Delegation for 1.7.25: Swearing in — constant change — conservatives — home run — drill, baby drill

So, it begins

New Year’s Day arrived a week ago. However, for members of Congress, the true turning point into 2025 came Friday with the swearing of the 119th Congress.

On one hand, the start of a new legislative term marked greater continuity than seen in more than a decade. With every incumbent in the delegation who ran in November securing re-election, the delegation saw just one new member join its ranks. Rep. Mike Haridopolos, an Indian Harbour Beach Republican, succeeded retired Rep. Bill Posey, maintaining GOP representation in Florida’s 8th Congressional District.

“Bill and I share the same belief system. He was that hard-nosed conservative, fiscally responsible, always making sure that the space industry was emerging,” Haridopolos told Florida Politics. “I think he did a fabulous job with that. He also kept his ear to the ground, meaning he was always accessible to constituents. I’m definitely going to keep that going.”

Every other House member in Florida took an oath for a new term. Representatives offered different predictions about what will come from the 119th Congress.

“The last Congress was the most unproductive one in decades. We can’t afford another two years of dysfunction and partisanship,” said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Parkland Democrat. “It’s time for people on both sides of the aisle to stand up to political extremism and finally deliver common-sense solutions that will lower costs, keep our communities safe, and defend our democratic values at home and abroad. I intend to find common ground wherever I can and ensure we accomplish meaningful change for the American people.”

But Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Hialeah Republican and dean of the delegation, predicted a decisive step to the right when Republican Donald Trump returns to the White House later this month while Republicans control both chambers of Congress.

“It is a new day in America, and I look forward to working with President Trump and my colleagues to deliver results on the mandate entrusted to us by the American people,” Díaz-Balart said.

Change is coming

While a familiar cast of political figures arrived in Washington, the delegation’s makeup will change significantly in the months ahead.

One member of the delegation likely departing his office soon is Sen. Marco Rubio. Florida’s senior Senator expects to lead the State Department after Trump takes office but must go through confirmation soon.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued a notice that it will hold a confirmation hearing on Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. The Miami Republican has served on that committee for years. Sen. Jim Risch, the Idaho Republican now chairing the committee, praised Trump’s decision to appoint Rubio in November. “Marco Rubio is a superb appointment to Secretary of State. Well done, Mr. President!” Risch posted on X at the time.

The Senate rarely rejects members of the body moving directly to Cabinet posts.

Trump also initially tapped Rep. Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, and the Fort Walton Beach resigned his seat immediately. Gaetz ultimately withdrew from consideration but wrote in a letter read into the Congressional Record Friday (to applause) that he would not be sworn into a new term. A Special Election will be held in Florida’s 1st Congressional District to replace him on April 1.

The same day, voters in Florida’s 6th Congressional District will elect a successor to Rep. Mike Waltz, a St. Augustine Republican. Trump announced that Waltz would be his National Security Adviser, a post that doesn’t require Senate confirmation.

Conservative agenda

Sen. Rick Scott also took his oath for a second term in the Senate after winning by a wider margin than the former Governor tallied in three prior statewide elections.

“I’m so proud to have another six years doing the best job in the world — serving the people of Florida as their U.S. Senator and fighting to protect the American dream for all Americans,” Scott said.

He also laid out an agenda for the coming term, introducing several bills covering issues such as eliminating daylight saving time, freezing pay for members of Congress and preserving Social Security. Scott will serve on the Foreign Relations and Budget Committees in this Congress and promises to be a staunch ally of the incoming President.

“I’ll be working tirelessly with President Trump, my colleagues in the House and Senate, and Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to end the broken status quo and reckless spending in Washington, and finally deliver the change the American people made clear they want and need,” he said.

“Now is the time for change. That’s why I will be fighting on Day One to confirm Trump’s nominees and create a federal government that works for the best interests of the American people and keeps the American dream alive. I am honored to serve Florida in the U.S. Senate, and I’ll be working every day to make Washington work for YOU.”

Reining it in

At the start of the new Congress, Rep. Kat Cammack renewed a push against bureaucratic overreach.

The Gainesville Republican once again filed the Regulations by the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, which passed in the House in 2023 but did not proceed further. If it becomes law, the measure will require congressional approval for any federal agency rule change with an economic impact of $100 million or greater.

Cammack also filed the Unauthorized Spending Accountability (USA) Act, establishing budgetary reduction schedules for any program listed in the Congressional Budget Office annual report and enforcing 10% reductions in funding for any programs not authorized by Congress.

“We have worked hard over the last four years to represent North Central Florida and make it the best place to live, work and raise a family,” Cammack said.

“With President Trump taking the Oath of Office in just over two weeks, I’m looking forward to reinvigorating our economy, securing our southern border and making our communities safe again. With Republicans in the House, Senate, and White House, we are well-positioned to take action on President Trump’s agenda and deliver for the American people. I look forward to moving these bills across the finish line.”

Home run

The Florida ballpark, where baseball legend Jackie Robinson played his first professional game, has just become a national landmark.

On Saturday, President Joe Biden signed the Jackie Robinson Ballpark National Commemorative Site Act (HR 8012), bipartisan legislation championed by Rubio in the Senate and by Reps. Darren Soto, a Kissimmee Democrat, and Waltz in the House.

“Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach has been a landmark in the history of the Civil Rights movement and of Florida,” Waltz said.

“On March 17, 1946, Jackie Robinson changed professional baseball forever when he stepped out onto the field and broke the color barrier in the sport. His courage that day not only redefined the game but also signaled a profound step forward in the fight for civil rights in America. This bill preserves and honors Jackie Robinson’s legacy, the pivotal role he played in Daytona Beach’s history, and the lasting impact he made on America as a whole.”

Soto cheered the measure as a way to honor Robinson’s achievements.

“This is a vital step toward preserving his historic contributions,” Soto posted on X.

Drill, baby drill

Florida environmentalists celebrated a long-awaited victory after Biden banned oil and gas drilling off Florida’s coast.

The Democratic President issued an order weeks before the end of his term withdrawing areas of the Outer Continental Shelf, including all areas off the coast of Florida, from housing new leases for offshore oil and gas exploration. No leases exist there now.

Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, applauded the decision. She had previously sponsored the Gulf of Mexico Economic and Environmental Restoration Act, legislation to ban drilling in the eastern Gulf, but that has never passed Congress and reached a friendly President.

Castor said Biden’s order would preserve the state’s coast for years.

“Clean water and clean beaches are central to Florida’s healthy environment, economy and way of life,” she said.

“Floridians voted in 2018 to prohibit oil drilling in state waters (only 9 miles offshore), but oil and gas companies still had their eyes on federal waters in the eastern Gulf. I ran for Congress to champion permanent coastal protections and to keep oil drilling away from Florida, so I am thrilled that President Joe Biden answered our call to ban drilling off the Florida Gulf Coast and thereby safeguard our communities, fishing and tourism economies.”

Mark Ferrulo, Executive Director of Progress Florida, said Biden cited the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, legislation upheld by the Supreme Court over Trump’s desires during his first term. This likely means the impact will remain even after Trump returns to the White House.

“This latest move by President Biden is the closest we have come to permanent protection in this now 40-year-plus fight,” Ferrulo said. “Because the mechanism used and the Act used to issue these protections was already upheld by the federal courts when Trump was President gives me a lot of confidence this permanent ban will hold. My understanding is only an act of Congress can overturn it.”

Don’t want to pay some more?

Rep. Vern Buchanan kicked off the new Congress by introducing eight bills. The Longboat Key Republican filed legislation on taxes, hurricane relief and health care.

Of particular note, Buchanan once again filed legislation that could make tax cuts passed in Trump’s first term permanent.

Buchanan serves as Vice Chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and was tasked in 2022 with carrying out a direct extension and expansion of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017. If the tax cut extension does not pass, 23 provisions of the tax legislation are set to expire this year.

However, with Republicans now in control of both chambers of Congress and Trump set to return to the White House this month, the legislation has its best shot at passage in this Congress.

“It’s time to move past the chaos of the current administration and focus on getting our country and economy back on track,” Buchanan said. “The American people spoke clearly that they want conservative leadership that will revive our economy and protect our communities. I look forward to a productive year working with the Republican House majority and President Trump to deliver results for the American people.”

Locker room talk

Rep. Greg Steube hopes a GOP-controlled Washington shares his interest in firmly defining gender rules in women’s sports. The Sarasota Republican reintroduced his Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which had passed in the House before but not the Senate.

The bill would federalize protections that amateur female athletes in Florida currently enjoy.

“The radical left is not in step with the American people on the issue of protecting women’s sports,” Steube said.

“Americans have loudly spoken that they do not want men stealing sports records from women, entering their daughters’ locker rooms, replacing female athletes on teams and taking their daughters’ scholarship opportunities. My legislation stands for truth, safety, and reality: men have no place in women’s sports. Republicans have promised to protect women’s sports, and under President Donald Trump’s leadership, we will fulfill this promise.”

Education and Workforce Committee Chair Tim Walberg, a Michigan Republican, already said he favors the legislation. Trump has also said his administration will only recognize male and female genders and will not tolerate transgender people pushing those boundaries.

Guest of the state

When Biden hosted Venezuelan political leader Edmundo González in Washington, several Republican members of Florida’s delegation also met with the opposition figure.

Rep. María Elvira Salazar received González, the candidate the United States recognizes as the winner of Venezuela’s Presidential Election last July. Salazar clarified that she also sees González as Venezuela’s proper leader, despite current Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro claiming victory.

“Welcome to the United States of America!” said Salazar, a Coral Gables Republican, in a prepared statement. “America stands strong with you and the millions more who voted for your presidency. We cannot let the socialists silence the will of the Venezuelan people.”

She shared photos of a meeting in her office attended by fellow Reps. Díaz-Balart, Waltz, and Carlos Giménez, a Miami-Dade Republican. María Corina Machado, a political leader disqualified by Maduro from the ballot, also attended.

“Honored to welcome President-elect Edmundo González of Venezuela to the United States Congress,” Giménez said. “The United States must stand with the people of Venezuela in their struggle for freedom and put all options on the table as President-elect González assumes office on his Inauguration Day, Jan. 10. The Maduro regime lost at the ballot box and I’m confident President Trump, the best ally the Venezuelan people ever had, will hold thug Nicolás Maduro accountable by applying the pressure necessary to force his ouster and make Venezuela Great Again.”

Giménez even praised Biden online for recognizing González as the incoming head of state.

The most significant Floridian presence may have been Waltz, who was still a member of Congress but soon to join Trump’s administration. But Maduro has also made direct overtures to Trump, saying he will help with the incoming President’s immigration agenda.

Destroyed outside the border

Biden also sponsored legislation Salazar has championed that aims to destroy fentanyl before it ever reaches the United States.

The Destruction Initiative for Stored Precursors Overseas and Safe Enforcement (DISPOSE) Act (HR 9172) would increase destruction rates for certain listed chemicals intercepted in allied nations. This would alleviate a backlog of similar contraband awaiting attention in the U.S., reduce the environmental impacts of the process, and attack trafficking earlier in the supply chain. Salazar crafted the bipartisan bill with Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat.

“With my DISPOSE Act having been signed into law, our federal authorities will have the tools they need to crush the fentanyl crisis before it reaches Miami and the United States,” Salazar said. “The DISPOSE Act will save countless American lives and cut off a major source of income for the cartels trying to destroy our communities. Thank you to all my colleagues for supporting this critical initiative.”

On this day

Jan. 7, 1999 — “Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial begins” via History.com — As instructed in the U.S. Constitution, Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist was sworn in to preside, and the Senators were sworn in as jurors. In November 1995, Clinton began an affair with Monica Lewinsky, a 21-year-old unpaid intern. Over a year and a half, the President and Lewinsky had nearly a dozen sexual encounters in the White House. The House approved two articles of impeachment, charging President Clinton with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. After the impeachment trial began, five weeks later, on Feb. 12, the Senate voted on whether to remove Clinton from office. Clinton was acquitted on both articles of impeachment.

Jan. 7, 1861 — “Saint Augustine during the Civil War” via Florida Historical Quarterly — Three days before Florida seceded from the Union, state artillerymen marched resolutely on Fort Marion’s Federal garrison as ordered by Gov. M.S. Perry. Gen. Robert E. Lee, who commanded the coastal defenses of South Carolina, Georgia and East Florida in 1861, ordered the cannon at St. Augustine be moved to more important places. Confederate intelligence reports emphasized the possibility of a Federal attack on Fernandina, four of Fort Marion’s cannons were sent there; four went to a battery at the mouth of the St. Johns River, while others were sent elsewhere until Fort Marion was left with only five cannons mounted.

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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.