Delegation for 11.12.24: Statecraft — bended ear — leadership — tribal — Veterans Day

Image via AP.

Sending out an SoS

The election of Donald Trump as President signaled the falling of political dominoes in Florida politics. The first pieces began to tumble Monday night.

Most importantly, The New York Times reported that Trump will name Sen. Marco Rubio as his new Secretary of State. While the report stressed that Trump may yet change gears, the decision could give Florida’s senior senator massive influence on the world stage.

“If there’s a better place, if that’s God’s will and plan for my life and then opportunity presents itself, I wouldn’t close the door to it,” Rubio told “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo” before news broke of a potential appointment.

Rubio has addressed media across the ideological spectrum regarding whether he wants to serve in the Cabinet. The “God’s will” statement was a rare deviation from a disciplined message from one interview to the next, including this one, where he said he didn’t want to be “presumptuous” in declaring his interest.

But by the time of the interview, Rubio said he had yet to talk seriously to the President-elect about the role.

“The way I approach it is the following: I’m not trying to be coy. I’m trying to be transparent here. Look, I’m interested in helping serve the country at a really key moment. And one of the reasons why I got so involved in the campaign, beyond truly believing that Donald Trump is the right man at the right time, is I feel so deeply that our country is at this inflection point where we’re going to determine what the next hundred years look like. So, I want to be a part of making sure we get that right.”

Rubio would be the first Hispanic Secretary of State, and his history on issues impacting Florida could hint significantly at his approach to the role. He serves as the top Republican on the Senate Western Hemisphere Subcommittee and focuses heavily on foreign relations in the Caribbean and South America.

Of course, joining the administration would also create a vacancy in one of Florida’s U.S. Senate seats. Unlike with vacant House seats, where a Special Election must be called, Gov. Ron DeSantis would choose who fills Rubio’s post via appointment.

Names are already floating around the ether. Some Cabinet members are termed out in 2026, including Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. The list could include DeSantis himself, First Lady Casey DeSantis, who long-harbored political interests, or DeSantis Chief of Staff James Uthmeier, who just chaired two successful campaigns against statewide ballot initiatives. DeSantis may also elevate any Republican member of Florida’s congressional delegation.

Presidential ear

However, Rep. Michael Waltz became the first confirmed Florida elected official to be formally offered a job in the new administration. According to The Wall Street Journal, the St. Augustine Republican was offered the position of National Security Adviser.

Long the subject of speculation, Waltz, the first Green Beret elected to Congress, previously served as an adviser to then-Vice President Dick Cheney during the war on terror. He enjoyed a prime time speaking spot at the Republican National Convention, where he signaled his views on national security, fueling chatter of an appointment should Trump win the election.

“We had a President who defeated ISIS, broke Iran, stood with Israel, always stood with our allies, made China pay,” Waltz said then. “You didn’t see any spy balloons under President Trump, did you?”

Waltz’s wife, Julia Nesheiwat, previously served in Trump’s administration during his first term as the President’s Homeland Security Adviser.

The appointment, which isn’t subject to Senate confirmation, would prompt a Special Election in Florida’s 6th Congressional District.

Leadership campaign

When a new Congress convenes in January, Florida’s congressional delegation members want greater sway. For Sen. Rick Scott, there’s no better place to go than the top. After years of feuding with retiring Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Scott wants to be the new Majority Leader.

The Naples Republican hopes Trump, a fellow Florida man, will weigh in on the race and urge Scott’s ascension. Scott already has plenty of MAGA supporters outside the Senate rooting for him, including X owner Elon Musk, blogger Benny Johnson, radio host Dan Bongino, online provocateur Laura Loomer and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

Rubio and a handful of other GOP colleagues in the caucus, who have a vote on the next Republican leader, have already endorsed Scott. But POLITICO reports that some outside lobbying may create a backlash within the Senate, where Republicans will ultimately cast ballots in an anonymous vote.

Scott notably challenged McConnell for the job in 2022 after Scott had led the National Republican Senatorial Committee to net losses in the Midterms. He couldn’t unseat McConnell that year, losing that race in a 37-10 vote. But McConnell won’t stand for re-election this year, with Scott instead facing Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota in an open race. It remains to be seen if that poor performance in 2022 was based on challenging a sitting leader or if it’s a sign Scott’s support isn’t that high within the caucus.

But his campaign sees promise in the amount of influential party support rallying behind his bid this year.

“A number of conservative leaders have lined up behind Sen. Scott’s bid for leader thanks to his record of taking action and fighting for the values of this country. They know he is the only person for the job with the ability to accomplish President Trump’s goals in the Senate,” reads a release from Rick Scott for Florida.

McConnell announced that an election would occur Wednesday, when all Senate races in the country are not yet settled.

Conference title

Rep. Kat Cammack, a Gainesville Republican, hopes to become the No. 3 Republican in the House.

According to The New York Times, Trump asked Rep. Elise Stefanik, the current House GOP Conference Chair, to be Ambassador to the United Nations. Shortly after that news broke, Cammack, a Gainesville Republican, announced she would run for the House leadership post.

“With the mandate the American people gave President Trump and my fellow Republicans on Tuesday, we need to deliver results now more than ever,” Cammack posted on X.

“We need to be one team, one mission. I’m all in to be our next House Conference Chair, and I look forward to executing the America First agenda we have been sent to Washington for.”

With Republicans in the majority, GOP Conference Chair is the third-highest ranking post in the House, behind Speaker and Majority Leader.

Stefanik, in 2022, beat out Rep. Byron Donalds, a Naples Republican, for the role. POLITICO’s Olivia Beavers reported that Donalds briefly considered another run. That was newsworthy, as both Cammack and Donalds are close allies in the House, both elected in 2020.

But Donalds quickly told Punchbowl News’ Max Cohen that he would not challenge Cammack for the job. He instead endorsed his Florida colleague.

Hours after Donalds pulled himself from consideration, however, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a St. Petersburg Republican just elected to a second term, signaled her interest in the job.

“I haven’t ruled out running, many people are saying I should,” Luna told The Hill’s Emily Brooks. “Whoever it is, I believe it’s important that the Conference Chair supports President Trump from the very beginning.”

Seminole declaration

President Joe Biden approved a request from the Seminole Tribe of Florida for an expedited Major Disaster Declaration in tribal lands impacted by Hurricane Milton. Rubio and Scott had requested that action last month in a letter to the President.

The request had to be made and granted separately from declarations to Florida. The move means the Seminoles now have access to federal resources for relief and recovery.

Hurricane Milton damaged Seminole territory in Tampa, Brighton, Big Cypress, and the Immokalee Seminole Indian Reservations, as well as land trusts in Lakeland and Fort Pierce.

Veterans Day

This week, the Veterans Day federal holiday brought some bipartisan unity with a resolution honoring the services of those in uniform.

Rep. Daniel Webster, a Clermont Republican, noted that more than 120 members of the House from both sides of the aisle introduced the resolution together.

“Across generations, through changing times and challenges, our servicemen and women have answered the call with a steadfast courage that embodies the very best of the American spirit. In both times of peace and conflict, America’s veterans have upheld our most cherished ideals of liberty, justice, and the enduring strength of a free nation,” the Clermont Republican said.

“There is no doubt that America’s heroes — and the families who stand beside them — have made tremendous sacrifices to ensure that our great nation stays free. We owe our service members a debt we can never repay.”

Meanwhile, members of the delegation also attended events throughout Florida. Rep. Brian Mast, a Stuart Republican, walked in a Veterans Day Parade in Martin County. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, spoke at a Veterans Day Tribute event in Hillsborough County. Rep. Darren Soto, a Kissimmee Democrat, attended multiple Osceola and Orange County events in Lake Nona, St. Cloud and Meadow Woods.

Commendation ceremony

Meanwhile, Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Longboat Key Republican, held a Congressional Veteran Commendation event in Lithia. There, the Congressman presented commendations to 30 veterans in the district who both experienced wartime sacrifices and have made peacetime contributions to their communities.

“These awards are just one small way we can help pay tribute to our local heroes who put it all on the line to defend our country and way of life,” Buchanan said. “While we will never be able to fully repay the honorees for their selfless sacrifices, I hope the Congressional Veteran Commendation helps express how grateful our community truly is for their service.”

Buchanan also gave three meritorious medals to veterans. Charles McMurtry received the Army’s Good Conduct Medal and the Expert Infantryman Badge. Errol Brady Ross got the Southwest Asia Service Medal 3 Stars, Good Conduct Medal with Expert Badge Rifle Bar. Vietnam veteran Joseph Pereira, meanwhile, received the Purple Heart for injuries in 1970.

HUD-VASH successes

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick took the holiday to honor the outgoing administration’s work aiding veterans. The Miramar Democrat specifically highlighted that veterans saw their lowest rates of homelessness ever recorded under Biden.

“Our veterans deserve our utmost respect for their bravery and sacrifices, including ensuring they have a safe place to call home,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “Today, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness announced a record low in veteran homelessness on Veterans Day. This momentous achievement reflects the commitment of the Biden-Harris administration and congressional Democrats to support the men and women who served our country. Still, much more work must be done — one homeless veteran is one too many.”

She spotlighted the Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH), which provides rapid rehousing services and access to health care and employment resources. The Congresswoman said it was valuable in Florida’s 20th Congressional District, where local agencies are connected with federal resources.

“Our veterans shouldn’t face homelessness after risking so much in service to our country,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “Today’s achievement brings us closer to a future where every veteran has the support they need to thrive.”

Murder plot

Tragedy was narrowly averted for a Florida Congressman.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz said the Margate Police Department informed him of a “potential plot” against his life from a “former felon who was in possession of a rifle, a suppressor and body armor” along with a “manifesto with antisemitic rhetoric and only my name on the ‘target list.’”

The South Florida Democrat is a member of the Task Force investigating the Attempted Assassination of Trump. Now, Moskowitz had a close call, too, illustrating how political extremists target political figures on both sides of the aisle.

“I am deeply worried about congressional member security and the significant lack thereof when we are in the district,” Moskowitz said. “Regardless of our political affiliations or differences, we all have families we want to keep safe.”

Republican colleagues chimed in with similar concerns.

“Political violence has no place in our country,” said Rep. Carlos Giménez, a Miami-Dade Republican.

“This violent antisemitic hate is despicable and must be confronted to the fullest extent of the law. I commend local and federal law enforcement (for) acting swiftly to ensure the safety of my dear colleague, Rep. Jared Moskowitz after a plot against his life was discovered. Lourdes and I are praying for our friend, neighbor and colleague, Congressman Jared Moskowitz and his family.”

On this day

Nov. 12, 1968 — “Supreme Court blocks Arkansas law that barred teaching evolution” via Britannica — The Supreme Court ruled 9–0 an Arkansas law barring the teaching of evolution in public schools violated the First Amendment’s establishment clause, which prohibits government from establishing, advancing or giving favor to any one religion. Three years after the Scopes Trial of 1925 — in which a teacher was found guilty of violating a Tennessee law that barred the instruction of evolution in that state’s public schools — Arkansas enacted a statute that made it illegal for teachers in state-supported schools or universities “to teach the theory or doctrine that mankind ascended or descended from a lower order of animals.”

Nov. 12, 1998 — “U.S. signs pact to reduce gases tied to warming,” via The New York Times — the administration signed the international agreement to fight global warming, affirming a crucial American role in a long environmental crusade but not raising any hope of Senate approval soon. The signing reinforced a commitment to the treaty, which calls for sharp cuts in emissions of industrial gases from burning coal, oil, wood and natural gas. But the accord is not legally binding. Vice President Al Gore said, “Our signing of the protocol underscores our determination to achieve a truly global solution to this global challenge.” But he emphasized that much more bargaining lies ahead.

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