Delegation for 1.12.24: Another shutdown? — brainwashed — powder keg — class dismissed — clean buses

Shutdown looming — again

Congress again sits a week from a potential government shutdown and the House appears paralyzed.

Considered the first significant test of Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership, the first major funding deadline of the year looms Jan. 19. That’s when funding expires for many federal functions, including the Department of Veterans Affairs. But in a rules vote this week, 13 Republicans joined Democrats in blocking a spending package from the House floor. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a St. Petersburg Republican, was the only Republican from Florida’s congressional delegation to participate in the procedural maneuver.

“The spending deal is a non-starter,” she told Florida Politics. “This deal makes Pelosi’s spending deal look conservative. There are zero policy wins for the American people when our country is stepping over the point of no return. Renegotiate the deal or the floor will remain closed.”

But notably, she doesn’t appear to be the only one disappointed with the package. Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Fort Walton Beach Republican who led last year’s intra-caucus rebellion against former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, signaled broad dissent with the Freedom Caucus wing about the deal negotiated by Johnson with President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer.

But Gaetz said he’s still much less concerned about the state of talks now than he had been under McCarthy’s leadership.

“McCarthy made $50-plus billion in secret side deals with Biden and Schumer,” Gaetz posted on social media. “We are mad at Johnson (rightly!) because he only repealed $16 billion of the McCarthy side deals. We don’t miss McCarthy. But things must get better than this.”

Other House members signaled to Florida Politics that while they won’t stop a deal from reaching the floor, they aren’t ready to support the package as it stands now. Meanwhile, the rules vote has forced Johnson back into negotiations with his caucus.

Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman reported Rep. Byron Donalds, a Naples Republican, was among lawmakers seen visiting the Speaker’s Office to discuss a potential new deal on spending.

Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Scott has signaled he won’t vote for any spending until he sees changes at the Southern border. He told WIOD News Radio he would sign the Immigration Accountability Project pledge, saying he won’t vote for any spending until Biden signs legislation requiring any illegal immigrants to be detained and have their cases adjudicated in court.

“My responsibility is to do everything I can to keep the citizens of Florida safe, and opening borders does not keep them safe,” the Naples Republican said.

He also participated in a “Shut Down The Border Or Shut Down The Government” news conference this week, making clear he’s willing to vote against any deal regardless of the Jan. 19 deadline.

Ivy League indoctrination?

During a speech to the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, Sen. Marco Rubio suggested U.S. universities were to blame for the spread of antisemitism among college students.

“These institutions have totally forgotten why they exist,” the Miami Republican said. “No institution, no organization can be successful if it forgets its purpose, its ’why.’ Why do you exist? Why do we have universities in America? Why do we have schools, for that matter? They are designed to educate, to teach, to prepare, to equip so people can go out and be good citizens and productive in their lives. That is not what they’ve become.”

Rubio made the remarks as universities face lawsuits over whether they allowed pro-Palestinian protesters to create a hostile environment for Jewish students.

Rubio made clear he thought so and that institutions were, in fact, teaching dangerous thoughts in class.

“We are subsidizing, in our country, the most expensive indoctrination program in the world,” he said.

Worse, he predicted the instruction at Ivy League schools would infect the halls of power in a matter of time.

“The reason why it’s troubling is not just because of where they go to school and all that,” he said. “What’s troubling is that if you play it out, those are the schools that populate the Supreme Court, the agencies, the boardrooms of our country. If you extend this out 10, 15, 20 years, these are the people who are going to be in charge of really important things.”

When Jewish students sued Harvard Thursday, the university declined to comment to media outlets. The school has pushed back on criticism from Rubio, specifically about other topics like working with Chinese researchers.

Baby powder

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall of Reckitt/Mead Johnson baby formula at the end of the year. Now, Scott wants to know how the agency will ensure no shortage like the one experienced in 2022.

In a letter to FDA Administrator Robert Califf, the Naples Republican said a strategy needed implementation as 675,000 cans of formula come off the market.

“The last time that the FDA issued a recall due to Cronobacter sakazakii contamination, it failed to move swiftly to ensure that the market had an adequate supply of baby formula,” Scott wrote. “This created unnecessary shortages, which the FDA later would attempt to mitigate by allowing imports of additional baby formula supply. The FDA cannot repeat its past mistakes.”

He wanted to know the timeline for returning a contaminated facility online and if there was any communication between the government and other agencies about stepping up production. He suggested the administration establish an Incident Management Group to deal with the potential crisis.

“I look forward to your prompt response so that the youngest and most vulnerable among us have access to the nutrition that they need, and I urge the FDA to take swift and decisive action to solve this growing supply shortage,” he wrote.

Out of class

Struggles with controlling the border are now disrupting education at American schools, according to Rep. Aaron Bean. The Fernandina Beach Republican released a joint statement with Reps. Virginia Foxx, a South Carolina Republican, and Brandon Williams, a New York Republican, on news of New York schools going to remote learning to deal with an influx of 2,000 migrants in the community.

“Schools should never be used as encampments for illegal aliens — the safety risks to students of all ages, as well as the risks posed to their educational pursuits, are too severe,” the statement reads.

According to the New York Post, James Madison High School started teaching remote classes after being activated as a temporary overnight respite center.

“Unfortunately, the Democrat city government is willing to sacrifice the safety and academic pursuits of students to cover up its and the Biden administration’s glaring policy failures. This is exactly why Republicans passed H. Res. 461 — to send a full-throated message to New York City, the Biden administration, and local leaders across the country that the safety and education of American school children should not be subject to their pro-illegal immigration whims.”

Bean chairs the House Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee, which works under the umbrella of the Foxx-chaired House Education and the Workforce Committee.

Greener yellow dogs

Orange County Schools will soon dispatch 20 electric school buses as part of its fleet, thanks to a $5 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Bus School Program. The funding, announced by Reps. Maxwell Frost and Darren Soto, comes from an infrastructure law signed by Biden.

“We are thrilled to see Orange County Public Schools receive $5 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to help transition their school bus fleet to electric. I was proud to vote for the new infrastructure law, which continues to deliver for Florida. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a critical step to protect clean air for our students, combat climate change, and preserve the planet for future generations,” said Soto, a Kissimmee Democrat.

“I look forward to seeing the positive changes coming to the school district and will keep working to secure more federal funds for Central Florida.”

Soto penned a letter of support for the grant application in September.

Frost, an Orlando Democrat, said it shows a commitment by the caucus to education and the environment.

“House Democrats and the Biden administration continue to deliver on critical investments for the future of our clean energy communities,” Frost said. “This $5 million for electric school buses will help us tackle some of the worst contributors to climate change and help usher in a new era of clean energy for Orange County. With the climate crisis being a clear and present danger to our community and humanity, it is steps like this that help us fight this existential threat.”

Orange County Schools Superintendent Maria Vazquez said the money would keep the district on a “pathway toward sustainability.”

EpiPen expenses

This week, Frost also filed legislation to cut costs for emergency medicine.

The EPIPEN Act would cap the out-of-pocket cost of a two-pack of epinephrine auto-injectors at $60, regardless of insurance.

“As someone who has suffered a life-threatening allergic reaction, I know firsthand just how critical it is to have access to an EpiPen or an auto-injector when your body needs it most,” Frost said.

“But right now, we have a problem in America where people who need EpiPens aren’t carrying them simply because of the cost. Our office has heard from countless working folks who either carry expired auto-injectors or simply don’t carry one despite their severe allergies because they can’t afford it. It’s time the federal government looked out for working families and capped these prices. Our EPIPEN Act can save some parents $13,000 over the course of a child’s life. This bill would make all the difference in ensuring that the decision to carry the medicine we need to stay alive isn’t a difficult one.”

He introduced the bill with Rep. Doris Matsui, a California Democrat. It already boasts the support of several patient advocacy groups, including the Allergy and Asthma Network, Allergy Strong, American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, Doctors for America and Food Allergy Research and Education.

“Treating anaphylaxis with epinephrine is one of the rare instances in medicine where a condition that can kill so quickly can be cured so simply,” said Dr. Eric Sullivan, Chair of the Access to Affordable Care Impact Area of Doctors for America. “Yet price gouging by pharmaceutical companies has limited access to this lifesaving medication. The EPIPEN Act will not only save families money but also protect the lives of the most vulnerable — those who have been unable to fill their prescriptions due to cost. Doctors for America strongly supports Congressman Frost’s vital legislation and urges swift passage of the bill by Congress.”

NIL negotiations

Rep. Gus Bilirakis will play a key role in legislation in the House on whether student-athletes can profit from using their name, image and likeness (NIL).

As Chair of the House Innovation, Data and Commerce Subcommittee, the Palm Harbor Republican will work closely with Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, on a bipartisan bill, with Sen. Ben Ray Luján, a New Mexico Democrat, crafting a Senate companion bill.

“It is Congress’ responsibility to establish a clear set of rules, so our young people are protected, opportunities for them are promoted, and amateur sports of all kinds are preserved,” Bilirakis said. “Our goal is to ensure that NIL deals are transparent and fair while protecting the integrity of college athletics. The Discussion Draft legislation strikes the delicate balance of preserving the ability of college athletes to profit from their own NIL while maintaining the amateur status of all college athletes.”

Luján said the time is right to revisit the national rules governing the livelihood of collegiate players.

“Throughout the school year, college sports fans enjoy cheering on their favorite teams. And whether you’re a star quarterback in the Rose Bowl or a walk-on basketball player at a small college, student-athletes devote themselves to excellence, both on and off the field. Many of these athletes also bring in millions in revenue for their schools,” Luján said.

“In the less than three years since the NCAA voted to allow student-athletes to receive compensation in exchange for use of their name, image, and likeness, we’ve seen unregulated groups swoop in with large amounts of money attempting to influence recruiting and transfers. That’s why I’m proud to support this discussion draft and the work of my colleagues in the House. We can both protect the rights of student-athletes to engage in NIL deals while also ensuring transparency and oversight.”

Lunch money

Florida left $248 million in food assistance on the table, refusing to apply for the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program before a deadline. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, slammed Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision as a “mean and irresponsible position.”

“For many working-class families, the only nutritious meal a child receives is at school. Unfortunately, when school is out during the summer, children across Florida frequently lack access to healthy meals,” Castor said. “The overwhelmingly successful Summer EBT initiative — which provides grocery-buying benefits to families with school-aged children — has helped to fill this gap and reduce child hunger.”

Every Democrat in the congressional delegation signed a letter in December urging DeSantis to seek federal funding for the new program, which Congress authorized in December 2022.

“Gov. DeSantis is putting Florida families at a disadvantage yet again due to his extreme politics by rejecting $248 million that would benefit approximately 2 million children across the state,” Castor said. “He has turned his back on families and children and, again, failed to bring our tax dollars back to Florida. DeSantis’ shortsighted, reckless, and downright cruel rejection of this funding will take food away from children and risk significant harm to the health and well-being of children throughout the state.”

Election standards

As a former Florida Secretary of State, Rep. Laurel Lee said it’s important states continue to control elections administration.

But she introduced the Uniform State ACE Act this week, which would set out 13 election integrity standards to promote confidence in the democratic process. Practices include implementing photo ID before voting and banning noncitizens from voting.

“Americans need to feel confident that their elections are secure, which is why we have compiled crucial election integrity measures into model state legislation,” the Thonotosassa Republican said. “The Uniform State ACE Act serves as a comprehensive tool kit to ensure election integrity is being carried out at the state level.”

The House Elections Subcommittee Chair introduced the legislation with Rep. Bryan Steil, Chair of the House Administration Committee.

Lee’s Office said the legislation should provide a framework, drawing upon successful election integrity measures implemented in various states for legislators, regardless of a state’s political leaning. Federal lawmakers hope state legislators use the model legislation as a foundation for introducing election integrity measures.

Mosk trap

A House Oversight Committee made news chiefly for an appearance by Hunter Biden. It also escalated the reputation of Rep. Jared Moskowitz as the most gleeful thorn in committee Chair James Comer’s side.

Moskowitz first noted Hunter Biden’s presence in the room, for one thing. The President’s son showed up to Congress for a committee vote, holding him in contempt for refusing to speak to the committee. He asked the committee to simply swear the President’s son in and question him there, something Comer has not wanted to do.

But Moskowitz then listed several members of Congress who refused to testify to the Jan. 6 Committee.

 

Are you suffering from headaches because your Oversight hearing didn’t go well? The good news is with today’s revolutionary technology, relief is just around the corner. With just one dose of TRUTH all your suffering will subside. pic.twitter.com/PLzk9j5kb7

— Jared Moskowitz 🟧 (@JaredEMoskowitz) January 10, 2024

“I’ll make this bipartisan. I’ll vote for the Hunter contempt today. You can get my vote,” the Parkland Democrat said. “But I want you to show the American people that you’re serious.”

He then asked for prior subpoenas to be entered into the record for GOP Reps. Andy Biggs, Jim Jordan and Scott Perry, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and former Reps. Mo Brooks and Kevin McCarthy. Approve an amendment adding those Republicans to a contempt charge, Moskowitz said, and he would get on board.

However, the committee did not support an amendment adding those names to the contempt finding. Comer later addressed the matter on Fox News, where he compared Moskowitz to a recently expelled member of Congress.

“Moskowitz has less credibility than George Santos had when he was a member of Congress,” the Kentucky Republican said. “He’s the new George Santos.”

Moskowitz posted an image of Comer rubbing his head in his hands online.

“Are you suffering from headaches because your Oversight hearing didn’t go well?” he wrote. “The good news is with today’s revolutionary technology, relief is just around the corner. With just one dose of TRUTH, all your suffering will subside.”

Aid to Ecuador

Rep. María Elvira Salazar spent much of the two months in South America, including attending the inauguration of ultraconservative Javier Milei as Argentina’s new President.

Now, she’s asking the U.S. to increase its presence in Ecuador.

She sent a letter to President Biden asking him to provide military support to Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa to fight deadly gangs there. She noted cartels recently overtook a television station and stormed the University of Guayaquil but said the U.S. could stop the chaos.

“We need to destroy the cartels there, so they don’t come here,” the Coral Gables Republican wrote. “A network of cartels and gangs stretches from Ecuador through Colombia all the way to our border. We need to help countries like Ecuador defeat the cartels in their country, so they don’t end up on our Southern border. In particular, Ecuador needs our intelligence to identify these criminals and their hideouts, and they need small arms and ammunition to be able to smoke them out.”

On this day

Jan. 12, 1861 — “The battle of Santa Rosa Island” via HistoryNet — The new Confederacy viewed Pensacola’s naval shipyard and railroad link as invaluable assets to the Southern cause. Florida and Alabama state troops and many local citizens forced U.S. Commodore James Armstrong to surrender the naval shipyard. The Southerners also acquired a million-dollar dry dock, workshops, warehouses, barracks, a hospital, 175 cannons, projectiles and ordnance stores in the bargain. The Federal occupation of Fort Pickens, which commanded the harbor at the mouth of Pensacola Bay, nullified all these advantages. As long as Federal forces held Fort Pickens, the Confederates could not use Pensacola Harbor effectively.

Jan. 12, 1932 — “Hattie Wyatt Caraway becomes first woman elected to Senate” via History.com — Caraway, a Democrat from Arkansas, had been appointed to the Senate two months earlier to fill the vacancy left by her late husband, Thaddeus Horatio Caraway. With the support of Huey Long, a powerful Senator from Louisiana, Caraway was elected to the seat. In 1938, she was re-elected. After failing to win renomination in 1944, she was appointed to the Federal Employees Compensation Commission by President Franklin Roosevelt. Although she was the first freely elected female Senator, Caraway was preceded in the Senate by Rebecca Latimer Felton, who was appointed in 1922 but never ran for election.

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