Record breaking — Angels — sim city — Rep. Nutmeg — phosphate

Grounded

As the federal shutdown hit a record length, its impacts reached new heights.

Beginning Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) called on the top 40 airports in the country to cancel 10% of flights. That includes four airports in Florida: Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL), Orlando International (MCO), Miami International (MIA) and Tampa International (TPA).

“Amid the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history, the FAA will now begin reducing daily flights at airports nationwide, including in Central Florida at Orlando International,” lamented Rep. Maxwell Frost, an Orlando Democrat, on X. “This is the direct consequence of a Republican government shutdown that is hurting working families, federal workers, and now making air travel dangerously unsafe across the U.S.”

But, as has occurred throughout the shutdown, Republicans said the blame should fall on the other side of the aisle. They said Senate Democrats perpetuated the shutdown by voting against reopening the government now 14 times.

Rep. María Elvira Salazar, like Frost, spotlighted the airport in her district, noting flights were grounded due to the shutdown. But she flagged leftward to denote the cause.

“MIA and 39 other major airports are facing a 10% reduction in flights. The FAA says they’re forced to reduce flights to avoid catastrophe,” the Coral Gables Republican posted. “Democrats, the safety of families taking planes in America should never be a bargaining chip.”

Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Longboat Key Republican and GOP co-Chair of Florida’s congressional delegation, led a letter co-signed by 17 other Florida Representatives and sent to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Whip Dick Durbin. It demanded that the upper chamber approve a budget already passed by the GOP-controlled House.

“While this senseless shutdown is undoubtedly going to affect the most vulnerable populations, it is also directly impacting 2 million federal employees — many of whom continue to work despite not knowing when their next paycheck will arrive. One hundred fifty-five thousand federal employees in Florida are now going without pay,” Buchanan wrote.

“These workers still have to pay bills such as child care, mortgages, rent payments and car payments. Whether it is the air traffic controller keeping our skies safe or the federal police officer protecting our communities, it is unconscionable to tell these hardworking men and women that political gamesmanship takes precedence over their livelihoods.”

Buchanan has pledged to donate his pay to the Food Bank of Manatee to ease demand while the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments to states are short.

Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Hialeah Republican and Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, issued his own statement lamenting the wide consequences of the shutdown.

“Nearly a month into this Schumer-led shutdown, I’ve been busy meeting with Florida growers about delayed H-2A certifications threatening unharvested crops and America’s food supply, meetings with dozens of local officials and law enforcement, and hosting multiple tele-town halls to hear firsthand how essential services and vital nutrition programs are being disrupted and causing uncertainty in people’s daily lives,” he said. “House appropriators are working — the only people not doing their jobs are Senate Democrats, who would rather film TikToks than reopen the government.”

But Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democratic co-Chair of Florida’s delegation, said Republican unwillingness to negotiate a budget that can pass now threatens a national disaster.

“America faces a dire Republican health care crisis, and now — despite having the power to avoid it — President Trump has plunged America into a potential hunger crisis,” the Weston Democrat said. “Rather than sit down with Democrats to negotiate a plan to get us out of this mess, Trump is intentionally making it as painful as possible.”

Sinister surrogacy?

Could international figures be abusing U.S. surrogacy laws to traffic infants out of the U.S.? It’s a concern Sen. Rick Scott holds after reports emerged this Summer of a Chinese couple in California raising 21 children in the same home, most under the age of 3.

The fear is that couples are sometimes deceiving U.S. surrogate parents and facilitating the birth of children born with American citizenship.

“America’s surrogacy system is meant to help individuals build families — it should never be the avenue to allow abuse, neglect, or deceit of innocent women and babies,” said Scott, a Naples Republican.

“It’s terrifying that this might be at the hands of foreign adversaries with the sole intent of having a child that is a U.S. citizen. We’ve already seen troubling cases of human trafficking and abuse linked to international surrogacy schemes, as our foreign adversaries prove willing to exploit every loophole they can to destroy us. We must take action.”

Scott just introduced the Stopping Adversarial Foreign Exploitation of Kids in Domestic Surrogacy (SAFE KIDS) Act. The legislation would invalidate commercial surrogacy agreements entered into with citizens of foreign adversarial nations. It would make it a misdemeanor for brokers, but not surrogates themselves, who knowingly facilitate such deals.

“My SAFE KIDS Act puts a stop to Communist China and other foreign adversaries’ efforts to harm children, women, and our national security,” Scott said.

Fly, Angels, fly

Despite the cancellation of several Navy Blue Angels jet performances, Sen. Ashley Moody wants President Donald Trump to fund the stunt team to give an aerobatic performance in Pensacola, reviving an air show that was already shut down.

Moody sent a letter to Trump appealing to the President to allow the Blue Angels to perform at Naval Air Station Pensacola. The Homecoming Air Show at NAS Pensacola, set for Nov. 14 and 15, was canceled due to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which started Oct. 1.

Moody noted in a press release, though, that the air show and Blue Angels performance scheduled in the Panhandle this year was supposed to be a special event marking the 250th anniversary of both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps and the homecoming of the squad. Moody wants to reopen the air show and feature the Blue Angels as the headline act, not least because the aerobatic team is stationed in Pensacola.

“Naval Air Station Pensacola, also known as the Cradle of Naval Aviation, has served as a vital component of our country’s military readiness mission for over 100 years,” Moody said in her letter. “This air station is home to the world-famous U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron Blue Angels and is a point of pride for our military and the Pensacola community and surrounding Panhandle, not only through precision flying, but as a tool to boost recruitment, community outreach and morale.”

The problem is that Blue Angels performances have already been canceled at multiple venues since the shutdown. The Jacksonville Sea and Sky Spectacular went on as planned at the coast in October, even though the Blue Angels canceled, and the Florida International Air Show in Punta Gorda carried on without the Blue Angels.

Saving simulation training

As leadership for the Army restructures its programming, several members of the delegation want to ensure the military branch’s acquisition program remains in Central Florida.

Reps. Díaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez and Cory Mills led a letter to Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll and Assistant Secretary Brent Ingraham encouraging the military to continue to have the Acquisition Program Executives headquartered in Orlando.

“Central Florida plays a critical role in advancing America’s defense innovation,” said Mills, a New Smyrna Beach Republican. “Our modeling and simulation ecosystem is second to none, and any move to divest from this area would weaken our national security and disrupt decades of proven success.”

The letter notes that, for 50 years, the Army’s Program Executive Officers have undergone simulation training and instrumentation in Orlando. The presence of the National Center for Simulation and the Army’s PEO simulation program in Orlando has delivered an $11.6 billion economic impact to the area, while bringing 30,000 jobs with average salaries of more than $100,000 a year.

“The State of Florida has demonstrated exceptional support for the armed services and its members,” the letter reads, noting that the state government provided $150 million to secure a 150,000-square-foot office for the PEO program at no cost to the Army.

“Florida-based headquarters additionally benefit from 21 neighboring active-duty installations for access to commissaries, exchanges, fitness centers, and medical care.”

Beyond the leads, 15 other Florida Republicans and one Democrat co-signed the letter.

Holiday return

A shutdown can’t slow the holiday season — or the return of Rep. Nutmeg to the U.S. Capitol.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s Office released a photo proving the North Pole’s doe-eyed Representative was back in Washington, two years after first arriving as the Pinellas lawmaker’s office Elf of a Shelf. Nutmeg made history in 2023 as the first holiday decoration to co-introduce a resolution in Congress. And while the doll cannot cast votes, it has helped report back to the North Pole which members of Congress have been naughty and would also plausibly report if any are nice.

“Every year she reappears just in time for the holiday season to begin,” Luna said. “If you’re lucky enough to see her in the Rotunda, consider it a sign of holiday cheer — but keep an eye on your eggnog. With Rep. Nutmeg around, anything can happen.”

Visa victory

Despite the ongoing shutdown, Rep. Laurel Lee said the Agriculture Department will continue to process H-2A agricultural visa applications. The Thonotosassa Republican said she worked with Trump and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to ensure that work continues and that a lack of legal labor won’t disrupt Florida’s harvest season.

“Florida’s farmers feed America, and I will never stop fighting to ensure they have the workforce and stability they need to get crops out of the ground and onto our tables,” Lee said. “Food security is national security. Thanks to the decisive leadership of President Trump and the swift action of Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, we delivered a common sense solution that will keep America’s food supply strong during this shutdown.”

About 50,000 workers are employed in Florida using H-2A visas to work on farms, planting, cultivating and harvesting crops. The visa processing was a high priority for agriculture organizations in Florida.

“The Florida Strawberry Growers Association applauds Congresswoman Laurel Lee and her team for their leadership in ensuring the reopening of the Federal H-2A guest worker program,” reads a statement from the Florida Strawberry Growers Association.

“Their swift action helped secure the essential supply of farmworkers our industry depends on. We are especially grateful to Rep. Lee for meeting directly with our growers and recognizing the critical importance of maintaining a reliable workforce for Florida’s strawberry industry.”

Critical phosphates

Another major win for a key Florida industry came when the Interior Department added phosphate to the federal Critical Minerals List. That’s a move that Reps. Kat Cammack, a Gainesville Republican, and Scott Franklin, a Lakeland Republican, have pursued this most recently as co-signatories of a bipartisan letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in September.

Franklin said the move was a win, recognizing phosphate’s value to agriculture nationwide.

“America cannot be food secure if it relies on adversaries for the minerals that feed our farms. Adding phosphate to the Critical Minerals List strengthens our security and affirms its essential role in fertilizer production for growers across the country,” Franklin said.

Of course, the Sunshine State also hosts major phosphate producers, such as Mosaic. That puts Florida on a short list of states where the mineral is mined, along with Idaho, North Carolina and Utah.

“Florida’s Heartland is central to this effort. Our state holds the largest phosphate reserve in the nation. Producers in our region support good jobs and ensure farmers have the inputs needed to grow crops and keep food production steady. This designation recognizes the work done here and provides long-term cost certainty for our agriculture community,” Franklin said.

“Florida also holds valuable rare earth reserves that can meet future national needs. Expanding domestic production reduces foreign leverage and shields our producers from supply chain disruptions and price spikes that burden American families. I will keep working to ensure our country remains secure and in control of its own supply.”

Mosaic lobbied the administration on the issue, working with Florida-based Ballard Partners.

Cheeri-no

Rep. Brian Mast expressed strong concerns about China opening a massive embassy in London.

In his capacity as House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair, the Stuart Republican sent a letter to the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, sounding the alarm about the “super embassy.” He sent the message with Rep. John Moolenaar, Chair of the House Select Committee on China.

“Reports indicate that the proposed construction of the ‘super embassy’ has raised serious security concerns, particularly due to its proximity to critical communication cables serving the City of London’s financial district,” the letter reads. “Additionally, these concerns are further compounded by the PRC’s lack of transparency in disclosing full plans to U.K. authorities.”

Mast stressed in a statement that he fears any move by an allied nation that suggests support for China on the world stage.

“The U.K. should be under no illusion that China is their friend. This is the same regime that hacked the U.K. election system, flooded Parliament with spies, infiltrated dozens of British universities and stole intellectual property from European companies,” Mast said.

“The U.K. government should not reward the CCP with a crown jewel embassy in London. Doing so would further embolden Beijing and raise even more serious security concerns. This is about allies standing together against China’s oppressive regime.”

Net zero upgrade

The groundbreaking for a Miami-Dade school named for Rep. Frederica Wilson took place Friday morning, with the Miami-Dade Democrat in attendance.

Wilson, a teacher before her time in Congress, previously served as principal at Skyway Elementary, now named Dr. Frederica S. Wilson/Skyway Elementary School. After a $34.1 million comprehensive upgrade and renovation, the school will now be the first “Net Zero School,” with solar panels and a high-performance school envelope and HVAC system, enabling it to put more electricity on the grid than it uses.

The 36,000-square-foot school will use electric equipment for cooking and LED lighting for illumination, while a new paint job keeps the structure better insulated. Meanwhile, it was designed with panels optimally angled to capture rays.

Wilson, at age 83, served eight terms in Congress. Before that, she served in the Florida Senate representing South Florida.

Losing Latino votes?

A year after Trump made record inroads with Latino voters nationwide, the demographic moved away from Republicans in off-year elections Tuesday. That has Salazar, who is already being targeted by national Democrats, sounding alarms within the GOP.

“Latinos made history just one year ago. One in two Hispanics gave President Trump and the Republican Party a chance for the first time ever; 55% of Hispanic males voted for President Trump, something that was unthinkable,” Salazar said in a social media video.

“But I’ve said it before, the Hispanic vote is not guaranteed. Hispanics married President Trump. They’re only dating the GOP. I’ve been warning it. If the GOP does not deliver, we will lose the Hispanic vote all over the country, and unfortunately, it happened last night in New Jersey and Virginia.”

Left unsaid, Democrats also underperformed in a Miami mayoral election, where Democrat Eileen Higgins was the top vote-getter, winning almost 36% of the vote in a 13-candidate race. She now heads to a runoff against Republican-backed Emilio Gonzalez, who received under 19.5% of the vote.

Salazar said Republicans could face a drubbing in the Midterms if they abandon Hispanic voters. She suggested her Dignity Act, an immigration reform bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for longtime residents with no criminal record, would help with that.

Of course, Democrats pounced on Salazar’s video as a sign of vulnerability and panic.

“María Elvira Salazar should spend less time screaming into her phone and more time looking in the mirror,” said Madison Andrus, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson. “What Salazar saw on Tuesday night was a glimpse into her own future — the voters are going to send her packing, too, next November.”

Condemning Mexico

Mexico may share a border with the U.S., but Giménez said the administration cannot treat the country as if it were still politically close.

The Miami-Dade Republican sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, suggesting that talks on a trade agreement should take into account Mexico’s increasingly cozy relationship with Cuba.

“Recent reporting from The Miami Herald revealed the United Mexican States sent more than $3 billion in oil to the regime in Cuba between May and August this year alone. Not only do these shipments undermine U.S. policy, but they are most likely illegal as well,” Giménez wrote.

“At a time when Pemex is struggling financially, President (Claudia) Sheinbaum is sending concerning quantities of oil to a dangerous dictatorship with deep operational ties to Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Mexico has conspired with these cartels to weaponize migration into the United States. These terrorist organizations are directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans.”

Giménez said any update to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement should require the nation south of the border to crack down on narco-terrorism, stop cooperating with the transport of medical professionals from Cuba, and end any oil shipments to Havana.

On this day

Oct. 7, 1874 — “Harper’s Weekly runs cartoon depicting Republicans as elephant” via ThomasNast.com — Cartoonist Thomas Nast created the Republican Elephant almost five years after his first depiction of the Democratic Donkey. At the time, and for seven cartoons afterward, it represented the Republican Vote, not the Republican Party. Nast’s target in this cartoon was James Gordon Bennett Jr., the wealthy, conceited, autocratic editor of the Herald who livened up the dog days of Summer by accusing President Ulysses Grant of “Caesarism” — thirsting for a third term. Nast’s choice of the ponderous pachyderm probably came from an ornament he had noticed on Grant’s desk during his numerous visits to the White House.

Oct. 7, 1944 — “Franklin Roosevelt wins unprecedented fourth term” via History.com — President Roosevelt remains the only President to have served more than two terms. Roosevelt rose above personal and political challenges to emerge as one of the nation’s most revered and influential presidents. In 1921, at the age of 39, he contracted polio and, thereafter, was burdened with leg braces; eventually, he used a wheelchair. From his first election to the presidency in 1932 to his death in office in mid-1945, Roosevelt presided over two of the biggest crises in U.S. history: the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II.

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Peter Schorsch publishes Delegation, compiled by Jacob Ogles, edited and assembled by Phil Ammann and Ryan Nicol, with contributions by Drew Dixon.