Congress

On The Florida Roundup, former U.S. Reps. Carlos Curbelo and Stephanie Murphy discuss the need for consensus and contacting lawmakers with personal stories.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from Weston, is convening a roundtable discussion Friday with local healthcare leaders and consumer advocates to talk about the impasse in Congress over extending critical tax credits for health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act.

Even before the federal government shut down Wednesday, Democratic and Republican lawmakers in South Florida were engaging in partisan finger pointing on who's to blame for the legislative standoff.

“I have just spoken with the Office of the Attorney General & can confirm that the National Guard will NOT be deployed to Miami,” the Miami congressman posted on X. “Miami is not Chicago or San Francisco — and never will be.”

U.S. House Democrats from Florida have signed a letter urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to reverse Florida’s plans to eliminate school vaccine mandates.

"This ruling is a step forward, but the struggle for justice continues," said the Orlando lawmaker who has toured the detention center in the Everglades twice to inspect conditions of immigrants being detained.

Robin Peguero, 39, formally announced his campaign on Tuesday, saying his mission, if elected, would be to "cut costs for Miami’s families, strengthen our broken immigration system consistent with the rule of law, and protect the constitutional rights of all."

U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar is teaming up with Texas Democratic Congresswoman Veronica Escobar to introduce a "revolutionary immigration reform bill" that would further secure the border and allow undocumented immigrants in the country prior to 2021 to become legal U.S. residents.

In what was a major victory for Florida tomato growers, the U.S. Commerce Department announced in April that it would withdraw from the 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement, beginning July 14. A 20.91% tariff will then be imposed on most tomatoes from Mexico.

“Our state is already projecting significant ongoing budget challenges and everyday Floridians are facing mounting challenges, just to make ends meet,” FPI CEO Sadaf Knight said in a statement. “This moment calls for making investments in public services, raising additional revenue and in expanding economic security — by choosing not to do so, the Legislature is putting their head in the sand.”

Boca Helping Hands, which serves 35,000 people a year with food, job training and financial assistance, was already feeling the pressure from earlier federal budget cuts and a significant drop in food donations.

Longtime U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson introduced a bill in Congress this week to help stabilize the troubled property insurance market and help homeowners nationwide, especially in Florida, with a growing and costly pocketbook issue.