Delegation for 10.6.23: Chaos — Gaetz — reforms — BDS — more wall

Who’s next?

The U.S. House of Representatives remains largely in paralysis, without a Speaker and uncertain about leadership. But despite the unprecedented nature of filling a vacated Speaker’s Office, Florida lawmakers anticipate a race to preside over the U.S. House will be decided within a week.

Republicans in Florida’s congressional delegation have started announcing commitments for who they want to see as the next Speaker of the House.

Rep. Byron Donalds, nominated for Speaker earlier this year, supports Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican. In interviews, Donalds suggested a decision should be made quickly.

“We should be focused on funding the government, working through our appropriations bills and securing our nation’s border,” the Naples Republican told Fox News. “I think for all of my Republicans, we have to figure out where we go next; the security of our Southern border is of utmost paramount. And we’ve got to get back to work as quickly as we can to figure out how we fund this government.”

But Rep. Vern Buchanan, Republican Co-Chair of the delegation, sees Majority Leader Steve Scalise as the natural choice.

“Steve Scalise is a proven leader and a battle-tested fighter,” the Longboat Key Republican said. “He is exactly the right man to lead our country forward with his conservative, optimistic vision for the future as Republicans work to secure the border, restore fiscal sanity to Washington and get our country back on track. I am pleased to call Steve a true friend and know he will make us proud as the next Speaker of the House.”

Within a couple of hours, Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Miami-Dade Republican and dean of the Florida delegation, also backed the Majority Leader.

“No one is better prepared to lead the House from the minute they are elected than Steve Scalise,” Díaz-Balart posted on X.

Rep. Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican, initially posed an alternative concept to either sitting Representative, suggesting former President Donald Trump, whom he endorsed for President in 2024.

“We need somebody to unite our conference,” Steube told Fox News.

But late Thursday evening, Trump publicly endorsed Jordan. “He will be a GREAT Speaker of the House and has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

After the public show of support, Steube on Friday morning announced he would back Jordan as well. “I encouraged Donald Trump to run for Speaker because he could unite the Republican conference in historic ways. But I have full confidence in President Trump’s pick for our Speaker: Jim Jordan,” Steube posted on X. “We must unite around Chairman Jordan, who has led the charge in the Weaponization Committee’s and House Judiciary Committee’s critical work to protect our freedoms. Jim is a great patriot who can get the job done! He holds the respect of so many in our conference and I trust him to lead!”

A Trump Speakership, though, may not be off the table. The ex-President also told Fox News hours earlier he would serve as Speaker for 60 to 90 days if the GOP conference could not rally around another choice. And the Mar-a-Lago resident will likely visit the Capitol on Tuesday, his first trip there since the Jan. 6 riot. He suggested that he intends to help bring the conference together around a choice for its leader.

That’s a move welcomed by some delegation members, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. The St. Petersburg Republican has largely missed the dramatic votes on the budget and Speaker ouster in the last week but said she will be there when Trump arrives at a GOP conference meeting next week.

“I look forward to welcoming President Trump to our conference on Tuesday,” Luna posted on X. “If there is one man who can bring together the party and broker a deal, it’s him.”

Tweet, tweet:

 

.@Jim_Jordan loves our country and he will be a fantastic speaker. He has my endorsement! pic.twitter.com/QHbDFOlwRd

— Greg Steube (@gregsteube) October 6, 2023

On the outs?

Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Fort Walton Beach Republican who called for McCarthy’s dismissal as Speaker, said he would be happy with Scalise or Jordan. But increasingly, voices with influence in the House say they don’t want Gaetz in their ranks.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, shared explosive rumors as a sound reason to eject the Fort Walton Beach Republican from Congress. He told CNN that Gaetz would share sex videos on the House floor and boast about abusing erectile dysfunction drugs.

“He’d brag about how he would crush ED medicine and chase it with an energy drink so he could go all night,” Mullin said.

Gaetz denied this in a statement to the network. “I don’t think Markwayne Mullin and I have said 20 words to each other on the House floor. This is a lie from someone who doesn’t know me and who is coping with the death of the political career of his friend Kevin. Thoughts and prayers,” Gaetz said.

But regardless of the veracity of that accusation, a growing number of members seem eager for any reason for expulsion. Many appear eagerly awaiting a House Ethics investigation on sex trafficking allegations that cropped up nearly two years ago. While federal prosecutors stopped investigating and ruled out criminal charges, the House can still punish Gaetz for ethical lapses.

Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, told reporters that Gaetz was “morally unfit to serve.” When CNN asked him if the Florida Congressman should be ejected, he said, “In my opinion, yes.”

But any absence from the House, even if Gaetz were exiled, may be temporary. Political leaders in the Panhandle maintain he remains popular in his home district.

Senate saga

And what about the upper chamber of Congress?

Sen. Rick Scott said the chaos on the other side of the Capitol only added urgency to the issue that led to McCarthy’s ouster in the first place.

The Naples Republican said the Senate needs to pass a total budget and avoid another budget punt in November like this weekend. He led a letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, calling for all non-budget issues to be tabled until the Senate passes all its appropriations bills.

“The core constitutional responsibility of the United States Congress is the power of the purse, to set and authorize appropriations which fund the operations of the United States Government,” the letter reads.

“Since 1977, Congress has only successfully completed its appropriations work of taking up, debating, amending if necessary, and passing all appropriations bills prior to the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 four times. This is unacceptable. The American people deserve better.”

The letter bears co-signatures from 19 other Senate Republicans, though not one from Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida’s senior Senator.

He did suggest to Newsweek it would be difficult to hold any serious budget talks as long as the House remains leaderless.

“It’s always better obviously to have the Speaker because it gives you a central authority for members to work with,” Rubio said. The magazine initially quoted Rubio suggesting other changes could occur within Republican leadership. But Rubio’s Office told Florida Politics that part of his statement was a misquote.

“I imagine most of the Chairmanships will go unchanged,” he said in a quote provided to Florida Politics.

Who wants their MTV?

When the House comes back into order, some Florida members want more than anything to ensure that this type of chaos cannot occur again.

Rep. Carlos Giménez, a Miami-Dade Republican, said he would call for a change in rules that reforms the motion to vacate, the tool Gaetz employed to force a vote of retaining McCarthy.

“The person who wants my vote for Speaker must commit to reforming the Motion to Vacate,” Giménez. “The threshold must be raised to 50% of the Republican Conference. The coup against Speaker Kevin McCarthy was despicable and must never happen again. A Speaker cannot govern under constant threat by fringe hostage takers.”

Even Gaetz said he would entertain a change. While he would like other rule changes that allow member amendments on budgets and limits on lobbyist influence, he suggested his demand for an easy motion to vacate rule was primarily about McCarthy. Gaetz was notably the only GOP member of the Florida delegation who refused to support the Californian for Speaker in January even on the 15th ballot that secured the gavel.

“So, the way moderates want to punish me is by making it harder to remove Speaker Jordan or Speaker Scalise?” Gaetz posted. “OH NO! ANYTHING BUT THAT!”

The move also earned some support from the other side of the aisle, as Rep. Maxwell Frost, an Orlando Democrat, told MSNBC he sees the vacate motion as a danger to the institution.

“The rule that made it so McCarthy isn’t Speaker right now is still the rule,” Frost said. “What I’m telling folks we need to work on is getting rid of this rule, or else the House of Representatives will always work at the bidding of folks like Matt Gaetz.”

BDS in Tampa

Scott also has his eye on Tampa, particularly a planned student activity at the University of South Florida (USF).

Florida’s junior Senator disapproves of plans for a conference supporting the boycott, sanction and divest movement against Israel. But more importantly, he’s concerned it will bring safety risks for Jewish students.

He sent a letter to USF President Rhea Law, suggesting she take advantage of federal resources available for combating antisemitic discrimination.

He said the USF Hillel, a Jewish campus life group, raised concerns with his office about the Tampa Bay BDS Conference on Oct. 27.

“I understand this event is organized by Students for Socialism (SFS) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and respect these students’ rights to free speech,” Scott wrote.

“However, I was proud to lead an effort as governor to implement Florida’s anti-BDS law, which prohibits public entities from entering into contracts with companies that boycott Israel to show the world that Florida does not support those who boycott Israel.”

He noted other campuses saw anti-Jewish activity surrounding similar BDS events, noting vandalism at a University of Pennsylvania Hillel.

“I am confident that, with your leadership and commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive campus environment, the USF can navigate these challenges effectively,” Scott wrote.

Wall brawl

A decision by the Joe Biden administration to allow construction on the border wall — and waive federal restrictions to do it — drew fire from both sides of the aisle.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, an Orlando Democrat, voiced anger that the administration would decide to bypass 26 laws to build a more significant barrier between Mexico and the U.S.

“As our nation witnesses humanitarian and authoritarian crises across Central and South America, building a border wall is equivalent to sticking our heads in the sand,” he said. “A wall does not stop these innocent migrants from making the difficult personal decision to flee their home countries; it just makes their treacherous journey in search of freedom even more painful and dangerous.”

He said Congress should stop the construction.

“To expand the border wall would be to continue the harmful, despicable immigration practices of the previous administration,” Frost said. “The answer to the crisis at the southern border cannot be to renege on our promise of pursuing a compassionate, comprehensive immigration system. I am deeply disappointed in the Biden Administration for this hazardous move as the climate crisis looms and the humanitarian crisis deepens.”

For the record, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas denied that the construction reflected any policy change and was a project funded years ago.

“From Day One, this Administration has made clear that a border wall is not the answer. That remains our position and our position has never wavered,” he said. “The language in the Federal Register notice is being taken out of context, and it does not signify any change in policy whatsoever. The construction project reported today was appropriated during the prior administration in 2019, and the law requires the government to use these funds for this purpose, which we announced earlier this year. We have repeatedly asked Congress to rescind this money, but it has not done so, and we are compelled to follow the law.

“This Administration believes that effective border security requires a smarter and more comprehensive approach, including state-of-the-art border surveillance technology and modernized ports of entry.”

Meanwhile, Republicans in the delegation said the move simply validated a concern they have raised for years.

“So, after years of liberal finger-wagging and pearl clutching, the Biden Administration finally admits Trump and Republicans were right about the need for a border wall,” posted Rep. Brian Mast, a Stuart Republican. “Something tells me they aren’t going to call President Trump and apologize.”

Home-school asylum

When Rep. Dan Webster served in the Florida House in 1985, the Clermont Republican championed the state law allowing parents to home-school children. Now, he’s fighting for a Tennessee home-schooling family facing deportation.

Uwe and Hannelore Romeike moved to the U.S. in 2008 from Germany after their home country fined them for religion-based home schooling. But U.S. immigration courts more than a decade ago denied that was enough reason to grant asylum based on political persecution. After a routine status check, the family was informed by Homeland Security that they would be deported within weeks back to Germany, The Tennessean reports.

Webster joined with 30 House Republicans in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas asking for the agency to reconsider that action. Instead, it said the administration should grant asylum by executive order.

“To force this refugee family to suddenly return to Germany, with a government that once forcibly removed their children from their home simply for observing their deeply held religious beliefs, is immoral and indefensible,” the letter reads.

Rep. Bill Posey, a Rockledge Republican, also co-signed the letter.

If the administration acts, it must do so quickly. The family was informed they must report for deportation on Oct. 11.

“Not only would they face discrimination, but two of the Romeike family members born here have citizenship and others have married Americans,” the letter reads. “To separate the family would be unwarranted.”

Club award

The Club for Growth, one of the most influential groups in GOP politics, held a ceremony recognizing those members of Congress if considered top performers. The organization honored 50 House members, including four Florida delegation members: Reps. Kat Cammack, Donalds, Scott Franklin and Steube.

“These conservative champions stood by their principles and fought to restore sanity within the federal budget,” said Club for Growth President David McIntosh.

The recognition was based on a report card and votes flagged by the group this year. All honorees scored 90% or higher and have lifetime scores in that range for their entire tenure in Congress.

“Congress’ insatiable appetite to spend money has run up a $33 trillion national debt and put us on a collision course with bankruptcy. Americans are expecting Congress to have the courage to right the ship before it’s too late.,” said Franklin, a Lakeland Republican. “I’m pleased to receive the Defender of Economic Freedom Award from the Club for Growth and will always fight to balance the federal budget and shrink government.”

Haiti intervention

A decision by the United Nations to ramp up an international police presence in Haiti won praise from Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Miramar. The first Haitian American Democrat in Congress, Cherfilus-McCormick, applauded the U.N. Security Council for adopting a resolution authorizing a multinational security mission.

“The adoption of this UNSC resolution is a welcome step forward to addressing widespread gang violence and promoting long-term stability in Haiti,” Cherfilus-McCormick said.

“I am grateful for the steadfast leadership of President Biden, Secretary of State (Antony) Blinken, and Ambassador (Linda) Thomas-Greenfield, who have been unwavering in their commitment to this international effort. I have consistently advocated for a multinational security mission for over a year, as this remains the most immediate solution to restore order. It is also firmly in line with Haitian self-determination, as the vast majority of Haitians support a multinational force to assist the Haitian National Police.”

Haiti, located 700 miles from Florida, has remained largely in chaos since the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse more than two years ago. The U.N. in August agreed to allow Kenya to send a force to the country amid some concern about that nation’s history with police brutality. The new resolution will draw security support from other nations. Notably, many international voices conditioned support for intervention on the condition that police do not prop up the existing government in Haiti. Cherfilus-McCormick suggested she felt the same way.

“This mission must lay the groundwork for a competent transitional government — one that does not include Prime Minister Ariel Henry — to ensure that Haiti can return to a sense of normalcy,” she said. “The security mission marks an important first step, but as the Biden Administration has made clear, it is not a substitute for progress to address the ongoing political crisis in Haiti.”

Mar-a-Lago millage markup?

One week after Trump publicly bemoaned a recent devaluation of his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Rep. Jared Moskowitz asked for the property’s tax rate to reflect what the former President insists it’s worth.

“Mar-a-Lago was listed as worth $490 million in financial documents given to banks,” Moskowitz, a Parkland Democrat, said in a Thursday letter to Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks.

“If the property value of Mar-a-Lago is so much higher than it was appraised, will you be amending the property value in line with the Trump family’s belief that the property is worth well over a billion dollars?”

New York Judge Arthur Engoron ruled Trump and his company for years created a financial “fantasy world” by fraudulently inflating the value of his real estate holdings. The judge found Mar-a-Lago had been overvalued by as much as 2,300% in one financial statement.

Between 2011 and 2021, Jacks’ Office valued Mar-a-Lago between $18 million and $28 million. According to the Palm Beach Daily News, the most recent value was $37 million, with a preliminary taxable value of $33.4 million.

But in a Truth Social post last week, Trump insisted it may be worth “100 times that amount” and bashed Engeron as a “highly partisan Democratic ‘Judge.’”

His son, Eric Trump, echoed the sentiment on X.

“Mar-a-Lago is speculated to be worth well over a billion dollars, making it arguably one of the most valuable residential properties in the country,” he wrote. “It is all so corrupt and coordinated.”

Those comments and others disparaging Engeron and his staff prompted the judge to issue a gag order against Trump on Tuesday.

On this day

Oct. 6, 1976 — “Gerald Ford’s ‘free Poland’ gaffe” via The Washington Post — During a critical debate with Jimmy Carter a month before the presidential election, President Ford declared in response to a question from The New York Times’ Max Frankel, “There is no Soviet dominance of Eastern Europe.” While the statement may have been prophetic, given the events of a decade later, it was absurd at the time. The press pounced on this passage of the debate and wrote of little else for days afterward, so much so that a public initially convinced Ford had won the debate soon turned overwhelmingly against him.

Oct. 6, 1996 — “Harry Truman signs legislation leading to NATO” via the Atlantic Council — President Truman signed the Mutual Defense Assistance Act for “free nations which intend to remain free.” “Under its provisions, I am authorized to furnish military assistance to certain foreign countries which meet the specific conditions prescribed in the law,” Truman said. “In the case of parties to the North Atlantic Treaty … $900 million of the $1 billion in funds and contract authority made available for assistance in the North Atlantic area can only be utilized after I approve recommendations for an integrated defense … The recipient must have entered into an agreement with the United States embodying certain commitments concerning its use.”

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