Politics
Delegation for 8.25.26: Vaccine showdown — subtle shots — trade schools — drag attack — foreign influencers
Shots fired
As Florida becomes central to a vaccination policy debate, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy will appear today in Clearwater. He will share a stage with Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Pinellas Republican.
“The discussion will bring together federal and state health representatives for a discussion focused on pursuing nutrient-dense and chemical-free nutrition pathways and farming programs,” Luna’s Office announced.
The Clearwater event arrives as Kennedy and Ladapo attempt to reshape the public debate over childhood vaccines, nutrition policy and the role of government in medical guidance. That mission has sparked intense pushback from medical professionals across the nation.
The event includes prominent voices from within the Make America Healthy Again movement, including Calley Means, a healthcare industry critic whose vaccine rhetoric has come under intense scrutiny, and Stephanie Spear, a close Kennedy adviser who served as Press Secretary on his presidential campaign. Kennedy’s senior counselor for policy, Ken Callahan, will also attend.
They will appear at a roundtable with some Florida agriculture leaders, including Life Farms owner Rowland Milam and likely Gateway Organic Farm co-founder Hank Sindlinger. But vaccine schedules, not nutrition, have been driving news around Ladapo and Kennedy.
Earlier this month, Kennedy stood beside President Donald Trump in the White House as the administration announced a revamp of childhood vaccine schedules that separates measles, mumps and rubella into individual shots instead of the widely used MMR vaccine.
This week, Kennedy also questioned how vaccine schedules are determined.
“Do the current categories unintentionally imply that parental permission, individual consent, or meaningful clinical discussion applies only to shared clinical decision-making recommendations?” he wrote in an official inquiry into Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, as reported by BioSpace.
Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Health on Monday published proposed rules to remove vaccines against hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease, chickenpox and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) from Florida’s vaccine guidelines. That removes vaccines that remain recommended for children under Trump’s order.
Ladapo has pushed for roughly a year to eliminate all vaccine requirements in the state. “Every last one is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” Ladapo said at a news conference last September.
The fight has pitted administrations in Florida and Washington against medical experts. The American Medical Association (AMA) has repeatedly urged the public to adhere to vaccine schedules recommended by physicians.
“The MMR vaccine has protected our communities for decades. There is no cure for measles, but vaccination is a safe and effective way to prevent it. Choosing to vaccinate protects not only you and your family, but also babies, people with weakened immune systems, and others who can’t be vaccinated,” said Dr. Toluwalasé Ajayi, AMA Board Chair.
Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics says the Trump administration’s recently recommended changes will leave children less protected from disease. The group stands by its own schedule that includes a combined MMR vaccine. “That schedule is built on decades of research and continuous safety monitoring,” reads a statement from the group.
Both associations were part of a joint statement from 210 groups condemning Trump’s order.
“As measles surges across the United States and as respiratory virus season approaches, families deserve clear guidance from federal health officials that is grounded in science and aimed at protecting children’s health,” the statement reads. “Instead, the White House released an Executive Order that undermines confidence in childhood vaccinations and recommends changes that would leave children less protected and families more confused.”
Not-so-subtle digs
Another weak jobs report in Florida prompted Sen. Rick Scott to take subtle shots at his successor in the Governor’s Mansion while promoting a mentee to take over.
Scott warned that even the hospitality industry has started to suffer.
“Florida should never be down in tourism, and it being down for the second quarter in a row is concerning — it means less jobs and less revenue for Florida families,” the Naples Republican posted.
That seemed like a dig at Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Republican who followed Scott into the Governor’s Mansion in 2018 and has had a hot-and-cold relationship with him since. And lest anyone think Scott’s comments had no connection to the current occupant of the office, he suggested another member of Florida’s congressional delegation could fix things.
“Good thing our next Governor, Byron Donalds, cares deeply about this issue! Make sure to vote for him and encourage your friends and family to do so,” Scott posted.
Rep. Donalds won the Republican nomination for Governor last week and will appear on the November ballot.
“Florida has the best beaches. The best amusement parks. The best fishing. The best views,” Scott said. “We gotta get back on track, and Byron will be the Governor to do that.”
Trade school
Sen. Ashley Moody has her own prescription for improving the economy: trade schools. The Plant City Republican wants to redirect money currently going to Ivy League universities toward vocational education.
Her Technical Reinvestment and Apprenticeship Development through Endowment Sharing (TRADES) Act (S. 4907) would increase what Harvard, Yale and other schools pay on endowment income, then spend that on career and technical education programs nationwide.
“It’s exciting that the TRADES Act is gaining steam — with The Jobs and Careers Coalition, American Dental Hygienists Association, Automotive Service Association and the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association joining the list of major organizations endorsing the measure,” Moody announced. “My bill supports Floridians who want to learn in-demand trades or skills, increasing America’s commitment to training the next generation for meaningful career opportunities.”
Moody initially introduced the bill in June. As of this week, 33 business groups and 20 other organizations have endorsed the bill, as has the Hillsborough County School Board.
“By directing additional resources to career and technical education, S. 4907 would strengthen workforce development opportunities for students while benefiting employers, communities, and Florida’s economy,” reads a statement from the School District in Moody’s home county.
Drag attack!
Legislation filed while Rep. Randy Fine still served in the Florida Legislature received a boost in federal court this month amid a legal challenge. Now, the Atlantic Coast Republican says he’s ready to take his fight against drag shows to the federal level.
The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower-court ruling and allowed enforcement of a statewide ban on venues allowing minors to see adult live performances, which Fine says includes drag shows. The court deemed the legislation a “straightforward regulation of obscenity.”
While the bill never mentions drag performances, Fine, in cheering the ruling, explicitly singled them out.
“I was proud to lead the fight in Florida to stop children from being exposed to perverted drag shows masquerading as family entertainment,” Fine said.
He labeled the ruling “a huge victory for parents and every Floridian who believes children deserve to be protected, not groomed. The court confirmed what we’ve known all along: states have every right to protect kids from these freak shows. I will never stop fighting to defend our children and our values and look forward to bringing this legislation nationwide.”
Industry expansions
Officials cut the ribbon today at Command Post Technologies’ new facility at the Central Florida Research Park. Rep. Mike Haridopolos, a Space Coast Republican, attended the event.
The national security contractor, which has maintained a presence in the University of Central Florida’s business incubation program since 2019, has grown its Central Florida staff to 45 people and expects to add 10 more this year, with as many as 30 jobs coming online in 2027.
Haridopolos signaled the significance of defense industry jobs in Central Florida, saying the job growth creates opportunities for “students, veterans, transitioning service members, and highly skilled cyber and STEM professionals.”
The opening comes the day after Haridopolos attended the Space Coast Symposium & Expo, which also featured NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who spotlighted industry growth on the Atlantic Coast.
Foreign influencers
Two members of Florida’s congressional delegation say it’s time to strengthen disclosure requirements for foreign actors seeking to influence American politics.
Luna, a Pinellas Republican, and Jared Moskowitz, a Parkland Democrat, co-led the Foreign Propaganda Disclosure Act, which would include social media influencers among those required to disclose foreign income under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
“There is a big difference between having an organic opinion and secretly acting on behalf of foreign interests to push propaganda to Americans,” Luna said. “Foreign adversaries have been actively using disinformation and psychological operations to divide America, erode our national security, and undermine U.S. foreign policy. Americans deserve to know when the voices shaping what they see online are working on behalf of foreign interests.”
The lawmakers introduced the legislation along with Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas and Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin.
“Federal law must adapt to an ever-changing digital media landscape, especially as more Americans turn to social media for news consumption and public discourse,” Gonzalez said. “Our bill increases public transparency around paid partnerships between social media influencers and foreign governments to prevent deceptive practices that may hinder audiences from building a fully informed opinion.”
Addressing Alzheimer’s
As Rep. Vern Buchanan nears the end of his 20-year congressional tenure, he hopes to pass a bill to help Florida’s aging population.
His Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act (HR 6130) would allow Medicare to cover blood-based biomarker screening tests for many people at risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The Longboat Key Republican pointed to research showing medical treatments can reduce women’s risk of developing such conditions, which Rachel Conant, senior vice president of public policy at the Alzheimer’s Association, recently discussed on Fox News.
“We really believe we are at an inflection point in Alzheimer’s in the fight against Alzheimer’s and all other dementia; we are calling this our mammogram moment,” Conant said.
“There are now blood tests that can screen and detect Alzheimer’s years before patients experience symptoms, and so we want to make sure that people in all communities get access to these critical tests. We saw when mammograms became available, and Medicare provided access, people were able to get screened. Early detection rates soared, and we saw deaths from breast cancer drop. We want that same access for those with Alzheimer’s disease and those who may develop Alzheimer’s disease.”
Buchanan’s bill would allow Medicare to cover screenings for people most at risk of these conditions. The retiring Congressman serves as Vice Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee. In that role, he said he has gathered 200 cosponsors for the legislation from both sides of the aisle.
Fielding nonprofits
Nonprofits have sometimes been called the independent sector, acting for the public good rather than profit, yet operating without the resources or guardrails of government. Rep. Greg Steube said the organizations also shouldn’t suddenly face punitive taxation.
The Sarasota Republican just introduced the Safeguarding America’s Nonprofits Act, which makes clear that courts cannot view tax-exempt status as federal financial assistance. He filed the bipartisan bill with Rep. Suzan DelBene, a Washington Democrat.
“Nonprofits across the country depend on their tax-exempt status to carry out their work. That status should never be treated as a form of government assistance,” Steube said. “The Safeguarding America’s Nonprofits Act puts a clear, permanent rule in statute, so nonprofits do not have to worry about their tax exemption being reinterpreted as a government handout.”
A broad coalition of nonprofits across the country immediately endorsed the legislation, including the Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics and the American Society of Association Executives.
“Associations are among the most trusted institutions in American life,” said Michelle Mason, president and CEO of the American Society of Association Executives.
“They set the standards that keep products safe and professions credible, train and credential the workforce, and convene the people who solve problems no single company or agency can solve alone. That work depends on their independence. The Safeguarding America’s Nonprofits Act makes clear what has always been true: tax exemption is not federal financial assistance, and it should never become a lever for government control over organizations that accept no federal dollars.”
Labor roundtable
Rep. María Elvira Salazar hosted acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling for a business roundtable at the Rusty Pelican Restaurant in Key Biscayne.
There, Sonderling, a Floridian helping to lead a Cabinet agency, heard praise for the No Tax on Tips legislation signed by Trump, as well as concerns about the challenges of building a stable, legal workforce.
“Miami gathers around its restaurants, from the morning cafecito to the last table of the night. Behind every one of those tables is someone working hard for every tip they earn,” said Salazar, a Coral Gables Republican.
Sonderling touted the bill as well.
“No Tax On Tips means America’s tipped workers keep more of the money they work hard to earn,” he posted on X. “(Trump) delivered a tax cut built for the waiters, bartenders, hotel workers and millions of Americans who earn their living serving others.”
But Salazar also stressed that 23% of all restaurant and food service employees in the nation are undocumented, according to the National Restaurant Association. She said that shows the need for a path to legal residency, such as her Dignity Act.
“Restaurant owners told us directly that they have positions they cannot fill and no reliable legal workforce to fill them. At the same time, experienced workers who have lived here for years remain unable to work legally,” Salazar said.
“The Dignity Act brings those realities together under strict rules. That is why the National Restaurant Association and restaurant owners support it: it replaces uncertainty with a permanent workforce solution that restaurants nationwide can use and trust.”
On this day
Aug. 25, 1945 — “John Birch killed by Chinese communists” via History — Birch, an American missionary to China before the war and a captain in the Army during it, was killed days after the surrender of Japan for no apparent reason. His death would inspire a small but vocal group of conservative anticommunists. After America entered the war, Birch, a Baptist missionary already in China, was made a liaison between American and Chinese forces fighting the Japanese. Commanding an American Special Services team, he was ordered to halt by Chinese communist troops. A scuffle ensued, and according to commanding officer Gustave Krause, Birch argued violently with the communist officer trying to disarm him. The Chinese shot Birch and bayoneted him repeatedly.
Aug. 25, 2005 — “Hurricane Katrina makes landfall in Florida” via the George W. Bush Presidential Library — An estimated 1,833 people died in the hurricane and the flooding that followed. Hurricane Katrina caused approximately $161 billion in damage and is the costliest hurricane on record. The storm made landfall in Florida on Aug. 25 as a Category 1 hurricane, then moved into the Gulf of Mexico, where it intensified to a Category 5 hurricane. When it made landfall in southeast Louisiana on Aug. 29, Hurricane Katrina was classified as a Category 3. The hurricane then tracked east and devastated communities in Alabama and Mississippi.
Happy birthday
Best wishes to Rep. Scott Franklin, who turned 62 on Sunday, Aug. 23.
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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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