted diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives (DEIA) at the expense of international relationship-building.

“The State Department’s misguided focus on wokeness has undermined its effectiveness and distracted from its duty to protect and promote America’s national interests,” Rubio said.

“This focus on promoting divisive partisan goals will only undermine our efforts on the world stage. We need to ensure that the State Department is effective in representing our national interests and that our diplomats are focused on our national security rather than bizarre DEIA objectives, most of which are rejected by Americans.”

The lawmakers filed the Prohibition Against U.S. Contributions to International Organizations that Advocate for Sexual Activity Among Minors Act, which would block any support of organizations that support decriminalizing sexual conduct with those under a nation’s age of consent. A news release announcing the bills said that would mean outlawing any contributions to the U.N.

The two also filed the Stop Wasteful, Odious and Kooky Exercises (WOKE) at State Act. That would eliminate DEIA requirements on foreign service tenure and any referenced in State documents such as the Foreign Affairs Manual, Foreign Service Precepts, and Foreign Service Employee Evaluation Report.

Whose verbal misstep?

During a live appearance on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, Rep. Jared Moskowitz voiced a strong reaction regarding Biden’s harsh words about China’s leader.

C-SPAN’s Greta Brawner asked the Parkland Democrat what he thought of Biden calling Xi Jinping “a dictator” and China calling those words “an open provocation.”

There’s evidence Jingping is headed in that direction that Biden described, but this is not necessarily the direction that relations with China should be heading in, Moskowitz replied.

“We do need to deflate the situation going on with China if we can,” Moskowitz said. But then he left room for some of Biden’s frustration.

“We also have to understand that China is a major threat,” he said. “They are a major threat economically. They’re a major threat militarily.”

Then Moskowitz continued, noting China is using the same playbook the United States has used, doling out aid to curry favor with other countries.

“So, listen, we have to figure out how to de-escalate the situation with China, if possible,” he reiterated. But then he went a step further. “But look, Biden is not necessarily incorrect. But, you know, probably a misstep to say it out loud.”

What about when a first-term Representative says it?

On this day

June 23, 1888 — “Frederick Douglass nominated for President” via the University of Kentucky — Douglass received one vote from the Kentucky Delegation at the Republican Convention in Chicago, making him the first African American nominated to be a U.S. presidential candidate. It was the second time Douglass had received a single vote to be a U.S. presidential candidate; his first vote came during the National Liberty Party Convention in Buffalo, New York. At the 1888 Republican Convention, former Indiana Sen. Benjamin Harrison won the presidential nomination and went on to win the Presidential Election, defeating President Grover Cleveland.

June 23, 1972 — “H.R. Haldeman encourages Richard Nixon to ward off FBI” via History.com — In audiotapes of that day’s conversation in the Oval Office, Haldeman told Nixon the press and FBI investigators had come close to linking the men who burglarized the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972, housed in the Watergate building, to the White House. They specifically mention funds diverted to the burglars, many of whom were Cuban, by members of Nixon’s re-election committee. Nixon told Haldeman to tell the FBI the funds were intended for the CIA and concocted a story about covert plans regarding communist Cuba.

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