Delegation for 10.13.23: Speaker reset — Dems to the rescue — Israel — TPS

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Selecting a new House Speaker was reset again late Thursday as Majority Leader Steve Scalise ended his bid.

That leaves House Republicans scrambling to find a leader. With Florida accounting for 20 members of the 221-member caucus, the state has an outsized role by math alone.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Fort Walton Beach Republican who spearheaded the ouster of ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, posted on X late Thursday, “It’s Jim Jordan Time!”

That’s an unsurprising endorsement for Jordan, an Ohio Republican and House Judiciary Chair. Gaetz pushed for Jordan to be elevated to Speaker in January, even as Jordan supported McCarthy. At a GOP conference meeting this week, Gaetz supported Jordan’s bid against Scalise for Speaker again. But when Scalise won most of the conference’s votes, Gaetz said he would follow Jordan’s lead and back Scalise on the House floor.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a St. Petersburg Republican, appeared poised to take the same path. But as it became clear Scalise remained far short of the 217 votes needed to clinch the Speaker’s gavel on the floor, she announced online she would not back Scalise.

“I am asking members of the GOP to return to Washington so that we can nominate a Speaker,” Luna posted. “Scalise is a statesman and acted in true selfless fashion by stepping aside. This needs to happen.”

She tossed out a few names she would consider for Speaker, including Rep. Byron Donalds of Naples.

Ultimately, Luna said she will back Jordan for Speaker.

But winning the anti-McCarthy set is no guarantee of a gavel for Jordan. Other Florida members remain bitter at the chaos gripping the House at a time when the world stage appears chaotic.

Rep. Carlos Giménez, a Miami-Dade Republican, said two weeks of chaos had shown the folly of creating a leadership vacuum in the first place. He counts himself as “OK,” or “Only Kevin,” and intends whenever the House holds a floor vote to support reinstalling McCarthy as Speaker.

“As Republicans, we need to condemn the despicable coup that removed Speaker McCarthy,” he said.

Other members’ support remains unclear. Several members had endorsed Scalise earlier, including Reps. Vern Buchanan and Marío Diaz-Balart. Rep. Aaron Bean told Florida Politics he was leaning toward Scalise before the caucus vote, which Scalise won by seven votes.

Open Jordan supporters ahead of the conference vote included Reps. Kat Cammack, Donalds, Gaetz, Luna, Brian Mast, Cory Mills, Greg Steube and Mike Waltz.

But there’s also growing angst about the state of House leadership.

“With all that’s gone in this Congress, it might be time for a new look at leadership,” Donalds said. “Let’s just be honest. We wouldn’t be at this place if our leadership was batting 1.000.”

Some members say the most important thing now is to settle matters quickly. Rep. John Rutherford, a Jacksonville Republican, said the frenzy must end so regular House business resumes. He’s done with closed-door meetings that have failed to reach a consensus.

“It’s time to take our votes to the House floor,” he posted on X.

“Anonymity behind closed doors has shielded members who won’t be held accountable so long as their vote is cast in the dark. Majority rule was good enough to elect us to Congress, but now it’s not enough to elect a Speaker? My constituents and all Americans deserve to know which hypocritical members are obstructing majority rule in Congress, putting our troops in danger, allowing our border to remain open, jeopardizing our position on the world stage, and blocking our ability to get to work.”

Democrats to the rescue?

House Democrats voted as a block to remove McCarthy as Speaker.

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is now saying his caucus may be open to helping bring a new Speaker over the finish line, and at least one Florida moderate is raising his hand.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Parkland Democrat, piped up quickly amid reports Jeffries could release members to vote for a GOP Speaker.

“I am also willing to do this,” Moskowitz posted on X. He cited the escalating situation and the need for congressional action on aid.

“If Republicans can’t get themselves out of this cycle of chaos, I’m ready to help,” he wrote. “I’m ready to get the House open, do the work that people sent us here to do, help our ally Israel, show the world democracy works.”

That came shortly after Moskowitz weighed in on a personal issue tossed at Scalise, his recent cancer diagnosis. He slammed a comment from former President Donald Trump, a Jordan endorser, who said, “Steve is a man that is in serious trouble” and needs to “get better.”

“I feel compelled to say something. I barely know Steve Scalise,” Moskowitz posted. “I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer right before I ran for Congress. My dad worked every day until he died. It gave him purpose, normality. He was no less of a person because he ‘had cancer.’”

Higher truth?

Israel was top of mind for Sen. Marco Rubio this week as he gave a commencement address at conservative Liberty College. There, he suggested higher education institutions need to teach more about moral truths and said more college graduates must understand evil when they see it while directly referencing attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians.

“It is impossible to speak to you today and not address what’s happened over the last four or five days,” the Miami Republican said. “Halfway around the world is a week that revealed that there are still truths in the world, and sometimes they are uncomfortable ones. As hard as it is for some to accept, there is such a thing as evil. An evil that springs from hate.”

He suggested the failure to identify moral evil was a more significant problem in American higher education than discussed issues like loan debt and the prevalence of liberal academics.

According to Turkish outlet Anadolu Agency, the death toll for Israelis killed by Hamas was at 1,300 and rising as of this writing. Meanwhile, NBC News reports at least 1,055 Palestinians died in retaliatory responses.

Through the latest episode in the decadeslong conflict, Rubio maintained that the U.S. must stand by Israel and that the Middle Eastern country must respond militarily in the Gaza Strip. But he said decisions must be made with a clear head and a higher purpose in mind.

In a speech heavy with religious tones, he called all people “fallen creatures.”

“Part of that fallen condition is that our natural reaction to hatred is hatred, to be angry at the people who did it, and to decide that we’ve got to do something about all of them, every one of them,” he said. “That’s when evil’s at its most dangerous.”

While defending the influence of religion on issues from restricting abortion to pushing back at gender ideology, he also urged graduates not to view Christianity as a political movement, both for the sake of politics and faith. He invoked interpretations of Judas Iscariot as a misguided follower of Jesus Christ who believed the Messiah to be a political leader.

“One of the biggest challenges and struggles that Jesus faced in his ministry was trying to explain to people that his kingdom was not of this earth,” Rubio said.

Push and pull

Sen. Rick Scott said the Israeli conflict has bipartisan support in the Senate while also calling on President Joe Biden to take the advice of Senate Republicans on Iran.

The Naples Republican co-led a letter to the Defense Department with Democratic Sens. Jacky Rosen of Illinois, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota. The message asks Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to send more military equipment to Israel to restock the Iron Dome defense system.

“Immediately transferring these two Iron Dome batteries that are not in use to Israel would provide tangible, lifesaving and sustained support to our ally as it faces rocket and missile salvos that threaten to overwhelm its defenses,” the letter reads. “The transfer of these two Iron Dome batteries, in addition to sending other unused military assets, would bolster Israel’s defense capabilities and immediately help Israel combat terrorist aggression.”

Scott also issued rare praise to Biden after the Democratic President negotiated and released a joint statement in support of Israel with France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany.

But he also led a letter from nine Republican Senators pushing Biden to go further and condemn Iran for supporting Hamas ahead of the attacks. In that message, he criticizes the unfreezing of $6 billion in oil revenue for Iran and calls for reversing that decision.

“Immediately convene the G7 nations and take coordinated action to further isolate Iran with severe sanctions and action that will strike directly at the wealth that this evil brings to the Ayatollah and the Iranian mullahs,” the letter reads.

“Iran is not a normal country. It is not a negotiating partner, nor does it pretend to follow the rules-based order of the civilized world. Every dollar within the grasp and control of the Iranian regime is used to fund terrorism and fuel its power. That is why we must isolate Iran and cut it off economically. Without sources of revenue, Iran will be unable to fund the mass terror it supports around the globe.

On the ground

Mills took the rescue of Americans in Israel into his own hands this week, leading civilian missions to evacuate 77 U.S. citizens. He has also contrasted that to what he characterized as inaction by the administration to take care of people on the ground.

“It’s simple math even for Biden,” Mills posted on X. “Americans rescued from Israel: 77- Rep Cory Mills; 0- Biden administration.”

Mills made national headlines when, while still running for Congress, he evacuated Americans trapped in Afghanistan as the U.S. withdrew its troops. Like that mission, Mills said he has been leading border crossings on land and getting people out.

“How, with the full capabilities of the U.S. Government, can’t Biden save a single American? It’s Afghanistan 2021 all over again,” he posted.

He has also made rounds with the media and told Fox News he hopes the private-sector rescue pressures the administration to step up and start using federal resources to evacuate Americans in the region.

All for Israel

A bipartisan resolution in the House condemning Hamas and supporting Israel will likely pass with the support of every member of Florida’s House delegation. Already, 24 of 28 House members from Florida co-sponsored the legislation, with several voicing staunch support.

“Hamas terrorists targeted residential neighborhoods in their brutal attack on Israel, showing a blatant disregard for human life by killing innocent men, women, and children,” said Clermont Republican Rep. Daniel Webster. “The U.S. support of Israel is indispensable to countering their constant threats from Iranian-backed terrorists like Hamas and Hezbollah. I have and will continue to support our ally, Israel.”

All eight Democrats in the delegation co-sponsored the measure. Most Republicans did as well, with only Donalds, Gaetz, Luna and Steube not originally listed as co-sponsors. (Update: All have since added their name on as co-sponsors, meaning the entire Florida delegation supports the bill).

But each member had posted strong messages on social media supporting Israel’s right to defend itself. There seemed no hesitation throughout the delegation to take the same general stance regardless of party.

“In the face of extreme Hamas terrorism, Democrats and Republicans stand with Israel because unity is our strength. The world should have no doubt about where the United States stands with Israel, and Congress must act decisively to protect Israel’s right to defend itself,” said Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Hollywood Democrat.

“No matter how divided Congress may seem, my colleagues understand the need for unity, compassion, and unwavering support for our Israeli allies. This is not about political parties; this is about the security of the world and the future of democracy. While the House of Representatives may have many disagreements, our unwavering support and unity toward Israel symbolizes the unbreakable bond between Israel and the United States. When Israel is strong, America is strong.”

Difficult discourse

But while the whole delegation appears on board with that resolution, several members voiced frustration at the discourse in the U.S.

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Palm Harbor Republican, classified many pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including at Florida universities, as pro-Hamas.

“As Co-Chair of the International Religious Freedom Caucus, I know that global antisemitism has been problematic since time immemorial,” he said.

“However, it is particularly despicable as war rages in Israel and civilians have been tortured, kidnapped, and slaughtered. The darkest moments in human history have come when people remain silent in the face of oppression, violence, bigotry and injustice. We must eradicate its presence around the globe, and we must always continue to support our most steadfast ally in the face of such hatred. As we pray for the victims of this savage attack and support Israel’s self-defense against these aggressors, let us remain united in our resolve to stand up against global extremists who use terror as a tool for spreading hate.”

Rep. Maxwell Frost, an Orlando Democrat whose political background began in activism, has remained the member of the delegation most likely to criticize Israel’s military response. But he’s also voiced frustration at the tone around the topic on the Left and Right.

He criticized a Black Lives Matter Chicago post sharing a meme of a silhouette of Hamas terrorists paragliding into a music festival, captioned “I stand with Palestine.”

“This is disgusting. Hamas paragliding from the sky to murder human lives is nothing to celebrate. Hamas aims to annihilate the Jewish people,” Frost posted on X. “Antisemitism has been on the rise across the country & in Central Florida. We must stand together against this hate 100% of the time.”

But he also posted concern about military responses that hit residential areas.

“The rising death toll of innocent Palestinians in Gaza will not make Israelis safer. Full city blocks being decimated will not make Israelis safer,” Frost posted. “I’ve spent most of my life fighting gun violence. I’ve seen the hurt of parents, siblings, friends, and communities here at home. The safety I fight for here is what all humans deserve.”

Washington bullets

Since Washington, D.C., is located outside any state, Congress maintains oversight. In that role, Rep. Laurel Lee admonished the city’s leadership as “soft on crime.”

During a House Judiciary Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee hearing, the Thonotosassa Republican trashed Democratic leaders in the city.

“The number of law enforcement officers assigned to a region per capita won’t stop crime when law enforcement officers are prevented from doing their jobs by bad law,” she said. “The number of prosecutors in a community will not stop crime when they do not bring cases and they do not enforce the law.”

Her office sent a release calling out the city for having one of the highest crime rates in the country, with 664.2 per 100,000 people. More than 200 homicides have already been reported in the city in 2023.

“Our nation’s capital should be a welcoming beacon for tourists and a safe community for residents,” the release said.

Expanding practices

Health providers who conduct disability exams for Veterans Affairs services face limits on where they can practice. But Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Miramar Democrat, wants to change that.

The ranking Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Technology Modernization Subcommittee filed legislation with Rep. Juan Ciscomani, an Arizona Republican, increasing the number of providers eligible to practice across state lines.

“By allowing VA-contracted medical providers to perform disability exams across state lines, more veterans will be able to quickly get the benefits they deserve and have earned — reducing barriers to benefits nationwide,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “I am introducing this bipartisan legislation with my House Veterans Affairs Committee colleague so that the VA can better serve veterans, including those in rural and underserved communities which face limited access to medical care and examinations.”

The Veterans Exam Expansion Act would allow interstate work by dentists, podiatrists and optometrists. Other practices, including audiologists and psychologists, have enjoyed the ability to work in multiple states since 2020. Veterans Benefits Administration contract physicians have had the ability since 2016.

Veterans’ groups endorsed the proposal.

“With more veterans seeking the benefits they’ve earned, it’s imperative that VA-contracted examiners are allowed to see veterans regardless of state licensing requirements,” said Jim Marszalek, Disabled American Veterans National Service Director.

“Extending this expiring authority and adding more medical professionals to the list for license portability will ensure the VA can serve more veterans, particularly those in rural areas, by allowing examiners to work wherever needed. With more examiners seeing more veterans, the Veterans Exam Expansion Act will also help reduce the VA claims backlog. DAV is proud to support this crucial legislation, and we thank Rep. Ciscomani and Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick for their leadership in introducing the bill.”

Near ground zero

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was in the Middle East pursuing peace when the Hamas attack on Israel — involving, in some cases, babies beheaded — shocked the world.

The Weston Democrat was part of the bicameral congressional delegation on a mission to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan and Israel to work on normalizing Israel and Arab relations to support peace in the region and deter Iranian aggression.

But the morning after arriving Saturday, the group, led by Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, realized the trip would be anything but ordinary.

Wasserman Schultz filmed herself at the Jordan-Israel border and recounted the group’s shock and horror as they traveled to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

“What we’ve witnessed while here, and the stories, the harrowing stories that we’ve heard, have been absolutely devastating,” she said.

In addition to Ernst, Wasserman Schultz traveled with Republican Reps. Darrell Issa of California and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, as well as Democratic Reps David Norcross of New Jersey and Jimmy Panetta of California.

What started as an effort to fortify peace turned into talking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Defense Force personnel and others to assure them of the United States’ absolute commitment as this dark chapter unfolds.

“Hamas will never get away with this,” Wasserman Schultz said, her voice betraying strong emotion. “The savagery is absolutely appalling and unacceptable — killing and kidnapping of children, women and children and the elderly.”

This will not stand, she vowed.

“I’m here … to make sure that I can unequivocally say as a member of Congress, as a Jew and as a Zionist … ‘Israel will live on forever and ever,’” she said.

Giving credit

The Florida Credit Union Association and the Credit Union National Association are highlighting a new Cornerstone Advisors study that outlines the drawbacks of implementing proposed changes to processing fees.

The research within the study found that “to ensure that the sales tax information is accurate, payment providers would require validation from merchants and possibly state revenue departments for accuracy,” adding that “to achieve this level of validation, merchants would be required to transmit sales data at the line-item level to support certain solutions.”

Simply put, that means transaction fees would be based on looking at every single individual purchase rather than the current “batch system,” which expedites payments and keeps purchases confidential for the consumer. It would require new software that is an out-of-reach expense for some small businesses.

Florida Politics reporting on a similar state proposal one major retailer, Walmart, would benefit to the tune of about $400,000 a month, but smaller retailers who use payment processing services such as Square would actually lose money. The new study found that while “large retailers could afford these specialized systems at a minimal cost … mom-and-pop shops on Main Street” would face “costs that could lead stores to stop accepting card payments or worse, close their doors permanently.”

Nicaraguan TPS

Florida members from both sides of the aisle urged the Biden administration to redesignate refugee status for those fleeing Nicaragua.

Democratic Reps. Frost of Orlando and Cherifulus-McCormick of Miramar led a letter with Rep. María Elvira Salazar, a Coral Gables Republican, asking Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to redesignate Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for Nicaraguans. The lawmakers said the regime of President Daniel Ortega increasingly contributed to a humanitarian crisis.

“Nicaragua is enmeshed in a dire sociopolitical and humanitarian crisis that has grown considerably worse,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “Nicaraguans residing in the United States cannot safely return to their country, and it would be both irresponsible and cruel to send them back into harm’s way. I strongly urge the Biden Administration to redesignate TPS for Nicaragua and uphold our nation’s values of democracy, human rights, and compassion.”

Homeland Security extended TPS status for Nicaraguans in the U.S. last year until July 5. But lawmakers say that extension isn’t enough to protect new refugees fleeing the country now.

“Nicaragua is facing a devastating political and humanitarian crisis that is forcing hundreds of thousands of innocent people to make the difficult decision to leave their homes in search of true freedom,” Frost said. “As a beacon of democracy, the U.S. has a responsibility to acknowledge this crisis and offer a more permanent solution to the thousands of Nicaraguans living in Florida and across our country. An extension of TPS falls short of what this moment calls for — I urge the Administration to redesignate TPS for Nicaragua as soon as possible.”

According to Pew Research, Florida has the highest concentration of Nicaraguans of any state, with some 37% of those in the U.S. residing in the Sunshine State.

Many can’t risk the dangers of deportation, Salazar said.

“The bloodstained Ortega-Murillo regime and the Sandinistas are responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses and acts of religious persecution in history,” she said. “Hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans have fled this tyranny and are seeking refuge in the United States. I call on the Department of Homeland Security to redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nicaraguans who are continuing to flee from the Ortegas, the Sandinistas, and the horrors of socialism of the 21st century.”

On this day

Oct. 13, 1792 — “Cornerstone of White House laid” via the Library of Congress — President George Washington and Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the French planner of the federal city, chose the site for the residence. Congress had selected a design by James Hoban, an Irish emigrant architect living in Charleston, South Carolina, for the structure. Modeled after Leister House in Dublin, Ireland, Hoban’s plan featured the Palladian style popular in Europe. It was chosen over several other proposals, including one submitted by Thomas Jefferson. President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved into the unfinished structure Nov. 1, 1800, keeping to the scheduled relocation of the capital from Philadelphia.

Oct. 13, 2007 — “Condoleezza Rice encourages rights groups in Russia to combat arbitrary state power” via The New York Times — Secretary of State Rice met with beleaguered Russian human-rights activists to encourage them to build institutions of democracy to combat arbitrary state power amid increasing pressure from the Kremlin. With concerns rising about the centralization of power and democratic backsliding in Russia ahead of legislative and presidential elections, Rice sought opinions and assessments of the current situation from eight prominent rights leaders. Rice said she hoped their efforts would be successful in promoting universal values of “the rights of individuals to liberty and freedom.”

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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 Anne Geggis.