Delegation for 11.19.24: Staffing up — unlucky — Rubio replacement — FEMA fears — fall back

Image via AP.

White House or bust?

A full 10% of Florida’s congressional delegation has been tapped for roles in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.

But that doesn’t mean everyone has a clear political path from the Hill to the White House.

Rep. Mike Waltz, a St. Augustine Beach Republican, won’t face confirmation hearings before taking on a role as National Security Adviser.

However, Sen. Marco Rubio, the Miami Republican picked for Secretary of State, and Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Fort Walton Beach Republican chosen for Attorney General, both likely need a Senate sign-off.

Rubio may face less of a hurdle, as Senators rarely reject colleagues for Cabinet posts. No Senator, Democrat or Republican, has publicly said they oppose his nomination. For his part, Rubio has embraced the potential role.

“Leading the U.S. Department of State is a tremendous responsibility, and I am honored by the trust President Trump has placed in me,” Rubio said.

“As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda. Under the leadership of President Trump, we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else. I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate so the President has his national security and foreign policy team in place when he takes office on Jan. 20.”

Gaetz may face a rougher road.

Several Republicans in the Senate have already criticized his nomination. Several have already told national outlets they doubt that Gaetz, who already resigned his seat representing Florida’s 1st Congressional District, will survive a vetting process.

“It’s simply that Matt Gaetz has a very long, steep hill to get across the finish line,” Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, told The Wall Street Journal.

Additionally, reports immediately surfaced after Gaetz’s resignation that the House Ethics Committee was ready to vote on releasing an embarrassing report from a sexual misconduct investigation. While Speaker Mike Johnson has said the report should not become public now that Gaetz is a private citizen, details are already reaching the media. One witness told the committee she witnessed Gaetz having sex with an underage girl at an Orlando house party, an attorney told NBC News.

Gaetz continues to deny wrongdoing, with his staff pointing at a Justice Department decision not to pursue sex crime charges against the Congressman last year.

“Lies were Weaponized to try to destroy me. These lies resulted in prosecution, conviction and prison. For the liars, not me,” Gaetz posted on X. “I focused on the truth and doing my job. Here we are.”

Regardless, Trump appears determined to hire Gaetz and has even publicly proposed a temporary appointment process that could guarantee Gaetz up to 300 days in the job without Senate confirmation.

As for other political appointments, Rep. Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican, remains under consideration for a Cabinet-level position. However, a narrow House majority for Republicans may take him out of consideration. Projections show Republicans have won 218 seats, barely enough for a majority, with five races still outstanding nationwide.

Unlucky in leadership

While Florida produced plenty of picks for the incoming administration, the Sunshine State hasn’t fared as well in leadership fights within Congress.

For a second Congress in a row, Sen. Rick Scott fell short in his bid for Senate Republican Leader. He received just 13 votes before being eliminated on the first ballot.

Sen. John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, ultimately won the Majority Leader job.

“I may have lost the vote, but I am optimistic,” Scott said. “I ran for leader with one mission: to fundamentally change how the Senate operates and upend the status quo so we can actually start representing the voters who put us here. When I announced, I said that we are in a moment where we need dramatic change. The voters confirmed that last week when they elected President Trump and Republicans took the majority in both chambers of Congress with a clear mandate.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Kat Cammack, a Gainesville Republican, ran for House GOP Conference Chair last week but lost to Rep. Lisa McLain, a Michigan Republican.

The campaign for the leadership post began a few days after Trump picked current Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

Who’s next?

Scott, Florida’s soon-to-be-senior Senator, knows who he wants representing the state beside him once Rubio heads to Foggy Bottom.

“We need more Republicans in Washington who actually represent the Republican Party back home and will be steadfast in their commitment to fulfill the mandate from this election — to Make America Great Again. Lara Trump is that person,” the Naples Republican posted to social media.

Scott initially floated several names, such as Reps. Vern Buchanan, Cammack, Mario Díaz-Balart, Byron Donalds, Carlos Giménez, Cory Mills and María Elvira Salazar, but quickly settled on the co-Chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Trump’s daughter-in-law.

Scott told Axios that he’d known Lara Trump for a long time and that she “did a great job with the RNC” and is a “great spokesperson” and “conservative.”

Ultimately, Gov. Ron DeSantis will decide who will fill Rubio’s seat for the next two years. A Special Election must take place in 2026 to determine who fills out the remaining two years of the term — presuming Rubio leaves his seat.

FEMA frenzy

Beyond delegation shake-ups, several of Florida’s House Representatives focused energy last week on a scandal at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

A Lake Placid-based FEMA supervisor, Marn’i Washington, has been fired for giving guidance.

The Daily Wire first reported that workers bypass homes with Trump signs in their yards when scouting damage from Hurricane Milton. According to Fox News, Washington told the Roland Martin Unfiltered podcast that the direction followed hostility toward workers and that such action was consistent with FEMA’s general direction to de-escalate situations.

Buchanan, the Republican co-Chair of Florida’s congressional delegation, led a letter last week demanding answers from FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. The letter cited reports that workers bypassed at least 20 houses and testimony from a supervisor that the policy impacted homes in Florida and North Carolina.

“FEMA has a responsibility to serve every American equally, regardless of political affiliation — especially in times of crisis,” Buchanan said. “It is deeply disturbing that FEMA would allow political bias to influence its disaster relief efforts. This is a clear violation of FEMA’s mission and Administrator Criswell needs to ensure that all affected residents are contacted, apologized to and provided with the assistance they need.”

Fifty-four lawmakers, including Florida Republicans Aaron Bean, Cammack, Laurel Lee, John Rutherford, and Salazar, signed the letter.

“Skipping homes because of political signs in front yards is a clear violation of FEMA’s duty to serve all Americans,” Rutherford said. “I urge FEMA to identify all responsible parties within the agency, hold them accountable and work to restore public trust.”

Criswell maintains that the behavior was limited and that the supervisor responsible was held accountable.

“More than 22,000 FEMA employees every day adhere to FEMA’s core values and are dedicated to helping people before, during and after disasters, often sacrificing time with their own families to help disaster survivors,” Criswell said in an extended statement.

“Recently, a FEMA employee departed from these values to advise her survivor assistance not to go to homes with yard signs supporting President-elect Trump. This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation. This was reprehensible. I want to be clear to all of my employees and the American people, this type of behavior and action will not be tolerated at FEMA, and we will hold people accountable if they violate these standards of conduct.”

Milton damage

This week, Cammack hosted leadership from the House Agriculture Committee to survey hurricane damage, specifically to the agricultural industry.

Rep. G.T. Thompson, a Pennsylvania Republican, visited Gainesville to represent the Committee.

Other members, including Rep. Darren Soto, a Kissimmee Democrat, joined the trip.

The group went to Shenandoah Dairy in Live Oak for a roundtable organized by the Suwannee County Farm Bureau. The Florida Forestry Association also took lawmakers to view a timber track in North Florida, with Representatives also surveying infrastructure damage at Adams Farm in Jasper. Another group of produce growers spoke to lawmakers at a roundtable in Jennings.

“Our producers have been working to recover, but there’s a long road ahead,” Cammack posted on X. “We must do more.”

Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimates that damage to Florida crops and infrastructure from Hurricane Milton alone could be as high as $2.5 billion.

Meanwhile, Reps. Gus Bilirakis, a Palm Harbor Republican, and Lee, a Thonotosassa Republican, say Pasco County small businesses also need relief. They sent a letter to the Small Business Administration seeking more time for business owners to apply for federal aid.

Businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene must file all estimates by Nov. 27, while Milton victims must do so by Dec. 10.

“Unfortunately, the back-to-back natural disasters have caused unique problems that have substantially slowed the ability to quickly assess damage in Pasco County,” the letter reads.

The lawmakers say a 30-day extension should allow time to survey and account for all damage.

Generation Earth

As a Republican administration transitions into power, Rep. Maxwell Frost wants safeguards for the planet and those who will inherit it.

The Orlando Democrat and youngest member of Congress filed legislation to permanently preserve the National Environmental Youth Advisory Council at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Sen. Laphonza Butler, a California Democrat, filed a companion bill in the Senate.

The Joe Biden administration created the Council, where EPA Administrator Michael Regan directed a group of empowered youths to focus on the climate crisis with policy initiatives.

“By creating the Youth Advisory Council at the EPA, we ensured that for the first time ever, young people would be centered and heard in our fight to tackle the climate crisis,” Frost said.

“This is about leaving the planet a better place than we found it, for our present and for our future. The incoming administration has made it clear that saving our environment is not a priority. The work the Youth Council and the EPA have done has changed our country for the better and put young people at the helm. We must act swiftly to do everything we can to protect the progress we have made.”

Frost’s Youth Climate Leadership Act would direct leadership at the EPA and the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy and the Interior to appoint Council members between the ages of 16 and 29 to make environmental recommendations. The legislation would divvy up $1.25 million in annual funding between the agencies for the effort.

Soaking up sun

New changes in Florida law lifting heat protections for workers have Rep. Kathy Castor racing time. She sent a letter to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) urging the implementation of federal Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings rules.

She led the letter to acting Labor Secretary Julie Su urging approval to be fast-tracked.

“As temperatures continue to break records and workers suffer under increasingly hazardous conditions, we urge OSHA to move forward expeditiously to finalize the rule to protect workers across the country, including in Florida,” she said. “In the meantime, we also urge OSHA to continue existing outreach and enforcement efforts in areas where workers are exposed to heat hazards and increase inspections in high-risk industries like construction and agriculture.”

Every Democrat representing Florida in Congress co-signed the message.

A comment period on the regulations closes on Dec. 30.

Airport security

Tampa International Airport will soon get money for an additional Checkpoint Property Screening System. Lee announced that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) had acted on a request she sent in July.

“Around 25 million passengers make their way through Tampa International Airport (TPA) every year,” Lee said.

“I am pleased to announce that we (secured) funding for brand-new, full-size security equipment at TSA checkpoints at Tampa International. These new installations will make traveling through TPA easier and safer than ever, which is especially important as tourism in and around the Tampa Bay Area continues to grow.”

A letter from TSA Administrator David Pekoske confirms the requests will be in the agency’s Fiscal Year 2024 equipment orders.

Hail Mary for Sunshine

When Steube served in the state Senate, he successfully carried legislation asking Congress to allow Florida to stay on daylight saving time year-round. Now a delegation member, Steube is urging colleagues to act on a bill to end the practice of changing clocks nationwide.

Steube filed a discharge petition demanding a vote on the Sunshine Protection Act (HR 1279), legislation sponsored by Buchanan in the House and Rubio in the Senate.

“Americans should never again face the outdated ritual of turning back the clocks to standard time,” Steube said.

“As a strong advocate for permanent daylight saving time, I’ve led efforts in the Florida Legislature to keep our extra sunshine year-round. In Congress, I’m pleased to co-sponsor the Sunshine Protection Act, and I remain committed to making this common-sense change for the benefit of all Americans. It’s time to make permanent daylight saving time a reality. I hope the majority of my colleagues will agree and sign the discharge petition.”

Of course, discharge petitions are often threatened but rarely successful, usually because they are typically filed on partisan efforts by lawmakers in the minority. But Steube notably forced a vote earlier this year on legislation that leadership didn’t plan to take up. That was on providing tax relief for losses during federally declared disasters.

Gun runners

A new Government Accountability Office found that 73% of firearms illegally trafficked in the Caribbean between 2018 and 2022 originated in the United States.

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Miramar Democrat, was among the Democratic lawmakers who pushed for the report’s release.

“As this nonpartisan report highlights, nearly three-quarters of firearms recovered in the Caribbean can be traced back to the United States, underscoring the urgent need for stronger action to combat arms trafficking,” she said.

“We must strengthen screening and enforcement at our ports and hold bad actors accountable for smuggling firearms into the region. That’s why I introduced the Caribbean Arms Trafficking Causing Harm (CATCH) Act — to build on the progress we made with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act by specifically targeting illegal gun exports to the Caribbean. Together, these efforts will help curb the flow of deadly weapons, reduce violence and enhance security for our neighbors and ourselves.”

Since arriving in Congress, Cherfilus-McCormick has notably focused tremendous energy on Haiti, a Caribbean island where gang violence destabilized the government. She is the only Haitian American holding federal office right now, and Florida remains home to the highest concentration of Haitians in the United States.

Honoring young caregivers

Congress designated National Caregiving Youth Week for last week, thanks to a congressional resolution filed by Reps. Lois Frankel, a West Palm Beach Democrat, and Salazar, a Coral Springs Republican. The two filed the bipartisan resolution with Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat.

“All over the country, there are young people who set aside their own needs — studying, extracurricular activities, and time with their friends — to serve as caregivers for members of their family who may be elderly, ill, or disabled,” Frankel said. “November is National Family Caregivers Month, and we’re proud to recognize the work of these young caregivers.”

The American Association of Caregiving Youth said there are 5.4 million caregiving youth in the nation right now, many of whom are responsible for navigating education and health care bureaucracies.

“Our country is home to millions of kindhearted youths who care for family members that need their help,” Salazar said. “I am honored to co-lead this resolution recognizing caregiving youth whose sacrifices humble and inspire all of us.”

Infrastructure boost

Two South Florida Democrats announced millions in federal investments to improve regional infrastructure.

Miami-Dade Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson announced that Florida will receive $1.16 million through the National Telecommunications Information Administration Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.

“It is imperative we ensure that all Floridians have access to high-speed internet, especially in this decade,” she said. “That’s why the BEAD program is critically important as it is the largest federal broadband investment in our nation’s history.

“I have spent my entire life dedicated to building up our future generations. One of the most critical pieces to ensure the success of Florida’s want-to-be-somebodies is providing access to the internet no matter what part of Florida they live in. The internet is becoming an increasingly large part of our world, and those without access will be left behind. I am committed to building a more equitable and fair nation where every child has the chance to get ahead, no matter what they look like or where they come from. An investment of this magnitude is an investment in our state’s future and the future of Floridians of every stripe.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Weston Democrat, announced a $53.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the PEV Regional Port Operations With Emissions Reductions Project. That will go toward sustainability efforts at Port Everglades.

“I will always fight for Port Everglades in our nation’s capital, and I am thrilled to help deliver more than $53 million in federal funds for the Port Everglades Emissions Reductions Project,” Wasserman Schultz said. “In June, I wrote and called (Transportation) Secretary Pete Buttigieg directly, urging him to fund this project. Together, this work will reduce harmful health impacts and environmental damage to communities surrounding the Port — specifically Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Dania Beach, all of which I am proud to represent.”

On this day

Nov. 19, 1863 — “Abraham Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address” via History.com — In fewer than 275 words, President Lincoln brilliantly and movingly reminded a war-weary public why the Union had to fight — and win — the Civil War. Fought some months earlier, the Battle of Gettysburg was one of the single bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Over three days, more than 45,000 men were killed, injured, captured or missing. The battle also proved to be the turning point of the war: General Robert E. Lee’s defeat and retreat from Gettysburg marked the last Confederate invasion of Northern territory and the beginning of the Southern army’s ultimate decline.

Nov. 19, 1985 — “Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev meet in Geneva” via POLITICO — For the first time in six years, the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union held a summit conference. President Reagan and Gorbachev, the General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party, began their talks with an hourlong exchange of views at Fleur d’Eau, a lakeside château owned by the Aga Khan. Reagan told Gorbachev he approached the meeting with “a very deep feeling and hoped that (they) could realize its importance and the unique situation they were in.” Although little substance came of it, Reagan and Gorbachev expressed satisfaction with the Geneva summit.

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