Politics
Delegation for 8.14.26: Truth bomb — campaign support — back-to-school — Ecuador — Pope Leo
Truth bombs
Ahead of statewide Primaries, President Donald Trump doubled down on support for nearly every Republican member of Congress seeking re-election in Florida. He also made a surprise announcement of at least one new federal candidate days out from the election and stayed conspicuously silent in one contest where he had already made preferences previously known.
Trump has previously endorsed every Republican Congress seeking re-election in Florida, and Sen. Ashley Moody, as the appointed Senator, stands for election to her seat for the first time. On Wednesday evening, he re-published most of those endorsements on Truth Social, even for those who do not face Republican Primaries on Tuesday evening. But he stayed conspicuously silent on one seat, Florida’s 7th Congressional District.
The President, who backed Rep. Cory Mills’ 2022 Election after he won a GOP Primary and supported his re-election in 2024, announced in February his support for the New Smyrna Republican to win a third term. While a series of personal scandals hounding Mills as he seeks re-election was already well-known at the time, Trump posted the Congressman “knows what is required to Defend our Country, Support our Military/Veterans, and Ensure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.”
Mills has leaned heavily on support from the President as the race for his party nomination has become more competitive. Former TV broadcaster Ryan Elijah announced a Primary challenge to Mills in April and, by the end of July, had spent nearly $170,000 making the case that Republicans should dump the incumbent and his baggage before a difficult General Election.
Of course, Trump has never rescinded his support for Mills, and while the omission of a report five days before the GOP Primary has political junkies gossiping, it hasn’t stopped the incumbent from reminding voters he’s the “only endorsed candidate by President Trump” in the running.
Outside of races with an incumbent, Trump also weighed in on some state races. He did republish support for Rep. Byron Donalds’ gubernatorial campaign, as well as for Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson; he notably remains silent on whether voters should keep Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia in Florida’s only other statewide contest. Trump also repeated support for state Rep. Meg Weinberger and for Republican Jon Maples as he makes another run in Trump’s statehouse District.
On open congressional seats, Trump has stayed relatively quiet outside early backing for Sydney Gruters in Florida’s 16th Congressional District, which he also re-upped on Wednesday. But he surprised many when he weighed in late and backed Catalina Lauf in Florida’s 19th Congressional District, the contest to succeed Donalds in the House.
That turned heads days before the vote. That said, early support for Gruters effectively shut the GOP door in the contest to follow Rep. Vern Buchanan into office at a time when many contenders were still pondering a run in Florida’s 16th Congressional District. The CD 19 race, while Lauf is running neck and neck with a handful of other top-tier candidates, could be a riskier venture and test Trump’s power to tip the scales even after early voting is well underway.
But the biggest news for Republicans outside Florida may not be that Trump endorsed Lauf, but that he’s still making news less than a week from the Primary. Competitive elections for the GOP nomination remain underway in Florida’s 2nd, 11th, 22nd, and 24th districts, all of which are open seats. He also hasn’t chimed in on any contests in Democrat-held seats, including the Republican-targeted Florida’s 9th, 14th and 25th Congressional Districts.
As the President proved Thursday night, the cycle may still be young.
Constituent support
As Donalds campaigns for Governor, Sen. Rick Scott joined the fellow Naples Republican on the trail to offer his support.
“He is going to do a great job as Governor,” Scott said in a video shot outside the Florida Capitol, where Scott worked for eight years as the state’s Governor himself. “He’ll be right here in the Capitol in the next few months.”
At a stop in Wakulla, the state’s senior Senator took a shot at the last Congressman to move into the Governor’s Mansion, as noted by POLITICO. Asked about the fact that Gov. Ron DeSantis has remained on the sidelines and even taken swipes at Donalds, Scott suggested the silence was inconsequential.
“He didn’t endorse me, and I did fine in ’24,” Scott said.
Indeed, Scott won re-election to his Senate seat with 55% of the vote last election cycle, six years after he and DeSantis both won their seats by recount margins.
Based on polls and fundraising, Donalds will likely coast to the nomination in a couple of days and then advance to face another ex-member of the delegation, former Rep. David Jolly, a Tampa Democrat.
Donalds, for his part, predicts DeSantis will support him once the GOP Primary is settled. “I look forward to having his endorsement and being out there on the campaign trail with him,” he said last month.
Family outreach
Meanwhile, Moody took a brief break from her campaign to host the Florida Families First Back-to-School Resources Fair at Valencia College in Orlando.
“It’s back-to-school time for millions of Florida families, and we want to make sure our children are happy, healthy, and safe,” the Plant City Republican said. “I hosted a Florida Families First Back-to-School Resources Fair today in Central Florida, bringing together local, state, and federal partners to provide parents valuable information about children’s health, safety, and education — and highlight the important victories we secured to jump-start the American dream for Florida youth.”
There, she touted the newly created Trump Accounts as a mechanism to establish investment accounts to benefit children. More than 5.5 million child-owned investment accounts have been opened nationwide so far. For babies born between now and 2028, the Treasury Department will deposit $1,000.
But for those with presumably already-born children starting the school year, Moody also stressed expanding the Child Tax Credit and introducing new school provisions for federal tax credit scholarships.
Ships on the water
Another 2,000 jobs could soon be created at the Port of Pensacola, according to Rep. Jimmy Patronis. He secured a $9 million investment through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund for shipbuilding infrastructure in Florida.
“Pensacola has always answered the call to support our military, and this investment will help carry that proud tradition into the future,” the Fort Walton Beach Republican said.
The port plans to construct a facility for building submarines and warships, thereby addressing the nation’s military readiness. As the state moved forward with its investment, Patronis pushed Congress for a study on deepening and widening Pensacola Harbor to allow larger ships to dock and be built there.
He also discussed the ramifications overseas, both in trade and in the defense of allies.
“As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I was proud to address the Australian Embassy in July with officials from Birdon to help promote this relationship and continue the work of growing jobs and opportunities for the Pensacola area,” he said.
“Northwest Florida has a long-standing history of protecting our nation, and I’m grateful to President Trump and Governor DeSantis for their work to defend America’s shores.”
Rural healthcare
Some $209 million in federal funding will help bolster healthcare institutions in Florida, Rep. Kat Cammack’s office announced. The funding comes through the Rural Health Transformation Program, which was created through the Working Families Tax Cuts law passed by Congress this year.
The funding includes $42.2 million for North Florida, Cammack said, including $13.4 million directly tied to institutions in Florida’s 3rd Congressional District. That includes about $7 million for Medlink Management Services at Lake Butler Hospital, almost $6 million for North Florida Pediatrics Associates in Lake City, and $440,000 for Trenton Medical Center in Gilchrist County.
“This is exactly why I fought to make rural healthcare a priority in this legislation,” said Cammack, a Gainesville Republican.
“I helped craft these provisions and shepherd them through Energy and Commerce because North Central Florida needed more than another study or another promise — we needed resources. We secured more than $200 million for Florida, and now more than $42 million is being put to work benefiting the communities I represent. That means stronger hospitals, better technology, more access to specialists, and more care delivered closer to home. We fought for these dollars, we secured them, and now we’re bringing them home.”
Island infrastructure
A water crisis in Puerto Rico has Rep. Darren Soto advocating for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to get into gear.
The Kissimmee Democrat led a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin urging the modernization of water infrastructure in American territory.
“In early June, the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) detected a rupture in a 72-inch Superaqueduct transmission line. Despite repairs to this fracture, outdated infrastructure continues to cause significant interruptions in water service, leaving roughly 3 million residents with inconsistent access to drinking water,” the letter reads.
“This crisis is further intensified by a worsening drought, with the U.S. Drought Monitor designating more than half the island as experiencing moderate to extreme drought conditions. As a result, hundreds of thousands of residents are forced to ration their water supply and go as long as two days without running water.”
The letter was also signed by Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández and 10 other Democrats in Congress, including Rep. Maxwell Frost of Orlando. The lawmakers complained that 60% of Puerto Rico’s water supply is lost to leaks.
“Since this crisis began, residents have been forced to buy potable water, spend money at laundromats, and haul heavy buckets up several flights of stairs to wash dishes, flush toilets, and take showers,” the letter reads. “The strain falls hardest on those least able to bear it: lower-income households, older adults, and people with disabilities, with community leaders noting that some have been hospitalized as the water shortages persist.”
Ecuadorian alliance
Several members of Florida’s congressional delegation say now could be the right time to strengthen a strategic partnership between the U.S. and a South American nation.
Rep. María Elvira Salazar, a Coral Gables Republican who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, led a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the administration to designate Ecuador as a Major Non-NATO Ally. That’s a distinction already enjoyed by Argentina, Brazil and Colombia, and it would open the way for military financing and resource sharing, as well as cooperative defense research.
Salazar cited the nation’s battle against drugs as a chief reason to act. “The battle against the cartels does not stop at Ecuador’s borders,” Salazar said. “The United States has a strategic interest in helping democratic allies confront the criminal organizations that threaten our hemisphere. Designating Ecuador as a Major Non-NATO Ally would strengthen one of our closest security partners in the Western Hemisphere.”
Her letter was co-signed by GOP Reps. Vern Buchanan of Longboat Key, Carlos Giménez of Miami-Dade and Greg Steube of Sarasota, as well as Rep. Carol Miller of West Virginia.
“The United States must continue to strengthen partnerships with trusted allies in our own hemisphere,” said Buchanan, Republican co-chair of the Florida delegation.
“As Chairman of the House Democracy Partnership, I have seen firsthand Ecuador’s commitment to combating organized crime, countering narcotics trafficking and advancing democratic institutions. Recognizing Ecuador as a Major Non-NATO Ally would strengthen our strategic partnership, and I am proud to support this effort.”
Budget hawk
As Congress ponders suspending the nation’s debt limit, Steube wants legislation to ensure that any appropriations policy doesn’t blow budget deficits out of proportion.
The Sarasota Republican introduced the Dollar-for-Dollar Deficit Reduction Act, which would require any increase or suspension of the debt limit to be matched by equal or greater spending reductions over the current year and the following 10 years.
“Congress cannot keep raising the credit limit on the American people without cutting up the credit card,” Steube said. “Every time we raise the debt limit without cutting spending, we hand our children and grandchildren the bill for our own recklessness. This bill establishes a simple rule. If Congress wants to raise the credit limit, Congress must cut spending by the same amount. That is basic fiscal responsibility, and it is long past time we practiced it.”
A Senate companion was filed by Sen. John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican. Fiscal watchdogs, such as the National Taxpayers Union (NTU), also endorsed the legislation.
“For too long, Washington’s budgeting practices have followed the same tired script: borrow more now, promise fiscal discipline later, and leave taxpayers with a larger tab,” said Alexander Ciccone, NTU Policy and Government Affairs Manager. “The Dollar-for-Dollar Deficit Reduction Act is a much-needed, commonsense reform that will allow debt limit increases only when coupled with equivalent spending reductions.”
Veteran convoys
Rep. Brian Mast wants to see more military veterans behind the wheel of the nation’s big rigs. The Stuart Republican just filed a bill to codify the Transportation Department’s recently launched Freedom Haulers initiative, which fast-tracks the issuing of commercial driver’s licenses for those who served in the military.
“Veterans have already proven they have the discipline, the training, and the grit to handle the world’s most demanding jobs in the world’s most dangerous places. Hauling America’s freight should be next,” said Mast, himself a veteran. “President Trump opened the fast lane for veterans to get behind the wheel, and my bill makes sure it stays that way.”
The initiative currently allows qualified veterans to bypass the knowledge exams required for CDLs and doubles the Military Skills Test Waiver window from 12 months to 2 years.
It’s the second time Mast has filed legislation about who should drive semi-trucks on U.S. roads. He filed legislation last year to penalize states that issue CDLs to undocumented immigrants and require license holders to pass English-language exams.
Honoring Lincoln
A street in Miami-Dade County now bears the name of the late Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart. The Miami-Dade lawmaker died at age 70 last year.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to rename a section of Southwest 8th Street in Hialeah to the Congressman Lincoln Díaz-Balart Memorial Highway. Among the dignitaries in attendance was Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Hialeah Republican and dean of Florida’s congressional delegation.
“Today is a meaningful day for me and my family as we gather on what would have been my brother Lincoln’s birthday to honor his life and legacy of service and his enduring connection to our community,” Mario Díaz-Balart said. “On behalf of our entire family, I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who made this tribute possible.”
He made special mention of state Sen. Ileana Garcia and Miami Commissioner Ralph Rosado, who pushed for the road-naming statute in Florida. Díaz-Balart said that helped bolster his brother’s legacy.
“Lincoln Díaz-Balart devoted his life to public service. He served with conviction, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the people he represented. His legacy lives on in the people he served and the dignified causes he championed,” the sitting Congressman said.
“His greatest satisfaction came from being a voice for those who entrusted him with the honor of representing them, and for being a voice for the silenced and the oppressed. Thank you for continuing to honor Lincoln’s legacy in such an enduring way.”
Papal policymaking?
Salazar has spent years in Congress trying to build the list of co-sponsors for the DIGNITY Act. Now, she has urged Pope Leo XIV to give the bill his blessing.
The Miami-Dade Republican spoke with His Holiness at the Vatican about her immigration bill, which would create a means for undocumented individuals to obtain legal residency, but not citizenship.
“It was a profound honor to speak with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV about immigration at such a consequential moment for our country,” Salazar said. “For decades, Washington has debated this issue while millions of families have continued to live with uncertainty. I was grateful for the opportunity to place the DIGNITY Act in the Holy Father’s hands and to share the work we are doing to find a lasting way forward.”
She voiced hope that the Catholic Church’s first American Pope would bring moral clarity to the debate. She noted that more than 4 in 10 Catholics in the U.S. are immigrants, giving the Church a stake in the issue.
“A nation can defend its borders without closing its heart,” Salazar said. “We can uphold the rule of law, demand responsibility, and protect our country while recognizing the inherent dignity of every person and the reality of families who have lived, worked, worshiped, and built their lives here for years. That is the principle at the heart of the DIGNITY Act.”
On this day
Aug. 14, 1941 — “Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, issue Atlantic Charter” via the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library — The Charter was the statement of principles agreed to by President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill of Great Britain at their first wartime conference, held on board naval vessels anchored in Placentia Bay. The Charter was not an official document, but a joint statement expressing the aims of war between the two countries. It expressed beliefs in the right of all people to self-determination, to live in freedom from fear and want, and in freedom of the seas, as well as that all nations must abandon the use of force and work collectively in the fields of economics and security.
Aug. 14, 1795 — “George Washington signs Jay Treaty with Britain” via History.com — This treaty attempted to defuse tensions between England and the U.S. that had risen to renewed heights since the end of the Revolutionary War. The U.S. objected to English military posts along America’s northern and western borders and Britain’s violation of American neutrality in 1794 when the Royal Navy seized American ships in the West Indies during England’s war with France. The treaty, written and negotiated by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay, was signed by Britain’s King George III on November 19, 1794, in London. However, Washington, now in his second term, faced fierce opposition from Congress.
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Peter Schorsch publishes Delegation, compiled by Jacob Ogles, edited and assembled by Phil Ammann and Ryan Nicol.
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