Delegation for 11.3.23: Venezuela votes — punishing protesters — port cash — tax breaks

US Capital in Washington,DC.

Election integrity

Florida lawmakers are divided over a deal to ease oil sanctions in exchange for allowing election oversight in Venezuela. But the state congressional delegation is uniformly voicing anger as Venezuela’s regime appeared to renege on the deal.

Venezuela’s Supreme Justice Tribunal suspended the results of a Primary days after María Corina Machado emerged as an opposition candidate to challenge President Nicolás Maduro, Reuters reported.

This comes after Luis Brito, a Maduro ally, complained to courts he could not run in the opposition Primary. The Maduro regime also previously barred Machado from holding office.

Reps. María Elvira Salazar, a Coral Gables Republican, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Weston Democrat, released a joint statement slamming the move by Venezuela’s government.

“This assault on democracy is a severe breach of democratic principles and a clear violation of the Maduro regime’s recent agreement with the opposition Unitary Platform and the (Joe) Biden Administration,” the statement read.

“The criminalization of this legitimate political process, which was overseen by independent election observers and coordinated in compliance with international norms, reflects a well-established pattern of disdain for genuine electoral independence and repression of political opponents, as demonstrated by the regime’s ban on opposition candidates and parties.”

The two Florida Congresswomen also criticized demands by the courts that parties identify voters who participated in the election, potentially opening those individuals to persecution. Many Venezuelans living in Florida participated in the election. “Every effort must be undertaken to protect Venezuelan voters, including Venezuelan Americans, from retaliation for exercising their right to vote,” the statement reads.

Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Scott encouraged Biden to recognize Machado’s candidacy even if Maduro does not.

“The United States must use this opportunity to put the full weight and power of our nation behind the cause of freedom in Venezuela,” the Naples Republican wrote in a letter to the President.

“Our national security depends on us being strong in this moment, however, we cannot act from a position of strength while negotiating with a murderous, dishonest and tyrannical dictator. I have been unequivocal in my condemnation of attempts to negotiate with Nicolas Maduro on any issue beyond how and when he will leave power. I urge you to immediately revise the conditions of sanctions relief that your administration has recently offered to the Maduro regime and make clear that he and his thugs, who have horrifically murdered and oppressed the Venezuelan people for years, that there will be no easing of sanctions until free and fair elections are held, and democracy returns to Venezuela, and the following conditions are met.”

At the top of Scott’s list of demands is allowing Machado to appear on a ballot against Maduro. He also wants a guarantee outside election observers can watch over the General Election and for the diaspora in the U.S. to vote in that election as it did in the opposition primary.

Defunding demonstrators

Any university group supporting Hamas should be denied student funding, says Sen. Marco Rubio.

The Miami Republican filed new legislation, the Ending Subsidies for Pro-Terrorist Activities on Campus Act, to prohibit federal dollars from helping any organization that “urges support for, endorses, espouses, encourages, organizes for, or promotes a foreign terrorist organization or its terrorist activities.”

“The last thing that students should be worried about is a threat to their safety,” Rubio said. “Shamefully, some students and faculty members are supporting an organization that has pledged to commit violence until Israel no longer exists. Our tax dollars should not be funding antisemitic, pro-terrorist activities on college campuses. It is absolutely ridiculous that the government is subsidizing this.”

The move came after Florida told state universities to disband pro-Palestinian student groups, to the objection of the ACLU and other First Amendment advocates.

Rubio’s legislation would also require any federally recognized institutions of higher education to publicly report what they are doing to stop student organizations from providing material support for foreign terrorist organizations like Hamas.

Coming into port

The Big Bend will soon have $11 million in federal dollars shipped to Port Panama City.

Rep. Neal Dunn, a Panama City Republican, announced a grant through the Port Infrastructure Development Program would support a significant port expansion.

“This grant funding for Port Panama City is outstanding news for Florida’s 2nd Congressional District,” Dunn said. “The PCPA is Northwest Florida’s primary port that supports over 11,000 jobs in the Panhandle. I worked with PCPA to secure this award, which will allow the port to expand cargo handling capacity at its East Terminal and create over 300 jobs and millions of dollars in revenue. I’m looking forward to the great things to come from Port Panama City, and I stand ready to help boost our local economy in any way possible.”

The expansion will include constructing a 200,000-square-foot warehouse facility to manage the growth of forest product imports and exports.

Tossup in Jacksonville?

New House rankings for Cook Political Report identify a handful of potentially competitive races in Florida next year. But the outlet lists just one incumbent Representative in the tossup category: Rep. John Rutherford.

The Jacksonville Republican likely isn’t used to seeing his name in gray. More than 57% of voters in his current district supported Donald Trump over Biden in the 2020 Election. Rutherford himself didn’t even face a Democratic opponent in 2022, and he won his GOP Primary that year with almost 66% over two Republican opponents.

But the state of flux for Florida’s map has all eyes on North Florida. A circuit court judge in September struck down cartography signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year. While an appellate court this week seemed more inclined to preserve DeSantis’ lines, the map could be on a crash course to a Supreme Court that already ordered a new map in Alabama.

If the map ultimately gets tossed, many expect the Florida Legislature to return to plans that largely preserve a prior version of Florida’s 5th Congressional District, which leaned Democratic and elected former Rep. Al Lawson, a Black Democrat, three times. That said, while Rutherford’s redistricting was renumbered as the 5th on the current map, a redraw may be more likely to dismantle the current Florida’s 4th Congressional District, represented by Rep. Aaron Bean, a Fernandina Beach Republican. Regardless, the doubt leads the Cook team to forecast a tossup race in North Florida’s future.

As for the rest of the delegation, Cook is watching re-election efforts for Democratic Reps. Jared Moskowitz and Darren Soto and for GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, but puts all three incumbents, respectively, in the “Likely Democrat” and “Likely Republican” columns.

Meanwhile, other incumbents in potentially competitive districts, including GOP Reps. Laurel Lee, Cory Mills and María Elvira Salazar appear nowhere on the Cook chart.

Come on and take a free ride

When war or acts of terrorism are threatening Americans abroad, financial considerations shouldn’t play a role in deciding whether to hop on a plane to get out of danger.

Such is the thinking behind a bipartisan proposal that three Florida Representatives are promulgating.

Republicans Dunn and Mills, along with Democrat Moskowitz, would put Air DeSantis out of business — at least overseas. Their bill directs the State Department to waive costs related to Americans’ evacuation from danger zones abroad, as the costs on the DeSantis-chartered flights were.

DeSantis made headlines by working with a nonprofit to bring 700 Americans to Florida at no cost to them — unlike the State Department Air.

And that sounds good to these three Representatives.

“My bill seeks to waive this debt for these individuals and any American who needs evacuation from a war zone,” Dunn said. “No American should have to hesitate to ask for help, especially due to financial constraints, when they are escaping terrorist attacks.”

Moskowitz says it makes “no sense” to ask Americans to sign a promissory note before getting on a State Department plane out of a scary situation.

“In the midst of war, people are forced to make quick decisions to ensure their safety and the safety of their family,” he said. “Personal finances should never play a role.”

Mills notably has worked as a civilian to evacuate individuals in the Middle East, along with Glenn Beck’s Mercury One, which just announced the return of more Americans home.

“I’m deeply honored to have facilitated a flight with Mercury One and collaborated with my friends from Never Forgotten to safely bring back another 159 American citizens, including constituents from Florida’s 7th District to American soil,” he said. “This administration has displayed a deeply concerning pattern of disregarding the safety of its own citizens, but with the support of Mercury One, I stepped up to ensure their secure passage and safe return home. Serving in this capacity is a great honor.”

Semitic semantics

Florida Democrats delivered outlier votes on issues related to the conflict in Israel.

When the House took up a controversial plan to provide more than $14.3 billion in aid for Israel through redirecting money from the IRS, it narrowly passed, with the support of 214 Republicans and 12 Democrats. Nearly half those Democrats hailed from the Sunshine State, with Reps. Lois Frankel, Moskowitz, Soto, Wasserman Schultz and Frederica Wilson all voting “yes.”

But that doesn’t mean they liked the bill. Wasserman Schultz said she disagreed with separating funding from aid to Ukraine, which the Democratic Senate and the White House want. Moskowitz said the bill as drafted is gamesmanship, but he won’t vote against funding for Israel.

Later the same evening, the House took up a resolution condemning the support of Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups on university campuses, raising concerns this would create a hostile environment for Jewish students. The resolution easily cleared a two-thirds threshold to pass on the floor, boasting bipartisan support from all in the delegation but one member. The outlier on that vote turned out to be Rep. Maxwell Frost, an Orlando Democrat, one of 23 members voting “no.”

Republicans in the delegation all backed the funding and resolution.

“House Republicans have always been and remain committed to our cherished friend and partner, the state of Israel. Today, the House reaffirmed and strengthened our commitment to Israel as it defends its citizens from the savage, unprovoked war launched by Hamas and other Iran-backed terrorists,” Bean said.

Revolution will be televised

As more video outlets emerge, a pair of Florida lawmakers want to make sure they aren’t all controlled by the same few media conglomerates. Republican Reps. Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor and Greg Steube of Sarasota joined with Democratic Reps. Yvette Clarke of New York and Jimmy Panetta of California to file the Independent Programmers Tax Incentive Act.

The bill would create an investment tax credit for providers to carry independent programmers in their channel lineup. The legislation has been embraced by political outlets like Florida-based Newsmax, Spanish content makers like VMeMedia, and niche providers like Prime Women.

“I’m pleased to join my colleagues in introducing legislation that will give the American people access to a greater variety of new content providers by incentivizing more competition in an industry dominated by a handful of large media companies,” Steube said.

Bilirakis said the bill could create a fairer marketplace of ideas.

“Independent media ownership offers American TV viewers different viewpoints and ensures robust competition,” Bilirakis said. “This legislation levels the playing field and opens the door for independent entities to compete and thrive in the Pay TV industry.”

Beyond cable, Clarke said it would also impact new streaming providers like Sling, Hulu and YouTube TV.

Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, while heading a decidedly conservative outlet, said this will help everyone trying to start up video content services.

“This legislation is a win-win-win,” he said. “It is a win for consumers who will have access to more diverse voices on their cable systems, it is a win for independent programmers that will gain more access to subscribers, and it is a win for MVPDs and vMVPDs that will be able to offset ever-increasing costs with a new tax credit when they choose to carry independent voices.”

Spot on the bench

Biden nominated U.S. Magistrate Judge Julie S. Sneed of Tampa for a spot on the federal bench for the Middle District of Florida. Presuming she’s confirmed by the Senate, she will be the district’s newest U.S. District Judge.

Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, cheered the nomination.

“The nomination of a new federal judge is a momentous occasion that underscores the importance of the judicial system in upholding the rule of law and the values we cherish as Americans. This moment signifies the culmination of a meticulous evaluation of Judge Sneed’s unimpeachable qualifications, experience and legal expertise,” Castor said.

“President Biden’s nomination of Judge Sneed builds on the President’s commitment to fulfilling his promise to ensure the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country — in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.”

Forwarding calls

A bill sponsored by Rep. Laurel Lee requiring better coordination between crime hotlines and law enforcement could soon be heard on the House floor. The House Judiciary Committee on a voice vote just passed the National Human Trafficking Hotline Enhancement Act.

“In order for the Hotline to operate effectively, there cannot be a divide in efforts between the Hotline and those of law enforcement,” the Thonotosassa Republican said. “My legislation would require any nongovernmental organization that receives federal taxpayer dollars that operate the Hotline to notify law enforcement agencies of information communicated through the Hotline.”

She filed the legislation after Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody sounded alarms that a national hotline for human trafficking wasn’t passing information along to cops unless callers also self-reported.

“Earlier this year, I called on Congress to take swift action to ensure the National Human Trafficking Hotline cooperates with law enforcement — AS INTENDED!” Moody said in a statement. “I am grateful Congresswoman Lee quickly answered this call and is pushing legislation to help ensure law enforcement rapidly communicates tips about suspicious activity so we can stop trafficking and save lives.”

Moody and Lee are close allies who previously served on the Hillsborough County bench together. Lee said her work in the legal system informs her how important coordination can be.

“As a former prosecutor and judge, I have spent many years investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases,” she said. I know firsthand how devastating this crime can be to survivors and their families and how vital it is for tips from the community to be timely shared with our law enforcement officers to recover survivors and stop perpetrators.”

First stop

House Speaker Mike Johnson’s first major fundraiser will be hosted in Florida by Rep. Vern Buchanan.

The Nov. 27 event is expected to raise at least seven figures. It comes as questions surround the new House leader about whether he can raise the resources necessary for Republicans to retain control of the House next year.

Buchanan, a Florida Republican, has hosted fundraisers for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) at his Longboat Key estate. The event this month will benefit the Johnson Leadership Fund. That’s a joint fundraising committee that will benefit Mike Johnson for Louisiana, Johnson’s American Revival PAC and the NRCC.

Johnson last month emerged as House Speaker after a 22-day leadership struggle following the historic ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Before his ascension to Speaker, Johnson served as Vice Chair of the GOP conference in the House, making him a low-ranking member of leadership.

Johnson’s re-election campaign for his Louisiana district had more than $1.1 million. American Revival, Johnson’s chief leadership PAC, closed the third quarter with just over $83,000 in cash. The Johnson Leadership Fund had a paltry $2,500.

Survivor tax break

The House Ways and Means Committee unanimously passed legislation sponsored by Steube that could permanently provide financial relief on storm losses. The Federal Disaster Tax Relief (HR 5863) Act would extend rules for the treatment of disaster-related personal casualty losses and provide tax relief for losses due to federally declared disasters.

The bill comes more than a year after Hurricane Ian.

“My district continues to recover from the monstrous Category 5 storm that slammed into Southwest Florida last September,” the Sarasota Republican said. “Through no fault of their own, many of my constituents incurred hundreds to thousands of dollars in disaster-related expenses.”

The rule will streamline the process and ensure immediate relief to constituents rather than seeking support every time a disaster hits, Steube said.

“Floridians have now waited over a year for Congress to designate Hurricane Ian as a qualified disaster and provide much-needed tax relief for those impacted financially by Hurricane Ian. Hurricane Ian victims are not the only ones awaiting Congressional action. My disaster relief bill also provides tax relief to victims of Hurricane Idalia, Hurricane Nicole, Hurricane Fiona, the Western U.S. wildfires and the Ohio train derailment. Today’s committee action is a huge step toward helping many of our fellow Americans.”

He carried the bill with Reps. Doug LaMalfa, a California Republican, and Bill Johnson, an Ohio Republican, who both also have had disasters recently strike their districts.

Sussing out South America

Two Florida Representatives, Mario Díaz-Balart and Wasserman Schultz, serve among the leaders for the Congressional Latino-Jewish Caucus. This week, the group issued a joint statement denouncing South American nations Chile, Colombia and Bolivia for severing ties to Israel.

“We are appalled by the decision of the Governments of Chile and Colombia to recall their Ambassadors from Israel and Bolivia’s unilateral suspension of diplomatic relations with Israel,” reads a joint statement from the caucus. “We concur with the Israeli government’s assessment that these decisions mark a surrender to terrorism and to the Ayatollah’s regime in Iran.”

The statement was issued by the Florida members along with Reps. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat heading the Congressional Colombia Caucus, and fellow Latino-Jewish caucus leaders Reps. Adriano Espaillat, a New York Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican.

“The United States Congress and the American people strongly support Israel’s right to defend itself, as do the overwhelming majority of Latin American Jews, who have condemned the use of antisemitic rhetoric and incitement of violence by Colombian President (Gustavo) Petro, Chilean President (Gabriel) Boric, and Bolivian President (Luis) Arce. We stand in solidarity with these communities who have been ignored by their leaders.”

On this day

Nov. 3, 1964 — “D.C. residents cast first presidential votes” via History.com — They went on to help Democrat Lyndon Johnson defeat Republican Barry Goldwater. Congress met for the first time in Washington in 1800. The District was put under the jurisdiction of Congress, which terminated D.C. residents’ voting rights in 1801. In 1961, the 23rd Amendment restored these rights, allowing D.C. voters to choose electors for the Electoral College based on population, with a maximum of as many electors as the least populated state. With a current population of over 550,000 residents, 61-square-mile D.C. has three electoral votes, just like Wyoming, America’s smallest state, population-wise.

Nov. 3, 2014 — “One World Trade Center opens its doors” via Time magazine — New York City’s revival from its darkest hour 13 years prior was completed as One World Trade Center officially opened for business. The Western Hemisphere’s new tallest building, also known as Freedom Tower, welcomed Condé Nast as its first tenant. The publishing giant is making the 20th to the 44th floor its new global headquarters. The 1,776-foot-high tower was initially set to open in 2006 but became fraught with delays and political grappling. It provided a statement of hope and resurgence on the New York City skyline after the attacks of 9/11 that destroyed the iconic twin towers of the World Trade Center.

Happy birthday

Best wishes to Rep. Frederica Wilson, who turns 81 on Sunday, Nov. 5.

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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.