SOTU fallout — Alligator Alcatraz — ethical — Cuba conflict

SOTU review

Reviews are in for President Donald Trump’s latest State of the Union address. Unsurprisingly, members of Florida’s congressional delegation offered varying assessments of the Mar-a-Lago Republican’s delivery.

Economic boasts about the tax-cutting One Big Beautiful Bill and celebrations of military success in Venezuela had Republicans on their feet much of the night.

“The President reaffirmed what millions of hardworking Americans already know, peace comes from strength, and America is stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before,” said Rep. Jimmy Patronis, a Fort Walton Beach Republican.

“From rebuilding the strongest military the world has ever seen to decisively confronting nuclear threats and confronting hostile regimes abroad, this administration continues to defend peace through strength.”

Rep. John Rutherford, a Jacksonville Republican, said the speech made him excited to deliver on a conservative agenda in this Congress and the next.

“If that’s what the Trump administration can accomplish in one year, imagine what can be done in three more. I can’t wait to continue to work with President Trump to deliver even more wins for the American people. God bless President Trump and our country,” Rutherford said.

But Democrats in the delegation enjoyed more time in their seats on Tuesday evening, even as the President chided them for it from the rostrum.

“Sadly, tonight, Donald Trump ignored the real state of the union. For far too many Americans, life is more expensive — from groceries to rent to health care. His brutal ICE enforcement operations are out of control, terrorizing communities, tearing parents away from their children, and stripping workplaces of productive, valued employees,” said Rep. Lois Frankel, the West Palm Beach Democrat who represents Trump’s home district.

“It’s time for the President to stop picking fights and work with Congress in a bipartisan way to make life better and more affordable for the American people.”

Some Democrats chose not to attend the speech at all.

“I cannot, in good conscience, participate in a forum that I believe will sidestep the urgent realities facing working families and continue policies that disproportionately harm Black and Brown communities, immigrants, women, and low-income people,” said Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Miami-Dade Democrat.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Orlando, attended an alternative event organized by MoveOn and MeidasTouch. He spoke to supporters on social media from the People’s State of the Union on the National Mall. “It is important that we not normalize an authoritarian, fascist President like Donald Trump,” Frost said.

He also brought with him Alice Goldberg, a singer who performs as Melting Virgo. She closed the evening with an original protest song.

But plenty of Republicans felt excited to be in the chamber. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Palm Harbor Republican, was among the first lawmakers seen greeting Trump inside the House chamber. He cast attendance at the event as a patriotic obligation.

“That same fighting spirit is driving our national resurgence. And as we approach United States Semiquincentennial — America 250 — we are reminded that 250 years of freedom, sacrifice, and exceptionalism have prepared us for this moment,” he said. “We honor our past by boldly shaping our future. This is only the beginning. Together, we will continue building a safer, stronger, and more prosperous nation for generations to come.”

Ceding purse power

​​If Congress cannot balance the budget, Sen. Rick Scott said the President should be able to do it for them.

The Naples Republican just introduced the Balanced Budget Responsibility Act, which would give the President the authority and discretion to curb wasteful government spending to balance the federal budget.

“Our nation is over $38 trillion in debt and running nearly $2 trillion deficits, and I’ve been fighting for YEARS to stop this reckless spending and balance the federal budget, but clearly, Congress has zero interest in fixing it. We cannot keep wasting your money like this. We can balance the budget, cut taxes, support private-sector job growth and drive down costs for families — I did this in Florida when I was Governor,” Scott said.

“We have to look at how every single dollar is spent and make sure it’s in Americans’ best interests, and if Congress refuses or fails to do so, the President should have the authority to take action. We all owe it to the American people to give a damn about how we’re spending their dollars, so we can drive down costs and bring fiscal sanity to the nation. President Trump wants to balance the federal budget and take action where Congress fails. Let’s let him do it.”

The bill would require the chief executive to consult with the Treasury Secretary and the Office of Management and Budget on withholding spending. Still, it would allow money to go unspent until the entire federal government no longer operates at a deficit.

The bill leaves certain mandated spending, like Medicare and Social Security, in place.

Stopping sextortion

An effort by two mothers in the Florida delegation to crack down on sextortion is a step closer to being passed. Sen. Ashley Moody successfully shepherded the James T. Woods Act through the Senate Judiciary Committee with bipartisan support as part of a larger bipartisan package.

The legislation filed by the Plant City Republican bears the name of an Ohio teenager who died by suicide, with investigators later finding he was being extorted online with the release of intimate materials. The bill would make sextortion a federal offense.

“I cannot think of any problem more ripe for our consideration and our energy and efforts to get done than this issue. I served as a federal prosecutor. I know what it means to have legislation that defines the problem, and specifically, it’s easier to go after monsters like this if we have that tool,” Moody said in committee.

“I’m also a mother of a child, a teenager, that’s facing all of the same issues that our children face today. It’s a really scary world out there right now for those of us parenting teenagers. My son is growing up in a world where it’s really impossible to prevent him from having exposure to social media or with any other people online.”

Indeed, FBI data shows reports of sextortion and online extortion have jumped by 55,000 incidents in the last three years, a 59% increase from the year before.

Rep. Laurel Lee, a Thonotosassa Republican, filed a companion bill in the House that has already passed out of the lower chamber.

Title IX

Rep. Kat Cammack, a co-founder of the Republican Women’s Caucus, became an introducing co-sponsor of legislation to restrict who participates in women’s sports.

She is now a co-sponsor of the Riley Gaines Act (HR 7368), which would open academic institutions to lawsuits for allowing transgender women to participate in women’s sporting events. It is named after activist Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer who had been forced to share a fifth-place finish with trans swimmer Lia Thomas.

“Women’s sports are for women. Period,” Cammack said. “Forcing female athletes to compete against biological males is unfair, unsafe and a direct assault on decades of progress under Title IX. Riley Gaines had the courage to stand up after experiencing this firsthand. This legislation ensures female athletes are no longer silenced and finally have the legal tools to fight back.”

The bill creates a cause of action if a swimmer is forced to compete, suffers an injury, or is denied a scholarship because an athlete assigned male at birth engages in the sport.

Coast Guard pay

As a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) enters its third week, employees will begin to feel the impact with frozen paychecks.

Rep. Aaron Bean sent a letter to Trump urging the President to find a way to keep Coast Guard members paid. He noted that in last year’s record shutdown, the executive branch diverted resources so that members of the military would not see an interruption in pay.

“Today, we face another troubling situation. As a result of the current partial government shutdown, members of the United States Coast Guard — who serve under the Department of Homeland Security — are once again working without pay. These dedicated men and women continue to carry out critical homeland security missions,” the Fernandina Beach Republican said.

“They safeguard our shores, secure our ports, interdict illegal narcotics, protect our maritime borders, and conduct lifesaving search-and-rescue operations with the courage and professionalism that have long defined this proud branch of our Armed Forces. At the same time, more than 41,000 active duty and activated Reserve Coast Guard members face the very real possibility of missing their next scheduled payday on Feb. 27 if the Department of Homeland Security does not receive appropriations.”

Bean argued the armed services branch should not be used as leverage in political negotiations. DHS remains the last part of the budget not passed by Congress, largely due to anger over the management of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Bean noted that many Coast Guard members live in his Northeast Florida district.

Alcatraz funding

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier acknowledged in a court briefing this week that the state may not recoup the costs of opening the temporary detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz.

“The State constructed and operated the facility, and the federal government had no say in whether or how the State proceeded,” a brief states. “The State took the risk (and still does) that federal funding will not materialize. That is not laundering; it is federalism.”

But Democrats in Florida’s congressional delegation, who have questioned opening the facility and scrutinized operations, attacked the immigration enforcement center as folly.

“This was inevitable. Alligator Alcatraz is a dangerous political stunt,” said Rep. Darren Soto, a Kissimmee Democrat. “Now it’s also a $500-plus million corruption scandal. These were supposed to be disaster response funds.”

The funding used by the state originally came from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, part of DHS.

Ethics anger

A scandal involving a Texas Congressman has Rep. Anna Paulina Luna calling for a member of her caucus to resign, while criticizing House Ethics for being slow to investigate.

Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, has come under intense fire since texts surfaced indicating he had an affair with a congressional staffer who later committed suicide.

“There is a serious problem up here, largely surrounding sexual misconduct. It pisses me off because while some of us are actually working and busting our asses, these clowns are sexually harassing their own staff, doing illegal crap, insider trading, etc. It sets a terrible precedent for the entire institution,” posted Luna, a Pinellas Republican.

“I would kick every single one of you out if I could, but I can’t because the votes aren’t there. The one thing I can do is call it out on here, so people know and push to ensure there is no insider trading for any of you. Stop being predatory freaks and get OUT of office. YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE. This behavior is reprehensible and a poor reflection on the Republican Party, and I will not tolerate this type of moral rot in my own party. NOR should the AMERICAN PEOPLE.”

She last year called for Rep. Cory Mills, a New Smyrna Beach Republican, not to seek re-election amid revelations of infidelity and abuse of two women.

Of note, both she and Mills accepted political contributions from Gonzales, and they are seeking re-election to battleground seats this year.

China defense investment

The House Foreign Affairs Committee, headed by Rep. Brian Mast, wants the Treasury Department to take additional steps to block American capital from strengthening China’s military.

The Stuart Republican led a letter to applaud the success of the Outbound Investment Security Program (OISP) and the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security (COINS) Act, which sought to close loopholes that allowed U.S. investments to enable sectors in China, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum technology.

“The OISP and the COINS Act have been major successes in protecting U.S. national security. However, more must be done to ensure that the United States does not fund its own destruction,” the letter reads.

“U.S. capital is helping to expand China’s biotechnology industry in ways that could leave the United States dangerously dependent on a strategic competitor. Such dependence would pose risks even greater than China’s dominance in rare earths.”

Besides Mast, the letter was signed by Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton, House Intelligence Committee Chair Rick Crawford, House China Committee Chair John Moolenaar, and a handful of others.

The letter said that significant steps need to be taken to stop the flow of cash and to deter major U.S. entities from working around federal law.

“​​Allowing Americans to continue trading the publicly listed securities of these firms undermines the purpose of existing designations and risks financing the very military capabilities U.S. policy seeks to constrain,” Mast said.

National Endowment of Democracy

The funding of foreign aid has spurred significant debate since Trump started his new term. Congress has continued to fund programs abroad, largely through a National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs package crafted by Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart.

The Hialeah Republican this week chaired a hearing with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) to discuss how it will be used as a foreign policy tool shaping relations with North Korea, Iran and, especially critical to Florida, Cuba.

“Foreign policy changes from one administration to the next. Yet the work of the NED remains consistent. As many of you know, I am a proud proponent of democracy and human rights promotion as a fundamental part of our foreign policy and national security. Toward that goal, the NED, and accountable democracy programs generally are essential to countering adversaries, advancing American national security interests, and standing with those struggling for freedom,” Díaz-Balart said.

NED President and CEO Damon Wilson tackled a range of topics, including the communist nation 90 miles off Florida’s coast.

“In Cuba, NED partners have played a similarly sustained and critical role in helping citizens break through one of the most entrenched information blockades in the world. Independent journalists, community media, and civic groups supported by NED continue to provide reliable reporting, document abuses, and create space for public accountability in an environment where the regime tightly controls information,” Wilson said.

“In 2025, NED-supported independent media reached more than 10 million people — roughly half inside Cuba — ensuring that citizens had access to news beyond official narratives and could better understand decisions affecting their daily lives.”

Díaz-Balart said the entity remains a valuable partner.

“Yes, NED has made mistakes. But, to NED’s credit, they are extremely responsive and quick to recognize and rectify them,” he said. “When they found a problematic issue with a grantee, they resolved it in a matter of days. Canceled it outright and got the money back. I wish every other federally funded organization was that swift and responsive to Congress.”

Conflict in Cuba

A fatal encounter between a Florida boat and the Cuban military has Rep. Carlos Giménez demanding answers.

The Cuban Ministry of Interior announced this week that a boat registered in Florida had approached the island nation when Cuban Border Guard Troops of the Ministry of the Interior confronted the occupants. Cuba claims the boat occupants then became aggressive, leading to a violent confrontation that left four occupants dead and another six injured.

“I am calling for an immediate investigation into this massacre. United States authorities must determine whether any of the victims were U.S. citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what occurred. The regime in Cuba must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity,” said Giménez, the only Cuban-born Congressman currently holding office.

Cuba maintains it has sovereign rights in the matter.

“In the face of the current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban state in safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region,” the Interior statement reads.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Miami Republican, told the press he is closely following the matter.

“We’re going to find out exactly what happened and then we will respond accordingly,” he said, as reported by The New York Post.

On this day

Feb. 27, 1973 — “Incident at Wounded Knee” via U.S. Marshals Service — The town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, was seized by followers of the American Indian Movement, who staged a 71-day occupation of the area. In response to the incident, Marshals Service volunteers stepped forward from all ranks to assist in resolving it. At its conclusion, U.S. Marshal Lloyd Grimm (District of Nebraska) would lie seriously wounded, as would an FBI agent. Two Indians would also, unfortunately, be killed. Exposure to personal danger, extreme weather conditions, prolonged hours of duty, and absence from home were just a few of the many frustrations people of the Marshals Service faced at Wounded Knee.

Feb. 27, 1922 — “Supreme Court defends women’s voting rights” via History.com — In deciding the case Leser v. Garnett, Justices upheld the constitutionality of the 19th Amendment, which provided American women with the right to vote. The Justices were unanimous in their decision to dismiss the challenge. In the case, prominent Baltimore lawyer Oscar Leser sued to strike all women from Maryland’s voting rolls because the 19th Amendment infringed on state sovereignty, since the Maryland state Legislature had refused to ratify the amendment. Maryland didn’t certify the 19th Amendment until 1958. The 19th Amendment was the product of more than seven decades of meetings, petitions and protests by women suffragists and their supporters.

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