At a town hall this week hosted by Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick on “The Future of Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security,” extending the tax credits for private health insurance was one of the topics of discussion.

“The enhanced premium tax credits provided by the Affordable Care Act are set to expire at the end of 2025,” read the moderator from a question submitted by someone in the audience. “These tax credits help millions of people here in Florida afford health care. Does Congress have a plan to extend these tax credits in order to keep health care affordable for these Floridians?”

Currently, more than 4 million working Floridians and their families receive tax credits that reduce the monthly premiums they pay for private health insurance.

If Congress fails to act this year and allows these tax credits to expire, premiums would skyrocket. A 60-year-old couple earning $82,000 a year would pay $13,000 more for their annual premiums.

“Making sure we preserve those tax credits to actually help families is our No. 1 priority,” Cherfilus-McCormick said.

Many, including families with small children, people with chronic conditions, early retirees and small-business owners, will simply not be able to afford coverage.

Floridians in rural areas are expected to be among the hardest hit if tax credits are not extended. Options in rural areas are fewer and harder to reach, and the cost of insurance is much higher.

While Cherfilus-McCormick hails from a blue district, an overwhelming majority of Republicans want to see the tax credits extended.

Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio found that 78% of Donald Trump supporters nationally want to see the health care premium tax credits for working families extended, according to exclusive reporting in the Washington Examiner.

Republicans have a razor-thin majority in Congress, 217-215, and extending the tax credits is especially important if they want to maintain that majority during the upcoming Midterms.

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Florida has built a unique and effective safety net system to ensure uninsured and underinsured individuals receive critical behavioral health services. After the Parkland tragedy, the Legislature also tasked our safety net with implementing crisis response teams to assist anyone in need within 59 minutes.

Behavioral Health Managing Entities, acting as a Lead Agency under contract with the Department of Children and Families, work with more than 300 local providers statewide to offer local services, ranging from crisis intervention to long-term recovery support. Florida’s behavioral health safety net system serves more than 250,000 individuals annually.

These lead agencies operate as not-for-profits and provide the highest return on investment, with an administrative rate below 3.2%. This efficiency ensures that every taxpayer dollar is used effectively, with fiscal prudence and transparency.

Recently, Florida lawmakers introduced House Bill 633 and Senate Bill 1354, requiring the Department of Children and Families to subcontract operational and financial audits to evaluate which metrics and criteria best assess performance and outcomes. The bill would also standardize data requirements and reporting, increasing transparency for all stakeholders.

As CEO of Florida’s Association of Managing Entities, I can confidently affirm that our commitment to accountability and transparency is unwavering. Each Behavioral Health Managing Entity submits more than 65 reports annually to the Department of Children and Families, detailing business practices, contracting requirements, performance outcomes, and expenditures.

We commend Representative Koster and Senator Trumbull for their leadership and commitment to developing the behavioral health performance management system of the future.

Beyond financial accountability, Florida’s Behavioral Health Managing Entities focus on evidence-based best practices to maximize positive outcomes. In Fiscal Year 2023-2024, our network of providers achieved the following results:

• 98% of children in the Community Action Treatment (CAT) Teams were diverted from juvenile justice system involvement.
• 97% of children in the CAT program avoided placement in State Inpatient Psychiatric Programs.
• 96% of individuals enrolled in payor-level care coordination avoided costly crisis stabilization units, emergency rooms, and jails.
• Through Mobile Response Teams, 80% of individuals were diverted from Baker Act admissions, resulting in an estimated annual cost savings of $12.2 million for the state.

Behavioral Health Managing Entities are just one part of Florida’s vast and complex behavioral health system. Transparency and accountability must be extended to the entire behavioral health system of care, including private insurance and Florida’s Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Program, overseen by the Agency for Health Care Administration.

Behavioral Health Managing Entities and their network of providers are the safety net that cares for the state’s most vulnerable populations. We are dedicated to serving Floridians with complete transparency and accountability in the best way possible. We meet each community’s unique needs and help Floridians get back on their feet to live life to their fullest potential.

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Natalie Kelly is CEO of the Florida Association of Managing Entities.

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Budget battle

This week, the House passed a budget framework on a near-party-line vote. That’s just the first step in crafting a federal budget, but the move likely puts off the threat of a government shutdown early in President Donald Trump’s term.

The budget resolution drew fire from the Left and Right, though among Florida’s congressional delegation, every Republican member felt the plan deserved to advance.

“Tonight, I was pleased to vote for the FY25 budget resolution, which will set important spending and savings goals to deliver on President Trump’s America First budget policies in ONE bill,” said Rep. Scott Franklin, a Lakeland Republican.

“This critical package will cut the deficit by $2 trillion by rooting out wasteful and fraudulent spending, secure the border, make critical investments in our national security, and restore American energy independence. Most importantly, it will extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, preventing record tax hikes and ensuring families and small businesses keep more of their hard-earned money. This is the only budget resolution that fully unleashes the President’s vision for a stronger, safer and more prosperous America.”

However, every Democrat in the House voted “no” to the plan, which the minority caucus said hampers critical government functions and thus puts Americans at risk. Democrats rebuked Medicare cuts particularly sharply. But Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, said the entire budget framework threatened the nation’s welfare.

“Colleagues, out of all of the outrageous, damaging and illegal firings and shutdowns, whether talking about the Inspectors General, or the top military JAG officers, or the folks in charge of the Office of Government Ethics,” Castor said on the floor. “I mean, the list goes on and on. I think we can all agree that one of the most troubling was the firings at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Their professional workforce was targeted by Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s reckless gutting of the federal workforce and the illegal layoffs.”

She filed an amendment that was not passed, but it would have preserved the NNSA.

“I think this is so arbitrary and outlandish to go in and fire people who are responsible for our nuclear enterprise, working at our labs, making sure our nuclear weapons are safe and secure. Yes, I think it is outrageous.”

Ungrateful dead

Sen. Rick Scott says a good way to save on Medicaid spending is to stop paying benefits to deceased enrollees. The Naples Republican filed the Leveraging Integrity and Verification of Eligibility for Beneficiaries (LIVE Beneficiaries) Act, requiring all states to review rolls every quarter to ensure the government is paying insurance bills for deceased enrollees.

“Washington has spent too long failing Americans with its dysfunction, shown clearly by government’s complete complacency with wasting tens of millions of taxpayer dollars each year writing Medicaid checks to people who have died simply because they haven’t checked if they’re alive,” Scott said.

“That’s unacceptable and a complete disappointment to taxpayers and those who rely on this program’s benefits when they need it most. While President Trump and his team are hard at work making our government more efficient, Congress must take action, too. Our bill, the LIVE Beneficiaries Act, will require states to verify that a beneficiary is alive before they send a payment. This is common sense and a practical step to cut down on improper payments and ensure tax dollars are spent wisely.”

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Palm Harbor Republican, filed a companion bill in the House.

“As we work to ensure the long-term solvency of critical safety net programs, like Medicaid and Medicare, we have an obligation to ensure we are serving as good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” he said. “This means we must prevent fraud, waste and abuse whenever possible. By implementing simple safeguards like the ones in this bill, we can strengthen these programs and help ensure they (meet) their intended purpose of providing access to quality care for our most vulnerable citizens.”

Gator Nation

During a confirmation hearing for Keith Sonderling, Trump’s nominee for Deputy Labor Secretary, Sen. Ashley Moody brought a little school spirit to a Senate Health Education and Labor Pensions Committee hearing. Florida’s junior Senator, like Sonderling, counts herself among the alumni of the University of Florida, opening her questions with a vocal “Go Gators.”

She also praised Sonderling’s background.

“I was so impressed with you, not only because of your incredible education pedigree, but your grasp of what this Department does, what it is meant to do, what it is not meant to do, and the way you have volunteered so selflessly when you could be doing so much in the private world,” she said.

Moody also promised at the hearing’s end to get a picture of herself, Sonderling and Gunster Chair and former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, another Gator alum. LeMieux was at the meeting to give introductory remarks for Sonderling.

“Keith is a friend and a leader who has dedicated his career to public service and the advancement of the American worker,” LeMieux said. “I am honored to introduce him today and I am confident that he will serve our country with distinction and integrity as the Deputy Secretary of Labor.”

Sonderling, formerly a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Commissioner, practiced labor and employment law at Gunster for nearly a decade.

Lunch money

According to Rep. Cory Mills, President Joe Biden’s administration misused federal funding to keep troops fed, spending it on other unidentified priorities. The New Smyrna Beach Republican just led a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding a change in that policy and transparency regarding how sustenance pay is disbursed.

“As a combat veteran, I’ve once been in the position of a young Army Soldier with limited financial resources. Mismanaging funding for Soldiers’ nutrition is a betrayal of those who sacrifice to defend our freedom,” Mills wrote.

“For junior enlisted Soldiers, the $465 monthly flat rate for BAS can make up as much as 18% of their total pay. This misappropriation of funds directly reduces the financial support they rely on for their basic needs. The fact that nearly 50% to 80% of the $225 million collected from Soldiers’ BAS pay last year was redirected elsewhere demands an immediate investigation and swift accountability. We cannot achieve military readiness by robbing those who serve of the resources they’ve been promised.”

Mills said he was optimistic that the new administration would address the problem.

“I trust that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will thoroughly investigate this issue. His leadership and unwavering commitment to our warfighters is evident. Under his guidance, we have a real opportunity to address these oversights and strengthen our armed forces, retention and lethality.”

Mission to Mars

Artemis II, a mission to send astronauts to orbit the moon for the first time in 50 years, will launch from Cape Canaveral in just over a year. At a House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, Rep. Mike Haridopolos said that NASA and Congress must keep that effort on track.

“If we succeed, we will clear the path for Artemis 3 in 2027, when American astronauts will once again step onto the lunar surface and plant the Stars and Stripes,” the Indian Harbor Beach Republican said.

“This is the most significant moment for America’s space program since the Apollo program. We stand at a crossroads: The world is watching and our competitors, like Communist China, are racing to beat us there. We cannot afford to fall behind; this is an opportunity to prove that America still leads the world in exploration and innovation. Failure is not an option.”

As Chair of the subcommittee, Haridopolos said he would act as a watchdog to ensure that every dollar NASA spends contributes to reaching the moon and (eventually) Mars.

“The Moon is our crucial steppingstone — a proving ground to test technologies, refine operations and reduce risks for that future Mars mission. Every step we take toward the Moon is a giant leap toward Mars,” he said. “To my fellow Americans, you deserve to know your dollars are spent wisely. We will conduct careful oversight to ensure that NASA operates at the highest standards, and we will settle for nothing less than efficiency, productivity, and results.”

Grift shift

A tense exchange over name-calling nearly got Rep. Maxwell Frost ejected from a House Oversight hearing. Committee Chair James Comey threatened to have the Sergeant-at-Arms forcibly remove Frost from the chamber after Frost called Trump the nation’s “Grifter in Chief” and said the President and Department of Government Efficiency head Musk are using their positions to enrich themselves.

Other Republican members called for the remark to be stricken from the record. “Would you like to revise your remark as to improperly identifying the President of the United States?” Comer asked.

Frost changed his language to refer to Trump as “engaged in grifting” and said he felt no need to go further after watching Comer call Biden “corrupt for two years.” He eventually left the committee voluntarily after Comey hinted at his forced removal. While Comer struck the comment from the record, Frost issued a statement that didn’t shy from even more colorful language.

“Donald Trump is a grifter; he lied to the American people to get back inside the White House. And Elon Trump is his puppeteer. They are openly using their public offices to enrich themselves and their already-rich friends,” Frost said.

“James Comer can hide behind the Sergeant in Arms and have me removed and arrest me if he wants to. But that’s not going to stop me from calling out Donald Trump and his bullshit.”

Epstein irritation

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is furious that a congressional task force she heads hasn’t received information being released on Jeffrey Epstein.

Attorney General Pam Bondi promised to release significant information about the dead sex trafficker. But Luna, who leads the recently formed Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, feels that panel should have looked at more records by now.

“I nor the task force were given or reviewed the Epstein documents being released today,” Luna posted on X. “A NY Post story just revealed that the documents will simply be Epstein’s phone book. THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR. GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR instead of leaking old info to press.”

She referenced a report by New York Post reporter Steven Nelson that said Epstein’s personal address book, a 100-page document, would be published without context. The newspaper had a heads-up that the list would include Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Prince Andrew of Britain. But importantly, it isn’t a “client list;” it is just contacts for known associates of Epstein.

The same information was distributed to a series of conservative influencers later in the day, but the lack of new revelations led to far-right backlash. For her part, Bondi blamed a New York FBI office for sitting on further records not provided for review and redaction.

Speculation swirled for years about what influential figures may have engaged in criminal activity associated with Epstein, a tech billionaire who died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking minors in Florida and New York. While authorities ruled his death a suicide by hanging, Epstein’s network of business and political connections has fueled speculation about his death for years.

That’s part of why Luna’s task force listed scrutinizing the “Epstein client list” among tasks including the investigation of the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the lead-up to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks among its priorities.

Taxing authority

This week, Rep. Vern Buchanan was elevated to the position of one of Congress’ senior tax writers. The Longboat Key Republican was named to the Joint Committee on Taxation.

“I’m honored to join this respected panel, which has a large and experienced staff of economists, analysts and accountants who provide guidance to Congress on tax legislation,” Buchanan said. “I look forward to working with members of the Joint Committee as Congress prepares to write historic legislation to cut taxes for millions of Americans.”

The nonpartisan, bicameral committee comprises some of the most senior members of the House Ways and Means Committee, of which Buchanan is the longest-serving Republican and the Senate Finance Committee. Created in 1926, the committee prepares official revenue estimates of all tax legislation considered by Congress and drafts legislative histories for tax-related bills.

Parkland policymaking

The Democrat who shepherded a school safety and gun control bill to passage in Florida’s Republican Legislature still hopes Congress will adopt more provisions of the Parkland law at the national level.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz filed two bipartisan bills this week, the Alyssa’s Legacy Youth in Schools Safety Alert (ALYSSA) Act and the Strengthening Our Schools (SOS) Act, which he hopes will find support on both sides of the aisle. The ALYSSA Act, named for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High shooting victim Alyssa Alhadeff, would require silent panic alarms in schools to alert law enforcement of an active shooter situation. The SOS Act would increase investments in School Resource Officers nationwide.

“Congress has to use every tool we can to ensure schools have the resources to respond to emergency situations and the ALYSSA Act and SOS Act I filed with Congressman (Josh) Gottheimer are common sense solutions to build those out,” said Moskowitz, a Parkland Democrat. “By improving emergency notification systems and the availability of first responders at Florida schools, Congress can take necessary action with this bill to help protect our students, teachers, and families.”

Broward County School Board member Lori Alhadeff, mother to Alyssa, came out in favor of the legislation.

“I strongly encourage swift action to pass the ALYSSA Act nationally so that every school can have a panic button as a standard level of safety protection,” said Alhadeff, President of Make Our Schools Safe. “Our children deserve immediate access to emergency response — there is no time to wait when lives are on the line.”

TPS legacy

Rep. Frederica Wilson led a letter questioning Homeland Security Kristi Noem over her decision to vacate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) early for Haitian refugees.

“Your recent notice contradicts the determination made by former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, yet we see no compelling evidence that justifies this abrupt change,” the Miami-Dade Democrat wrote in a letter to Trump and Noem.

“Returning individuals to Haiti, where their safety and well-being are at serious risk, is not only unjust but also goes against our moral obligation to protect those in need. As champions of equality and human rights, we are compelled to oppose this decision, which jeopardizes the well-being of Haitian nationals and sets a concerning precedent for U.S. humanitarian policy. When Haitians are supported and unified, they possess profound potential for recovery and growth. We remain highly concerned about your administration’s hostile tone concerning TPS, where a DHS spokesperson claimed that the TPS system has been abused and exploited for decades. First, TPS is not being abused or exploited by foreign nationals, and the claims as such are cruel and uncouth.”

Wilson notes that the TPS system originated under Republican President George H.W. Bush in 1990. The letter states that the tool is vital for demonstrating U.S. humanitarian values.

“We urge you to rescind this decision, reaffirm TPS for Haitian Nationals and engage with Congress, humanitarian organizations, and the Haitian diaspora to address the urgent situation in Haiti,” the letter reads. “Our values as a nation dictate that we extend compassion and support to our neighbors facing adversity.”

Venezuela sanctions

A decision by Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to restore sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government drew mixed reviews from Florida lawmakers.

“Pursuant to POTUS directive, I am providing foreign policy guidance to terminate all Biden-era oil and gas licenses that have shamefully bankrolled the illegitimate Maduro regime,” Rubio posted.

Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez and María Elvira Salazar, all South Florida Republicans, held a news conference to announce the move. The three lawmakers also released a joint statement cheering “promises made, promises kept.”

“Within his first 100 days, President Trump has made clear that American Prosperity and National Security must come first,” the statement reads.

“Since day one, his foreign policy has prioritized national security in the Western Hemisphere by focusing on mutual priorities that will bolster stability, security, and prosperity both at home in and in our region. For example, he restored a tough U.S. policy on Cuba by placing the regime back where it belongs — on the State Sponsor of Terrorism list. He also reinstated the Cuba Restricted List to prohibit financial transactions with the Cuban military, and once again allowed those whose property was confiscated by the Castro regime to sue those who profit from their stolen property.”

But to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Weston Democrat, the move seemed hollow. Trump only returned sanctions when Maduro refused to accept deported aliens back into his country, and Wasserman Schultz said even trying to negotiate with the regime was a betrayal.

“In his first one hundred days, President Trump renewed Chevron’s license before he revoked it. He did so quietly earlier this month in exchange for Maduro’s cooperation in the mass expulsion of law-abiding Venezuelans from the U.S. while revoking Temporary Protected Status and parole,” she said.

“My support for defunding the Maduro regime’s crimes against humanity and promoting democracy in Venezuela has been clear, regardless of who is in the White House. And while I welcome President Trump’s change of heart, his decision to revoke this license was his anger that Maduro wasn’t taking deported Venezuelans fast enough, rather than how fast we can restore Venezuela’s freedom. Trump does not care how many Venezuelans have been tortured, killed or jailed by Maduro. He is solely focused on how many he can deport. And he is clearly willing to dispense with democracy, human rights, and our international interests to achieve that goal.”

On this day

Feb. 28, 1961 — “John Kennedy names Henry Kissinger as special adviser” via Famous Daily — The man who shaped foreign policy for at least three presidential administrations got his start with a young Kennedy. Kissinger graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from Harvard, returned there to complete his doctoral and stayed on as a member of the faculty. He had already made a name for himself when his former dean brought him in to advise President Kennedy on foreign policy. Kennedy appointed Kissinger as a consultant for foreign affairs. Despite spending only several days a week in the White House and being kept at bay by his dean-turned-boss, Kissinger earned vast influence over the President’s policies.

Feb. 28, 1993 — “The Branch Davidian siege begins” via Waco History — Vernon Howell, who changed his name to David Koresh in 1990, assumed leadership of the Branch Davidians and increasingly incorporated radical ideas into his messages. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms obtained search and arrest warrants for Koresh on weapons charges, noting the many firearms the group accumulated. The ATF originally planned a raid for March 1, but the bureau changed the date in response to the Waco Tribune-Herald’s series, which alleged Koresh physically abused children at Mount Carmel. Any advantage of surprise was lost when a KWTX-TV reporter, tipped off about the raid, asked a mail carrier for directions, who was actually Koresh’s brother-in-law.

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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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