News: Florida Man, but which one?

Friday, March 17, 2023

Florida Man, but which one?

Mar 17, 2023

With an assist from Olivia Beavers, Burgess Everett and Daniella Diaz

FLORIDA MEN — House Republicans descend on Central Florida this weekend for their annual retreat and one major question for the party will loom in the Sunshine State: Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis?

The question is trickier for the home-state crowd, the 20 House Republicans who hail from Florida. They’re delivering a stock answer to the question, for now, Olivia reports.

“The next president will be from Florida.” But push for more detail and they get evasive.

Before heading down to Florida herself, Olivia pressed every single member of the Florida Republican delegation on who they’d support for president in 2024.

First-term Rep. Aaron Bean (R-Fla.) called it a “Sophie’s choice.”

Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.) laughed and said “Oh, wow. You really are trying to get me into a situation here,” before revealing he’s “pretty much” decided, but won’t be going public yet. “I don’t need to make myself a target for a year.”

Two for Trump: In contrast to his last bid, House Republicans are moving slowly to jump on the Trump train. Just two Floridians have publicly endorsed his 2024 run: Reps. Matt Gaetz and Anna Paulina Luna.

DeSantis, delayed: It’s no surprise that zero Florida members have endorsed DeSantis. He isn’t officially in the race yet.

Don’t miss Olivia’s thorough look at where the House GOP stands on a Florida Man vs. Florida Man GOP presidential primary.

DIGGING FOR DISCLOSURES — A House panel is digging into the Air Force’s unauthorized release of personnel records of GOP candidates to a Democratic-aligned organization called Due Diligence Group.

The Judiciary Committee subpanel is tasked with investigating the politicization or “weaponization” of the federal government and announced last night that it is launching a probe and seeking additional information from Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, including all records and communications related to the improper disclosures.

“In late February 2023, media reports highlighted how the [Office of the Secretary of the Air Force] improperly disclosed Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) of 11 servicemembers without appropriate authorization or lawful consent. The OSAF reportedly released the personnel files of at least two Members of Congress to an opposition research firm that received money from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC),” they wrote.

Olivia broke the story of the military records release and brings us this latest development.

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TGIF! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Friday March 17, where some of the Congress Team’s alma maters racked up wins in the first round that had us cheering: Maryland, Arkansas and a wild upset by Princeton.

HOUSE GOP BETS ON THE BORDER — One of Republicans’ biggest targets is President Joe Biden’s border policies and behind the scenes they are taking another swing at their own set of solutions.

“They’ve kept the latest efforts out of the spotlight. Even so, senior members — including Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Mark Green (R-Tenn.), chairs of the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees, respectively — are quietly working on a slate of border-related bills, according to four GOP lawmakers and aides, that could be ready to begin moving as soon as the end of the month,” writes Jordain this morning.

But it won’t be easy.

Patrick McHenry speaking with reporters in the U.S. Capitol.

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) has opted for establishment over instigator. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

THE MAKING OF McHENRY — Rep. Patrick McHenry’s colleagues in his early days on the Hill wouldn’t have guessed he’d be trying to turn down the heat, both on partisanship and public outrage, as a dealmaker in Congress. The North Carolina Republican came to Congress at 29 and made himself into a self-described bomb thrower and was dubbed “the GOP’s attack-dog-in-training.”

Former Speaker Paul Ryan said McHenry was “a bomb thrower when he first came in ... and then he dramatically matured.”

These days he’s trying to keep a bank rescue intended to avert a cascading crisis away from the culture wars and is finding friction with fellow Republicans who want to take the opportunity to blame President Joe Biden. One major question is how many of his colleagues will follow the Financial Services Committee chairman’s lead?

Zachary Warmbrodt and Eleanor Mueller tie McHenry’s political transformation to his man-of-the-moment in the spotlight of a (hopefully) averted banking crisis. Plus his relationship with Financial Services Committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). Don’t miss it.

RAND'S STAND — Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has fought for years to repeal military authorizations. So he's a little droll when it comes to celebrating Thursday's overwhelming Senate vote in favor of debating an end to the Iraq war. He called the whole episode "baby steps."

"We're not going to end any current wars, but by golly, the war against Saddam Hussein is finally going to be over. I’m for it, I think it's largely symbolic. I introduced an amendment that would actually stop 20 wars and it got one vote," Paul said in an interview. “The 9/11 proclamation, many of these people I think, wrongly used to justify about 20 different wars around the world. And I would repeal the 9/11 AUMF. And if we want to go to war we should vote again.”

GARCIA THE DRAG FAN — Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) has been making a name for himself for approaching his job as a congressman in a unique way. He’s an openly gay congressman who has been celebrating his culture – including drag shows – while running his district. “He’s publicly celebrated drag culture, casually criticized Republican colleagues on Twitter, and paid tribute to Beyoncé on the House floor,” Nathan Kohrman wrote for The Atlantic. “Garcia embodies something new and welcome in American federal politics: an eagerness to embrace the pop culture and institutions made by and for gay people.”

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HUDDLE HOTDISH

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) is very passionate about this March Madness bracket, apparently.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is betting on Kansas taking the cake during March Madness.

It’s a freshman faceoff. Sen. Pete Rickets (R-Neb.) and Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) have made a friendly bet over today’s first round game between Creighton and N.C. State

QUICK LINKS

Members of U.S. Senate agriculture panel spar with Vilsack over USDA spending, response, Adam Goldstein from States Newsroom

VA to change its motto, dropping male-only language, from Leo Shane III at Military Times

Marianne Williamson’s ‘abusive’ treatment of 2020 campaign staff, revealed from Lauren Egan

TRANSITIONS

Maggie Clemmons is now comms director for Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas). She previously was comms manager for domestic policy, media and public relations at the Heritage Foundation.

Katherine Mongé is now a partner at Capitol Tax Partners. She previously was a senior policy adviser for former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House convenes at 11 a.m. for a pro forma session.

The Senate convenes at 8:45 a.m. for a pro forma session.

AROUND THE HILL

Noon Speaker McCarthy hosts Pres. Biden and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for the Annual Friends of Ireland luncheon. (H-207)

TRIVIA

THURSDAY’S WINNER: John D. Jones correctly answered that Supreme Court Justice John Marshall also served as secretary of State while he was on the Supreme Court.

TODAY’S QUESTION from John: Soil erosion has been an ever-present challenge for soil management and agricultural sustainability. What House member from Texas worked with renowned soil conservationist Hugh Hammond Bennet to fund widespread erosion research in appropriations for the Department of Agriculture in 1930?

The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com.

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Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus