Politics
Delegation for 10.2.26: Empty chambers — Rogue AI — beds for vets — bigger fish — Flock around
Empty chambers
Congress has wrapped up business in Washington ahead of the Midterms.
In its Wednesday Session, the Senate dispensed with a handful of final orders of business, with the last major roll call vote confirming Labor Secretary (and Florida lawyer) Keith Sonderling to his Cabinet post.
Sens. Ashley Moody and Rick Scott both joined in a majority on that 47-41 vote. But the Senate also punted on other issues in the waning hours before an October recess. Both joined a 57-43 vote to cloture the Ratepayer Protection Act, which fell three votes short of the 60 needed to advance. Moody had co-sponsored the Senate version of that bill.
The measure, which passed the House 417-3 on Sept. 16, would require states to consider standards aimed at ensuring AI data centers cover the incremental costs of new utility infrastructure needed to serve them. Notably, Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, had helped lead a bipartisan effort to get that through the lower chamber, but Senate Democrats argued it was too weak because it required states to consider such protections rather than mandate them. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the bill “feeble” and “toothless.”
Another bill downed in a party-line vote? No Senate Democrats voted to invoke cloture on a stock trading ban, one all Republicans supported. Moody noted the party breakdowns.
“Democrats had the opportunity to join us in restoring some faith in our government by banning members of Congress from trading stocks and protecting families from paying the costs for massive data centers, and they said NO,” the Plant City Republican said. “Instead of working to benefit the American people, Democrats chose to play politics to solicit praise from the most radical element of their base.”
But after the Sonderling vote, the Senate approved several ambassadorships by unanimous consent, and Democrats agreed to limit debate so lawmakers from both parties could head home early. That allowed Moody to campaign alongside Vice President JD Vance in Lakeland on Thursday.
The House, of course, has been back at home in full campaign mode for weeks. Speaker Mike Johnson canceled weeks of legislative workdays and abruptly adjourned business on Sept. 16, leaving certain work undone, including hearing a privileged impeachment resolution on War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
But that, along with other bills that didn’t reach cloture, can still come up again before a new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3.
After the Nov. 3 Midterms, both chambers expect to return to Washington on Nov. 9 for a lame-duck Session. Based on current polling, it may be the last time Republicans control both chambers of Congress during President Donald Trump’s term, so there may be a race to send GOP priorities to the Oval Office quickly. If Republicans can maintain control of either or both chambers, the Session could set the tone for the next Congress. Either way, leaders will need to hold leadership discussions for the coming legislative term.
For some lawmakers, the upcoming Session will mark their last opportunity to tackle priorities for their districts. Five members of Florida’s congressional delegation have already announced they will retire at the end of this Congress, and a sixth was defeated in a Primary. Voters will decide if any other sitting lawmakers will spend mid-November and December gearing up for a new year or finishing any business left undone.
Stock market invasion?
Scott doesn’t want U.S. stock exchanges used to build up China’s military capacity. The Naples Republican filed two bills this week that would direct the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to identify and stop any defense companies tied to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from trading on American markets.
“Communist China’s military companies want to use U.S. markets and exchanges to fund the CCP’s efforts to attack our way of life using dollars from American investors. We can’t let that happen,” Scott said. “Communist China has chosen to be our enemy, and it’s time for Congress to act by passing these bills to protect Americans from funding an adversary which wishes to destroy us.”
The Know Your Sanctioned Securities Act would require the War Department to label any securities identified as Chinese military companies, and it would create accompanying rules for the SEC to remove the modifier if an entity gets delisted.
Meanwhile, the Protecting U.S. Investors from Chinese Military Companies Act would require the SEC to suspend trading in Chinese military companies that remain on the list across two consecutive annual revisions. The bill would allow the SEC to notify Congress if a company doesn’t belong on the list. It would also limit the agency to issuing regulations strictly necessary to implement suspensions and notifications and bar it from setting list criteria, expanding trading prohibitions beyond the statute, or regulating unrelated entities and transactions.
Financial watchdogs like the American Securities Association (ASA) already endorsed the legislation.
“When the Pentagon designates a company as a Chinese military company, that company has no business raising capital from American working families, savers, and retirees,” said Chris Iacovella, ASA President and CEO. “These CCP-controlled firms have traded freely on U.S. exchanges for years despite those designations — that’s not a procedural gap; it’s a strategic failure that Sen. Scott’s bills fix.”
Rogue AI
Both Florida Senators had a seat at the table as a Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee held a hearing entitled “Rogue AI: Securing America against artificial intelligence agents.”
Lawmakers examined increasingly capable artificial intelligence agents that can autonomously launch cyberattacks. Senators wrestled with how to guard against those threats without hamstringing U.S. development.
Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri chaired the hearing and pointed to a string of recent instances in which AI agents hacked corporations and governments.
“It’s time to talk about that, and it’s time to talk about what we’re going to do to hold the companies, the product makers, accountable,” Hawley said.
Scott, however, said the greatest risk is letting China outpace the U.S. in AI development.
“The Chinese Communist Party wants to destroy our way of life,” Scott said during the hearing, before adding that “we’ve got to continue to be competitive with AI.”
Scott’s fellow Florida Republican, Moody, focused her questioning on AI-enabled fraud, risks to children and whether companies should face stronger requirements to share information and report incidents.
“AI-generated deepfakes are being used against kids to bully them and in some cases extort them into harming themselves,” Moody said.
Expanding GI benefits
For decades, the GI Bill has helped U.S. military members pay for higher education and cover training expenses. Now, Rep. Jimmy Patronis wants to let service members use benefits to support their families.
The Fort Walton Beach Republican just introduced the GI Bill Transferability Act. That’s a companion bill to one Scott filed in the Senate earlier this year.
The legislation, which updates the Post-9/11 GI Bill, would remove a four-year service requirement to transfer GI Bill benefits to a spouse or child, and would allow active-duty troops or veterans to transfer benefits at any time, including after leaving the military. Children born after a member finishes service would also be eligible for benefits.
“Our military families have sacrificed enough. If a service member earns the GI Bill, they should have the freedom to use it for their family,” Patronis said. “Right now, Washington makes service members jump through hoops and commit to four more years just to transfer it. That’s not right. We should be making life easier for the men and women who put on the uniform, not putting more roadblocks in their way. This bill is about keeping our promise to them and putting military families first.”
Scott said the changes are appropriate improvements, especially considering sacrifices made by entire families when one member serves. His bill would allow benefits to be transferred at any time after a six-year service obligation.
“Our veterans and service members deserve the freedom to use their education benefits in ways that work for their families,” Scott said. “My GI Bill Transferability Act gives military families more flexibility to use their benefits to meet their unique educational needs. I thank my friend, Congressman Jimmy Patronis, for leading this bill in the House. Our nation’s heroes earned these benefits; they shouldn’t face unnecessary hurdles in using them. Let’s get this done.”
Beds for vets
Meanwhile, Rep. Kat Cammack has been working to ensure veterans don’t have to sleep in the streets.
The Gainesville Republican has been working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to secure a new contract for Volunteers of America. As of this month, the Contract Emergency Residential Services (CERS) program will keep 102 beds available throughout North Florida for homeless veterans. That includes 36 beds at the Ritz Veterans Village in Ocala and 18 beds in Gainesville. Without the contract, funding would have expired on Sept. 30.
“No veteran who wore this country’s uniform should have to wonder where they’ll sleep next month. The moment we heard these men were at risk, our team went to work, and we didn’t let up until this was done,” Cammack said. “They deserve a roof over their heads and a system that has their back. I’m grateful to the VA for working with us and to Volunteers of America for the work they do every day.”
Volunteers of America said Cammack’s intervention made sure there was no break in service.
“The office of Congresswoman Kat Cammack was critical for the success of obtaining alternative new funding,” said Janet Stringfellow, President and CEO of Volunteers of America of Florida. “Thanks to her strong advocacy and commitment to serve our homeless veterans, we are now able to offer our veterans a safe place to rest and heal.”
Bigger fish
A Trump executive order streamlines saltwater fishing regulations to bolster the fishing industry. Among other changes, the administrative action calls for using state data to estimate fish populations. It also presses agencies to transition to multiyear licenses for compliant fishing charter operators.
Rep. John Rutherford, a Jacksonville Republican and co-Chair of the South Atlantic Red Snapper Task Force, welcomed the decisions. Many of the changes are policy shifts he has pursued through legislation for years.
“It’s critical we improve data collection to better manage our fisheries and extend recreational fishing seasons for the anglers and coastal businesses that rely on these seasons,” Rutherford said.
“This EO directs federal agencies to improve recreational fisheries data, strengthen state-federal partnerships, expand access for recreational anglers, and modernize the way America’s fisheries are managed. I have long encouraged the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to address the real concerns surrounding the accuracy of federal recreational fishing estimates, particularly in the South Atlantic red snapper fishery.”
The order came as the administration announced that the federal red snapper season this year will last three days, but the season on Florida’s Atlantic Coast will last for 14 days, from Oct. 9 to 22 under exempted fishing permits.
Rutherford hopes shifts in data collection will create more opportunities for anglers.
“Every year, I hear from anglers that the red snapper are so abundant it is all they can catch. Yet, each year, they only receive a couple of dayslong federal season,” Rutherford said.
“Our anglers and coastal businesses should not have to pay the price for uncertainty in our broken federal data collection system. President Trump’s EO directly addresses these concerns by directing NOAA to establish a threshold for unreliable federal estimates and consider replacing them with more precise state-collected data.”
On the rise
This year’s Time 100 Next list drew plenty of attention to political leaders in the Sunshine State. The annual ranking identifies “the world’s most influential rising stars” in fields from politics to entertainment.
That included the youngest sitting member of Congress, Rep. Maxwell Frost. The Orlando Democrat appeared on the list, highlighting the 29-year-old’s rising prominence in the House. Notably, Frost already won re-election without opposition.
“Now in his second term, the 29-year-old Democrat, whose Orlando District is home to the Universal Studios theme park, has made waves by leading on messaging like his stunt call to remove the Statue of Liberty in response to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies,” Time senior correspondent Philip Elliott wrote. “He has also impressed colleagues with more substantive efforts to cap EpiPen prices, ditch junk fees, and create a White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.”
Meanwhile, the list also lauded James Blair, a longtime Florida consultant who served as Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff at the start of his second term. More recently, Blair has headed up Trump World’s Midterm strategy.
“Blair entered Trump’s inner circle during the 2024 campaign. He soon became one of the campaign’s savviest tacticians, targeting low- and mid-propensity voters and steering Trump away from a national abortion ban. Trump has nicknamed him Brilliant James,” wrote Time senior correspondent Eric Cortellessa.
“Now Blair faces his toughest assignment yet: preserving the Republican congressional majorities that have enabled Trump to govern with few constraints. Whatever happens in November, he’s already proved himself a hard-charging operative — and one of the GOP’s rising power players.”
Consumer protections
Advances in technology shouldn’t just bring new ways to shaft consumers, according to Castor. She just introduced legislation to give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tools to protect buyers from harmful or unfair business practices.
The 21st Century FTC Act would bolster the enforcement powers and independence of the agency dedicated to consumer protection. Changes include granting the power to seek civil penalties from first-time offenders of the FTC Act and enabling faster rulemaking when new, harmful business practices hurt consumers. The bill was crafted to work alongside the FTC Autonomy Act, which Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois filed at the same time.
“The current economic pain being inflicted on hard-working Americans shouldn’t be exacerbated by fraudsters and corporate wrongdoers. It’s imperative that corporations be held accountable when they take advantage of consumers,” Castor said. “The FTC is key to accountability, and the 21st Century FTC and FTC Autonomy Acts will strengthen the ability to act and restore civil penalties for first-time offenses. I’m committed to restoring the FTC’s autonomy and authority, and I urge Congress to pass this important legislation.”
The FTC Autonomy Act would allow FTC lawyers to bring cases seeking civil penalties against businesses without collaborating with the Justice Department.
“I’m glad to be in this fight with Congresswoman Castor to make sure the FTC has the authority and independence it needs to protect consumers,” Schakowsky said. “We need an FTC that can keep pace with the modern economy, not one held back by outdated rules and unnecessary barriers.”
Flock around, find out
Amid growing alarm about Flock cameras, Rep. Greg Steube started pushing Congress to restrict the spread of warrantless surveillance.
“The Fourth Amendment is not optional,” the Sarasota Republican said.
Steube introduced the Facilitating Liberty and Accountability for Flock Observations (FLAFO) Act, which would prohibit using networked automated license plate reader (ALPR) surveillance systems without a judicial warrant. The bill would also restrict federal funding to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies for using this technology.
The legislation hit amid growing angst about networked cameras that can surveil whole communities. About 80% of such cameras in use in the U.S. were made by Flock Safety and connected to the same network, according to Steube’s Office, but the bill covers the technology regardless of manufacturer. It also includes limited exceptions for threats to life, safety, and national security.
“Americans should not be tracked everywhere they drive without a warrant,” Steube said. “Flock Safety’s surveillance network is expansive, and we have seen several instances across the country where this technology is too easily abused. The FLAFO Act limits warrantless surveillance by ALPR systems because the government has no business tracking law-abiding Americans.”
Several local communities have backed away from using the technology. Days after Steube filed his bill, The Washington Post reported that St. Lucie County officials, while taking down the county’s network of cameras, discovered a local network with 14 Flock-connected cameras in the field that the county had never permitted. Of those, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office claimed ownership of three, but it remains a mystery who set up the remaining 11.
Megabase brakes
Hegseth this week announced plans for a massive, self-sustaining military base housing 15,000 to 25,000 service members at a single, still-undetermined site. At Marine Corps Base Quantico, Hegseth said the plan was part of a push to improve living conditions for troops.
But Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said the administration can’t count on Congress signing off on that expense. She said if the Pentagon wants better living conditions for troops, it can start by improving conditions at more than 400 installations already in operation.
“There is overwhelming data that America’s existing bases need immense repair and foundational investments, and this mega-boondoggle would do nothing to improve readiness or address the myriad needs our service members and their families face on their current posts,” the Broward County Democrat said.
Wasserman Schultz serves as Ranking Democrat of the House Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, and is positioned to take the gavel if Democrats win a House majority in November.
“Like all costly, erratic vanity projects Donald Trump wastes America’s scarce taxpayer dollars on, this latest fiscal folly would be DOA in Congress,” Wasserman Schultz said. “I’ll continue to work with Republican colleagues to address real, current base needs, just as I’ll interrogate any effort by this corrupt, lawless administration to bypass our laws and Constitution to pursue proposals like this, which would actually erode current service members’ quality of life.”
On this day
Oct. 2, 1967 — “Lyndon Johnson sees Thurgood Marshall take Supreme Court seat” via The New York Times — President Johnson paid an unannounced visit to the Supreme Court to witness the swearing-in of Marshall, who became the first Negro to sit on the high court. Johnson took his seat in the “family section” near the bench, shortly before the Justices took their seats for the opening of the new term. The President left immediately after the five-minute ceremony. He did not attempt to congratulate Justice Marshall, who remained on the bench with the other Justices for almost an hour, as 223 lawyers were admitted to practice before the Court.
Oct. 2, 1919 — “Woodrow Wilson suffers a stroke” via History.com — President Wilson had cut short a tour of the country to promote the formation of the League of Nations. The tour’s intense schedule — 8,000 miles in 22 days — cost Wilson his health. He suffered constant headaches during the tour, finally collapsing from exhaustion in Pueblo, Colorado, in late September. He managed to return to Washington, only to suffer a near-fatal stroke. Wilson’s wife Edith blamed Republican opponents in Congress for her husband’s stroke, as their vehement opposition to the League of Nations often took the form of character assassination. She kept the true extent of Wilson’s incapacitation from the press and his opponents.
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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 Fabrizio Gowdy.
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