Delegation for 1.14.25: War footing — hostages — flag fight — Summer food — bounty hunters

The coming war

Filling Sen. Marco Rubio’s soon-vacant Senate seat could offer a glimpse at a coming struggle over who will run Republican politics in Florida.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has promised to have a new Senator lined up for the start of President-elect Donald Trump’s term next week. Rubio heads into a Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing on Wednesday and appears on track for Senate approval as soon as next week.

But the Governor is still coy about his final choice — other than firmly ruling out the option of naming himself to the seat.

Most expect DeSantis to appoint Attorney General Ashley Moody, a Plant City Republican. Moody won a statewide election the same year DeSantis was elected Governor. In 2018 and 2022, Moody earned more votes than any Florida candidate.

However, other members of the Florida congressional delegation have already said they intend to run regardless of whom DeSantis chooses for the seat.

“You can probably guarantee my hat is going to be thrown in the ring for 2026,” Rep. Cory Mills, a New Smyrna Beach Republican, told the press at a Republican Party of Florida meeting on Saturday.

Meanwhile, another fight appears to be brewing in the race for Governor. Rep. Byron Donalds, a Naples Republican, just hired Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio, fueling speculation that Donalds could run for the statewide post in 2026. On Saturday, he did little to dispel the talk as he spoke to reporters and clarified that he was getting advice from Trump about any moves.

“I was at a dinner with the President last night, going over the agenda and all the different nuances associated with that,” Donalds said a day after Freedom Caucus members dined with Trump in Mar-a-Lago. “That’s kind of where the focus is right now. We have a job to do, and so once that job gets done, we can talk about other things.”

Donalds endorsed Trump over DeSantis early in the Republican Presidential Primary cycle, in April 2023, and it seems unlikely DeSantis wants his successor to be more loyal to the White House than him. That could mean the top two races on the Florida ballot in 2026 — for Governor and Senate — will likely have a Trump-backed choice against a DeSantis-anointed heir apparent. Based on the growing Republican voter registration advantage and statewide election results in 2022 and 2024, it seems more than likely that the Republican Primaries will decide Florida’s next Governor and whoever stays in the Senate after 2026.

The GOP civil war could extend to all statewide races. Many predict DeSantis will appoint state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia as Florida’s Chief Financial Officer to replace congressional candidate Jimmy Patronis. But Trump has already endorsed state Sen. Joe Gruters for that job.

Presuming Moody fills Rubio’s seat, DeSantis will soon have to choose a new Florida Attorney General. Whether Trump endorses someone else for that role could signal a full-on war for who runs the Republican Party in Florida. And that’s before Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson decides whether to run for re-election or seek another office.

Hostage crisis

After Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced the arrest of two Americans, Sen. Rick Scott labeled them as “hostages” and wanted the United States to demand their release.

“I’ve reached out to the Secretary of State to make it extremely clear that the United States must protect American lives and stand for freedom and democracy in Venezuela,” the Naples Republican said. “The United States will NOT stand down or take threats from a murderous dictator lightly.”

The international incident came as Maduro was sworn into a second term despite many international observers, including the U.S. State Department and President Joe Biden, saying it appeared clear that opposition leader Edmundo González won an election in July.

Scott and a bipartisan group of Florida lawmakers met with González during a trip to Washington before Maduro’s inauguration. Florida’s junior Senator said the U.S. must remain steadfast in fighting for fair democracy in Venezuela.

“The Venezuelan people elected Edmundo González as their rightful President, but Nicolás Maduro is desperate and using any means necessary to hold power over a people who don’t want him,” Scott said.

“I’m extremely concerned that this murderous dictator has arrested and held individuals hostage from America, Ecuador, Spain, Argentina and several other nations. Maduro will use these lives as another bargaining chip and scare tactic for the people of Venezuela and the United States — just as he has by threatening María Corina Machado and kidnapping family members of President-Elect González.”

Farm bill harvest

The 118th Congress ended without an agreement on a farm bill, but Rep. Kat Cammack said she was confident that legislation would pass quickly now that Republicans control both chambers of Congress and (soon) the White House.

The Gainesville Republican praised Sen. John Boozman, the Arkansas Republican who just took over as Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, as a friend to farmers.

“Sen. Boozman is a willing participant and an advocate for agriculture,” she said.

One thing that hasn’t changed in the Farm Bill conversation, however, is the high stakes. The bill, which must be passed by Congress every five years, includes policy and funding initiatives impacting farms nationwide. Cammack served as the only Florida Republican on the House Agriculture Committee last year and said Florida had more to lose than any state if the legislation did not come together.

“It’s no secret that it has been like pulling teeth to prioritize agriculture in Washington,” she said. “Unfortunately, you have too many people, city slickers as I would call them, who don’t see food security as national security and we have effectively regulated and cost our producers so much money in the form of high labor costs, high fertilizer, high diesel fuel and other costs that they’re virtually unable to compete. So, we’re losing the family farm, and as a result, we’re having to rely more on our adversaries for our food.”

Flag clash

The death of former President Jimmy Carter means flags will continue to fly at half-staff through Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.

Mills would like a reprieve on that day.

“The U.S. flags over the nation’s Capitol should be raised to full-staff during the inauguration ceremony on the morning of Jan. 20, 2025, to honor the occasion,” said Mills, a New Smyrna Beach Republican. “This momentous event celebrates the choice of the American people, symbolizes the strength of our democracy, and marks the peaceful transfer of power. It is the responsibility of leadership to ensure that the U.S. flag reflects the significance of this day and the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump.”

Mills sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune asking that flags be raised to full-staff only at the Capitol during the inauguration. Mills said this would not conflict with Biden’s order to fly flags at half-staff at the White House and other federal buildings and grounds, but the legislative branch still controls Capitol flags. Mills suggested that this would allow the chance to celebrate the inauguration while still honoring a traditional 30-day mourning period for Presidents.

Funding on track

Some $4.9 million in federal funding will soon ride the rails to Florida’s Atlantic coast. The Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) announced it had received a seven-figure grant to improve seven railroad crossings in the region. Florida East Coast Railway and Brightline Trains Florida, Brevard County, Melbourne and Cocoa will use the money.

Rep. Mike Haridopolos, an Indian Harbor Beach Republican, cheered the funding.

“Government has no higher priority than the safety of the people,” Haridopolos said. “These new gate-crossing technologies will reduce crashes by preventing vehicles from crossing the tracks at illegal and dangerous times. I salute the TPO and its partners for coming together to support the vital safety of our important freight and passenger rail transportation system.”

Rain or shine

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night should stop the U.S. mail, but Hurricanes Helene and Milton sure slowed it down.

Post offices in Ruskin and Town ‘n’ Country remain closed months after the storms impacted Tampa Bay, and Rep. Kathy Castor said it’s time for couriers to get back to swiftly completing their rounds.

The Tampa Democrat sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy urging the agency to prioritize repairs and reopenings.

“The prolonged shift in operations and lack of updates for reopening have resulted in general confusion and frustration, lengthier wait times at the alternative locations, and accessibility issues for constituents who utilize and depend on essential postal services,” Castor wrote. “It is with all of this information in mind that I strongly urge you to expedite the repair and reopening of the Ruskin and Town N Country post offices.”

She also called for the U.S. Postal Service to provide a detailed assessment of the damage and develop a strategy for delivering disaster relief to the impacted areas.

Under scrutiny

Before the House Ethics Committee wrapped up its business for the last Congress, it provided an update into an ongoing investigation of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

On Jan. 2, the Committee issued a report saying there was reason to believe that the Miramar Democrat “made payments to a state political action committee in connection with her campaign and failed to report these payments as contributions to her campaign.”

Additionally, the state of Florida just sued Trinity Health Care Services for accepting a payment 100 times greater than agreed to for registering individuals for COVID vaccinations. Cherfilus-McCormick was CEO of the company at the time and self-funded her ultimately successful campaign for Congress in a 2021 Special Election to replace the late Rep. Alcee Hastings.

Starving them out

Democrats in Florida’s congressional delegation issued a joint statement slamming DeSantis for once again missing the deadline for a program feeding children in the Summer.

“It is sad and alarming that, for the second consecutive year, Florida has once again declined to participate in the federal Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program — a vital resource that helps fight hunger among low-income children and teens,” a joint statement from Democratic Representatives reads. “Summer EBT provides families with a prepaid card to purchase food during the Summer months when school is out, and children are no longer receiving free or reduced-price meals.”

Florida was the only state not to participate in the program in 2024, but according to Marketplace, this year, a dozen other states are following Florida’s lead, according to Marketplace. The consequence could be more hungry children.

“In 2024, approximately 2.2 million children in Florida were eligible for Summer EBT benefits, but the Florida State Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis chose not to participate, denying families $259 million in essential support,” the Democratic statement reads.

“This is not just a missed opportunity — it’s a direct refusal to help those who need it most. Gov. DeSantis and the Republican-led Florida Legislature once again failed to prioritize the well-being of our children and families. Our state has the resources, the infrastructure, and the capacity to do better — and yet, we continue to fall short when it matters most. Florida’s families deserve better.”

Return to sanctions

House members from both sides of the aisle filed legislation to impose sanctions on Maduro’s regime in Venezuela and anyone buying oil from the regime.

Reps. María Elvira Salazar, a Coral Gables Republican, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Weston Democrat, reintroduced the Revoke Exemptions for Venezuelan Oil to Curb Autocratic Repression (RESCOVAR) Act on the eve of Maduro’s inauguration. The legislation would cancel existing licenses and prohibit new ones for companies conducting oil transactions with Petróleos de Venezuela, Venezuela’s state oil company.

“American efforts to support democracy and punish repression have been far too slow. The United States must always support peaceful, pro-democracy movements and shun autocrats no matter who’s in the White House,” Wasserman Schultz said.

“Rescinding these special licenses, which exclusively serve to subsidize the regime’s crony corruption, violent repression, and flagrant human rights abuses, are critical to meaningfully rejecting Maduro’s election theft. We cannot afford to cave to fossil fuel companies’ investors at the expense of democracy, dignity and justice.”

Salazar said allowing trade with Venezuelan oil empowers a hostile power. At a September House Western Hemisphere Subcommittee hearing, she cited several major oil companies doing business with Venezuela, including Chevron, Repsol, Eni, and Maurel et Prom. Her legislation with Wasserman Schultz would stop such trade.

“Oil exports are the lifeline of the socialist Maduro regime. They are what fuels the repressive apparatus being used to deny the democratic voice of the Venezuelan people,” Salazar said. “By going after Maduro’s blood money, we give the freedom fighters taking the streets in support of President-elect Edmundo González a chance to exercise their God-given political freedom. “We will never stop our efforts to degrade the stranglehold of the illegal and illegitimate Maduro regime and until Venezuela’s national destiny is fully in the hands of its people. Maduro’s time is up; he needs to go.”

Bounty hunters

Wasserman Schultz also introduced a bill with Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Hialeah Republican, which would increase an international bounty on Maduro. The legislation would direct the Department of Justice to offer a $100 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest and conviction.

Díaz-Balart had pushed for the action in the past and often criticized the Biden administration for going soft on Maduro’s regime even when the Venezuelan President reneged on promises for fair elections without interference.

“For the last four years, I have warned that the Biden-Harris administration’s appeasement of this dictatorship would only embolden Maduro. The decision to weaken sanctions has jeopardized our national security and empowered a regime closely allied with dangerous adversaries like Russia, Iran, Cuba and the People’s Republic of China,” Díaz-Balart said.

He predicted the Trump administration would show greater leadership and take Maduro seriously.

“To Maduro and his collaborators: the days of impunity are over,” Díaz-Balart said. “There will be severe consequences and accountability for the harm inflicted on the Venezuelan people. It is time for Maduro and his cronies to consider where they will seek exile if they want to avoid the same fate as other dictators who defied the will of the people.”

Wasserman Schultz, in contrast, said Congress needs to ensure the hard stance of Biden refusing to recognize Maduro remains, even as a new President comes into power in the U.S.

“Increasing the reward that leads to Maduro’s conviction will reinforce the actions taken by the Biden-Harris Administration to target the criminal enterprise behind Venezuela’s election theft and the violent repression of its people,” the Democrat said.

“The Biden-Harris White House marshaled swift international pressure onto the Maduro regime, expanded existing sanctions, and rallied global support around the reality that Edmundo González won in a landslide. The Venezuelan people deserve to have their votes counted and rights respected, and the United States must have the back of peaceful, pro-democracy movements worldwide. This magnified reward for Maduro’s arrest would demonstrate that support.”

On this day

Jan. 14, 1943 — “Casablanca Conference convenes” via State Department Historian Office — President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met in Morocco. While Soviet Premier Josef Stalin received an invitation, he was unable to attend because the Red Army was engaged in a major offensive against the German army. The most notable developments at the Conference were the finalization of Allied strategic plans against the Axis powers in 1943, and the promulgation of the policy of “unconditional surrender.” Roosevelt and Churchill focused on coordinating Allied military strategy against the Axis powers and resolved to concentrate efforts to draw German forces away from the Eastern Front.

Jan. 14, 1979 — “Jimmy Carter supports Martin Luth King, Jr. holiday” via Time — Rep. John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, introduced preliminary legislation in 1968. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference — which King headed from its inception until his death — presented Congress with a petition signed by more than 3 million people supporting a King holiday. The bill languished for eight years, unable to gain enough support until President Carter, former Governor of Georgia, vowed to support a King holiday. King’s widow, Coretta, testified before joint hearings of Congress and organized a nationwide lobby to support the bill. Yet in November, Conyers’ King holiday bill was defeated in the House by just five votes.

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