Delegation for 5.13.25: Cuba — Corps — moms — face time — tax & spend

Cuban quandary

A speech in France by a top official in the European Union has Cuban American members of the Florida congressional delegation concerned about shifts on the world stage.

E.U. Vice President Kaja Kallas addressed the European Parliament in favor of financial cooperation with communist Cuba. While criticizing the nation’s government for silencing free speech, she called for the body to maintain a Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement, first established in 2016.

“I understand that many here feel the Agreement has not delivered as much as we would hope. However, in the midst of Cuba’s severe economic crisis and broader global instability, the objectives of this Agreement remain relevant to promote reform; encourage respect for human rights; and accompany Cuba’s economic and social modernization, while promoting European values and protecting European interests,” Kallas said.

“The Agreement gives us a structured framework. This framework provides space for us to talk about issues where we agree, but especially on those where we differ.”

That’s a different strategy from the isolation and embargo the U.S. has mainly maintained for over half a century.

Rep. María Elvira Salazar, a Coral Gables Republican, said it would be a mistake for Europe to maintain trade and political engagement with the nation. She cited the imprisonment of political prisoners like José Daniel Ferrer and Félix Navarro, but also said Cuba, under current President Miguel Díaz-Canel, has deepened its own relationships with nations hostile to the U.S. and the E.U.

“This is not just about human rights violations in Cuba. The regime in Havana has now sent troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine. Meanwhile, dictator Díaz-Canel stands side by side with Vladimir Putin, reinforcing an anti-Western alliance that threatens global security,” Salazar posted on X.

“Every euro that reaches the Havana regime strengthens a system that undermines democracy, destabilizes the region and exports repression.”

Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, who chairs the House National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Subcommittee, said he was appalled by Kallas’ remarks.

“Since 2016/2017, the Cuban regime has expanded its repression, imprisoned democracy activists (with many still in prison since the J11 protests of 2021), invited the PRC to establish an extensive spy hub 90 miles from U.S. shores, deepened its military training and weapons relationship with Belarus — all while thousands of Cuban nationals fight in Ukraine for Russia,” he posted.

Díaz-Balart commended Swedish parliamentary members pushing for an end to Cuban engagement. He said continuing with the agreement would mean Europe effectively assists the Cuban government at the expense of its people.

In her remarks, Kallas suggested Cuban ties to Russia made them an essential intermediary in addressing Europe’s agenda, including in the Ukraine conflict.

“Cuba has historic ties with Russia. In fact, President (Díaz-Canel) is currently going to attend the Victory Day in Moscow. Yet, Cuba has abstained in six U.N. votes on Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, including the most recent. Cuba also plays a role on the multilateral stage.” Kallas said.

“We must assert our positions firmly and consistently, especially with influential actors and where our views are not shared.”

Army Corps priorities

Florida’s Senators united to promote Florida’s priority projects to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

Sens. Ashley Moody and Rick Scott sent a letter to D. Lee Forsgren, acting Assistant Secretary of the Army Corps, outlining the state’s needs for the Fiscal Year 2025 Work Plan.

The list of desires includes accelerating Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan projects, such as the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration. The Senators also want to end unnecessary critical storm risk management project delays.

The letter also asks the Army Corps to reconsider its enforcement of a law dating to the 1980s.

“Recent supplemental funding packages included funding for Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies (FCCE) and operations and maintenance. However, some of these resources remain unused due to the USACE’s internal interpretation of Section 103 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 — an interpretation we do not support,” the letter reads.

“This interpretation, which exists outside of clear congressional direction and funding, continues to delay critical storm risk management projects, some of which have been active for decades. The 2024 WRDA provided a clear statutory direction to the USACE that allows for coastal storm risk management projects to be completed, notwithstanding the agency’s policy interpretation to the contrary. In light of this directive, we urge you to revisit the interpretation of WRDA 1986 as it pertains to shoreline easements and instruct the USACE to issue updated guidance that allows the use of FCCE funds to restore hurricane protection project footprints.”

Familiar prosecutor

One of Scott’s Senate staff members will now serve as the U.S. District Attorney for Florida’s Northern District.

President Donald Trump nominated Jack Heekin, now Scott’s General Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff, to serve as the district’s top prosecutor. Heekin began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney in Florida’s 15th Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County and later worked for Scott during his tenure as Florida Governor. Heekin is also a member of the Federalist Society.

“I am incredibly proud to support the nomination of Jack Heekin for the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida,” Scott said.

“Jack has been a critical part of my team for the past 12 years in my office as Governor and now U.S. Senator. In our work together, Jack has shown exemplary character and a deep respect for the U.S. Constitution, the rule of law, and the roles of our three branches of government. I have full faith that Jack will do a phenomenal job enforcing our laws and proudly represent the United States government and the Northern District of Florida, and I urge my colleagues to support his quick confirmation.”

Facial recognition

Most health insurance plans don’t cover elective cosmetic surgery. But Rep. Neal Dunn said such surgery isn’t truly optional for congenital disabilities leading to malformed facial features.

The Panama City Republican, a medical doctor by trade, filed the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act, which requires group and individual health plans to cover medically necessary services for anomalous birth defects that impact the appearance or function of the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw.

“Many families with children who are born with congenital anomalies face significant financial barriers to accessing the treatment their child needs. This treatment is not just cosmetic. These conditions can have long-term health consequences that can severely impact everyday life,” Dunn said.

“This bipartisan and bicameral legislation will help alleviate the financial hardship that many families endure to get their children the vital care they need. I’m proud to lead this important initiative and would like to thank my colleagues for helping us put a smile on every child’s face.”

He filed the bill with Rep. Kim Schrier, a Washington Democrat and fellow physician.

“For far too long, countless patients, including children, have been unable to access treatment for congenital anomalies such as ectodermal dysplasia and cleft lip and palate because their health insurance refused to cover care, leaving them either without treatment or burdened with thousands of dollars in medical expenses,” Schrier said.

“This bill would tackle this issue head-on by requiring private health insurance plans to cover medically necessary services for treating congenital anomalies and congenital disabilities, thus allowing patients with these conditions to secure and afford the treatment they need.”

Supporting moms

As Rep. Kat Cammack prepares to welcome her first child, she also wants Congress to pass legislation helping all women during their pregnancies.

The Gainesville Republican was among the introducing sponsors of the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed (MOMS) Act, which would provide critical support to women during the challenging phases of motherhood: prenatal, postpartum, and early childhood development.

“As a first-time mom myself, I’m thankful for the resources and support I’ve received, but know not all women have the same access to pre- and post-natal services,” Cammack said. “Providing more opportunities for mothers to receive the care and support necessary to deliver healthy babies is critical.”

Rep. Michelle Fischbach, a Minnesota Republican, will lead the bill. Sponsors introduced the legislation as an anti-abortion bill.

“For many women, finding out you are unexpectedly pregnant comes with fear, and for some, abortion may feel like the only option,” Fischbach said. “I am committed to empowering all women and ensuring they feel supported in choosing life.”

“The MOMS Act supports women before, during, and after they give birth. It improves access to resources and makes sure women have everything they need right at their fingertips to help them confidently carry to term and raise their child.”

District hires

As Rep. Randy Fine fully staffs his offices throughout Florida’s 6th Congressional District, he announced the hire of several key individuals.

The newly elected Republican named Stephen Shylkofski as his new Western Regional Director, handling Marion, Lake, and Putnam counties. Ed Danko will serve as Fine’s Eastern Regional Director, serving Volusia, Flagler, and St. Johns counties.

“We are working hard to lock down office space and hope to announce with details soon,” Fine posted on X.

Shylkofski previously worked as Constituent Services Director for Rep. Dan Webster, a Clermont Republican, and more recently as Vice President at Find Feed & Restore, a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families with children.

Danko, meanwhile, previously served in the Navy and Coast Guard Auxiliary. He has also been active in politics, serving as the Flagler County GOP’s public relations/social media director.

Tax and spend

House Republicans released details of a long-awaited tax proposal over the weekend, which drew varying praise and condemnation from different political quarters.

Rep. Vern Buchanan, Vice Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, cheered the bill as a must-pass proposal. He has carried and crafted portions of House Republican proposals to make permanent the tax cuts initially implemented in Trump’s first term, and those details were part of the leadership’s budget framework.

“This tax package is a direct response to what the American people demanded at the ballot box: lower taxes, more freedom and an economy that works for them. While Democrats push for the largest tax hike in American history, House Republicans are delivering real relief for all Americans by raising the standard deduction, introducing an enhanced deduction for seniors and expanding the child tax credit. We’re also fulfilling our promise to cut taxes on tips — a policy I fought for with my No Tax on Tips Act,” the Longboat Key Republican said.

“We’re reviving American manufacturing by rewarding companies that build and hire right here in the United States instead of shipping jobs overseas. By expanding access to Health Savings Accounts, we’re investing in the health of families and workers. This is a pro-growth, pro-family, America First bill that prioritizes Main Street over Wall Street. I’m proud to stand with President Trump and my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee to restore economic prosperity for every American.”

However, Democrats within Florida’s congressional delegation saw dire warnings about the proposal as it came together. Especially controversial, Speaker Mike Johnson wants to enact cuts to Medicaid to cover $4.5 trillion in tax cuts.

Rep. Kathy Castor pointed to a budget analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that showed the economic consequences if Republicans stick to that plan.

“Republicans propose to cut lifesaving care for hundreds of thousands of my neighbors across the Tampa Bay area to fund a massive tax cut for billionaires. It’s irresponsible and wrong,” the Tampa Democrat said.

“The nonpartisan CBO analysis makes clear congressional Republicans’ Medicaid proposals will result in millions of Americans losing their health care coverage. Republicans in Congress and President Trump claim that they will not rip health care coverage away. Yet, every single proposal would cause massive benefit cuts and coverage loss for millions, inflicting pain and exorbitant costs on pregnant women, people with disabilities, and seniors. I will not stand for it.”

Campaign finance dance

The amount raised yearly in taxes to fund presidential campaigns has steadily declined over the last decade. A process that raised $30.1 million in 2015 generated just $21.2 million last year.

Rep. Greg Steube would soon see the money return to the Treasury.

The Sarasota Republican just filed the Eliminating Leftover Expenses for Campaigns from Taxpayers (ELECT) Act, which would eliminate public funding of campaigns.

“For decades, American taxpayers have been forced to subsidize presidential campaigns, even those they fundamentally oppose,” Steube said. “This fund is a relic of the past, riddled with abuse and irrelevant in today’s campaign financing landscape. It’s long past time we ended this unnecessary waste of taxpayer dollars and put the money toward reducing our nation’s ballooning deficit.”

No one is forced to support public campaigns, and millions of taxpayers each year check a box to provide $3 to fund presidential campaigns. But fewer people do so now. Even as the population has increased, collections donated by taxpayers have gone from $71.3 million in 1994 to under a third of the last two years. Steube’s bill would shutter the Presidential Election Campaign Fund and zero out collections.

Since Democrat Barack Obama rejected public funding (and the $84.1 million spending cap that went with it) in 2008, major presidential candidates have effectively abandoned using public funds.

Opening Invictus invitations

For years, the Warrior and Invictus Games have offered a way for soldiers injured in combat to adapt to their condition through sports. However, the Defense Department-sanctioned competitions only allow individuals to compete within a year of any injury, illness, or wound suffered in the line of duty.

Rep. Brian Mast, himself a double amputee from his service as a bomb technician in Afghanistan, wants the games opened to veterans indefinitely.

“Recovery doesn’t have an expiration date, and our support for veterans shouldn’t either,” the Stuart Republican said. “My bill opens the door for more American heroes to participate in the Warrior and Invictus Games and reminds them that their service will never be forgotten.”

More than 200 veterans expect to participate in the Warrior Games this July, but the bill would greatly expand eligibility. In February, the international Invictus Games in Canada had 550 participants, including 50 Americans.

Friends to Venezuelans

As the Supreme Court considers whether the Trump administration can revoke temporary protected status (TPS) for Venezuelans, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz informed the Justices that many members of Congress oppose the administration’s action.

The Weston Democrat led an amicus brief siding with foreign nationals in the U.S.

The filing said lawmakers “are keenly aware of the critical role that separation of powers plays in our constitutional democracy as a means to safeguard against the concentration of power within a single government branch.”

Every Democrat in Florida’s congressional delegation signed onto the brief. Florida is home to nearly half the Venezuelans currently living in the U.S., and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have supported TPS protections for those who fled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime. Only Democrats signed onto the brief, though.

The filing argues that an administration cannot simply rewrite rules on immigration at a whim.

“The executive branch advances an interpretation of the TPS statute that, in essence, rewrites the statute to claim a power that Congress did not delegate to the executive branch,” the brief states.

“Amici, drawing on their experience and expertise as members of Congress, explain how these offered interpretations are incorrect and further explain that the TPS statute does not allow for vacatur.”

Lifetime achievement

This week, the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) honored Secretary of State and former Sen. Marco Rubio. Several sitting and retired delegation members were on hand to celebrate the nation’s first Hispanic Secretary of State.

“Secretary Marco Rubio is a dear and close friend who has made our community extremely proud. President Donald J. Trump made an excellent choice in appointing him to serve as our Secretary of State­ — he is an extraordinary, brilliant statesman and one of the most qualified and distinguished individuals to hold that position in decades,” said Díaz-Balart, a CHLI co-founder.

“From our days together in Florida’s legislature to our collaboration on bicameral efforts, it has been an honor to work alongside him and to know him on a personal level. I have witnessed firsthand the discipline and dedication he brings to everything he does and represents. Secretary Rubio understands the importance of safeguarding our national security and is one of the staunchest defenders of the cause of freedom, especially in the face of anti-American, tyrannical regimes such as those in Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Iran, North Korea, and Communist China.”

Salazar was on hand for the award presentation, as was former Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. Both Republicans, like Rubio and Díaz-Balart, hail from Miami-Dade County’s Cuban American political community.

Rubio took to social media to thank hosts for the honor.

“Humbled to receive The CHLI’s Lifetime Leadership Award last night,” he posted. “My sincere gratitude to Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Mario Díaz-Balart, and the entire CHLI team for the tireless work they lead to empower our nation’s Hispanic American future leaders.”

On this day

May 13, 1958 — “Venezuelans attack Richard Nixon in Caracas” via the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training — President Dwight Eisenhower sent the Vice President on a tour of Latin America to improve relations. Unfortunately, the tour would create even more friction, as protests in various countries punctuated it. A visit to Venezuela turned violent and threatened the safety of the Vice President, his wife and his support staff. Vice President Nixon’s “goodwill tour” around Latin America came about three months after the revolution, when Venezuela was still coming out of chaos. The police disappeared when dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez fled the country.

May 13, 1846 — “Congress declares war on Mexico” via History.com — Under the threat of war, the U.S. refrained from annexing Texas after the latter won independence from Mexico in 1836. However, in 1844, President John Tyler negotiated a Treaty of Annexation. The treaty was defeated in the Senate, but before leaving office, Tyler managed to get a joint resolution passed with the support of President-elect James Polk. Relations between the two nations remained tense over border disputes. Mexico, claiming the boundary was the Nueces River to the northeast of the Rio Grande, and in April 1846, sent troops across the Rio Grande. Polk, in turn, declared the Mexican advance to be an invasion of U.S. soil.

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