New shooting, familiar debate

A Minnesota school shooting prompted fresh debate about how to address school safety in America — and brought a fresh reminder of some of Florida’s darkest moments.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Parkland Democrat, recalled the latter as a photo of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey awaiting updates while sitting at the steps of Annunciation Catholic School, which went viral. The anxiousness felt familiar to Moskowitz as he served in the Florida House during the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.

“I know this feeling all too well. Seven years later, it’s still not gone,” he posted.

Ultimately, news would come that two children, 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski, had died in the Minneapolis attack, while 18 others were wounded after being shot during morning mass.

After the Parkland shooting, Moskowitz sponsored the last significant gun control measure passed in Florida. But other members of the delegation, who also served in the Legislature at that time and voted against that legislation, quickly turned the discussion about the Minnesota shooting to another topic.

Rep. Byron Donalds focused on the news that Westman was transgender. The Naples Republican said gender identity deserved policy attention ahead of access to firearms.

“This tragedy was NOT ABOUT GUNS. This tragedy was ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH,” Donalds, a candidate for Florida Governor, posted after an interview with Fox News. “For years, the left has promoted radical gender ideology, ignored glaring mental health issues & spewed hateful rhetoric. This is the insanity that’s come from their movement. They must re-examine everything.”

Donald Trump Jr. and Rep. Randy Fine shared the remark.

Fine, an Atlantic Coast Republican who voted for the Parkland bill but has more recently pushed for outlawing gender treatment for children. “Make facilitating ‘transgenderism’ in children a felony,” Fine posted. “I did it in Florida. Time to take it nationwide.”

But Democrats in the congressional delegation continued to stress that easy access to guns is making it easier for these types of attacks to occur.

“Our hearts break for Minneapolis. A new school year should bring joy, not tragedy,” posted Rep. Lois Frankel, a West Palm Beach Democrat. “No child should face gun violence in a classroom, and no parent should ever have to wonder if their child will come home from school.”

Allies in the East

Sen. Rick Scott spent much of his August recess traveling in the Eastern Hemisphere, making state trips to Japan and the Philippines.

The Naples Republican traveled there in his capacity as Chair of the Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee. He called the nations “two of our most vital allies in our fight against the encroaching influence and threat of Communist China on the global stage.”

“I know it is more important than ever that we join with our allies in the region to push back and contain this threat and work together to invest in mutually rewarding enterprises, like development in Subic Bay and strong trade relations,” he said.

“I was honored to meet with the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, Ambassador MaryKay L. Carson, Philippine National Defense Secretary (Gilbert) Teodoro, U.S. Ambassador to Japan, George Glass, and other leaders to discuss our shared commitment to defense and economic development and to reinforce our close and vital relationships. I also had the great opportunity to meet with American servicemen and women who were stationed abroad serving our great nation in critical missions, and to honor those who have fallen.”

Scott last visited the Philippines in 2023 and Japan in 2022. He said it remains clear that the U.S. must maintain relationships with both nations.

“America cannot take its eyes off this region or the increased aggression shown by Communist China and the threat it poses to our economy, our military and the world. It is more important than ever to have a close economic relationship with our allies and keep a strong military force in the region,” he said.

“Thankfully, we have President (Donald) Trump in the White House, who is fully committed to ensuring the United States has the strongest military force, enforcing Peace Through Strength and working with our allies to protect America’s best interests around the world. I will continue working with President Trump, my colleagues, and our allies to deter threats to the American way of life, to the world, and all freedom-loving countries.”

Legion love

On a trip to Tampa, Sen. Ashley Moody visited with members of the largest American Legion Post in the world, American Legion Lady Lake Post 347. The branch, headquartered near The Villages, won the National Color Guard Contest at the American Legion National Convention being held in Moody’s home county.

“America is the land of the free because of the brave, and we must always remember the service and sacrifice of our veterans. Supporting our former and present service members is a major priority of mine, and I have been working hard on policies that will bolster the community,” Moody said.

“Additionally, I’m proud to congratulate the Lady Lake American Legion Post 347 for bringing home the victory in the National Color Guard Contest, their first time winning this nationwide contest and a historic milestone for their post.”

The honor for the Florida post means its members will make up the official color guard at the 2026 National Convention in Kentucky.

At the convention, Moody also participated in a pinning ceremony for the post, where approximately 100 Vietnam War veterans and surviving spouses received special recognition. She noted Florida’s high concentration of former service members.

“Florida is the proud home to more than 1.4 million veterans, each a living reminder of service, sacrifice and strength,” she said.

Porting veteran licenses

Rep. Jimmy Patronis wants veterans to be able to apply the skills they learned during their service to any job market in the country.

The Fort Walton Beach Republican has just introduced the Veteran and Spouse Licensing Flexibility Act (HR 5053), legislation aimed at easing the transition into civilian life for military members once they complete their duties.

“Millions of veterans who proudly served in uniform possess a wide range of professional skills when they return home from military service, many of which are skills that require professional licensing. Many served as doctors, engineers, electricians and more,” Patronis said.

“What better way to help our veterans transition back into society and the American job market than to allow them the portability necessary to use their skills to serve their local communities. That’s why I introduced the Veteran and Spouse Licensing Flexibility Act of 2025.”

The bill would apply in similar circumstances to those already covered under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which provides financial protection for active and reserve members of all branches of the military.

As written, it would allow veterans and their spouses to port any professional licenses they have earned in any jurisdiction to follow them to new jurisdictions, provided they remain valid for up to three years.

“This bill enables newly discharged families to maximize all the opportunities the Trump economy has to offer, regardless of state lines and where the service member or spouse may have started his or her professional journey,” Patronis said.

“If you’ve put your life on the line for our country, you deserve every opportunity available to continue practicing your profession, knowing you will have the ability to provide for your family.”

Hispanic outreach

Two members of the Florida congressional delegation met with Hispanic leaders from Unidos US, where the Central Florida Democrats discussed potential harms to the region from the recent budget reconciliation process.

“Last week, I joined U.S. Rep Darren Soto and Unidos US and for a roundtable with Hispanic leaders on how Trump’s Big Ugly Bill will devastate millions of Floridians by ripping away health care, taking away food assistance and driving up costs,” posted Rep. Maxwell Frost, an Orlando Democrat.

“Working families deserve better. We’re fighting back to reverse these reckless policies and help hardworking families breathe easier.”

Soto, a Kissimmee Democrat, sat side by side with Frost while both also heard from other members of the community. Soto also attended a meeting this week of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Forum.

“We discussed Central Florida’s strong tourism, challenges like tariffs and deportations, PROMESA board changes, and key developments in Lake Nona and NeoCity. Grateful to be part of the conversation,” he posted.

Mocking whom?

The latest episode of South Park lampooned a member of the Florida congressional delegation this week. But which one?

In the episode titled “Sickofancy,” a woman representing Florida in Congress visits the Oval Office and compliments President Trump’s leadership while assuring the President he does not have “a small penis.” Then she presents a silver-plated sculpture of the Space Shuttle on behalf of the state.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a St. Petersburg Republican, joked online that she might use the image as her new profile picture, signaling that she presumed it was her being mocked in the episode. Other outlets across the country, including Florida Politics, jumped to the same conclusion based on similarities between the faux lawmaker’s dress and jewelry compared to Luna’s Facebook photo.

However, other outlets, such as The Wrap, presumed the episode was poking fun at Moody, and reportedly, some around Florida’s junior Senator felt the same. She has also frequently been pictured wearing blue and has made the relocation of NASA headquarters to Florida a top priority.

That said, there’s little question that the parody was not complimentary. But who doesn’t aspire to eventually being ridiculed on Comedy Central?

Lost in the mail

Before one Tampa Bay post office has been repaired from last hurricane season, another may soon close.

The U.S. Postal Service sent a letter to the Apollo Beach Contact Postal Unit, instructing it to close at the end of September. That has upset residents and prompted Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, to send a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner asking that the agency reconsider.

“Doreen Morrison, owner of the Apollo Beach CPU and the retail space in which it is located, received a 120-day written termination notice on Friday, May 30. Ms. Morrison has owned and operated the CPU since December 2005,” Castor noted.

“For nearly 20 years, the Apollo Beach CPU has been a core essential service for members of the local community, a community that is rapidly growing. Over the past decade, Apollo Beach’s population has more than doubled in size. This has been met with an increased reliance on the CPU’s retail, shipping and P.O. Box services for local residents and business owners alike. My office has received outreach from constituents expressing their support for the Apollo Beach CPU and a public petition has been signed by over 2,000 members of the community.”

At a rally to save the post office this week, Castor again showed her support, noting that this closure could happen before a nearly reopened Ruskin post office, following damage from Hurricanes Milton and Helene.

“I know supplies have been difficult, but now we’re going on a year, and people have repaired their homes faster than the United States Postal Service has been able to repair this modest Ruskin post office,” Castor said.

Service stories

Veteran Army Specialist Joseph Reynolds became the latest Florida resident from Southwest Florida to be featured in the Veterans History Project Series. Rep. Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican, announced the Sarasota area resident had an important story to share about his experiences in the Vietnam War.

“Specialist 5th Class Joseph Reynolds’ story is one of courage and sacrifice for his country,” Steube said. “From his time in Vietnam to the care and support he now provides for fellow Veterans in Southwest Florida, he is a shining example of a great American. On behalf of a grateful nation, I thank him for sharing his experiences in Vietnam and his ongoing work on behalf of the men and women of our Armed Forces.”

Reynolds remains active in the Army Honor Guard and American Legion Post 159 in Venice. He has also been involved as a tour guide at Patriot Plaza in Sarasota County.

“It’s a very popular spot and the history there, the veteran history there is huge,” Reynolds said in his video. “Every branch of service is represented there.”

Since he arrived in Congress, Steube’s office has regularly found local veterans to share stories for the Veterans History Project, an initiative of the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center.

Communist medicine

Rep. Carlos Giménez pressed Trump this week to curb the protections of a World Health Organization affiliate accused of facilitating human trafficking and forced labor in Brazil.

Giménez, a Miami Republican, is urging Trump to issue an executive order revoking safeguards the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) has under the International Organizations Immunities Act, citing its role in the controversial Mais Médiscos program.

The request comes a week after the Trump administration restricted or revoked the visas of several Brazilian officials, former PAHO members and their families for “complicity with the Cuban regime’s labor export scheme in the Mais Médicos program.”

In a Tuesday letter, Giménez said PAHO has enabled human rights abuses by serving as a financial go-between for Cuba’s export of forced medical labor.

“Between 2013 and 2018, PAHO orchestrated and profited from a scheme in which well over 10,000 Cuban doctors were forced to work in Brazil under conditions that met the U.S. government’s own definition of human trafficking and forced labor,” Giménez wrote.

“These doctors were stripped of the vast majority of their wages, had their travel documents confiscated, and were placed under constant surveillance by Cuban intelligence operatives.”

Brazil launched its Mais Médicos program in 2013, promising to bring doctors to underserved regions of the large South American nation. But Cuban participants have alleged abusive, inhumane and exploitative practices.

Giménez said PAHO has transferred more than $2.3 billion from Brazil to the Cuban government while keeping at least $129 million for itself. PAHO, headquartered in Washington, D.C., has received millions in U.S. tax dollars while claiming immunity in U.S. courts, frustrating those bringing legal action, including former Cuban doctors.

On this day

Aug. 29, 2005 — “Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans” via The Times-Picayune of New Orleans — During a morning teleconference, emergency preparedness officials from across southeast Louisiana reported flooding, building collapses, power outages and fires. In Jefferson Parish, a report was made of a building collapse in the 200 block of Wright Avenue in Terrytown. Parish officials could not provide details except to say they had been notified that people were inside the building. The roof of the Superdome, where thousands of New Orleans residents have sought refuge from the storm, was damaged, with reports of water pouring into the building. Witnesses said rain was coming through.

Aug. 29, 1957 — “Congress passes Civil Rights Act” via POLITICO — Sen. Lyndon Johnson, a Texas Democrat and majority leader, and President Dwight Eisenhower championed the legislation. The Senate voted after overcoming a filibuster by Sen. Strom Thurmond, then a South Carolina Democrat, who set a Senate record of 24 hours and 18 minutes. Thurmond became a Republican in 1964. While the bill alienated and angered Southern Democrats, they lifted their blockade after it became apparent that the measure would do little, if anything, to end Jim Crow practices in the South. Any person found guilty of obstructing someone’s right to register faced the prospect of a jury trial — in practical terms, an all-White jury.

Happy birthday

Best wishes to Rep. John Rutherford, who turns 73 on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

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

Delegation will return on Sept. 5; thank you for your support and have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend.

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