Congress
Ruby-red Florida is still preparing for a financial storm from DC
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — In this hurricane-prone state, Republican legislators say they are preparing to weather a political and financial storm.
In other states led by Democrats, the moves by lawmakers could be labeled “Trump proofing.” But no matter the framing, Florida’s GOP-controlled Legislature is about to wrap up work on the state’s budget with a series of significant steps designed to shore up reserves and curtail spending.
The rationale given by Republican leaders includes everything from making the state’s budget resistant to a possible recession (without mentioning the economic impact of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump) to acknowledging “uncertainty” associated with Congress and potential cuts to Medicaid, food aid and federal agencies responsible for helping with emergency efforts.
“Should we have the expectation that if the federal government is spending less to get their budget and debt under control that we should be held harmless? I don’t think it works that way,” said Senate President Ben Albritton (R-Wauchula.) “The question is: ‘Do I believe this budget prepares Florida for what could be coming out of the ‘DOGE’ cuts or just the changes that come out of Washington D.C.?’ And I would say yes.”
Lawmakers in Tallahassee got to this point following a protracted and bumpy session, during which legislative leaders clashed over spending levels and tax cuts. State House Speaker Daniel Perez (R-Miami) initially wanted to permanently lower Florida’s sales tax rate, but he encountered headwinds from Senate Republicans as well as Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis contended the sales tax rate cut would benefit tourists and would undercut his push to cut local property taxes.
After being unable to come to a deal during their normal 60-day session, legislative leaders reached an accord late last week. The final deal calls for $2.25 billion in “revenue reductions,” but part of that total includes steering extra money into state reserves while also dedicating money to paying down existing debt. The Legislature also intends to pass a proposed constitutional amendment that would ask voters to permanently increase the size of reserves.
Perez said his push was less about tax cuts and more about paring back spending he asserts had gotten out of control during DeSantis’ time as governor.
But he also argued it would give Florida extra money that could be tapped into if another recession happens. During the Great Recession of the late 2000s, Florida Republican legislators resorted to large budget cuts, but they also drew down reserves and voted to raise taxes and fees to make up the difference
“None of us know what the future holds,” said Perez. “When we had a recession, the state of Florida was not prepared for that recession. We began to scramble. … We did not have the money that was necessary to protect Floridians. After this bill passes we will be in a better place.”
Florida currently has billions in reserves, including a mandated “Budget Stabilization Fund.” They were able to reach that point because the state’s economy grew in the aftermath of the Covid epidemic, while Florida was also flush with billions that came from Congress as part of massive aid packages.
Lawmakers are still tinkering with the current budget, but they are expected to land on a final total this month that puts overall state spending below the amount spent during the current fiscal year that ends on June 30.
The Legislature is also taking steps to claw back billions in unspent money. On Thursday, lawmakers sent DeSantis a bill that would free up $2.1 billion that Florida had set aside three years ago to assist private insurance companies struggling with backup financing due to the state’s property insurance crisis. The money would have eventually reverted back to the state’s main budget account, but legislators decided to speed that up.
As the session has gone on, top Republicans have initially side stepped questions about how much federal grant money state universities lost due to cuts pushed by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency efforts. Likewise, there has been little debate or discussion about potential impacts to other programs that are heavily reliant on federal aid such as Medicaid.
Florida is also still waiting on money it previously requested from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in response to a flurry of hurricanes that have ripped through the state in recent years.
“There may not be a FEMA next year, none of us know that,” state Senate budget chief Ed Hooper (R-Palm Harbor) said while defending the legislative proposal to set aside extra money for the reserves.
Under the current plan legislators will set aside $1.5 billion over the next two years that will eventually roll into the “Budget Stabilization Fund” if voters ago along with the idea of increasing the size of that reserve.
Some Democrats — who contend the state already doesn’t spend enough on teachers, health care and other programs — raised questions this week about the efforts to put money away in a “lock box,” questioning how easily the Legislature could tap into the fund. The proposal going before voters says the state could withdraw money fund for a “critical state need,” even though that term isn’t defined.
“It’s important to have flexibility because you never know what will come your way,” said state Rep. Christine Hunschofsky (D-Parkland).
But Republican legislators backing the idea said they wanted to make sure the money was only used to deal with a financial crisis or emergency for the state.
“We are doing this so we are truly prepared for a break-the-glass situation,” said Rep. Lawrence McClure (R-Dover), the House budget chief.
Congress
Capitol agenda: Mike Johnson’s week unravels
Speaker Mike Johnson’s week just started and it’s already falling apart.
Internal GOP strife forced Republican leaders late Monday to scrap a House Rules meeting that was supposed to set up critical floor votes on an extension of the Section 702 spy law, immigration enforcement funding and a farm bill. They planned to reconvene around 8 a.m. and try again.
At least 10 Republicans are threatening to oppose the rule vote teeing up the legislation — currently scheduled for 4:30 p.m. — over problems with Johnson’s three-year Section 702 reauthorization. And there are other issues with Republicans’ budget reconciliation plan and the farm bill.
Johnson is hoping he can pass the 702 extension shortly after 9 p.m., following a state dinner with King Charles III.
The fight over the spy law is more or less where it was earlier this month, when GOP hard-liners tanked a vote on an extension. They don’t believe leadership’s latest attempt at a compromise would go far enough to shield Americans from being caught up in warrantless surveillance under Section 702, which allows such surveillance of foreigners abroad. They also want assurances that there will be a ban on central bank digital currency.
The Senate is preparing to advance a three-year 702 extension around noon Tuesday as the House GOP stalemate threatens a lapse after Thursday’s deadline.
In a private House GOP meeting Monday night, GOP leaders tried to push Republicans to pass Johnson’s latest proposal as is. That suggestion only enraged some GOP hard-liners who are still opposed to the plan they argue is just a rework of the last one they tanked.
The farm bill is rife with GOP fights over amendments.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna threatened late Monday to “slaughter the farm bill” if pesticide provisions weren’t stripped out. MAHA advocates like Luna say the bill would shield pesticide companies from lawsuits, while farm state Republicans argue the measure would clarify labeling for critical and widely-used farm inputs.
Another farm bill problem is the continuing GOP fight over ethanol. Rules Committee Republican Reps. Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota, Randy Feenstra of Iowa and other midwestern GOP members are pushing for a vote on year-round sales of the E15 gasoline-ethanol blend.
As tempers flared, one Republican involved in the talks said the ethanol Republicans “went all in on an amendment” that failed to get consensus.
“Now they have to get something or else it’s probably lights-out for Feenstra’s governor bid and maybe a few House seats,” the person said.
“The incompetence is stunning,” House Rules ranking member Jim McGovern said in an interview. “We’re in the same place as we were last week.”
What else we’re watching:
— King’s speech prep: In his 20-minute address to Congress Tuesday, King Charles III is expected to tout the U.S.-U.K. relationship as one of “reconciliation and renewal” and “one of the greatest alliances in human history” — hitting a message that the two nations can promote security and prosperity for the world if they defend shared democratic values. Ahead of his 3 p.m. remarks, the king is scheduled to meet with the four top congressional leaders and have photo ops.
— Don’t bank on the ballroom: Republicans are clamoring for President Donald Trump to get his ballroom in the wake of Saturday’s shooting, but bills to greenlight it are going nowhere fast in Congress. Senate Democrats are unlikely to support a ballroom bill, and if Republicans try to go it alone they’ll face procedural and political hurdles that would make it difficult to tuck into their own party-line immigration enforcement bill.
Congress
How Bernie Sanders convinced Democrats against arming Israel
When Bernie Sanders moved last April to block a U.S. arms sale to Israel, only 14 Democratic senators joined the Vermont independent.
What a difference a year makes: When Sanders objected to another Israeli arms sale this month, 39 other members of the Senate Democratic Caucus joined him — a sea change that has raised eyebrows from Washington to Jerusalem.
In a recent interview, Sanders reflected on the sudden and massive shift, one that has some observers saying he — not Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has voted to support the arms sales — is leading Senate Democrats on Israel policy.
“That’s true,” Sanders said of the claim. “I mean we got 40 votes, and Schumer got seven. We have more support for our position than Chuck has for his.”
While Republicans and a handful of pro-Israel Democrats have so far been able to push the weapons shipments through, allies of Sanders say the momentum behind his blocking effort has sent an unmistakable signal to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders that they cannot count on unquestioned U.S. support for their military campaigns targeting Gaza, Lebanon and now Iran.
One Democrat who continues to support the sales, Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, said the Netanyahu government should be reined in but said Sanders was pursuing “the wrong vehicle to try to achieve those changes.” And most of those who recently came to oppose the arms sales cited the Iran War and the risk of further escalation in the region — not Sanders.
But fellow Vermont Sen. Peter Welch, a Democratic co-sponsor of the two most recent blocking resolutions, said Sanders “absolutely” deserves recognition for the growing support they have found:
“Having been with him from the beginning, he has been outspoken and influential,” he said.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Were you surprised Chuck Schumer didn’t change his vote? And do you think it could change in the future?
You’ll have to talk to Chuck about that. But you’re right. I mean I think what is noteworthy — and I think people are discussing it — is that you have two major leaders of the Democratic Party, both Chuck and [DSCC Chair] Kirsten Gillibrand, being in the significant minority of the party in terms of their votes on continuing to fund military aid to Israel. [Schumer and Gillibrand did not respond to requests for comment.]
The split was reportedly a topic of discussion during a Senate Republican lunch last week. Semafor reported that Majority Whip John Barrasso argued you lead Democrats on Israel — not Schumer.
That’s true. I mean we got 40 votes and Schumer got seven votes right? We have more support for our position than Chuck has for his position. That’s obviously the case.
Were you surprised by any of the votes you got this month?
As you know, we’ve had a solid group of people who have voted with us in the past. But also what we are seeing, you know, folks who are looking at both policy and politics — people like Mark Kelly of Arizona, Cory Booker of New Jersey and a number of others — who are saying it’s time that we began to vote the way our constituents would like us to vote.
Are you doing any lobbying? Are you just calling these votes up, or are you actually talking to your colleagues behind the scenes?
Well, I think the answer is mostly no. I think the issue is so clear. Every member of the Democratic Caucus fully understands that Israel is now sadly and tragically run by a right-wing extremist government led by Netanyahu. Democrats are going home, they’re holding town meetings and people are saying, “Why the hell, when we can’t afford housing and health care, are you spending our money providing military aid to Israel, which is doing such horrible things in Gaza, Iran, Lebanon and the West Bank?”
The polling out there now is quite clear that the majority of the American people, including independents and Republicans combined, now think that we should not be giving military aid to Israel. The problem for the Democrats is that [the American Israel Public Affairs Committee] is enormously powerful — they’ve spent tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions and they have something like $93 million in their war chest right now. For Democrats to take on AIPAC is not easy, but they’re increasingly choosing to support what the people back home want.
What do you say to colleagues who have concerns about looking like they don’t support Israel as a state or don’t want to be seen as antisemitic?
Antisemitism is an absolutely disgusting ideology which has resulted in the deaths of many, many millions of people over the years, 6 million people under Hitler, and it needs to be combated in every way, shape or form. But I will oppose with every ounce of my fiber, anybody who suggests that taking on the racist and extremist policies of the Netanyahu government is antisemitic. That is nonsense.
All over this country, there is growing opposition to U.S. military aid to Israel. The reason for that is not difficult to understand: The American people were shocked and horrified by the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel and were prepared to support Israel going after Hamas, but what they were not prepared to do was to support Israel waging an all-out war against the Palestinian people. And then they look up one day a few months ago, and Israel gets the United States to engage in an absolutely unnecessary, unprovoked war with Iran, which is doing massive damage economically to us and people all over the world.
Do you have plans to force more of these arms-sale votes in the future? Do you think you can eventually win?
Obviously yes. We are going to stay on this issue. There are going to be a certain group of hardcore people in both parties who are going to remain loyal to AIPAC. But I think you’re going to see significant defections in the Republican Party and maybe some more votes in the Democratic caucus as well.
Congress
WHCD shooting fuels new efforts in Congress to get Trump his ballroom
President Donald Trump’s allies in Congress want to quickly authorize completion of the White House ballroom after the Saturday shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. But it’s not going to be simple.
Trump’s ambitious ballroom project was put on hold earlier this year after a federal judge said Congress needed to explicitly approve it. Responses from lawmakers were relatively muted at that time. Then over the weekend, Trump and several members of the presidential line of succession were sitting down to their salads at a Washington hotel when a gunman tried to storm past a security checkpoint.
Now, what was once regarded by many lawmakers as a nice-to-have is being viewed as a necessary venue for future events and celebrations. Multiple Hill Republicans have made public promises to try to approve the ballroom’s construction as soon as this week despite there being no clear path to getting a bill quickly to Trump’s desk.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.S.C) said he has been hearing from Trump directly about the ballroom and wants Senate Majority Leader John Thune to “expedite” consideration of his new bill with GOP Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama and Eric Schmitt of Missouri that would provide up to $400 million for the project.
Schmitt told reporters that while the ongoing legal battle isn’t over and that he believes Trump has the authority to build the ballroom on his own, Saturday’s shooting “renews the focus” on finding ways to finish the project without delays or complications.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is expected to try Tuesday to pass his bill that would authorize construction of the ballroom. Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) is also expected to go to the Senate floor this week to try and pass his own bill.
Yet Republicans are facing multiple hurdles, the most serious of which is that senators don’t have support to overcome a filibuster. Democrats are furious the ballroom is being built on the rubble of the East Wing that Trump bulldozed without consulting with lawmakers or planning and preservation review boards.
That’s giving way to talk among some Republicans about trying to jam it into the party-line immigration enforcement bill Trump wants on his desk by June 1 — a maneuver that might not work or could, at the very least, complicate the GOP’s ability to meet its deadline as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown drags on.
Trump himself urged the House to approve the budget blueprint as-is that the Senate advanced last week, which would tee up a bill through the filibuster-skirting budget reconciliation process to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol activities — part of a two-step plan to reopen DHS after bipartisan negotiations fell through.
Even House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington, who has called for expanding the pending reconciliation bill, is warning against making changes.
He said Monday the package will be “completely focused” on ICE and Border Patrol funding. And he warned that if Republicans start adding things now, it would open the door to adding items from a much larger conservative wish list.
“Listen, if we were going to add stuff to this, I’ve got a list and it’s going to start with fiscal reforms on preventing more fraud, and then you’ve got a host of other reforms on health care and housing affordability,” Arrington said.
Three Senate aides said Monday that a ballroom-related provision would not comply with the chamber’s rules for inclusion in the measure under the budget reconciliation process, anyway. Further complicating matters is that Republicans aren’t united behind one specific ballroom proposal, with Paul noting he would support putting a nominal amount of funding in but not hundreds of millions of dollars like Graham is envisioning.
Thune kept his options open Monday, telling reporters his conference would see what was “achievable.” But he acknowledged that the budget blueprint his chamber drafted did not task all of the relevant committees with oversight of the ballroom project to draft the reconciliation bill itself.
“I don’t know,” Thune said when pressed if it could be included in the immigration enforcement package.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) also urged his colleagues to tread carefully on the reconciliation plan.
“If we change it, then we put it in jeopardy. So I would prefer not to put it in jeopardy,” he said to reporters Monday evening. “I understand that there’s a desire to move forward with some of the construction over there, but let’s get a win under our belt.”
Graham, who chairs the Budget Committee, didn’t close the door to trying to tackle the ballroom through the party-line process but appeared to be frustrated about the prospect that it could come to that.
“I’d like to do it as a freestanding bill with an offset,” Graham said at a news conference Monday. “Let’s give it a chance, and if we fail, we’ll have to go to Plan B.”
Yet so far, with the exception of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), no Senate Democrat is biting.
“If Republicans truly want to improve security, they should join Democrats in funding the Secret Service, not Donald Trump’s luxury ballroom,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday on the Senate floor.
Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
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