Delegation for 8.9.24: Chaos — Debby — premium spike — El Salvador — SAVE

The Big Show

With two presidential tickets now fully formed amid one of the most chaotic election cycles in history, political figures are turning their attention to the nation’s most-watched election.

The Florida delegation made sure to be part of the conversation.

After Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Republicans pilloried the vice-presidential contender’s National Guard record, with veterans within Florida’s congressional delegation serving some of the most brutal punches.

Rep. Michael Waltz, a St. Augustine Beach Republican in contention for Defense Secretary if Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump wins, has been a chief critic of Walz. In a series of online posts and national media appearances, he has raised concerns about Walz claiming the title Sergeant Major when he didn’t complete training after earning the rank and for retiring from the Guard shortly before his unit deployed to Iraq.

“I commanded Green Berets,” Waltz said in an online video. “Everything that you do prepares you for that moment when you have to lead your men and women into harm’s way. It’s kind of like the quarterback of a big team walking away from their team right before they go to the Super Bowl.”

He also has hammered Walz for various reports saying Walz served during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts when he was never deployed overseas.

Walz has largely ignored the attacks. But other delegation members with records abroad, including Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, Brian Mast, and Cory Mills have echoed and amplified Waltz’s concerns.

Meanwhile, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democratic Co-Chair of Florida’s congressional delegation, directly aimed at Trump as he held a lengthy news conference in Mar-a-Lago.

There, Trump made multiple Florida-related headlines. He teased support for a referendum legalizing marijuana — one Gov. Ron DeSantis adamantly opposes. Then he refused to commit to voting against a ballot measure reversing Florida’s six-week abortion ban — a restriction only made possible thanks to the former President’s Supreme Court appointees reversing Roe v. Wade.

But Wasserman Schultz zoomed in on disparaging comments Trump made about Jewish voters, a reliably Democratic voting bloc.

“If anybody I know is Jewish, and they would vote for Kamala over me, they should have their head examined,” Trump said.

Wasserman Schultz, a Jewish voter firmly behind Harris, reminded that Trump less than two years ago held another event in Mar-a-Lago, hosting rapper Ye and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes for a private dinner.

“No Jewish person I know would ever take voting advice from a man who dines with neo-Nazis,” the former Democratic National Committee Chair posted on X.

Damage control

In the wake of Hurricane Debby, Sen. Rick Scott toured Steinhatchee, where the storm made landfall with Category 1 wind strength. He promised residents he would ensure all expected federal funding arrives in the Big Bend quickly.

“When this storm made landfall here in Steinhatchee, it brought intense rainfall, damaging winds and life-threatening storm surge to communities across Taylor County, and it’s going to be an all-hands-on-deck effort to get neighborhoods back on their feet,” Scott said.

“I am here to emphasize to the folks of Taylor County that we are working at the federal level to ensure you all have the resources you need. Last week, I met with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell in Washington to discuss hurricane preparedness and will be working closely with her and the FEMA Region 4 team to ensure Florida has a reliable federal partner as work begins to respond to and recover from Hurricane Debby.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Kat Cammack has worked with state and federal officials to ensure resources are already available on the ground in many areas. That has included publicizing aid distribution sites. She appeared with DeSantis at a news conference earlier this week to let residents know what could be immediately accessed.

She also urged online for those in the region to be mindful of continued risks in flooded areas.

Scott also stressed the need for safety as communities still deal with the storm’s aftermath.

“As I always say, you can rebuild your home, but you can’t rebuild your life,” he said. “I urge families to continue to follow the directions of local authorities and stay safe. If there is one thing I know, it is that Floridians are resilient, and we will get through this together.”

Insurance break

Scott also said he wants to offer some offsets for spikes in insurance premiums. The Naples Republican filed the Homeowners Premium Tax Reduction Act, which would provide, per his office, an above-the-line tax deduction of up to $10,000 of insurance premiums at homesteaded properties.

The Senator notes that “soaring property insurance costs” are part of the reason the “dream of homeownership is out of reach” for many.

“While the business of property insurance is handled by the states, there is one thing the federal government can do to help lower costs for families. My new legislation, the Homeowners Premium Tax Reduction Act, will provide direct relief for families in Florida and across the nation with a deduction of up to $10,000 in homeowners insurance premiums paid on their primary residence,” Scott said.

Earlier this year, the Senator introduced parallel legislation (S 4143) to amend the tax code to provide an above-the-line deduction for flood insurance premiums.

Scott has previously sounded the alarm about insurance costs, which spiked under the DeSantis administration, which followed Scott’s own tenure as Governor. In a 2023 call with supporters, Scott said high rates are “bankrupting the state.”

What sanctions?

The State Department has questioned Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s claim that he won a July 28 election. However, Sen. Marco Rubio is ready to move on to the next question: What will President Joe Biden’s administration do about it?

The Miami Republican accused the Democratic administration of “wavering” in its support of the Venezuelan people.

“The Biden-Harris administration claimed concessions to the Maduro regime would secure a ‘free and fair’ election process in Venezuela, yet we all know it was a farce,” Rubio said. “The ‘strategies’ presented by this administration have done nothing but empower narco-dictator Maduro and his thugs.”

In contrast, Rubio took to social media last week to encourage the Venezuelan military to turn on Maduro to “secure a peaceful transition of power” to Edmundo González Urrutia, the opposition leader many analysts believe won the election.

The administration eased sanctions on Maduro in exchange for holding free and fair elections, a controversial decision among Florida political leaders. Rubio said, at this point, it’s offensive that Biden hasn’t reinstated sanctions yet.

“It’s disgraceful the Biden-Harris administration is unwilling to declare the victory of President-elect Edmundo González while the regime has increased the repression,” he said.

The State Department told the press that U.S. diplomats will continue to participate in United Nations-led talks aimed at ensuring the upholding of the election results.

“We’re going to continue to support the Venezuelan people in making sure that their votes are fairly counted,” State Department representative Matthew Miller said Monday.

That’s an absurd approach, Rubio argued.

“Any negotiations are a continued lifeline to the narco-regime,” Rubio said. “The tenacity of the Venezuelan people was on full display as they proudly voted and peacefully demonstrated their strong desire for freedom. Our nation’s message must be clear: We stand for freedom, we recognize Edmundo González as the President-elect, and that Maduro’s illegitimate reign must come to an end.”

Intraparty upset

In Florida, some Democrats joined in demanding that the U.S. recognize González as Venezuela’s president-elect. That includes former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, the likely Democrat taking on Scott in November.

“No corrupt dictator can overcome the will and the bravery of the Venezuelan people standing strong in the face of oppression to demand freedom and democracy,” she said in a statement. “The United States must lead by encouraging our allies to recognize Edmundo González as the duly elected leader of Venezuela.”

The statement’s contradiction with the administration’s current posture seemed especially notable, as Mucarsel-Powell was appointed a special adviser to Biden as the U.S. hosted the Summit of the Americas in 2022. At that point, the U.S. endured heavy criticism for refusing to invite Venezuela and other socialist regimes to the international event.

Now, the administration appears far more reluctant than members of Congress to refuse to recognize Maduro and to recognize González formally as the winner of the election. But Mucarsel-Powell broke with her former bosses and made clear she wants that step at minimum.

Safe travels

Months after Rep. Matt Gaetz attended the second inauguration of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, the Fort Walton Beach Republican said Americans should feel safe there. The Chair of the El Salvador Caucus co-led a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging a downgrade in travel advisories regarding the Central American nation.

“El Salvador is now and has been since 2023, the safest country in the Western Hemisphere; the State Department’s travel advisory, regrettably, does not reflect this reality,” the letter reads.

Caucus Co-Chair and Democratic Rep. Vicente González of Texas co-led the letter.

The U.S. has a Level 3 travel advisory on El Salvador, which urges Americans to “reconsider” visiting the country because of “serious risks to safety and security.” But Gaetz said that concern is dated.

“Since 2015, El Salvador’s homicide rate has been steadily declining, from a high of 104 per 100,000 inhabitants to 2.4 in 2024,” the letter reads. “This homicide rate is less than nearly every major city in the United States.”

He wants to see a Level 1 travel advisory, the lowest available, which encourages individuals to exercise normal precautions for risks inherent to any international travel.

Clay Hill’s day

Clay Hill residents will be able to list their community’s name as part of a proper street address for the first time this month.

Rep. Aaron Bean announced the U.S. Postal Service had designated the 32234 ZIP code as Clay Hill. Despite being outside Duval County’s borders, the Clay County community has long used a Jacksonville address.

“I have been working collaboratively with residents of Clay Hill and the Clay County Board of Commissioners to advocate for overdue changes in the way the U.S. Postal Service identifies Clay Hill and its ZIP code,” the Fernandina Beach Republican said.

“The approval of Clay Hill as an alternate last line designation is a significant milestone more than three decades in the making. This is about more than simply making sure residents can access services in Clay County without explaining why their address says Jacksonville. It’s about the sense of pride the people in Clay Hill have for their community and finally seeing that represented in their addresses.”

Clay County officials welcomed the change and said there are practical concerns beyond community pride. Designating a Clay Hill ZIP code makes it less likely that outside entities falsely assume the community is part of Duval County.

“This is a really big deal for our Clay Hill community,” said Clay County Commissioner Betsy Condon.

“After many Commissioners and Congressional Representatives worked on this project for many years, I am honored to be a part of being able to truly recognize this community as Clay Hill, Florida. I appreciate the strong partnership with Congressman Bean and look forward to partnering on other projects to serve our constituents but for now, we celebrate with our residents.”

VA space

The West Palm Beach VA Medical Center used to house offices for three members of Congress, but elected officials were evicted in 2019 to make the space available for medical use. Now, Mast wants a room back.

The Stuart Republican called on Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough to restore congressional office space so officials can assist patients with on-site casework requests.

“Veterans deserve the best care possible and that includes getting help navigating the bureaucratic maze at the exact spot they run into a problem,” Mast said.

“We had a congressional office housed at the West Palm Beach that helped over 500 veterans until we were rudely evicted by the VA for no good reason. This has adversely impacted our ability to help veterans, and the VA should immediately reverse its decision and make space available.”

House Veterans’ Affairs Chair Mike Bost, an Illinois Republican, backed up Mast in the demand. “We must ensure that all veterans, including those in southeast Florida, have every option available to them to get the health care and benefits support they may need,” Bost said.

Mast notably told NPR shortly after the eviction that he believed his staff had been shown the door after the Congressman raised security issues at the hospital in a 2019 hearing. After that, counsel for the VA questioned the legality of offering space to another branch of government.

Then-Rep. Stephanie Murphy, who opened a similar office in Orlando after Mast opened one in West Palm Beach, was also evicted at the same time. NPR reported that four other Democrats across the country had emulated the in-VA office concept, but all were shut down.

Regardless of what caused the ejection, Mast said the notion the space was needed for medical purposes proved preposterous. Five years later, he said the offices now served as janitorial storage.

SAVE spotlight

Florida’s oldest LGBTQ advocacy group threw its support this week to the longest-serving Democrat in Florida’s congressional delegation.

Safeguarding American Values for Everyone (SAVE) largely focuses on state and local policy now but included Wasserman Schultz in a list of endorsements issued this week.

The Weston Democrat was the only sitting federal official spotlighted by the group so far this year.

“Honored to earn SAVE’s support, and I’ll be right beside them in our fight for equality,” Wasserman Schultz posted on social media. “In Florida, extremists ban books, speech, even rainbow lights on bridges. I’m proud to stand with our authentic, courageous LGBTQ+ community.”

The only other congressional candidate to earn the group’s endorsement so far is Lucia Baez-Geller, a Democrat challenging Rep. Maria Elvia Salazar, a Coral Gables Republican.

On this day

Aug. 9, 1974 — “Richard Nixon resigns” via The Washington Post — Nixon announced last night that he will resign as the 37th President of the United States at noon today. Vice President Gerald Ford of Michigan will take the oath as the new President at noon to complete the remaining 2 1/2 years of Nixon’s term. After two years of bitter public debate over the Watergate scandals, Nixon bowed to pressures from the public and leaders of his party to become the first President in American history to resign. “By taking this action,” he said, “I hope that I will have hastened the start of the process of healing which is so desperately needed in America.”

Aug. 9, 2001 — “George W. Bush supports limited funding for stem cell research” via The Lancet — Stating that embryonic stem cells carry both “great promise and great peril,” President Bush announced his support for limited federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. The decision allows research on existing stem cell lines only. Bush said some 60 stem cell lines, created with private money, already exist. He also said “aggressive federal funding” would continue for research on other types of stem cells: umbilical cord, placental, adult and animal. And he announced the creation of a Presidential Council, chaired by University of Chicago bioethicist and physician Leon Kass, that will consider the moral and ethical questions raised by stem cell research and related technologies.

___

Peter Schorsch publishes Delegation, compiled by Jacob Ogles, edited and assembled by Phil Ammann and Ryan Nicol, with contributions by A.G. Gancarski.