Floridians in place

The two Florida political leaders named to Cabinet-level positions in President Donald Trump’s administration are both officially on the job. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pam Bondi have been central to Washington’s biggest news stories since then.

Bondi, a former Florida Attorney General, was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday evening and sworn in the following day.

Bondi immediately launched working groups to scrutinize the “weaponization” of government, including examining the case Special Counsel Jack Smith brought against Trump in federal court over classified documents and his role in the events leading to the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.

In a memo, Bondi wrote that she wanted to scrutinize “improper investigative tactics and unethical prosecutions” as part of an investigation of the 2021 insurrection, according to The New York Times. Trump notably pardoned everyone convicted of crimes in that riot on his first day in office.

Bondi also ordered the end of an investigative effort to combat influence campaigns by China, Russia and other hostile foreign powers and disbanded a task force whose duties included seizing the assets of sanctioned Russian oligarchs, according to The Associated Press.

Meanwhile, freezing all foreign aid delivered through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) prompted protests throughout the week. Rubio, meanwhile, told the press he had become the acting director of USAID and said the funding stop this week is part of a review of the use of all foreign relations resources.

“Again, our goal was to go in and align our foreign aid to the national interest,” Rubio told NBC News. “But if you go to mission after mission and embassy after embassy around the world, you will often find that, in many cases, USAID is involved in programs that run counter to what we’re trying to do in our national strategy.”

Conflicting reports also suggest Rubio was assigned to direct the National Archives, though the result of this personnel shift remains unclear.

Disaster transparency

The Small Business Administration, as a matter of practice, has publicly released monthly reports on Disaster Loan Accounts since 2015. Sen Rick Scott wants to see that codified in federal statute.

The Naples Republican filed the SBA Disaster Transparency Act, which requires regular reporting on loans to businesses in disaster-struck areas.

“The American people have every right to know where their tax dollars are being spent and hold their government accountable,” Scott said. “I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce the SBA Disaster Transparency Act to bring more transparency to the federal government.”

Sen. Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican, led the bill, which had bipartisan co-sponsors, including Republican Sens. Ted Budd of North Carolina, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, and Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California.

All represent states struck in the last year by hurricanes or wildfires.

“When I surveyed the devastation from Hurricane Helene, I knew the road to recovery would be long and difficult, but that South Carolinians are resilient,” Tim Scott said. “The SBA Disaster Transparency Act makes simple but necessary reforms to the Disaster Loan Account that will provide increased transparency and ensure Congress is able to act before it’s too late.”

Schiff added, “In the aftermath of the fires in Los Angeles that have devastated our communities, we are introducing this bipartisan bill to hold the SBA accountable and improve transparency of available disaster funds. With this oversight, we can help ensure that those impacted receive the support and funding they deserve to swiftly recover and rebuild.”

Kash advance

Sen. Ashley Moody said she is tired of Democratic moves to “obstruct and delay” confirmations for Trump’s Cabinet nominees, especially given that new Attorney General Pam Bondi needs help combating the scourge of drugs brought into the country by illegal immigrants.

“She needs her people in place to effectuate these things. She needs the director of the (Federal Bureau of Investigation) ready to go. Her passion to secure this nation based on her decades as a prosecutor and Attorney General? I mean, it is still lore back in Florida when she went into lawmakers’ chambers and said, this amount of fentanyl will kill you,” the Plant City Republican said on “The Faulkner Focus.”

She then offered a chilling warning and possible blame about potential fentanyl casualties if FBI Director nominee Kash Patel, who is stalled in Judiciary, and others aren’t confirmed in a timely fashion.

“And remember, that is the No. 1 killer of working and fighting-age Americans right now. There is no more time to waste, and if Democrats stand in our way, it is on their hands and heads if we cannot control the crime and devastation that was the result of the Biden administration.

Speaking for the deaf

Rep. John Rutherford said it’s time Congress gave a voice to people who are hard of hearing. The Jacksonville Republican relaunched the Bipartisan Congressional Deaf Caucus with Rep. Mark Takano, a California Democrat.

“For more than a decade, the Congressional Deaf Caucus has focused on bringing awareness to the challenges faced by Deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans,” Rutherford said. “Deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans face unique obstacles in their daily lives, from health care to education to employment.

“My district is home to the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, which has provided me a firsthand look at the positive impact increased accessibility options have on Deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans. I look forward to continuing to work with Rep. Takano to address opportunities in Congress to promote equity for Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities nationwide.”

Rutherford and Takano will host a roundtable in Congress with experts on the policy needs of the deaf community.

“The Congressional Deaf Caucus has done incredible work over the past 10 years, from expanding the Congressional Deaf Internship Program to ensuring Schools for the Deaf — like the California School for the Deaf Riverside in my district — have the resources they need,” Takano said. “The Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community faces pressing challenges that must be addressed, and the need for connection between members of Congress and their Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing constituents is greater than ever.”

Sinking feeling

Concerns over sinkholes have members of Florida’s delegation working across the aisle seeking research for funding.

Reps. Gus Bilirakis, a Palm Harbor Republican, and Darren Soto, a Kissimmee Democrat, filed the Sinkhole Mapping Act (HR 900). This bill would direct the U.S. Geological Survey to study the short — and long-term contributing factors to sinkholes caused by prolonged droughts and water management.

“Sinkholes pose a serious risk to Florida’s communities, infrastructure, and economy, yet we still lack a comprehensive mapping system to track and predict these hazards,” Soto said. “Directing the USGS to study the causes and risks of sinkhole formation will help provide critical data to help protect homeowners, businesses, and first responders. This is an important step toward ensuring public safety and strengthening our resilience against these natural threats.”

Bilirakis pointed to recent sinkholes in the state that threaten residential areas.

“In recent years, we have seen throughout Tampa Bay how dangerous sinkholes can be for neighborhoods,” he said. “To improve public safety and consumer protection, we need to study the causes and remedies of sinkholes while developing geological maps to delineate the highest risk areas for sinkholes to occur.”

Democratic Reps. Kathy Castor, Maxwell Frost and Frederica Wilson all co-sponsored the bill.

Good trouble at Treasury

Frost led two dozen members of Congress to the Treasury Department this week to protest power grabs by Elon Musk.

“Nobody elected Elon Musk to serve in our government, yet somehow this out-of-touch billionaire has been given the keys to run our country and has unfettered power to put working families and working Americans at risk,” the Orlando Democrat said.

Frost led members to protest after the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Musk and empowered by President Donald Trump, was reportedly given “read-only” access to all federal government financial records, as reported by CBS News.

It creates a privacy concern for all Americans, according to Frost.

“Your Social Security number, your IRS information, your VA benefits, your Medicare or Medicaid benefits – are all in the hands of Elon Musk,” Frost said.

Musk, meanwhile, has publicized information on his social media platform X, including media subscriptions from government accounts.

“This is obviously a huge waste of money,” Musk posted.

Primitive radio gods

Although more people may be tuning out of broadcast radio, Bilirakis wants every car equipped to pick up a signal anyway.

The House Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee Chair filed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act with Rep. Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat and the committee’s Ranking Member.

“In order to maximize public safety and ensure continued access to every available option, it is critical to have a robust and widely accessible communication infrastructure in place to alert Americans during emergency situations and natural disasters,” Bilirakis said.

“Each hurricane season, Floridians rely upon the ability to gain access to information needed to make timely and potentially lifesaving decisions to evacuate, stay in place, seek shelter, or contact first responders. Further, rural and underserved Americans still enjoy listening to AM radio broadcasts for their diverse views. Radio broadcast still has one of the highest reaches of any medium, and with a majority of listening taking place outside of the home, we must ensure this useful tool remains a readily available option for all Americans who own vehicles.”

The bill would direct the Transportation Department, in consultation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Federal Communications Commission, to issue rules requiring auto manufacturers to keep AM radios as standard equipment in vehicles. The legislation also calls for a Government Accountability Office study of the effectiveness of AM radios for communications during emergencies.

“AM radio provides a broad variety of programming and lifesaving information during emergencies, and that’s why it’s critical we ensure all Americans can access it from their cars,” Pallone said.

Gang deportation

While the vacating of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans brought bipartisan pushback from Florida lawmakers, Rep. Vern Buchanan expects broad agreement the status shouldn’t go to members of international gangs.

The Longboat Key Republican filed Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act, which would disqualify aliens in criminal gangs from ever becoming eligible for TPS and would call for swift deportation if they are found illegally within the United States.

“Violent criminal illegals have no place in our country,” said Buchanan. “If the (Joe) Biden administration had been doing its job, Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray and countless others murdered by criminal illegals would still be alive. Congress needs to pass my Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act to make sure violent criminal illegals are immediately deported and never allowed to enter our country again.”

Under current law, gang affiliation alone won’t result in an undocumented person’s deportation until they are convicted of a separate crime.

Border security advocates praised Buchanan’s bill.

“Rep. Buchanan’s legislation will assist with removing criminal gang members, many of which streamed in by the thousands during the Biden/(Kamala) Harris Administration, into our country. As a nation, our goal should be as close to zero people crossing our borders illegally, and we should especially have no tolerance for criminal gang members entering America illegally,” reads a statement from NumbersUSA.

End to aid?

As the Trump administration freezes all funding to USAID, Rep. Greg Steube said it’s time to eliminate the agency.

The Sarasota Republican filed legislation to abolish USAID and direct all funding directly to the State Department.

“For too long, USAID has funneled billions of American tax dollars into bloated, inefficient foreign aid programs that are riddled with waste, corruption and ideological bias,” Steube said.

“Instead of benefiting American taxpayers who fund these programs, USAID’s initiatives often push progressive social agendas that are out-of-touch with the values and interests of our nation. Worse yet, these dollars frequently end up in the hands of bad actors who do not have America’s interests in mind and misuse the funds for purposes far removed from their original intent.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick condemned the administration’s funding shutdown, which included a freeze on all aid to Haiti. The delegation, including Rubio as Senator, supported providing $15 million in U.S. funding for the United Nations-led Multinational Security Support mission to stabilize the island nation.

Co-Chairs of the House Haiti Caucus, including Cherfilus-McCormick, issued a joint statement on the fund stoppage.

“We are deeply disappointed that the Trump administration is halting necessary and lifesaving assistance to Haiti, which continues to grapple with an ongoing political, security, and humanitarian crisis. Under the Biden administration, the U.S. committed to over $15 million in aid for Haiti through the U.N. trust fund. However, only $1.7 million has already been spent — restricting access to over $13 million,” the statement reads.

“This decision comes at the absolute worst time, especially for Haitian nationals who are now at risk of losing their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) under this administration – putting them back into a very volatile and dangerous environment. We have a responsibility to honor the commitment we made to support Haitian stability and the safety of all its people. We cannot send Haitians who have sought legal refuge in the U.S. back to a country overrun by gangs and violence without assistance and taking every effort to ensure their safety.”

Brix tricks

Florida lawmakers are making a fresh push to change federal rules on orange juice formulas.

Reps. Scott Franklin and Debbie Wasserman Schultz filed the bipartisan Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act, the Florida lawmakers’ latest effort to reshape Food and Drug Administration regulations on brix levels, the required ratios of sugar and solids in non-from-concentrate orange juice.

“Outdated standards and needless red tape are standing in the way of Florida citrus’ big comeback,” said Franklin, a Lakeland Republican.

“While slow-moving FDA bureaucrats take years to deliberate a small regulatory adjustment, our growers are losing out on profit to foreign producers and struggling to keep their operations afloat. This simple fix throws them a lifeline, allowing more domestic products to come to market without sacrificing quality for consumers. Helping Florida’s flagship crop is a bipartisan issue, and I’m grateful to my Florida colleagues for joining me to update this harmful regulation.”

Wasserman Schultz, a Weston Democrat and co-Chair of Florida’s congressional delegation, filed similar legislation in 2023 attempting to change the federal rules for orange juice, but the bill stalled in the House Health Subcommittee. The new legislation would reduce the required level of solid content from 10.5% to 10%. Florida citrus growers say the current requirement cannot be met using many Florida oranges picked in recent years, which means many Florida juices must be supplemented with imported fruits.

“Unless we defeat pests, diseases, and extreme weather, the natural decline in brix levels in mature Florida oranges will continue, but this bill would provide our farmers and processors with the flexibility to keep producing the world’s best oranges, with no sacrifices in the high quality and taste our farmers always deliver,” Wasserman Schultz said.

Republican Reps. Kat Cammack, Bilirakis, and Neal Dunn, and Democratic Reps. Castor and Soto co-sponsored the bill.

Existential threat

Iran’s recent saber-rattling has attracted Florida lawmakers’ attention on both sides of the aisle.

Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, Chair of the House National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee, this week voiced strong support for Trump’s campaign to deny the Islamic Republic nuclear capacity. The Hialeah Republican issued a joint statement with House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, an Oklahoma Republican, and House Defense Subcommittee Chair Ken Calvert, a California Republican.

“The Iranian regime isn’t shy about its desire to destroy America. We fully support President Trump’s maximum pressure strategy to confront Iranian threats and deny their nuclear ambitions,” the statement reads.

“With new leadership in the White House, this rogue state sponsor of terror will no longer be able to exploit weakness and pursue destabilizing actions without consequence. By targeting resources Iran uses to support terrorists, abuse its people, and pursue weapons, we are putting America first and making the world safer. U.S. enemies are on notice — and deterrence and strength will lead to a safer and stronger future for all.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Parkland Democrat, made clear voices on the Democratic side also support keeping “all options” on the table for dealing with Iran. He filed legislation with Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, affirming a sense of the House’s view that a nuclear Iran poses an existential threat.

“Allowing Iran to maintain and build a nuclear program is an existential threat to the United States, Israel, and global stability,” Moskowitz said.

“As the Iranian regime continues its dangerous attempts at nuclear expansion, leaders have to call this out for what it is: an unacceptable escalation in the Middle East and a national security threat against the United States and our allies. Iran must dismantle its nuclear program now. This resolution makes clear the United States won’t stand for anything less and will consider all options to protect our national security. We must send a clear, bipartisan message that we stand with our ally Israel and that a continued nuclear program in Iran is an absolute nonstarter.”

Washington move?

Hialeah Mayor Steven Bovo could soon join The Southern Group as the Florida-based firm launches a Washington office.

According to the Miami Herald, the South Florida Mayor was offered a $150,000 annual salary to work at the firm and expects to step down from his public office to take the position.

Bovo has strong political connections to Rubio and is a rumored appointee within the Trump administration.

On this day

Feb. 7, 1962 — “Full U.S.‑Cuba embargo goes into effect” via History.com — President John F. Kennedy’s Proclamation 3447 went into effect, broadening restrictions on trade with Cuba. The embargo followed a rapid decline in U.S.-Cuban relations. Though Fidel Castro’s revolutionaries deposed a government backed by the U.S. in 1959, the new Cuban regime initially sought a friendly relationship with its most powerful neighbor, but the Americans remained skeptical, fearing he was a communist. After the Bay of Pigs Invasion, a botched attempt at counter-revolution staged by the CIA in 1961, Castro abandoned all hope of a friendly relationship with the U.S., declaring Cuba to be Marxist. The diplomatic situation grew icier and icier, leading Kennedy to broaden the embargo.

Feb. 7, 1984 — “Astronaut performs the first untethered spacewalk” via NASA — Astronaut Bruce McCandless approached his maximum distance from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger. While testing out the nitrogen-propelled, hand-controlled backpack device called the manned maneuvering unit for the first time, McCandless’ fellow crew aboard the reusable vehicle photographed him. The MMU allowed crews to move outside of the cargo bay and perform activities away from the safety of the spacecraft. “It may have been one small step for Neil,” he proclaimed, “but it’s a heck of a big leap for me.”

Happy birthday

Best wishes to Rep. Bilirakis, who turns 62 on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

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Peter Schorsch publishes Delegation, compiled by Jacob Ogles, edited and assembled by Phil Ammann and Ryan Nicol, with contributions by A.G. Gancarski.

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