Delegation for 11.10.23: Crop top — tariff relief — Digital Yuan — no Latinx

Crop insurance

Rising insurance premiums have impacted Florida’s critical agriculture industry, and members of the delegation want Congress to help push the plow.

Sen. Marco Rubio, a Miami Republican, introduced legislation in the Senate to better protect growers from freezes through crop insurance. The Temperature Endorsement for Multi-Peril Policies (TEMP) Act would direct the Risk Management Agency to research and develop a crop insurance policy to cover losses caused by cold exposure and freezes.

Rep. Scott Franklin, a Lakeland Republican, co-introduced a companion measure in the House. Franklin’s district covers much of the Florida heartland.

“Deep freezes often cause significant damage to Florida’s agricultural industry, a significant source of America’s citrus, sugar cane and other important fruit and vegetables,” Franklin said.

“Unfortunately, growers in Florida’s heartland do not have access to reasonably priced specialty-crop insurance, making it difficult to recover after harsh winters. Our bipartisan bill creates an affordable index temperature policy, providing much-needed stability and coverage for Florida’s more than 300 specialty crops should temperatures drop below freezing. I thank my colleagues for their support of this common-sense initiative and Sen. Rubio for his leadership on this issue in the Senate.”

He will champion the legislation in the House with Rep. Darren Soto, a Kissimmee Democrat and one of two Florida lawmakers on the House Agriculture Committee. Additionally, Republican Reps. Cory Mills and Greg Steube joined on as co-sponsors of the legislation.

The bill was introduced in both chambers as Congress works on a new farm bill, legislation only taken up every five years.

The American Farm Bureau Federation, Florida Farm Bureau and Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association have all endorsed the crop insurance legislation from the start.

Last year, Steube and Soto worked on a similar bill together after a freeze hit citrus and specialty crop growers especially hard.

Tariff relief blooming?

Florida’s congressional delegation leaders want the House to do something about tariffs entering the state’s ports.

Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart and Debbie Wasserman Schultz sent a bipartisan letter to House Ways and Means Committee leaders calling for the reauthorization of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. That’s a program intended to provide opportunities for many poor and developing nations to grow economies through trade.

The GSP program was launched in 1974, but authorization expired three years ago at the end of 2020. The lapse led to increased tariffs on imports from these nations. That resulted in some $2 billion in tariffs being paid, with Florida businesses accounting for $300 million and the floral import industry alone bearing $66 million in tariffs.

Wasserman, Co-Chair of Florida’s delegation, said reauthorizing the program would ease costs for Americans while reducing China’s economic power.

“Renewing GSP is a win-win proposition for consumers, workers and local businesses, especially in Florida,” the Weston Democrat said. “In addition to lowering operating costs and prices, preferential trade policies promise to continue lifting millions out of poverty and reducing China’s influence on U.S. supply chains. I’m proud to help lead the bipartisan consensus in support of these objectives.”

Díaz-Balart, dean of Florida’s delegation, said it would reduce America’s reliance on goods from China but allow nations with a positive relationship with the U.S. to provide goods.

“The GSP renewal benefits American families and businesses all over the country, including Florida, by lowering tariffs on global imports and thereby helping U.S. manufacturers and importers stay competitive in international markets,” the Hialeah Republican said. “Historically, South Florida has benefited greatly from the international trade industry, bringing jobs to our port cities and well into the heart of our state. By reauthorizing GSP, we would revitalize our communities, bolster our economy, and counter China’s influence in our hemisphere.”

Most of Florida’s congressional delegation co-signed the letter, including Republican Reps. Aaron Bean, Gus Bilirakis, Vern Buchanan, Neal Dunn, Franklin, Carlos Giménez, Laurel Lee, Brian Mast, John Rutherford, María Elvira Salazar and Daniel Webster, as well as Democratic Reps. Kathy Castor, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Lois Frankel, Maxwell Frost, Jared Moskowitz, Soto and Frederica Wilson.

Guatemalan injustice

Members of the Florida delegation joined in a call for justice for a Russian family that fled to Guatemala only to be imprisoned there.

Rubio, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Salazar, House Foreign Relations Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chair, sought attention for the treatment of Igor, Irina and Anastasia Bitkov after the family in 2009 left Russia fearing persecution. According to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the family sought citizenship in Guatemala but was accused of submitting government documents with anomalies, resulting in yearslong prison sentences.

An appeals court recently upheld 19-year sentences for the women, while Igor is now serving a 7-year sentence reduced from 19 years.

“The ongoing harassment of the Bitkov family — victims of Russia’s long-arm persecution — shocks the conscience,” reads a joint statement from Rubio, Salazar and Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

“There is a strong Congressional interest in this apparent miscarriage of justice in Guatemala. Russia’s interference in the family’s unjust imprisonment, originally supported by a rogue (United Nations)-agency called CICIG (the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala) and now continued by Guatemala’s Supreme Court, remains an outstanding concern for us.”

That this happens when most of the Western world slams Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine adds to the Florida lawmakers’ outrage.

“At a time when the free world is focused on Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine and their deceptive influence throughout the world — including Latin America and the Caribbean — our State Department should share our concern in countering Russian transnational repression directed at the Bitkov family,” the joint statement says. “In the name of justice, we call on Guatemala’s Constitutional Court to review the Supreme Court’s decision and apply the rule of law.”

No Yuan

Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Scott remains focused on China’s influence. This week, the Naples Republican filed legislation intended to disrupt China’s economic power in central banking.

The Chinese CBDC Prohibition Act would prohibit money services businesses from transactions using the Digital Yuan, the central bank digital currency just issued by China.

“The Digital Yuan is just another tool used by the Chinese Communist Party to spy on its people and all those who use it,” Scott said. “It is an obvious power grab and an attempt to increase communist-state control over people’s personal finances. Secretary Xi and his thugs have no business playing big brother to American citizens and how they spend their money. That is why I am fighting to prevent this problem from ever becoming someone’s reality. We must stand up against the CCP’s obvious spy tactics and pass the Chinese CBDC Prohibition Act today.”

He introduced the bill in the Senate with Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.

Defund the FBI?

Since winning the House, Republicans have pursued investigations of a weaponization of government against dissent. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Fort Walton Beach Republican, pushed this week for retaliation against perceived enemies of former President Donald Trump.

Gaetz filed a budget amendment to defund plans for a new FBI headquarters. But ultimately, the plan died on a 273-145 vote.

“Time after time, we have seen the FBI target President Trump, people who believe in the Second Amendment, parents attending school board (meetings), and more recently, some of their own brave FBI whistleblowers who have spoken up about the weaponization of our Federal Government,” Gaetz said. “We should not be awarding nefarious behavior by wasting hundreds of millions of dollars for a new headquarters in the D.C. area. Although my amendment failed, I will continue my fight to defang and defund government agencies that have been weaponized against the American people.”

The measure failed as 70 Republicans joined all House Democrats in voting it down. That included four Florida Republicans: Buchanan, Díaz-Balart, Lee and Salazar.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a St. Petersburg Republican, criticized GOP colleagues for that vote.

“THE FBI IS WEAPONIZED AND YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM A NEW BUILDING?” she posted on social media in all caps.

Revisiting Yemen

For about two weeks, the U.S. classified the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued that decision a day before President Joe Biden took office, but by Feb. 4, the new administration shifted its position as part of diplomatic efforts in Yemen.

But in the wake of the October terror attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians, two Florida lawmakers want the State Department to revisit the designation. Reps. Michael Waltz, a St. Augustine Beach Republican, and Moskowitz, a Parkland Democrat, led a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for the U.S. to again treat the Yemeni Houthis as terrorists, the same way America classifies Hamas.

“The Houthis (have) decisively intervened in Israel’s conflict on behalf of Hamas,” the letter states. “On Oct. 31, 2023, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree stated that the organization has conducted three attacks on Israel since the war started, including launching a ‘large number’ of missiles and drones at Israel. The U.S. military has aptly intervened in some of these attacks — in particular, the USS Carney shot down four cruise missiles and 14 drones over the course of nine hours on Oct. 19, 2023. The presumed target of the missile and rocket launches were civilians in Eilat, Israel.”

The letter explains that redesignating the Yemeni group will allow more resources to go toward fighting the Houthis.

Gun money

As mass shootings make increasingly routine headlines, Frost wants financial institutions acting as a check on gun makers.

He and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, sent letters to six banks and investment groups seeking information on the money flow to the firearm industry.

“The American people deserve to know if some of the most powerful financial institutions in our country are in bed with gun manufacturers and, in turn, profiting off the gun violence epidemic that has claimed countless innocent lives,” Warren and Frost said in a joint statement.

“With the tragedy we witnessed in Maine just last month, 2023 is on track to be one of the deadliest years in recent history when it comes to gun violence. These prominent financial institutions have a moral responsibility to play a leading role in helping to end this crisis.”

The letters went out to BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, Vanguard, Bank of America, Blackstone and Wells Fargo, the most prominent American investors in the gun industry.

Home sweet SWFL

As Collier County celebrates 100 years of existence, its two Representatives want Congress to pass a resolution honoring Southwest Florida.

Reps. Byron Donalds, a Naples Republican, and Diaz-Balart, whose district covers east Collier, introduced legislation to express a sense of the House appreciating the region.

“Serving the people of Collier and Lee counties in the House of Representatives is an incredible honor. I’m blessed to work for and live in the most remarkable region of America,” said Donalds. “From our vast ecological landscapes, world-class educational and medical facilities, bustling economic corridors, and resilient people — there’s no place like Southwest Florida. This resolution, introduced alongside my friend and fellow Collier Rep. Díaz-Balart, rightfully acknowledges and appreciates everything our community offers.”

Díaz-Balart unsurprisingly concurred.

“It is an honor to join my dear friend and colleague, Congressman Byron Donalds, in recognizing the rich tapestry that is southwest Florida,” he said. “This year, Collier County, the second-largest county by size in Florida, celebrates its centennial in Everglades City, the County’s birthplace. Collier County is a thriving economic, demographic, agricultural and ecological community which I have had the privilege of representing, and I look forward to working toward its continued growth.”

Save Rosie

Amid numerous efforts to defund parts of the administration, some of Florida’s female lawmakers said the House needs to backtrack on undermining the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau.

Frankel, Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair, and Cherfilus-McCormick, the caucus’ Diversity & Inclusion Chair, led a letter to the House Appropriations Chair calling for members to reconsider a proposal to eliminate the only federal agency dedicated to helping working women. Cherfilus-McCormick and Frankel sent the letter with other leaders of the Democratic Women’s Caucus.

“Republicans are on a quest to diminish women’s economic independence,” Frankel, a West Palm Beach Democrat, said. “Their mission includes cruel restrictions on reproductive freedom, cutting child care assistance, and defunding the Department of Labor Women’s Bureau whose goal is to advance employment opportunities for women.”

The agency has existed for over 100 years, first formed in 1920, and helped promote the Rosie the Riveter image. The famous posters were initially dispatched to encourage women to enter the manufacturing workforce during World War II when many factory and shipyard workers deployed overseas with the military.

To defund the agency now would hurt women supporting their families across their country today, according to Cherfilus-McCormick.

“The elimination of the Women’s Bureau would be a tremendous setback for the more than 77 million working women across the country,” the Miramar Democrat said. “Since its inception, this agency has been at the forefront of ensuring that women have a real shot at the American Dream. These proposed funding cuts would deal a devastating blow to a growing sector of the U.S. workforce.”

Free art

In a floor speech, Wasserman Schultz, Co-Chair of the Congressional Cuba Democracy Caucus, voiced support for releasing Cuban artists and activists.

The Weston Democrat said she will partner with Freedom House and Amnesty International to advocate for the immediate release of the political prisoners.

Rapper Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez, co-author of the protest song “Patria Y Vida,” and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a visual and performance artist and leader of the pro-democracy San Isidro Movement, were both jailed in Cuba, according to Amnesty International.

“I’m grateful the Biden administration granted humanitarian parole to both Luis Manuel and Maykel, but for the Cuban regime, exiling these patriots isn’t enough. Their very existence is a threat,” said Wasserman Schultz. “If we truly intend to live up to our nation’s values, we must work tirelessly to liberate those who continually sacrifice their freedom for others.”

Manuekl recently described the consequence of his imprisonment in a letter published in the Miami Herald. Wasserman Schultz entered that into the Congressional Record in her speech.

The international organizations welcomed the Congresswoman’s help in advocacy efforts.

“We welcome Rep. Wasserman Schultz’s critical and timely advocacy on behalf of Luis Manuel and Maykel,” said Margaux Ewen, Director of Freedom House’s Political Prisoners Initiative. “Their work to spotlight human rights abuses in Cuba through their art deserves our attention now more than ever as they continue to languish in prison in deplorable conditions. We join Rep. Wasserman Schultz and Amnesty International in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Luis Manuel and Maykel, in addition to the 780+ political prisoners that remain unjustly incarcerated in Cuba.”

X out

Salazar wants the House to listen to the voice of a Latina. But don’t call her “Latinx.”

The Coral Gables Republican championed a measure passed this week on the floor prohibiting the administration from using the gender-neutral term on any public-facing government documents.

“The reality is that the Spanish language has two genders: masculine and feminine. Male and female. Period,” Salazar said. “But a new generation wants to destroy a universal Hispanic reality. It wants to erase a grammatical rule that’s been in place for centuries because of an obsession with wokeness.”

The House amended the Financial Services and General Government budget bill with language drawn from the Reject Latinx Act filed by Salazar earlier this year. The South Florida Congresswoman filed the legislation after the term increasingly showed up in White House communications despite polls showing only 2% of Hispanic Americans use the term. A Gallup Poll last year showed 31% of Latinos find the term Latinx to be “offensive.”

The measure passed 222-198, with seven Democrats — though none from Florida — joining with Republicans.

K Street calls

A top staffer for Buchanan just took a lobbying job in the pharmaceutical industry. Daiichi Sankyo just hired Aaron Bill as associate director for government affairs and public policy, according to Legistorm.

Bill most recently served as Buchanan’s Legislative Director and Health Counsel, a post he held since April 2021. The staffer has worked in Washington on and off the hill since 2006, including stints on the staff of lawmakers in the House and Senate. Until taking his private sector job, he also served as vice president of the Italian American Congressional Staff Association, according to his LinkedIn page.

On this day

Nov. 10, 2012 — “Florida declared Barack Obama winner of state’s electoral votes” via NPR — Four days after the polls closed, Florida announced that President Obama won the state’s 29 electoral votes. Florida officials said Obama had 50% of the vote to Romney’s 49.1%, a margin of about 74,000 votes. The Florida Secretary of State’s Office confirmed Obama’s victory Saturday. Though razor-thin, the difference is more significant than the half-percent margin that would have automatically triggered a recount. Though Obama secured his win even without the state’s electoral votes, Florida’s results put all eight swing states — including Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Colorado and New Hampshire — in the President’s column.

Nov. 10, 1954 — “Marine Corps War Memorial unveiled” via the National Park Service — The United States Marine Corps War Memorial represents this nation’s gratitude to Marines and those who have fought beside them. While the statue depicts one of the most famous incidents of World War II, the memorial is dedicated to all Marines who have given their lives in defense of the United States since 1775. In 1945, Iwo Jima became a primary objective in American plans to bring the Pacific campaign to a successful conclusion. President Dwight Eisenhower dedicated the memorial in a ceremony on the 179th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps.

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