Delegation for 10.22.24: Home stretch — battery power — farm hand — flexible FEMA — juicy

Image via AP.

Two weeks out

As early voting began in Florida, a flurry of national figures paid a visit.

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison arrived in Orlando to kick off early voting in Central Florida. He suggested that, despite a shift in voter registration favoring Republicans, the state will be a battleground over the next two weeks.

“For the first time in 30 years, Florida has a Democrat running for every state House, state Senate and congressional race,” Harrison said at a news conference alongside Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried. “This is a party that has recruited 150,000 volunteers. You’ve opened over 20 offices. Folks, I have a good friend who says, ‘When people count you out, you teach them they don’t know how to count.’ That is what you all are doing right here in Florida.”

Meanwhile, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared Tuesday morning in Miami-Dade County with Democratic Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. She showed up as national Democrats target Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar, and Pelosi shared the stump with Democratic challenger Lucia Báez-Geller.

Of course, Republicans aren’t leaving the Sunshine State to chance and have made their push while exuding confidence that Florida isn’t truly in play this cycle.

GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump participated in a roundtable with Florida Hispanic leaders at the Latino Summit at the Trump National Doral Miami. The event was originally scheduled earlier this month but was delayed due to Hurricane Milton.

That Trump will spend any time on the ground in Florida two weeks before the General Election shows at least some anxiety about closing the deal in his home state. That said, Trump’s campaign has been dominated by Florida figures from the jump in 2024, most notably top consultants Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita. The operation effectively operated from Mar-a-Lago.

As far as the other federal statewide race in Florida this cycle, Sen. Rick Scott on Monday appeared at his early voting polling location in Naples, where former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo joined him. As he faces a well-funded challenge from former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a Miami Democrat, Scott said he didn’t want to take any chances heading into his re-election bid.

“Look at these storms we’ve had, and what if we have another storm Nov. 4?” Scott said regarding the need to vote early. “What’s going to happen? You don’t want to take a chance.”

Mucarsel-Powell attended a business luncheon and encouraged people through social media to make voting plans. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has started directing resources to her campaign, which enjoys a cash edge over Scott’s.

So, two weeks out, is Florida truly in play? This week, a University of North Florida poll showed Trump leading Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris by 10 percentage points. Scott had a more modest 49% to 46% lead on Mucarsel-Powell, making it one of several polls that put that race in the margin of error. But all show the Republican in the lead.

The latest voter registration reports from the Florida Division of Elections show about 1.05 million more Republicans registered than Democrats statewide. It’s the first time the Grand Old Party has enjoyed a numerical edge heading into a presidential election.

And for all the activity in the state, Harris hasn’t campaigned much in person. She spoke in May at a stop in Jacksonville on abortion access. However, only surrogates have stepped foot in the state since she stepped in as the party nominee.

Charged up

Sen. Marco Rubio, ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he’s deeply troubled that a company with ties to China opened an industrial site near a U.S. military base.

The Miami Republican and Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican, sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen questioning how Gotion Incorporated could open a battery plant in Mecosta County, Michigan. The energy company also has an office in Shanghai. Rubio said the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) should never have allowed it.

“Given CFIUS’ failure to launch a review of Gotion’s site development when the project was first publicly announced two years ago,” the letter reads, “it is now imperative that CFIUS update its proposed rule-making to clarify the Committee’s ability to conduct retroactive reviews of covered greenfield investments that it previously failed to address.”

While the plant was announced outside an area where the CFIUS could restrict construction, the letter said provisions allow intervention on “greenfield investments when a foreign entity purchases real estate near certain sensitive military bases.”

“CFIUS’ failure to retroactively review these transactions would constitute a major security blunder and permit the CCP to engage in intelligence gathering that compromises our military capabilities and readiness,” the letter reads.

Farm grants

As farms and ranches in Florida recover from three hurricanes in as many months, Scott wants the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to deliver block grants quickly.

The Naples Republican wrote a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to direct the Office of Management and Budget to send a supplemental appropriations request to Congress for disaster relief funds.

“Just yesterday, I spoke with farmers and ranchers in Florida who have suffered substantial losses from hurricanes in previous years, including the recent impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton,” Scott wrote. “They overwhelmingly support the need for relief in the form of block grants to expedite recovery efforts.”

He referenced a personal meeting with Biden and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

“Given the immense need, I respectfully ask that the Office of Management and Budget work quickly to determine the costs of recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and immediately submit a supplemental appropriations request to Congress that includes this necessary USDA block grant flexibility,” Scott wrote.

Hit the brakes

While a federal budget deal ultimately dropped a Republican demand to prohibit undocumented migrants from voting, Rep. Matt Gaetz thinks Congress should take that action.

He introduced the National Motor Voter Clarification Act. That would authorize states to kick those in the country illegally off the rolls at will. The move comes after the Biden administration sued Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin for purging more than 6,300 noncitizens registered to vote over two years.

“I agree with the Governor that removing non-Americans from voter rolls is ‘common sense and constitutional,’ which is why I am introducing the ‘National Motor Voter Clarification Act,’” Gaetz said.

“My bill will ensure Governors are allowed to do their jobs and remove illegal aliens from the voter rolls without fear of being targeted by the Biden-Harris Justice Department. It’s telling that the only ‘election integrity’ work the Biden-Harris Department of Justice seems interested in is ensuring maximal turnout for people who can’t even legally vote!”

BRIX it

Florida lawmakers have pressed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on juice price regulations all year.

Rep. Kat Cammack at a House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting about adjusting BRIX levels, the required ratio of sugar and solids in not-from-concentrate orange juice. FDA officials promised to publish new rules soon.

“Florida’s citrus producers who depend on this prized domestic commodity need relief now,” Cammack said. “We appreciate the FDA’s focus and look forward to finding any available path to changing the out-of-date standard as quickly as possible.”

FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones said the only thing slowing down an evaluation of the BRIX level was “overall resource constraints.” The FDA prioritizes genuine threats to public health risk. Cammack stressed that sugar rations in orange juice may not be the “sexiest issue on the planet,” but it’s something Florida lawmakers have pushed for years, and it still hasn’t been addressed.

She also urged lawmakers to pass legislation introduced by Reps. Scott Franklin, a Lakeland Republican, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Weston Democrat, requiring the FDA to revisit standards.

FEMA flex

After seeing two major storms significantly impact Gulf Coast communities in Tampa Bay in rapid succession, Rep. Gus Bilirakis said local governments need flexibility in taking the aftermath.

“As you drive through our community, you can’t miss the piles of debris and trash that have been rotting along roadways and in driveways for weeks,” the Palm Harbor Republican said. “Local governments have done their best to remove the debris as quickly as they are able under current guidelines, but we need to remove those restrictions so that we can get these obstructive hazards cleaned up.”

A bipartisan group of 13 Representatives, led by Bilirakis, Rubio and Scott, asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for more flexibility on debris collection and removal and assurances about reimbursements to local governments.

In a letter co-signed by Reps. Bilirakis, Aaron Bean, Vern Buchanan, Kathy Castor, Mario Díaz-Balart, Byron Donalds, Gaetz, Carlos Giménez, Laurel Lee, Jared Moskowitz, Bill Posey, Greg Steube and Michael Waltz, the group cited “significant hardship” in areas most impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which made landfall in Florida less than two weeks apart.

“Many of these local governments need FEMA to implement precedented emergency policy flexibilities to facilitate a seamless federal response,” the letter to Biden reads.

Ordinarily, FEMA requires prior approval for debris removal, demolition, and waste disposal. The letter notes that “FEMA has previously issued disaster-specific guidance to inform local communities on how they can remain in compliance with regulations and remain eligible for reimbursement.” The letter also acknowledges guidance and waivers FEMA has already provided related to distinguishing between damage from Helene and Milton.

However, officials are seeking additional action, including “formalizing prior verbal confirmation with clear written guidance that FEMA will fully reimburse debris cleanup activities that took place between the two hurricanes in order to prevent loss of life and further destruction of property.”

Bilirakis, who represents parts of north Pinellas County, emphasized the need for swift action.

“I will keep pushing federal agencies to be as flexible as possible so that we can focus on rebuilding and supporting those who are suffering,” he said.

Purple as it gets

Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is locked in an exact tie with Democratic challenger Whitney Fox in the high-profile race for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, according to a recent survey from St. Pete Polls.

The survey, commissioned by Voting Trend and The Florida Squeeze, found each candidate with 46% support, with the remaining 8% of voters undecided and a 3.3-percentage-point margin of error.

The tie is a massive departure for the district, where Republicans hold a more than 8-percentage-point voter registration advantage, according to the most recent L2 voter data. Cook Political Report lists the district as R+6, which considers past voting trends and nonpartisan voters, who comprise nearly 29% of the district electorate.

It’s also particularly remarkable considering Luna’s performance two years ago when she first flipped the district to GOP control. Then, she defeated Democrat Eric Lynn by more than eight percentage points. Like Fox, Lynn was a moderate Democrat. Unlike Fox, Lynn was running in a Midterm Election year with lower turnout and at a time when Republicans overperformed all over the state.

Fox’s competitive standing in the Republican-leaning district supports recent events in the race that have signaled a potentially tight contest, including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee adding Fox to its coveted “Red to Blue” program. A political analysis group also recently bumped the CD 13 race from “leans” GOP to “tilt” GOP. And in the third quarter of 2024, Fox narrowly outraised Luna while nearly eliminating the cash gap between the two in the final weeks of campaigning.

Medicare changes

Medicare Open Enrollment for 2025 kicked off last week. According to the state Department of Health, the federal program served about 67.5 million enrollees nationwide, including more than 5 million in Florida.

Rep. Lois Frankel, a West Palm Beach Democrat, represents a senior-heavy part of the state in South Florida. Her office said Floridians need to review coverage options right now, as several changes going into effect could save seniors thousands of dollars.

“This week, we marked the start of an important time of year for the over 350,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Palm Beach County,” Frankel said. “Medicare plans change every year, so seniors should check all coverage options to select the best plan for them.”

Changes enacted under Biden include free shingles vaccines and insulin price caps of $35 per month for consumers. According to Frankel’s Office, Medicare will also implement a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap for prescription drugs.

Open enrollment runs through Dec. 7.

Singing in the drain

Miami Gardens just received $750,000 in federal funding from Washington for drainage improvements. Rep. Frederica Wilson presented a check to the South Florida city for the money she secured through a specific congressional appropriation passed in 2023.

She presented the check to city leaders at a special Karaoke in the Gardens event. Wilson said the earmark was essential to her because of the problems flooding has caused in the area.

“Miami Gardens is more than just a place I represent — it’s my home,” the Miami-Dade Democrat said. “This is where my neighbors and friends live, and it’s my mission to ensure we serve and uplift our community. We know the threat that climate change poses to our communities. The last two hurricanes cement that reality. This money will help build a more resilient community.”

Local officials welcomed the funding.

“This investment of $750,000 from the office of Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson into our Miami Gardens community is important and will assist the city’s efforts to address areas of our community that may experience some localized flooding after periods of heavy rainfall,” said Miami Gardens Mayor Rodney Harris. “The city remains committed to improving our drainage systems and (mitigating) flooding in areas of the city that need it most.”

Different Castro, same socialism

At a Miami news conference, Salazar joined Honduran leaders to denounce current President Xiomara Castro de Zelaya.

“Unfortunately, there is currently a President in Honduras who may have come to power through democratic means but who has trampled on that same democratic system,” said Salazar, a Coral Gables Republican.

Castro came into power in January 2022, but she’s married to Manuel Zelaya, the President from January 2006 who lost power in a 2009 coup.

“My message to President Castro de Zelaya: Don’t listen to your husband, Mel,” Salazar said. “Don’t heed the socialist tendencies that he has always maintained. Protect Honduras’ democracy because we in the United States are committed to preserving a solid democracy in Honduras.”

Salazar, as House Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chair, heavily criticized Castro since her rise to power, including Honduras’ embrace of communist China and developing alliances with other Latin American socialist governments in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

According to the Pew Research Center, Florida is home to about 14% of Hondurans living in the U.S., second only to Texas. Salazar said more than 22,000 people of Honduran heritage live in Miami alone.

The news conference criticizing Castro also offered a chance for the Republican Congresswoman to take a swipe at Harris, criticizing the Vice President for attending the Honduran President’s inauguration in 2022.

On this day

Oct. 28, 1962 — “Cuban missile crisis concludes” via the Department of State — Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev issued a public statement that Soviet missiles would be dismantled and removed from Cuba. The crisis was over, but the naval quarantine continued until the Soviets agreed to remove their IL-28 bombers from Cuba. The Cuban missile crisis stood as a singular event during the Cold War and strengthened President John F. Kennedy’s image domestically and internationally. It also may have helped mitigate negative world opinion regarding the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. The world hung on the brink of possible nuclear war. A direct telephone link between the White House and the Kremlin was established to prevent this from happening again.

Oct. 28, 1929 — “Herbert Hoover gives speech on ‘rugged individualism’” via Fox News — Republican presidential nominee Hoover spoke of the “American system of rugged individualism” in a speech at New York’s Madison Square Garden — coining the term, which amplified his philosophy of personal freedom and volunteerism, not government intervention. Hoover advocated that the philosophy of rugged individualism would bring prosperity to Americans. During his famed 1928 New York City speech, Hoover proclaimed, “Our people have the right to know whether we can continue to solve our great problems without (abandoning) our American system. I know we can,” he added.

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Peter Schorsch publishes Delegation, compiled by Jacob Ogles, edited and assembled by Phil Ammann and Ryan Nicol, with contributions by Janelle Irwin Taylor.