Delegation for 4.29.25: Get out — criminal regime — fruity — surfs up — animal testing

Image via AP.

Deportation days

President Donald Trump’s agenda to mass deport undocumented immigrants became fully illustrated in his home state last week.

Operation Tidal Wave saw hundreds of individuals rounded up via a collaboration between Florida law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). But elected officials from different parties disagreed on whether this marked the return of law and order or the start of a new phase of lawlessness.

Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Longboat Key Republican, marked the operation a success.

“The great state of Florida has executed a first-of-its-kind joint operation with ICE, deporting nearly 800 illegal immigrants,” he posted on X. “The Trump administration is working with state officials to secure our borders. We will always put the safety of Americans above all else.”

But Rep. Darren Soto, a Democrat from Kissimmee, saw the move as an attack on a critical part of Florida’s economy. “In Central Florida, sadly, we see international travel slowing, workers being deported and small biz with fewer customers,” he posted.

And some lawmakers have had to address scandals involving the deportation of specific people. Rep. Kathy Castor said she has been in close communication with the family of Frengel Reyes Mota, a Venezuelan immigrant who came into the U.S. legally seeking asylum. He currently sits in a prison in El Salvador with deported individuals alleged to be members of transnational gangs.

“Tearing apart this family is cruel, plain and simple. Courts have ruled that Trump is violating the law, and people are entitled to due process under the Constitution. It is wasteful and costly for Trump to generate such chaos and fail to target criminals,” said Castor, a Tampa Democrat.

“Immigration enforcement must be lawful and humane, not weaponized for political stunts. That means investing in smarter border security, expanding legal pathways, and protecting the rights of asylum-seekers and immigrant families who contribute so much to our communities. The American people want a system that reflects our values, not one that rips families apart, violates the U.S. Constitution, and runs counter to human rights.”

But as the White House posted mug shots of deported individuals on its lawn, many members of the delegation counted the actions as a win for the administration and the country.

“Every state should be following Florida’s lead,” posted Rep. Brian Mast, a Stuart Republican.

Regime change

Sen. Rick Scott spoke at a rally in Tampa to support Venezuelans in their fight against the communist government that has led many refugees to flee the nation.

The Naples Republican at the event criticized the “criminal regime” of current President Nicolás Maduro. Scott promised that the Trump administration would continue to pressure the South American government, marking a departure from the approach under President Joe Biden.

“I’m proud to stand with the brave people of Venezuela in their fight for freedom and democracy, alongside Venezuelan community leaders here in Florida and together with rightful Venezuelan President Edmundo González and democracy leader María Corina Machado,” he said.

“The illegitimate Maduro regime has desperately held on to power for too long, depriving the Venezuelan people of their rights and freedoms, only emboldened by the weak Biden administration. I’m glad to see President Trump and Secretary Rubio are taking necessary action to hold Maduro’s regime accountable by cutting off oil licenses to prevent the funding of Maduro’s oppression, and by designating dangerous cartels like Tren de Aragua as foreign terrorist organizations, which is a crucial step in protecting America’s national security.”

Maduro declared himself the winner of a presidential race last year, though international election observers agreed González won more votes. The U.S., under both Biden and Trump, recognized González as the legitimate winner.

Scott is calling for legislation forcing economic sanctions. He also wants an additional designation of Venezuelan groups as criminal gangs.

“We must keep taking action to hold the regime accountable, including passing my STOP MADURO Act and BOLIVAR Act to further isolate Maduro and cut off funds to the regime, and by designating two additional Maduro regime-controlled cartels, Cartel de los Soles and DGCIM, as terrorist organizations to protect America’s national security,” Scott said.

“The days of the Maduro regime exploiting America under the previous administration’s weak appeasement policies are over. Together, we can strip Maduro of every last resource he is using to grip onto power and finally bring a new day of freedom to Venezuela.”

Brix flux

Florida citrus growers continue to face a range of natural challenges, including hurricanes and citrus greening. Sen. Ashley Moody says decades-old regulations should not add to the stress of producing Florida’s most famous crop.

“Nonsensical government overregulation is harming Florida’s citrus industry,” the Plant City Republican posted. “That’s why I’m fighting to pass my Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act and cut the red tape.”

At an event at the Florida Natural Growers Visitor Center in Lake Wales, Moody promoted her legislation, which would adjust the Brix standard — a federal requirement for sugar content in orange juice.

Moody told reporters at the event that such a change won’t alter the taste or quality of the juice.

“As if greening wasn’t enough and the storms weren’t enough, our growers are now forced to fight our own federal agencies and regulations that make absolutely no sense,” she said, as reported by Fox 13.

She and Scott filed legislation in the Senate earlier this month, while Rep. Scott Franklin, a Republican from Lakeland, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from Weston, introduced a companion bill in the House.

Small-business voice

One of Florida’s newest members has landed a new appointment to a House Committee. Rep. Jimmy Patronis will sit on the House Small-Business Committee.

“More than 33 million small businesses in the United States account for more than 43% of the nation’s total GDP. Florida is home to more than 3 million small businesses, which make up more than 99% of all businesses in the state,” the Panama City Republican said.

“My thanks to Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and Small-Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams for the opportunity to help craft and support policies that will foster fiscal responsibility, cut red tape, and grow an economy that works for everyone.”

Williams welcomed the Committee’s newest member. “His dedication to America’s small businesses and real-world experience will bring valuable insight to the Committee,” Williams said. “I look forward to working together as we tackle the challenges facing Main Street and champion pro-growth solutions over the next two years.”

In addition to serving as Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Patronis spent years helping operate his family-run restaurant in Panama City.

“As a former small-business owner and working my entire life in the restaurant business, I know how hard it is for small-business owners to earn a living and make payroll,” Patronis added. “I’m excited to work with my colleagues on the Committee to protect our small businesses, provide better opportunities to live the American dream, and help President Trump Make America Wealthy Again.”

Medical caucusing

Rep. Gus Bilirakis helped launch two different caucuses that aim to put research as a top congressional priority.

The Palm Harbor Republican was among the founding members of the American-Made Medicines Caucus, along with Republican Reps. Buddy Carter of Georgia and Claudia Tenney of New York. The group will focus on onshoring medical manufacturing or ensuring production takes place in allied nations.

“With our overwhelming reliance on Chinese pharmaceutical products and ingredients, it’s imperative that we find ways to increase domestic manufacturing capacity and preserve consumer access to these important and lifesaving products,” Bilirakis said. “Public health and wellness should not depend on our foreign adversaries and I look forward to finding ways to address this threat through the Caucus.”

His office said that about 90% of generic drugs currently come from China, resulting in a $127 million trade deficit in the sector.

Meanwhile, Bilirakis relaunched the Longevity Science Caucus with Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas and Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna, Sam Liccardo and Scott Peters of California and Paul Tonko of New York.

“Increasing life expectancy and promoting positive health outcomes are important priorities, and the formation of this Caucus is an important step toward achieving those goals,” Bilirakis said. “I believe in promoting individual responsibility and supporting innovation in the pursuit of scientific discoveries that will enable Americans to live happier and longer lives. I am honored to co-chair this bipartisan effort with my colleague, Congressman Tonko. We will work with our colleagues in an effort to make a significant impact on the future health and wellness for our constituents.”

Safer surfing

A Google Online Safety Roadshow made a stop at Marshall Middle Magnet School last week, and Rep. Laurel Lee was there to stress the importance of taking precautions in cyberspace.

“In today’s digital world, online safety isn’t optional — it’s essential,” the Thonotosassa Republican said.

“Kids in Plant City and throughout the Tampa Bay area should have access to the tools and knowledge they need to stay safe online. By teaching students how to navigate the internet wisely, safety programs and responsible legislation can help protect them today and give them skills for a safer, smarter future.”

The workshop discussed sharing content online, the importance of using secure passwords, identifying scams, and the importance of being kind to others.

“As technology continues to evolve, Google is committed to staying one step ahead in helping keep young people safe online,” said Taylor Ferguson, Google’s Florida Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager.

“We’re proud to bring the Online Safety Roadshow to Florida, empowering students with the knowledge and tools they need to explore, learn, and play online with confidence. Our goal is to create a safer digital experience for young people and give parents and guardians greater peace of mind.”

Animal testing

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will phase out animal testing for drugs, instead promoting research that uses more “human-relevant methods.” That’s welcome news to Buchanan.

“I am proud to see the FDA taking action to phase out animal testing following the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 being signed into law and the subsequent introduction of the FDA Modernization Act 3.0, bills I was honored to help lead,” said Buchanan, who also co-chairs the Animal Protection Caucus.

“For years, I have advocated for the adoption of modern, humane alternatives that improve drug safety and protect animals from unnecessary suffering. This announcement marks a victory for innovation and will lead to faster, more accurate and cost-effective drug development that will deliver safe and effective treatments to patients.”

He sponsored legislation that ended the requirement for drug testing on animals. The new announcement goes a step further in discouraging such testing in favor of new methods, such as artificial intelligence models.

“For too long, drug manufacturers have performed additional animal testing of drugs that have data in broad human use internationally,” said FDA Commissioner Martin Makary.

“This initiative marks a paradigm shift in drug evaluation and holds promise to accelerate cures and meaningful treatments for Americans while reducing animal use. By leveraging AI-based computational modeling, human organ model-based lab testing, and real-world human data, we can get safer treatments to patients faster and more reliably, while also reducing R&D costs and drug prices. It is a win-win for public health and ethics.”

That’s rich

Those who think wealthy people deserve to pay more in federal income tax will likely be discouraged by recent comments from Rep. Byron Donalds.

The Naples Republican said income tax increases for the rich are a non-starter with him and other Republicans in Congress.

“There’s been whispers of this, but this is not concrete. I don’t expect it to be in the (tax cut) package. I’ll just be clear. That’s not something I’m going to support, and I know there are many Republicans on the Hill who are not going to support that. Frankly, the vast, vast, vast majority of Republicans are not going to support that,” Donalds said on “Sunday Morning Futures.”

Trump dangled the proposal as a possibility last week, but quickly walked away from it as he said it would be “very disruptive” and “a lot of millionaires would leave the country.”

Instead, Donalds embraced spending cuts as a way to tackle the deficit-bloated federal budget, chiding colleagues who might lack the political mettle to back them.

“We can’t allow bloated federal spending that continues just because you’re worried about the midterm elections. If we cut spending appropriately, the American people see a more efficient government that could still provide services, and we have a better economy overall, the American people will reward us,” Donalds predicted.

Abortion funding

The elimination of funding for abortions overseas drew opposition from Democrats in Congress. Rep. Lois Frankel, a West Palm Beach Democrat and ranking member of the House State Department and Related Programs Appropriations Committee, co-led a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemning the policy change.

She penned the letter with Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Reps. Diana DeGette and Ayanna Pressley, Co-Chairs of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, as well as Grace Yeng, Chair of the RFC International Women’s Rights Task Force.

“We write to express alarm at the reckless reported cancellation of international family planning and reproductive health programs, which in Fiscal Year 2024 alone were estimated to save the lives of 34,000 women and girls, prevent 5.2 million unsafe abortions, and serve 47.6 million women and couples around the world with modern contraceptive care,” the letter reads.

“The consequences of halting these programs are not hypothetical,” the members added. “What is the administration’s assessment of how many women and girls will be impacted by the cancellation of family planning and reproductive health programs?”

The program has often started when Democrats won the presidency and stopped when Republicans took power. But the letter said that the inconsistency erodes America’s position as a health care leader on the global stage.

“These efforts are proven to reduce unintended pregnancies, prevent maternal and child deaths, promote women’s empowerment and the ability to safely and freely grow their families, and lift families out of poverty,” the letter states. “They also advance U.S. national interests and make our nation safer, stronger, and more prosperous by contributing to global health, stability, and economic growth.”

Hialeah 100

Hialeah’s 100th anniversary earned a spot in the Congressional Record last week. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Republican hailing from the South Florida municipality, introduced a commemorative resolution honoring the city’s centennial.

“Hialeah is one of the largest employers in Miami-Dade County, known for its industrial strength and significant contributions to Florida’s economic vitality,” he said. “It also houses some of our community’s most cherished staples — Sedanos, Vicky Bakery, Bernard Cap, Gus Machado Ford Dealership, and many more.”

The resolution notes the city’s population growth from 1,500 residents at its 1925 founding to its current 236,000 residents, and that Hialeah boasts one of the nation’s top concentrations of Hispanic residents.

“It is a city of hardworking families striving each day for the American dream, and it is home to thousands of Cubans who were forced into exile by the brutal Castro dictatorship,” Díaz-Balart said. “These families are some of the most patriotic Americans in our country. It is a tremendous honor and privilege to represent Hialeah, and I am proud to celebrate its 100th anniversary.”

Dooming deepfakes

Congress will send legislation protecting victims of deepfake porn to Trump’s desk. Rep. María Elvira Salazar, who introduced the original House legislation, cheered the legislative victory, calling it essential in an era of AI-generated video.

“This is a historic day for parents and children facing unprecedented new challenges with technology,” Salazar said on the House floor.

“My TAKE IT DOWN Act will finally give innocent victims real protection from online exploitation. Websites and platforms like Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok must remove fake, compromising pornographic images within 48 hours or face consequences. No more inaction. No more excuses: if you exploit an innocent child, you will face jail time.”

Ultimately, a compromise bill passed in the Senate will be what goes to Trump’s desk for his signature. The final bill will criminalize the publication of non-consensual intimate images while allowing their use for investigation and court purposes. Websites must remove images within 48 hours of receiving notification from the victims. That includes any artificial imagery a “reasonable person” would mistake for the person making the notification.

But with First Lady Melania Trump among the legislation’s backers, the President is expected to sign it quickly. The final language boasts the support of tech giants Meta, Snap, Google, Microsoft and X, as well as the Fraternal Order of Police and victims advocacy groups like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.

On this day

April 29, 1974 — “Richard Nixon announced release of edited tapes” via CBS News — The President was responding to the House Judiciary Committee’s subpoena for additional Watergate tapes. He had agreed to release the recordings by April 30. “It was almost two years ago, in June 1972, that five men broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington,” Nixon told the nation. “It turned out that they were connected with my re-election committee, and the Watergate break-in became a major issue in the campaign.” Nixon said he had been told no one in the White House had been involved in the break-in. But many believed he was part of the plot directly.

Aug. 29, 1945 — “U.S. Army liberates Dachau concentration camp” via History.com — The 45th Infantry Division liberated Dachau, the first concentration camp established by Germany’s Nazi regime. Established weeks after Adolf Hitler took power as German Chancellor, the Dachau camp initially held political prisoners, primarily German communists, Social Democrats and other political opponents. During the next few years, the number of prisoners grew dramatically, and other groups were interned, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, Roma peoples, homosexuals and repeat criminals. Beginning in 1938, Jews began to comprise a significant portion of camp internees. The Army found more than 30 railroad cars filled with bodies in various states of decomposition. Inside the camp, there were more bodies and 30,000 survivors, most severely emaciated.

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