Delegation for 4.1.25: April fools — oranges — reclaim — deterrent — Signal

April upsets or fool’s gold?

Since the beginning of the 119th Congress, Florida’s congressional delegation has been incomplete. That will change following Special Elections today in two congressional districts, but it remains up to voters who will fill the seats.

In the more closely watched races, polls show Republican Randy Fine remains locked in a neck-and-neck race with Democrat Josh Weil in Florida’s 6th Congressional District. That’s a surprising place to be, as President Donald Trump won the district in November by 30 percentage points and former U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz won re-election there by 66.5% before resigning to become White House National Security Director.

But amid national outrage by Democrats at Trump’s return to the White House, Weil’s campaign announced $10 million in fundraising from small donations nationwide. In comparison, Fine reported less than $1 million.

Poignantly, the election unfolds at a moment of political crisis for Waltz, a central figure in the Signalgate scandal. Waltz had taken the blame for The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg inadvertently being added to a group chat about an impending military strike on the Houthis. That raises national security concerns — Signal isn’t considered a secure place for sharing intelligence — but Trump reportedly also has questioned why Waltz had Goldberg’s number.

So, could Democrats win a Special Election as Trump fires the Republican who vacated the seat in the first place? Despite Democrats’ spending advantage, Republicans enjoyed a 13% turnout advantage in voters who had already cast ballots as of 10 a.m. Tuesday. Republican consultants say they’d like to see at least a 15% edge to feel comfortable about Fine’s prospects. Returns start pouring in at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, when the ending to this dramatic story will come into view.

But the race in Florida’s 1st Congressional District hasn’t been without drama. Republican Jimmy Patronis hopes to fend off Democrat Gay Valimont and keep former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s seat in the red column.

Democrats already enjoyed a dose of schadenfreude after Gaetz resigned immediately after Trump nominated him as Attorney General, only to withdraw from consideration as Republican senators made clear he would not be confirmed. As Gaetz made clear he would take a media job instead of being sworn into the new Congress, it left the Florida delegation and the House Republican majority down a member from Day One.

Valimont has also enjoyed a rush of donations and outraised Patronis with $6.5 million to the Republican’s $2 million. But no polls have been published that signal the seat is at risk of flipping and Republicans enjoy a more substantial edge in registered voters. Trump won the Panhandle seat by 38 points in November, and Gaetz won re-election with 66% of the vote.

An hour after CD 6 returns start to flow in, polls will close at 7 p.m. Central Standard Time in the Panhandle, and it should quickly become apparent who holds the lead in that seat.

Both state parties have tried to get their base to the polls, and it’s possible drama ends quickly as Election Day returns are tabulated. However, Democrats feel they can claim victory despite losing both seats. Beyond the prospect of threatening power in two Republican strongholds, the Special Elections offer the first chance since Trump’s inauguration to send a message to Congress about how Washington has conducted business so far this term.

Save the oranges

Members of Florida’s congressional delegation want legislation passed to protect American citrus producers from unfair trade practices.

Sen. Rick Scott filed the United States Citrus Protection Act, which would bar the importation of commercially produced citrus from China.

“Communist China is an adversary to the United States and one of the greatest threats to our national security, economic security, food security and American way of life. For years, we have seen how Communist China seeks global dominance and is willing to undermine our markets, circumvent trade practices, and destroy American businesses to do so,” the Naples Republican said.

Scott said the legislation would ensure the integrity and viability of domestic agriculture and protect consumers from poor products.

“This is a regime that doesn’t play by our rules, follow our safety standards, or have Americans’ best interests in mind. Florida growers have seen that firsthand with the devastation of citrus greening, which originated in China,” he said. “My bill, the United States Citrus Protection Act, stands up for American citrus growers by stopping the import of these products from Communist China. Every American can take a stand too – we can make the choice to STOP buying anything made in Communist China and instead support American growers, American jobs and American products.”

Reps. Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican, and Daniel Webster, a Clermont Republican, filed the House version of the bill in February.

Clawing back college funds

Following high-profile conflicts between pro-Palestinian protesters and Jewish students on U.S. campuses last year, Sen. Ashley Moody said she wants a way to hold colleges and universities accountable for tolerating antisemitism.

Her RECLAIM Act would allow a clawback of federal grants and funding whenever institutions of higher learning violate students’ Title VI civil rights.

“We must claw back any funds from universities that do not protect the civil rights of Jewish students – including taking back any unspent money,” the Plant City Republican said.

“Too many woke schools prioritize support for Hamas over their duty to protect the civil rights of ALL students and it’s time they are held accountable. Lately, the left has cared more about protecting those (who) promote chaos on campus to disenfranchise Jewish students than bringing hostages home. Congress should no longer subsidize hate — we must claw back federal funding from campuses that violate students’ civil rights and that’s exactly what this bill will do.”

The legislation, as written, would be retroactive, allowing the withdrawal of funds that have already been spent if courts determine students’ rights have been violated. The bill would also issue a moratorium on issuing funds to an institution once violations are alleged.

Rogue education

Similarly, the House passed the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act (HR 1048) last week. That bill would require foreign donations, contracts, and ownership stakes in higher education institutions to be transparent.

The version passed contained an amendment sponsored by Webster that specifically addresses Chinese influence on learning institutions worldwide.

“I’m pleased that this bill includes an amendment with language I introduced to restrict Hong Kong, Macao, and any other special administrative region within the People’s Republic of China,” Webster said. “This closes a critical loophole the Chinese Communist Party has exploited to obscure its influence.”

Ready for launch

At a Bonita Springs event launching Rep. Byron Donalds’ gubernatorial campaign, the Naples Republican officially announced his plans to leave the delegation and lead state government.

“My plan for Florida is bold and clear,” Donalds said. “Fix the insurance prices, build new roads, finish restoring the Everglades. Make Florida the financial capital of the world, and ensure our kids master math, reading, writing and reasoning.”

The event drew a few of Donalds’ closest allies in Congress, Reps. Kat Cammack and Cory Mills to Southwest Florida. Mills called Donalds his best friend in Congress, while Cammack said she considered her classmate “family.”

Meanwhile, Donalds presented his candidacy, while endorsed by Trump, as an extension of Florida conservative leadership provided by others with experience on the delegation.

“I can be this bold about our future because we are building on a great foundation left to us by Gov. Rick Scott and Gov. Ron DeSantis,” Donalds said.

That’s all the notable as First Lady Casey DeSantis mulls her entry into the Republican Primary.

Expecting arrival

Cammack announced some personal news at the same event. The Gainesville Republican showed up onstage wearing shades, mimicking Donalds’ frequent use of the accessory, and told the gathered audience she now has the needed swagger for the look.

“I’m five months pregnant, so now I get to walk around like this,” she said.

The 37-year-old Congresswoman has been married to Matthew Harrison, a Gainesville firefighter-paramedic, since 2017. The child will be the couple’s first.

It also will make Cammack the 15th House member in history to give birth in office. Just two years ago, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a St. Petersburg Republican, became the 12th member to do so.

Parental rights

Incidentally, Luna’s fight for expectant mothers in Congress hit a snag this week. She resigned from the House Freedom Caucus, citing betrayal by some members over her efforts to pass legislation allowing proxy voting for new parents.

“My goal has always been to work alongside like-minded individuals committed to fighting for the American people and delivering on the promises President Trump campaigned on,” the St. Petersburg Republican wrote in her letter announcing her departure from the Freedom Caucus, first shared by Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman.

“I have consistently supported each of you, even in the moments of disagreement, honoring the mutual respect that has guided our caucus.”

But she said that respect “was shattered last week” when some caucus members worked to block her effort to bring forward legislation allowing new mothers and fathers in Congress to vote by proxy for 12 weeks.

“This was a modest, family-centered proposal,” Luna wrote. “Yet, a small group among us threatened the Speaker, vowing to halt floor proceedings indefinitely — regardless of the legislation at stake, including President Trump’s agenda — unless he altered the rules to block my discharge petition.”

Scrutinizing Signalgate

Signalgate continues to attract scrutiny from Democrats, including some Florida members who once served in the state delegation with many administration figures on the infamous chat.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, an Orlando Democrat, as ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs, co-led a letter to administration members who were part of the “Houthi PC small group.” The letter’s recipients include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and Waltz, who assembled the group as National Security Adviser.

“This incident raises grave concerns about the misuse of unsecured communication platforms for classified discussions and the potential that American military and intelligence professionals may have been compromised by the reckless dissemination of such classified material,” reads a letter sent by Frost and Rep. Gerald Connolly, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.

“Accordingly, this letter serves as a formal request that you, your agents, employees, agencies, and representatives preserve and not alter, delete, destroy, or otherwise dispose of any and all documents, communications, materials, and electronically stored information (ESI) that may be relevant to this matter.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Parkland Democrat, sent a letter to Johnson seeking to form a bipartisan select Committee on the Signal group chat.

“A previous select committee, the House Select Committee on Benghazi, discovered during its investigation that then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had relied on a private email server while conducting government business,” Moskowitz said.

“This week’s revelation — that national security officials discussed highly sensitive military operations in a Signal group message that unintentionally included a private citizen without a proper security clearance — must be responded to with the same concern as the use of a private email server.”

Zoning out

For years, affordable housing has been hard to find in South Florida, where the average sales price for single-family homes has reached $640,000. That’s almost half as high as the national average of $426,900.

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick wants the federal government to identify and remove any barriers to putting cheaper options on the market.

The Miramar Democrat filed the Lower Housing Costs Study Act, which would direct the Housing and Urban Development Secretary to outline strategies to promote affordable housing at the state and local level. The report will include policy recommendations developed from state and local housing regulations data collected by the Regulatory Barriers Clearinghouse.

Cherfilus-McCormick said she would like to identify outdated or burdensome regulations that hinder the construction of new homes.

“Outdated local and state laws often remain a barrier to the development of affordable homes,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “My bill cuts the red tape that comes in the form of antiquated ordinances, which stifle construction and drive-up housing prices. Homeownership should be attainable for every South Florida family — and this legislation takes us a step closer to making that reality.”

Blended families

As GOP lawmakers in Washington push for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, one Florida Republican wants to at least keep blended status families together.

Rep. María Elvira Salazar, a Coral Springs Republican, filed the American Families United Act (HR 2366), which would empower immigration judges to exercise discretion when dealing with the spouses and children of U.S. citizens.

“The American Families United Act benefits U.S. citizens, promotes family unity, and prioritizes keeping families together,” Salazar said. “I am proud to co-lead this bipartisan legislation that reinforces America’s commitment to the rule of law and respects the dignity of families.”

She filed the bipartisan legislation with Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat. Salazar’s office noted that more than 2.6 million Americans live in mixed-status families. While citizens have been allowed to sponsor spouses for permanent residence, an increasing number cannot meet the changing requirements.

“Americans recognize that it is in our country’s best interests to restore legal pathways for immigrants and keep families together, and the bipartisan American Families United Act is a critical step in the right direction,” Escobar said. “I look to working with my colleagues to advance this crucial legislation.”

Wheels down

The Florida Airports Council checked Washington on the destinations and arrivals board last week. The advocacy group touched down in the District of Columbia and flew more figuratively to the Hill to discuss policy with lawmakers.

The group met with Scott and other members of Congress to lobby for aviation funding and infrastructure for Advanced Air Mobility. Meanwhile, the Council lobbied against policy provisions of law that limit veterans’ access to aviation careers.

According to the Council, Florida’s airports generated $336 billion in economic activity yearly, supporting 2 million jobs and handling 210 million passengers in 2024 alone. Council members represent all 20 Florida commercial service airports, over 70 of the state’s publicly owned general aviation airports, one Spaceport (Cecil Airport), one Seaplane Base (Tavares Seaplane Base), and more than 350 corporate, educational, affiliate, student chapter and student members.

On this day

April 1, 1789 — “First U.S. House of Representatives elects Speaker” via History.com — Meeting in New York City, the House elected Rep. Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania as its first Speaker. Muhlenberg, a Lutheran minister and the former president of the Pennsylvania convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution, was the son of two leading Germans in colonial Pennsylvania. Muhlenberg was a member of the Continental Congress from 1779 to 1780 and was the Speaker of Pennsylvania’s House from 1780 to 1783. He presided over the Pennsylvania Ratifying Convention of 1787. He did not enter into military service during the American Revolution. Muhlenberg served in the House from 1789 to 1797, including as Speaker for the first and third Congresses.

April 1, 1970 — “Congress bans airing cigarette ads” via POLITICO — President Richard Nixon signed the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act, which banned cigarette ads on television and radio. The Federal Communications Commission in 1967 utilized a provision of its “fairness doctrine” that required TV stations to broadcast one anti-smoking public service announcement for every three cigarette ads aired. These anti-smoking announcements proved effective, as the number of U.S. smokers began to decline sharply. Bills began to circulate to ban all cigarette advertising on TV and radio. Initially, the tobacco lobby, buoyed by legislators from tobacco-growing areas, succeeded in blocking congressional action. However, Big Tobacco recognized that an on-air ban would free funds for advertising in alternate media.

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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.