Delegation for 11.8.24: Florida > D.C. — the next race — GOP diversity — debris

Image via AP.

Off to Washington

When Donald Trump is sworn in for a second term as President — it will be as a Florida man.

And he likely won’t be the only top member of the administration hailing from the Sunshine State.

Trump’s transition team announced that Susie Wiles, his Florida-based Chief of Staff, will serve as White House Chief of Staff. Florida political leaders naturally praised the longtime Sunshine State consultant.

Wiles played a crucial role in Florida during Trump’s two presidential campaigns before taking over as Campaign Manager in this cycle.

“Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns,” Trump said in a prepared statement.

“Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again. It is a well-deserved honor to have Susie as the first-ever female Chief of Staff in United States history. I have no doubt she will make our country proud.”

Who else will follow? Prominent Florida consultants like Chris LaCivita and James Blair played significant roles in the campaign. POLITICO noted that longtime Florida pros Danielle Alvarez, Brian Hughes, and Meredith O’Rourke played vital roles in Trump’s campaign and may follow him to the White House.

Of course, several Republican members of Florida’s congressional delegation are likely under consideration for political appointments; the Wiles hire makes Floridian appointments appear more likely.

Rumors abound in Florida that Trump may tap Sen. Marco Rubio as Secretary of State. He was among the finalists to be Trump’s running mate, but that was complicated mainly by concerns about naming two Floridians to a presidential ticket. No such constitutional concerns plague an administration appointment.

Additionally, Rep. Michael Waltz, the first Green Beret elected to Congress, has been rumored for months as a potential Secretary of Defense under Trump, and people have discussed potentially putting Rep. Brian Mast, a veteran who lost his legs in Afghanistan, in charge of the Veterans Affairs Administration.

Reps. Byron Donalds and Matt Gaetz served as high-profile surrogates for Trump. Rep. Greg Steube, an early Trump endorser and frequent Fox News guest advocating for Trump, has also reportedly expressed interest in an administration role.

Should a vacancy open in a Florida U.S. Senate seat, Gov. Ron DeSantis would be naming a replacement. But any House vacancies in the delegation would prompt a Special Election. That adds particular importance to every announcement from the transition team press shop in the next few months.

The next race

Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Scott is looking for a better job within the Senate. He has run for months to succeed Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. Since Republicans picked up seats in Montana, Ohio and West Virginia (at least), Republicans will be in the majority when the Senate convenes in January.

Scott is a close ally of Trump, and support from the President-elect could make a significant difference in the race to lead the upper chamber. Scott faces two opponents: Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota.

But Scott, fresh off his most significant statewide victory ever after beating Democratic challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell by 12 percentage points, feels confident he will win the leadership race.

“I’m going to win. And here’s why,” Scott told Fox Business. “I’ve been talking to my Republican colleagues; guess what? They want change. They know that Donald Trump has a mandate. They want to be part of that mandate. They want to be treated as equals. They want to be part of a team. They want to have a working relationship with the House.”

Scott challenged McConnell for the Minority Leader job two years ago. He secured just 10 votes, but that was against a sitting caucus head and on the heels of leading the National Republican Senatorial Committee to a net loss in seats in 2022. His relationships are now with members of a winning team.

“They know I’ve got a great working relationship with Trump, with Speaker Mike Johnson; they know I’m a business guy,” he said. “Business guys get things done. We create a plan. We work our mission, we measure things, we create teams.”

GOP remix

Whatever role Rubio may play in Washington in the coming years, he voiced excitement about Republicans’ national victories this week, which he called a mandate. And he predicted the nature of the victory would linger for election cycles to come.

“The Republican Party has fundamentally been remade, in a very positive way,” the Miami Republican said to Fox News.

“It reflects a multiethnic, multicultural coalition of Americans. Our primary identity as people is not our ethnicity or our skin color. It is the fact that we’re mothers and fathers, small-business owners, employees who work for wages — who have to pay bills, who want their kids to have a better future, but are struggling with the cost of housing and everything else — people who are worried about some war breaking out that might suck their children into serving in combat, who are worried about these things very deeply.”

As a Cuban American, Rubio also saw a change in the future of racial politics.

“And by the way, in Hispanic communities in particular, (people are) deeply worried that some criminal from somewhere in the world gets into this country illegally and comes to your neighborhood and murders someone that you love because it’s happened,” he said. “And that’s the neighborhoods that many of them are going to.”

New member

When Congress reconvenes, there will be just one new member of the Florida congressional delegation: Rep.-elect Mike Haridopolos. This week, the Indian Harbour Beach Republican formally won his seat, beating Democrat Sandy Kennedy. Haridopolos will succeed retiring Rep. Bill Posey, a Rockledge Republican, in Florida’s 8th Congressional District.

“I am honored to serve as the next Congressman for District 8,” Haridopolos said in a prepared statement.

“Thank you to the voters, to our volunteers, and to our supporters for your trust and confidence. The voters spoke loud and clear in this election — they want a Congressman who will make America affordable again, stop illegal immigration, and get government spending under control. I will work every day to do just that. And I’ll work to end partisan gridlock in Congress to get things done. The people of District 8 will always come first with me.”

In many ways, Haridopolos’ ascension to Congress seemed determined on the last day of candidate qualification for Florida’s federal races. Posey announced publicly that he would retire an hour after the qualifying deadline had passed. But Haridopolos got the memo early and qualified shortly before the deadline.

“I also want to sincerely thank Congressman Bill Posey for his decades of dedicated service to our community,” Haridopolos said. “I was honored to have Congressman Posey’s complete endorsement, and I pledge to carry on his legacy of service and conservative leadership.”

Debris flex

Hurricane recovery remains a high priority for many on the Gulf Coast. On Election Day, Rep. Gus Bilirakis announced changes to reimbursement policies for debris removal.

The Palm Harbor Republican previously led a letter to President Joe Biden seeking flexibility for local governments to use Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) resources to clear debris in areas hit hard by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. On Tuesday, FEMA issued new technical guidance and provided waivers on standard removal regulations in those counties touched by those two hurricanes.

“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,” Bilirakis 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. 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.”

Governments are now allowed one pass to remove incident-related commercial debris placed on the public right of way and from private roads if that allows emergency vehicles to pass. The change also allows for removing debris left on roads in gated communities and rarely used private roads. FEMA will also increase the reimbursement rate for vegetative debris hand-loaded into trucks or truck-drawn trailers.

Modernizing medicine

Rep. Vern Buchanan has launched a fresh push to modernize Medicare. The Longboat Key Republican penned a letter with Republican Reps. David Schweikert of Arizona and Michelle Steel of California that encourages the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to employ more digital tools for recipients.

“As a champion of medical innovation, I am concerned about CMS’ current approach toward digital health tools,” Buchanan said. “Their current assessment toward new digital health tools discourages and stifles innovative, lifesaving technologies. CMS should rather encourage and bring eligible digital health innovations into Medicare beneficiaries’ care continuum, and I look forward to working with CMS to do just that.”

The push for modern tools came months after Buchanan and other Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee held a roundtable on the use of AI in health care. That roundtable touched on Software-as-a-Medical-Device (SaMD) technologies that could analyze data and improve communication between medical professionals and patients.

Health care leaders say a change is needed.

“The biggest barrier to the adoption of high-value, novel SaMD is reimbursement,” said Robert Longyear, co-founder and President of Avenue Health. “Encouraging the use of validated SaMD technologies to solve previously unsolvable diagnostic, treatment & progress monitoring, and treatment itself has the potential to revolutionize the delivery of care in the United States, allowing for better quality, access to care, and treatment outcomes.”

Disaster push

Ahead of an expected lame-duck Session, Moskowitz wants Congress to take up additional funding for FEMA as well. He led a letter with Rep. Troy Carter, a Louisiana Democrat, to House and Senate Appropriations Chairs to take up and pass a disaster supplemental appropriations bill.

“As the former Emergency Management Director for Florida, I believe that the financial state of FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund is incredibly troubling,” Moskowitz said.

“This is the second year that Congress has let the Disaster Relief Fund be depleted. I introduced HR 8716 in June to avoid this scenario, but Congress has unfortunately become far too reactive instead of proactive. We must demonstrate to the American people that our government still works and can carry out basic functions like helping those impacted by disaster recover in their hour of greatest need. Emergency management shouldn’t ever be politicized or used as a bargaining chip, and I’m thankful to be leading this letter with Congressman Carter and to have bipartisan support.”

While two Democrats led the letter, the 18 co-signatories hail from both parties. However, the only other Florida signatures, from Reps. Maxwell Frost, Darren Soto, and Frederica Wilson came from Democrats.

FEMA is projecting a $6 billion deficit by the end of the fiscal year.

“We must accept our new reality of the increasing frequency and severity of disasters and fully fund our disaster relief programs,” the letter reads. “A comprehensive disaster supplemental bill should provide essential funding to our most critical federal programs.”

Veteran honors

Three veterans in Miami-Dade were honored in a Congressional Veteran Commendation ceremony hosted by Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart at the AWS Building. The ceremony celebrated both soldiers’ wartime contributions and peacetime community involvement.

The Hialeah Republican honored Army Lt. Col. Michael Coote of Miami Lakes, Navy Machinist’s Mate Pedro Llaguno of Miami Lakes, and Marine L.Cpl. Leonardo Polo of Hialeah.

Coote served as grand marshal of Miami-Dade County’s veterans parade earlier this week and has published work on counterinsurgency strategy.

What mass deportations?

While Florida wasn’t considered competitive for the presidential race this cycle, many noted when Miami-Dade swung Republican for President for the first time since 1988. In an interview with PBS, Rep. María Elvira Salazar, a Coral Gables Republican, discussed that shift and what Trump’s election could mean for South Florida.

“It’s a realization by Hispanics that the new home is the Republican Party,” Salazar said, stating that demographic likely won the election for Trump.

She spoke in patriotic terms about how many Latinos view the American dream.

“When you leave your country of origin, you leave your family and you come to the United States, what you want to do is that you want to find the American exceptionality. You want to stand on the fact that you have institutions that protect you.”

PBS journalist Amna Nawaz noted that Miami-Dade County has an estimated 198,000 undocumented residents who Trump’s promised mass deportation policies could impact.

Salazar, a Republican advocate for comprehensive immigration reform and sponsor of the DIGNITY Act that included a pathway to citizenship, suggested impacts will not be so sweeping.

“I understand exactly what you are telling me about immigration,” Salazar said.

“But the problem, and I need to put this into context; when you have a Biden administration that opens the Southern border for four years and allows 10 million people to come in, and out of those million, 2 (million) are got-aways, and out of those 10 million you have this group called the Tren de Aragua from Venezuela, which is a transnational criminal organization … the deportation is going to be among those criminals. The Trump organization is not going to be targeting those people who have been here for more than five years that have American kids, that don’t have criminal records, that have been working in the economy and paying taxes.”

Lobby corps boost

The ramifications of Trump’s win may also impact Floridians’ lobbying power. Hours after Trump announced that Wiles would be running the White House, Continental Strategy promoted Katie Wiles, a longtime communications professional and daughter of Trump’s Campaign Manager, to serve as a Director of its Jacksonville and Washington offices.

“We have built an excellent team stacked with dynamic players. Katie is a strong leader and brings a tenacity to our firm’s mission of executing first-rate client services in a way that goes above and beyond. We know she will shine in this new role and will provide new avenues for growth as we continue to build from the momentum of a landslide victory for President Donald Trump on Election Day,” Continental Strategy President and founder Carlos Trujillo said.

Trump 2024 Senior Adviser Hughes added, “With a precise blend of communication, lobbying and strategic expertise, Katie Wiles makes any team stronger and any cause more likely to succeed. Having worked with her for many years, Ambassador Trujillo and Continental Strategy are lucky to have this kind of talent at the firm.”

On this day

Nov. 8, 1892 — “Grover Cleveland elected to second, nonconsecutive term” via 270 to Win — Former President Cleveland ran for re-election against the incumbent President Benjamin Harrison. Cleveland defeated Harrison, thus becoming the first person in U.S. history to be elected to a second, nonconsecutive presidential term. Cleveland, who had won the popular vote against Harrison in 1888, lost the electoral vote, which cost him re-election. He won both the popular and electoral votes in the rematch. The campaign centered mainly on the issue of a sound currency. The new Populist Party, formed by groups from the Grange, the Farmers’ Alliances, and the Knights of Labor, polled more than a million votes. But Cleveland won easily.

Nov. 8, 2016 — “Trump pulls off biggest upset in U.S. history” via POLITICO — The billionaire business owner who never before held elected office shocked America and the world, defeating Hillary Clinton in an extraordinary rebuke to the nation’s political class after an ugly and divisive race that will go down as the most stunning upset in American history. Trump did so decisively, stomping across the electoral map with wins in the four biggest battlegrounds of Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania. He defied the polls and pundits after a scorched-earth campaign against Clinton, the Republican establishment, and basic decorum, toppling the blue wall of states that Clinton had supposedly constructed to keep the White House in Democratic hands.

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