Politics
Delegation for 10.13.26: After Isaias — drilling divide — rail revival — sulfur squeeze — foreign friends
After the rain
Hurricane Isaias is no more, but the storm’s damage, which peaked as a Category 3 before making landfall as a Cat 2, remains in Florida’s Panhandle.
Sen. Rick Scott surveyed much of the damage on a tour of Destin on Sunday, where he also received a briefing from the Okaloosa County Emergency Operations Center. The Naples Republican said he has already communicated the community’s needs to President Donald Trump.
“With every hurricane, we learn more about how to prepare, respond, and recover. Floridians clearly took Hurricane Isaias seriously, and now that we have survived the storm, we will come together to rebuild and recover,” Scott said.
“My role as your U.S. Senator is to ensure all the federal resources are available, and I talked to President Trump about that earlier this week. I’m grateful that he quickly approved a federal emergency declaration for our state.”
Scott also said he spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to ensure the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) does everything it can to help every impacted Florida family fully recover.
“Floridians are strong, and I will keep working with local, state, and federal partners to make sure our state has everything we need to get Panhandle communities back on their feet,” Scott said.
Sen. Ashley Moody, meanwhile, attended a press briefing with Gov. Ron DeSantis at a Milton Waffle House and at Grayton Beach State Park.
“Isaias was a major hurricane, and it will take time to rebuild what was destroyed. Floridians are resilient, and I am committed to working alongside Gov. DeSantis to make sure communities that suffered damage have the resources needed to recover,” Moody said. “Every level of government was prepared for Isaias, and now every level of government is fully engaged in supporting recovery.”
Her office also announced Trump approved a federal emergency declaration before Isaias made landfall and committed to securing funding from FEMA.
That declaration authorizes FEMA to coordinate federal disaster relief efforts to alleviate hardship caused by the hurricane in the impacted area. Trump’s declaration covers Baker, Bay, Calhoun, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Walton, Wakulla and Washington counties in Florida.
Similar declarations were also approved in impacted parts of Georgia and Alabama.
Rep. Jimmy Patronis represents the region of the state that took the hardest hit from Isaias and said he is working to connect individuals impacted with state and federal resources. “I’m back in Santa Rosa County today, seeing firsthand the damage Hurricane Isaias has left behind. I know there’s a long road to recovery, but I’m not going anywhere,” the Fort Walton Beach Republican posted.
He also told Florida Politics that members of the delegation, led by Rep. Byron Donalds, are putting together a collective request to the administration to increase the percentage of individual and government reimbursement that the federal government may cover.
“We’re going to work the administration, try to make sure that we get our recovery. I’m a big proponent of this,” he said. “Florida’s a donor state. We give more money to the federal government than we receive back through taxes, and so this is one of the ways we ensure, in our time of need, those dollars we invest in the federal government come back to repatriate and get our communities back up on their feet.”
Sports calls
Before leaving Washington, Scott spoke briefly with Florida Politics about another topic that could come to the House after the Midterm Session. The Senate passed a college sports bill, but without Scott’s support.
In fact, the Naples Republican was one of just two Republicans among the 22 Senators who voted against the package backed by Senate leadership, though Scott declined to criticize Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s handling of the bill. Asked whether the House can amend the bill in a way that would earn his support, Scott said he will watch closely.
“I don’t think we ought to be spending money. We have $40 trillion of debt — that’s probably enough,” he said.
Moody successfully passed an amendment raising the number of conference teams allowed under the bill, but Scott said the number wasn’t his chief concern; the strings attached to anyone leaving their existing conference were.
“I think that we shouldn’t be kicking sports teams and make them be independent for five years if they want to change a conference,” he said. “That doesn’t seem to make sense for sports teams in my state that might want to change conferences.”
But he said the greatest concern for most he has spoken to remains how athletes shift from school to school, like pro team trades. “Let’s focus on the transfer portal, the stuff that really is a problem,” he said.
Farm support
On National Farmers Day, Moody voiced her support for the Sunshine State’s agriculture industry and discussed how she has stayed involved in the field.
“Farming isn’t easy. Earlier this year, I visited Ever After Farms after the historic hard freezes damaged their citrus crop,” the Plant City Republican said.
“Farmers face everything from unpredictable weather to pests and changing markets. But Florida’s farmers keep planting, growing and providing for our families. On National Farmers Day, I’m grateful for the hard-working men and women who work the land, take the risks and keep feeding Florida and America.”
Shore line
The prospect of offshore drilling off the Florida coast has led Patronis to make a rare move to counter a Trump administration proposal.
The Fort Walton Beach Republican just introduced a House companion bill to legislation filed by Florida’s Senators to preserve the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range from plans to lease Gulf areas to energy companies.
“This bill is intended to protect the military test range for our military readiness,” Patronis said. “It should go without saying that while the Panhandle is facing a major hurricane, Hurricane Isaias, and the economy is tethered to tourism, this region needs to be protected from future oil and gas explorations.”
That’s especially notable because, according to Capitol Lens ratings, Patronis has voted with Trump 100% of the time.
His Protecting Florida’s Offshore Military Readiness Act would leave existing leases in place but prevent a proposal to open more U.S. waters to drilling. That comes as military leaders raise concerns about drilling’s impact on regional operations.
Whistle-stop tour
In August, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced a $57.5 million grant to make a major station in Cocoa a reality. Administration officials joined Rep. Mike Haridopolos for an event last week to explain what the project could mean for the community.
At the site of the planned Cocoa Multimodal Station, the Congressman appeared with FRA Administrator David Fink and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue to discuss the overall vision.
“Here on the Space Coast, we continue to build for the future,” Haridopolos said. “This new station will make it easier for people to travel to and from the Space Coast while supporting our growing community. It is expected to have up to a $350 million annual economic impact and support 3,500 jobs, bringing even more opportunity to our region.”
Fink contrasted the fast-tracked grant approval with former Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. He praised current Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
“While the Biden-Buttigieg administration allowed critical resources to get bogged down in bureaucratic red tape, the Trump administration is acting decisively to get critical infrastructure projects underway,” Fink said. “By reallocating taxpayer dollars away from California’s wasteful high-speed rail boondoggle at the Speed of Trump, Secretary Duffy is building a new Golden Age of Rail that will make Florida’s rail corridors safe, modern, and more efficient.”
HUD funds
Another administration leader is joining Rep. Anna Paulina Luna for an event Tuesday.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner will appear in Palm Harbor for a homeownership discussion, hosted by D.R. Horton on one of its Pinellas County properties. Turner, for his part, recently has promoted changes to Federal Housing Administration-backed loans aimed at reserving them for U.S. citizens.
“President Trump promised to put Americans first, and HUD delivered,” Turner said last week. “We are preventing illegals and non-residents from accessing taxpayer-backed programs at the expense of American homebuyers. Today, that share is zero. Make no mistake — exploit our citizens, and HUD will act.”
Luna has also commented on a recent hurricane recovery correction that could benefit the District. HUD officials say an additional $173 million is due to Pinellas County and St. Petersburg related to Hurricane Milton, as reported by the St. Pete Catalyst.
“Happy to help with this correction on behalf of FL-13,” Luna posted on money returning to Florida’s 13th Congressional District.
Act ASAP
The Republican co-chair of Florida’s congressional delegation is making a bipartisan case for early Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.
Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Longboat Key Republican, penned an op-ed in The Hill with Democratic Rep. Paul Tonko of New York that calls better screening a “rare healthcare issue that both parties agree on.”
“Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t care about politics. It affects families in every state, Congressional District and neighborhood across America,” the opinion piece reads. “Over 7 million of us currently live with Alzheimer’s — more than 1 million in our two states alone — a number that is expected to nearly double in the decades ahead. Changing the trajectory of Alzheimer’s in America isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.”
To that end, the lawmakers together championed the Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act (HR 6130), which advanced in September out of the House Ways and Means Committee by 40 vo. Buchanan serves as Vice Chair of the powerful Committee and chairs its Health Subcommittee.
The bill would call for Health and Human Services to expand coverage for approved blood-based biomarker tests to detect Alzheimer’s and other dementias early. Buchanan would like to see the measure passed this Congress. He retires at the end of this term.
“Two hundred twenty-four of our House colleagues have co-sponsored our bill, a sign of momentum we should not squander,” the op-ed notes. “The time for waiting is over. We must act ASAP.”
Seeking sulfur solutions
A severe sulfur shortage has increased fertilizer costs and created another challenge for Florida farmers. Rep. Scott Franklin, a Lakeland Republican, sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick calling for immediate intervention.
“American fertilizer producers are cutting production now due to the high cost of sulfur needed to convert phosphate rock into fertilizer. Farmers and workers cannot afford more delays,” Franklin said.
“This crisis reaches beyond the plant gates to the machine shops, contractors, truckers and small businesses that support Florida’s phosphate industry. Reviewing the problem is not enough. The administration must secure additional sulfur supplies, remove federal barriers driving up costs and protect the domestic production we already have. Food security is national security.”
He wants the administration to provide an action plan that includes working with domestic suppliers and with Canada, a notable ask as Trump remains in tense tariff negotiations with the neighbor to the north.
Franklin also wants Commerce and Agriculture to resolve transportation, storage, and handling constraints and remove federal barriers that increase costs or limit availability. He said the departments can accelerate eligible projects that expand sulfur recovery and logistics capacity or restore curtailed fertilizer production.
The Congressman also wants the administration to explore using the Defense Production Act and other emergency authorities and, if necessary, identify needed appropriations that require congressional authorization.
“Florida’s phosphate industry depends on sulfuric acid to manufacture fertilizer, with no readily available substitute in the production process,” Franklin wrote. “When sulfur supplies become unavailable or prohibitively expensive, plants reduce or shut down. That puts American jobs at risk, reduces fertilizer availability and adds pressure on farmers already struggling with high costs and weak margins. The consequences extend beyond fertilizer plants.”
Foreign aid
Rep. María Elvira Salazar’s work with Latin American leaders has prompted political support as she seeks re-election. Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella appeared in a support video this week, posted by the Coral Springs Republican, who is running in a battleground District against Democrat Eliott Rodriguez.
“Colombia’s best friend in the United States Congress is María Elvira Salazar,” Espriella said in Spanish. “She has always been there and has always defended Colombia. That is why I stand with my friend María Elvira Salazar, because she has always stood with Colombia, steadfast for the nation.”
Salazar, who represents immigrant-rich Miami-Dade County, welcomed de la Espriella’s support on X.
“I know how much he loves Colombia. I know his convictions and the determination with which he works to restore security, prosperity, and opportunities to his country. Representing thousands of Colombians in South Florida has made Colombia a cause I carry with me every day to Congress. I have stood with Colombia in difficult times. I have defended its democracy and its relationship with the United States when it mattered most.”
The Colombian leader’s support follows an endorsement from María Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader.
“When others have doubted, you have remained firm in your position. When others have been silent, you have raised your voice,” Machado said. “And it is precisely that loyalty — something that we Venezuelans will always remember.”
Whether overseas support translates into domestic votes will become clear in the Midterms in a few weeks’ time.
Bulgaria bound?
Former state Rep. Doug Holder appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a confirmation hearing after his nomination as U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria. He said his work as a lobbyist and his eight-year stint in the Florida House, representing Sarasota County, would inform him of his work abroad.
He called Bulgaria a valuable NATO partner with a critical defensive position on the Black Sea.
“If confirmed, I will also focus on economic diplomacy. The United States and Bulgaria enjoy a strong economic relationship, but we can improve commercial ties, especially in the energy sector, AI, and critical minerals,” Holder told Senators. “I will promote American exports and encourage Bulgarian investment in the United States, which will create jobs and opportunities for American workers.”
On this day
Oct. 13, 1792 — “White House cornerstone laid” via History.com — A construction team composed of enslaved and freed African Americans and European immigrants laid the cornerstone for a presidential residence in the newly designated capital city of Washington, D.C. Work began on the neoclassical White House building at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Irish American architect James Hoban oversaw the design, and President George Washington chose the site. The city of Washington was created to replace Philadelphia as the nation’s capital because of its central location in the new republic.
Oct. 13, 1775 — “The birth of the Continental Navy” via USA Military Medals — During the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. The colonies faced the might of the British Royal Navy — the most powerful maritime force on the planet — with virtually no defense. General Washington had already begun acquiring ships to interdict British supply lines, but Congress had no unified authority to back a naval force. Congress voted to fit out two sailing vessels armed with 10 carriage guns and swivels, staffed by crews of 80. Their mission was specific: to intercept British transport ships carrying munitions and stores to the British army in America.
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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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