Delegation for 1.24.25: Drill, baby drill — Sen. Moody — pink slips — spaced out — deepfakes

Beach crude

After Republican President Donald Trump announced an aggressive energy exploration initiative in 2018, Florida officials, including then-Gov. Rick Scott immediately lobbied for a Florida carve-out. At the time, Trump’s Department of the Interior quickly removed Florida waters from the discussion. Two years later, Trump went a step further and extended a 10-year drilling ban that covered Florida’s Gulf Coast and the entire Atlantic seaboard.

However, as Trump roared into Washington to start a second term after four years out of power, he explicitly made offshore drilling part of the conversation again. On his first day of office, Trump rescinded a permanent ban issued by former President Joe Biden on drilling in most of the Outer Continental Shelf and separately issued an order to “encourage energy exploration and production on federal lands and waters, including on the Outer Continental Shelf.”

That covers all waters around Florida, where congressional delegation members have long voiced near-unanimous opposition to rigs on the coastline.

The new order drew swift condemnation from Democrats and environmental groups.

“Floridians understand the damage that oil drilling and extreme weather events can do to our pocketbooks and way of life,” said Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat. “The BP Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was a wake-up call to the dangers of dirty and dangerous oil drilling and the risks it poses.”

Republicans offered more measured responses, generally supporting Trump’s focus on American energy independence but clarifying that Florida waters must remain rig-free.

“I look forward to working alongside President Donald Trump to achieve that goal while protecting Florida’s uniquely sensitive and pristine natural resources as we did in 2020 when President Donald Trump extended a moratorium for the Eastern Gulf until 2032,” Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Palm Harbor Republican, told Florida Politics.

Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Longboat Key Republican who has pushed with Castor for legislative protections against drilling near Florida, told POLITICO’s E&E News he thought the administration could expand oil exploration without drilling near the Sunshine State.

“I look forward to working with the incoming Trump administration to expand domestic energy production while continuing to protect Florida’s Gulf Coast from offshore drilling to preserve our tourism-based economy and allow for military training and testing activities that are essential to U.S. military readiness,” Buchanan said.

Sworn in

​​Republican Ashley Moody was sworn in Tuesday as Florida’s junior Senator. She took office a day after former Sen. Marco Rubio’s confirmation as Secretary of State.

Vice President JD Vance administered the oath of office to Moody and new Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, who fills the seat just vacated by Vance. Less than a week prior, Gov. Ron DeSantis had named Moody, then Florida’s Attorney General, to serve the next two years of Rubio’s term.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office released a statement as Moody left her Cabinet post to take on duties in Washington.

“Serving as Florida’s Attorney General is a tremendous honor,” she said. “After six years as the state’s Chief Legal Officer, I am grateful for all of the progress we made fighting the opioid crisis, putting human traffickers behind bars, pushing back on Biden’s unlawful immigration policies, modernizing crime reporting nationwide, revolutionizing organized retail theft investigations, recruiting hundreds of new law enforcement officers and so much more.”

Meanwhile, now-senior Sen. Scott, a Naples Republican, welcomed the Plant City Republican into Congress’ upper chamber.

“Floridians are lucky to have a fighter like Sen. Moody representing their best interests,” Scott said. “Sen. Moody has done an incredible job fighting for Floridians and keeping our communities safe as Attorney General, and I’m confident she will build on that success in the United States Senate. I look forward to working closely with her to make Washington work better for Florida families and deliver on President Donald Trump’s mandate for the American people.”

Moody shared pictures outside her new office in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Cleaning house

Scott says it’s time to fire underperforming Veterans Affairs Administration (VA) workers.

The Naples Republican co-introduced the Restore VA Accountability Act with Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican.

“Our veterans have put everything on the line and deserve the best care possible. I am proud to join my colleagues on the Restore VA Accountability Act to make the VA more efficient and accountable, and raise the standard of lifesaving health care. As a Navy veteran myself and the son of a WWII veteran, it is my priority to ensure all veterans are taken care of, and I urge my colleagues to support this common-sense legislation.”

The legislation would increase personnel authority for the agency’s leadership. The move comes as Trump assembles a new administration, including nominating former Rep. Doug Collins, a Georgia Republican, as VA Secretary. Trump has also made several additional VA appointments, including making Todd Hunter Acting secretary until Collins is confirmed.

Added duties

Rep. Cory Mills’ House Armed Services Committee duties will be expanded in the next two years.

The New Smyrna Beach Republican was appointed to the Readiness Subcommittee, in addition to his continued work on the Military Personnel and the Intelligence and Special Operations subcommittees.

“As an Army combat veteran, I understand the importance of strengthening our military and supporting our warfighters,” Mills said. “As the new administration begins, it will be imperative for Congress to strongly invest in our military in order to combat the growing malign partnership between China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. These agents of chaos and their terrorist proxies have sown instability across the globe, and we will need historic investments in our military in order to re-establish peace through strength.

“In order to accomplish this goal, we must continue our work in supporting the warfighter and their families. I remain committed to supporting our service members through increased quality of life at home and ensuring that they have the best equipment possible for the next fight. Our readiness for the next conflict will also be dependent on our ability to leverage our industrial base and streamline our acquisitions process. In the 119th Congress, I look forward to working with my colleagues to unleash the power of American industry and ingenuity to ensure that the U.S. military remains the strongest in the world.”

What gun problem?

When former President Biden announced the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Rep. Maxwell Frost, an Orlando Democrat, stood by his side. But as Trump took office, the department’s records disappeared from the White House website, and the executive order establishing the office was rescinded by the end of the day.

“We’re one day into the new Trump administration, and we’re already seeing a massive rollback of the progress President Biden had made on fighting for communities free of gun violence,” Frost said.

“Donald Trump doesn’t seem to give a damn about kids who get shot dead in their own classrooms or innocent people who are gunned down by shooters in churches, movie theaters, grocery stores or public places. Because if he did, he’d realize that the Office of Gun Violence Prevention was not about politics, it was about saving lives.”

While created through the executive branch, it was a department Frost had pushed to be made permanent through legislation. Representing a community that has suffered substantial gun violence, Frost made clear he will continue to fight for policy answers regardless of who controls the White House or Congress.

“Bullets don’t discriminate,” Frost said. “Leaders on both sides of the aisle need to come to the table to pass common sense gun reform that protects our communities. I will not stop fighting until I see the Office of Gun Violence Prevention once again become a reality.”

Schoolwork

The Defense Department awarded an $86 million grant to the Tinker K–8 school that serves the children of military service members stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

The grant will fund improvements to the school’s campus, expand capacity, and enhance the learning experience for preschoolers through eighth grade.

“I am grateful to the military families, leadership at MacDill, Hillsborough County Public Schools and local advocates for working with me over the years to ensure that the Department of Defense invests in students at MacDill. We envision that the new Tinker PreK-8 School will provide students with a state-of-the-art learning environment that gives children the high-quality education they deserve in a safe and modern environment,” said Castor, whose district serves as home to MacDill.

“Our service members and their families deserve access to high-quality, reliable child care and schools, and their kids deserve to learn in a safe and healthy environment. Unfortunately, in its current state, Tinker has challenges.”

The grant represents the bulk of the entire project, a nearly $108 million plan to rebuild and expand Tinker. It will alleviate facility deficiencies that landed the school at No. 60 on the 2019 Deputy Secretary of Defense’s “Public Schools on Military Installations Priority List.” The grant will support 927 students whose parents are stationed at MacDill.

“This transformative grant is the product of over a decade of work. In 2011, Tinker was ranked 118th out of 156 schools on DOD’s priority funding list. However, through persistent advocacy and funding increases secured over time in the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Tinker moved up to 60th on the list by 2018,” Castor said.

“Our continued efforts over the years culminated in a successful effort in 2022 to include Tinker among the top 12 schools invited to participate in the Department of Defense’s Public Schools on Military Bases Installations initiative.”

Space Coast HQ

Some of NASA’s most high-profile facilities, most notably its launchpads, reside in the state of Florida. So why is the space agency headquartered in Washington?

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna hopes having a Florida man in the White House means there will be a receptive ear to rocketing the agency to the Sunshine State. She sent a letter to Trump encouraging the relocation.

“While Washington, D.C., has historically been the home of NASA’s headquarters, the rapidly evolving space landscape demands a more integrated and efficient approach to space policy. Florida’s Space Coast, home to key facilities like the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is uniquely positioned to support this transformation and strengthen America’s leadership in space exploration,” the St. Petersburg Republican wrote.

“Given the accelerating pace of developments in both the public and private space sectors, I believe that relocating NASA’s headquarters to Florida would offer significant strategic, economic, and logistical advantages to NASA and the United States.”

She said the move would also encourage greater cooperation between NASA and the Space Force. Last year, the Space Force announced that it would permanently locate its Training and Readiness Command center at Patrick Space Force Base, adjacent to Kennedy Space Center.

Modernizing Medicare

Buchanan will lead an effort to review the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ digital reporting processes.

As Chair of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, the Longboat Key Republican will spearhead the bipartisan Healthcare Efficiency Through Flexibility Act, which delays implementation of a requirement for providers accepting Medicare to transition to electronic Clinical Quality Measures (eCQMs). Buchanan’s Office said a transition right now would be too burdensome for providers, and he wants any required shift put off until 2030.

“The shift to new health care reporting measures must not place undue burden on Medicare providers or jeopardize value-based care,” Buchanan said. “A temporary reporting solution will only serve as a Band-Aid, adding additional paperwork and bureaucracy. By delaying implementation and piloting new digital reporting methods, the Healthcare Through Flexibility Act will help ensure a smoother, more efficient transition to a more fully interoperable health system.”

He will run legislation with Reps. Jimmy Panetta, a California Democrat, and Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican, to guarantee a smoother transition. Several health providers and advocacy groups support the proposed bill.

“The transition to eCQMs holds great promise for enhancing reporting and data sharing across health care providers to improve patient care,” said Mara McDermott, CEO of Accountable for Health. “However, this transformation must be done in a thoughtful manner that is achievable for all types of organizations pursuing the shift to accountable care. This legislation provides a glide path for adoption that will lead to smoother implementation and greater overall success in fostering an interoperable, accountable health care system by 2030.”

Chiro coverage

Meanwhile, Rep. Greg Steube introduced legislation to provide Medicare coverage for chiropractic care.

The Sarasota Republican filed the Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act with Rep. John Larson, a Connecticut Democrat. The bill would cover chiropractic care as a non-narcotic alternative for pain management. Steube noted that such care could be critical to individuals’ quality of life in his retiree-heavy Southwest Florida community.

“I’m honored to represent the largest Medicare-eligible district in America,” he said. “I take seriously my responsibility to craft policies that benefit the 4.8 million Floridians enrolled in Medicare. My legislation will provide Medicare beneficiaries across the country with more flexibility in their treatment options and will help lower the risk of individuals turning to opioids for pain management. Medicare beneficiaries deserve access to all chiropractic services without burdensome red tape.”

The American Chiropractic Association already endorsed the legislation.

Hearing the people

Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Jared Moskowitz want Americans to hear from them — literally. South Florida Democratic lawmakers just signed on as co-sponsors to legislation (HR 500) that would expand Medicare coverage to hearing aids.

Under the measure, dubbed the “Medicare Hearing Aid Coverage Act,” Medicare would no longer exclude hearing aids and associated examinations from its coverage. Today, seniors can’t use their Medicare benefits to pay for hearing aids, which can cost anywhere from $900 to $6,000, according to Healthline.

The bill would also direct the Government Accountability Office to study where federal programs and health insurance coverage do and do not assist with support for hearing loss.

“Hundreds of thousands of Florida seniors depend on hearing aids to go about their daily lives and meeting that medical necessity shouldn’t be a financial burden,” Moskowitz said. “It’s past time that Medicare expand care to cover hearing aids and hearing examinations for our seniors so that they can better access this critical tool.”

Faking it

As video-generating software becomes more sophisticated, political leaders hold growing concerns about deepfakes. That includes the creation of fake pornography, whether using images of celebrities like Taylor Swift or members of Congress.

House members, including Reps. Buchanan and María Elvira Salazar filed the Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks (TAKE IT DOWN) Act to curb the spread. The bipartisan bill’s co-sponsors include Democratic Reps. Madeleine Dean, Debbie Dingell and Stacey Plaskett and Republican Rep. August Pfluger.

“While artificial intelligence is paving the way for a golden age of prosperity for all Americans, bad actors are abusing it to extort innocent people with unauthorized deepfake porn,” Salazar said. “The TAKE IT DOWN Act is Congress’ best shot to stop these offenders from hurting more people, protect victims, and hold online platforms accountable.”

While 20 states have already passed legislation addressing deepfake images posted online, the TAKE IT DOWN Act seeks a consistent nationwide enforcement method. The legislation would make the publication of nonconsensual intimate imagery a federal crime, require websites to remove images within 48 hours of receiving a takedown notice and establish a “reasonable person” test to decide what qualifies as damaging to an individual depicted.

Buchanan suggested urgency in addressing a problem where technology appears to be evolving faster than statute.

“I am deeply disturbed by the drastic increase in the sexual exploitation of children and non-consenting adults, such as the rise of so-called ‘revenge porn’ and skyrocketing instances of sexual abuse,” Buchanan said. “While the rise in AI technology brings countless benefits, we must establish common-sense guardrails to protect against its most harmful potential uses.”

Spotted

At The Southern Group’s Inaugural Reception at its new Washington D.C. office: Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mario Díaz-Balart, Byron Donalds of Florida and Chuck Edwards of North Carolina; State Reps. Jennifer Canady, Juan Porras, Josie Tomkow and Brad Yeager; Abdulaziz alSulaiman (Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia); Tripp Baird (Off Hill Strategies); Brian Bautista (Southern Group); Adam Bolek (Worldview Advisory); Emily Buckman (American Farm Bureau Federation); Kevin Marino Cabrera (Miami-Dade County Commissioner and nominee for Ambassador to Panama); Eric Carr (Florida Chamber of Commerce); Edgar Castro (Southern Group); Morgan Cintron (Moskowitz’s Office); Mauricio Claver-Carone (WH Special Envoy to Latin America); Gary Clement (TD Bank Group); Rachel Cone (Southern Group); Brian Darling (Liberty Government Affairs); Anna DeCerchio (Southern Group); Ana Irene Delgado (Panama Ambassador to OAS); Brandon Dermody (Southern Group); Daniel Díaz-Balart (Southern Group); Nelson Diaz (Southern Group); Devin Dreeshen (Government of Alberta); Catherine Eaton (Spirits Canada); Michael Edwards (Flavrbomb Inc.); Billy Grant (House Oversight Committee); Cesar Gonzalez (Díaz-Balart’s Office); Susan Hildebrand (Southern Group); Kevin Hofmann (Southern Group); Lacey Hofmeyer (Southern Group); Brett James (Worldview Advisory); Jamil Jivani (Canadian Member of Parliament); James Kahrs (Cherry Bekaert Advisory); Nicole Kelly (Southern Group); Chih-En Ko (Taiwan Legislator); Chase Kroll (Southern Group); Angelle Kwemo (Cherfilus-McCormick’s Office); Steven Lecce (Minister of Canada); Harold Lyons (Office of Rep. Mike Rogers); Doug Mitchell (Gateway Consulting); Tom O’Leary (JetZero); Emilie Oglesby (DBPR); Manuel Orbis (Office of Commissioner Cabrera); Ben Parker (Georgia Farm Bureau Federation); Ashley Perez-Biliskov (candidate for Florida House); Lucas Raskin (Guardian RF); Adam Rhoads (DeSantis Federal Office); Sidney Ridley (Southern Group); Mike Risola (Florida Department of Agriculture); Beau Rothschild (Porter Wright); Brie Sachse (Siemens); Jason Saine (Southern Group); Katia Saint Fleur (Southern Group); Michael Sweeney (Federal Communications Commission); Olivia Vairo (Southern Group); Sheela VanHoose (Southern Group); Ting-Yu Wang (Taiwan Legislator); Lance Watson (Florida Farm Bureau Federation); Michael Westcott (Allies for A Strong Canada); Tucker Williamson (Rep. Neal Dunn’s Office); Erin Wilson (Office of the Vice President); Jessica Wright (former Undersecretary of Defense); Kevin Wysocki (Anchorage Digital); Alexander Yui (Taiwan Ambassador to the U.S.); Dewitt Zemp (Southern Group); and Keegan Zimprich (U.S. Bank).

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On this day

Jan. 24, 1956 — “Emmett Till murderers make magazine confession” via History.com — Look magazine published the confessions of J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant, two White men from Mississippi who were acquitted in the 1955 kidnapping and murder of Till, an African American teenager from Chicago. In the article titled “The Shocking Story of Approved Killing in Mississippi,” the men detailed how they beat Till with a gun, shot him and threw his body in the Tallahatchie River with a heavy cotton-gin fan attached with barbed wire to his neck to weigh him down. The two killers were paid $4,000 for their participation in the article. Milam and Bryant were never brought to justice; both later died of cancer.

Jan. 24, 1870 — “Sinking of the USS Oneida” via the Library of Congress — The USS Oneida was struck by the British Peninsular & Oriental Line Steamer Bombay. The collision severely damaged the Oneida, which sank within about 15 minutes, taking with her at least 115 sailors. The disaster sparked a controversy that encompassed the assignment of blame for the collision and whether more lives could have been saved. Among the contradicting testimonies of those aboard the Bombay and Oneida were opposing accounts of the circumstances leading up to and during the impact. Americans expressed outrage over what seemed callous disregard for life on the part of the British ship, which left the scene without any attempt to offer aid.

Happy birthday

Best wishes to Reps. Aaron Bean, who turns 58, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who turns 46, on Saturday, Jan. 25.

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Peter Schorsch publishes Delegation, compiled by Jacob Ogles, edited and assembled by Phil Ammann and Ryan Nicol, with contributions by Janelle Irwin Taylor and Jesse Scheckner.