|
|
Rep. Scott Franklin: The Ready Room – October 20, 2021
Hello Friend,
Welcome to my e-newsletter, the Ready Room. As a retired Naval Aviator, the Ready Room is special to me because it’s where fellow aviators meet to brief and debrief missions. This is my weekly briefing to you on my mission in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube for regular updates on how my team and I are working to serve you in Congress.
Opposing Reckless Spending
A picture of the outside steps of the U.S. Treasury Department (Courtesy U.S. Treasury Department)
Last Tuesday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi recalled members of Congress to vote on a bill to increase our country’s national debt ceiling. While we do not want to default on debt that we owe, the costly $5 trillion in new spending congressional Democrats are trying to pass threatens the economic prosperity of our nation. I opposed this measure because it puts our country on a dangerous track by spending money we simply do not have. It jeopardizes our fiscal health by forcing our children to pay tomorrow for today’s reckless spending. We must make tough decisions on spending before Congress continues to put our country into further debt.
We Must Restore Accountability in Our Military
U.S. forces board a Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan (Courtesy U.S. Department of Defense)
As a veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, I’m deeply troubled by the lack of accountability across the ranks in our military. The recent withdrawal from Afghanistan was an epic failure and tragically led to the death of 13 service members and countless Afghan civilians. Despite this horrible result, not a single leader at the Pentagon has been held accountable. We need accountability at the top levels of our military. Good order and discipline are critical to combat effectiveness and the safety and well-being of our military. It starts by holding every service member at every rank accountable for their actions. Click here to read more of my thoughts on this issue in my latest op-ed at the Lakeland Ledger.
Thank You, Farmers!
Various pumpkins and other vegetables are put on display
at Kim’s Cabbage Patch
Last Tuesday was National Farmers Day, which celebrates the hard-working farmers from across our nation. I’m grateful for the many farmers here in Central Florida who work tirelessly to provide for our country. Whether it is strawberries, citrus, cattle, or many other agricultural products, our farmers have produced a rich agricultural tradition we can all be proud of.
Happy Birthday, U.S. Navy!
On October 13, 1775, the Continental Congress established a naval force to disrupt British sea power. 246 years later, the U.S. Navy continues to guard the seas and protect U.S. national security interests. As a former Naval Aviator, I am grateful to be part of the Navy’s incredible legacy and I look forward to celebrating many more birthdays to come. Happy birthday to all my fellow sailors!
Test Your Knowledge #CivicsWithScott!
Which of the following cities did not serve as the Capitol of the United States?
a. Philadelphia
b. New York
c. Annapolis
d. Richmond
Last Week’s Question: What is the title given to the longest serving member of the House of Representatives?
a. President Pro Tempore
b. The Elder
c. Dean – Correct Answer
d. General Secretary
I’m honored to represent you in Congress. For more information on constituent services, current legislation and to sign up for my e-newsletter, please visit my website at franklin.house.gov.
Best regards,
 |
C. Scott Franklin
From the Desk of Senator Mario Rubio
Note from Marco
Grassroots Leaders –
Skyrocketing inflation is affecting families across our nation. Prices on common goods haven’t been this high in over a decade, but Joe Biden’s administration refuses to accept any responsibility for this rising inflation.
Meanwhile, my liberal opponent, Val Demings, and her radical allies in Congress are continuing to push a $3.5 TRILLION socialist spending spree. We cannot allow Democrats to turn America into a Socialist country, which is exactly what will happen if we don’t stand up for what we believe in. My campaign released a video that you can share on FACEBOOK and TWITTER that highlights the danger to Florida families that Val Demings and this radical spending spree poses. Click on the links to watch, and then please share with your friends!
Next on the list of the Biden Administration’s failures is their handling of the immigration crisis on our Southern border. Under Kamala Harris’ failed leadership as Border Czar, illegal border crossings are up over 300%! I have repeatedly called on Joe Biden to REPLACE Harris as Border Czar, and instead install someone who actually understands the importance of stopping the flow of illegal immigrants. And in a show of total hypocrisy, this administration has decided foreigners legally traveling to the U.S. will need proof of vaccination and a negative Covid-19 test to enter, but foreigners illegally crossing the border do not need to be vaccinated or tested before being released into communities in Florida and around the country.
Last week I wrote an op-ed for Fox News explaining why John Kerry needs to be fired immediately from his job as Joe Biden’s Climate Czar. Reports have recently surfaced showing John Kerry taking upwards of $1 million dollars from a company profiting from slave labor in China. It’s inexcusable that the same people who pride themselves as social justice warriors decide to turn a blind eye to the very real human rights abuses happening at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party–and in John Kerry’s case, while profiting from them. John Kerry has been a staunch opponent of my Uyghur Forced Labor Act, which would make it impossible for products made with slave labor in Xinjiang to be imported into the United States. Now we know why. Read my full Op-Ed HERE.
Friend, we have a real campaign on our hands. The radical left continues to flood the state with cash to help my Pelosi Puppet opponent, Val Demings. Over the last few months, Val Demings brought in over $8 million from her national liberal donor network, an enormous sum which will give her the resources she needs to win in Florida. We can’t let that happen.
While Demings continues to rely on her base of national liberal donors, and is focused on raising woke money on Facebook, our best chance of fighting back is you, our grassroots supporters. To help us win this tough battle will you please sign up to volunteer and help deliver our positive message of results to voters? I need your help. Florida needs your help. Our great nation needs your help. Sign up HERE.
Thank you for your continued support!
Senator Marco Rubio
Marco in the News
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Greg Steube hits rare out-of-the-park home run during Congressional Baseball Game
Greg Steube hits rare out-of-the-park home run during Congressional Baseball Game
September 30, 2021
Rep. Greg Steube literally knocked one out of the park at the Congressional Baseball Game on Wednesday. Watch video here.
The Florida Republican’s slam, which hit the bleachers two rows back, was the first out-of-the-park homer at a Congressional Baseball Game in over 40 years, the last time being when former Rep. Ron Paul did so in 1979.
Steube, an Iraq War veteran , is the first congressman to hit the ball out of a Major League Baseball park, as the annual game wasn’t held at Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals baseball team, until 2009.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS PRESS LEADERS NOT TO HELP SQUABBLING DEMOCRATS PUSH INFRASTRUCTURE TO FINISH LINE
Steube celebrated with a leisurely trot back to home base, where he was swarmed by his teammates. His hit helped secure the Republicans’ narrow 13-12 victory over their Democratic colleagues, marking only the third victory for the GOP during the last 13 annual contests to raise money for charity. Steube was also the Republicans’ starting pitcher, during which he wore a “Save America” cap signed by former President Donald Trump.
President Joe Biden attended the game, where he was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos.
RNC Challenges Vermont Legislation Giving Voting Rights to Non-Citizens
RNC Challenges Vermont Legislation Giving Voting Rights to Non-Citizens
WASHINGTON, D.C – The Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Vermont GOP (VTGOP) are today suing the cities of Montpelier and Winooski, Vermont over their new town charters that allow noncitizens to vote in their municipal elections. This radical scheme passed by Vermont Democrats, to allow foreign citizens to decide American elections is a blatant attack on election integrity and violates the state constitution which requires Vermont voters to be U.S. citizens.
“Democrats are trying to dismantle the integrity of our elections. In addition to attacking widely supported safeguards like voter ID, Democrats also want foreign citizens to vote in American elections. Republicans are fighting back on this far-left assault against election integrity — unlike radical Democrats, we believe that our elections should be decided solely by American citizens. This is a matter of principle and we will fight in all 50 states to ensure this remains the case.” – RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel
The RNC is joined in the suit by the Vermont Republican Party and several concerned Vermont voters. The suit also raises important concerns about how the laws will be implemented and whether non-citizens will end up on the same voter registration lists used for state-level and federal elections.
Click here to read more from FOX News
Senator Kelli Stargel is recipient of the 2021 CFDC Chair Award
The recipient of the 2021 CFDC Chair Award is Senator Kelli Stargel. Central Florida Development Council (CFDC) Chair Dr. Angela Garcia Falconetti said Senator Stargel’s impact on economic development has been profound, making her the “top choice” for this award.
Watch video of award presentation by clicking here.
Governor Ron DeSantis’ powerful State of the State Address
Governor Ron DeSantis’ powerful State of the State Address
Governor Ron DeSantis delivered his third State of the State Address to a joint session of the Florida Legislature Tuesday at the launch of the 2021 session. It was a powerful speech with a moving video of a diversity of Floridians being thankful for the opportunities and hope that Governor DeSantis provided this past year by diligently defending their freedoms.
During his speech, Governor DeSantis honored those who have died from COVID, recognizing the toll the virus has taken on family members, by directing the state of Florida to lower the flags to half-staff today.
“We are saddened by the thousands of Floridians – and hundreds of thousands of Americans – who have died with COVID. And we sympathize with the family members who in many instances were not even permitted to see their loved ones in person, at a nursing home or in the hospital.” ~ Governor Ron DeSantis
Below are some highlights from his address, or you can watch the whole speech here:
To watch the video presentation that played during the speech, go here:
Florida is the brightest spot in Covid response
“While so many other states kept locking people down, Florida lifted people up.
“Florida’s schools are open – and we are one of only a handful of states in which every parent has a right to send a child to school in-person. All Floridians have a right to earn a living – and our citizens are employed at higher rates than those in the nation as a whole.
“Every job is essential. If you are working hard to earn a living, we got your back in the state of Florida. Every business in Florida has a right to operate. We have stood up for small, family-owned businesses and have saved thousands of them from ruin.
“Because of our actions, Florida is leading the nation in the number of people submitting business formation applications and we are one of the top destinations for business relocation.
“Friends, legislators, Floridians, lend me your ears: We will not let anybody close your schools, we will not let anybody take your jobs and we will not let anybody close your businesses!”
Florida’s fiscal responsibility pays off
“Because Florida’s economy is open, revenue is coming in at levels far higher than even the most recent revised estimates. For the last three months – December to February – preliminary estimates peg the increase in revenue at more than $800 million over and above the December revenue estimation.
“Florida is below the national average in unemployment and much lower than our peer states of TX, NY, and CA. We also anticipate downward revisions of December’s unemployment numbers to reflect even stronger jobs numbers.
“Throughout the pandemic, Florida has not touched one red cent from our rainy day fund.”
Standing behind law enforcement
Working with President Simpson, Speaker Sprowls and law enforcement groups across the state, we have proposed the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement reforms in the nation. We will not permit localities to jeopardize the safety of their citizens by indulging in the insane fantasy of defunding law enforcement.
We will not allow our cities to burn and violence to rule the streets. And we will not leave any doubt in the minds of those who wear the uniform that the state of Florida stands with you.
Tackling Big Tech
“Big Tech wields monopolistic power over the public in ways that would have made the monopolists of the early 20th century blush. Floridians have a right to control their personal data and Big Tech should not be able to make billions of dollars off us without our informed consent.
“Florida has always been a state that strongly supports free speech, and we cannot allow the contours of acceptable speech to be adjudicated by the whims of oligarchs in Silicon Valley. Nor we can allow Floridians to be ‘de-platformed’ or silenced with no means of recourse, and this is especially true of those who rely on these technology platforms for their livelihoods.”
“Finally, because Florida is dedicated to free and fair elections, we cannot allow Big Tech to interfere in our elections by putting a thumb on the scale for political candidates favored by Silicon Valley.
Leading on free and fair elections
“Speaking of elections, we should take a moment to enjoy the fact that Florida ran perhaps the most transparent and efficient election in the nation in 2020. People actually asked, why cannot these other states be like Florida? Such a sentiment would have been unthinkable twenty years ago.
“We need to make sure our elections are transparent and run efficiently. There should be no ballot harvesting in the state of Florida. One person, one vote.
“We also cannot allow private groups to pour millions of dollars into the administration of our elections. That is a public function and should be done free from this type of private interference.
RPOF Chairman Joe Gruters named Chairman of RNC Election Integrity Committee
RPOF Chairman Joe Gruters named Chairman of RNC Election Integrity Committee
The Republican Party of Florida congratulates Chairman Joe Gruters on his appointment, by Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, to the newly formed Committee on Election Integrity dedicated to restoring election transparency and ensuring voters have confidence in future election processes.
“It is a great privilege for me, and an honor for the State of Florida, to be named by the RNC to such an important committee, coming as it does on the heels of a national election with so many irregularities creating distrust,” said Gruters, who is also a state Senator. “In Florida, we have created a system where we ensure that every legal vote counts, making it as easy as possible to vote and as hard as possible to cheat. We’ve shown clearly that even in a large, diverse state, elections can be fair, free and transparent with results delivered in a timely manner.”
Also appointed as a member of the Committee on Election Integrity is Florida National Committeewoman Kathleen King, further cementing Florida’s recognized success in election integrity.
We have included the full press release from the RNC below.
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel Announces New Election Integrity Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C – Today, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced the formation of the new Committee on Election Integrity dedicated to restoring election transparency and ensuring voters have confidence in future election processes.
“Election integrity is one of the most critical issues we face as a Party and as a country. What we saw this past election – states undoing important safeguards, bypassing the proper legislative processes, and changing election laws in the eleventh hour – was deeply troubling and brought chaos and uncertainty to our sacred democratic processes. As RNC Chair, I will not sit idly by and the Party will respond. The RNC will play a crucial role in restoring confidence in our elections, promoting election integrity, and recommending best practices to ensure that future elections are free, fair, and transparent.” – RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel
This past cycle, the RNC ran its most comprehensive legal strategy to date, spending more than $30 million on election protection efforts in battleground states across the country. The Committee on Election Integrity represents a renewed focus on continuing this important work and fighting Democrats’ unprecedented attempts to change election laws. This committee will work closely with state parties and other stakeholders in our elections across the country on voting policies and best practices, such as ensuring poll watchers are allowed to properly observe counting processes, meaningful voter ID laws are codified, and all Americans have faith in our elections process.
The RNC Committee on Election Integrity will be chaired by Florida Republican Party Chairman Joe Gruters, with Ashley MacLeay, National Committeewoman from the District of Columbia, serving as Co-Chair. The full temporary RNC committee will consist of 12 men and 12 women, representing the RNC from 21 states and the District of Columbia.
Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez elected as the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association’s Committee’s Chairman
Congratulations to our Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez who will be serving as the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association’s committee’s chairman for the 2021 election cycle. Under her leadership she shattered Republican State Leadership Committee fundraising records, paving the way for Republicans to deliver key victories.
As the first hispanic American woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor she led Florida by increasing Republican majorities in both of Florida’s legislative chambers!
Melony Bell – Florida House of Representatives Page & Messenger Program for the 2021 Legislative Session,
Melony Bell – Florida House of Representatives District 56
I am so excited to announce that the Florida House of Representatives Page & Messenger Program will be held during the 2021 Legislative Session, continuing a tradition that dates back to Florida’s earliest years of statehood. The application portal is now open and can be found at https://myfloridahouse.gov/…/page…/pm_application.pdf. The responsibilities of each position are outlined below, however, to allow for students to be socially distanced as much as possible during their week of service, I am only able to sponsor one student for the program. This means I can accept either one Page (grades 6-8) or one Messenger (grades 9-12), but not both this year.
Pages (grades 6-8) are traditionally tasked with assisting the representatives in the House Chamber whenever the House is in session, but it is possible that Pages may not be able to assist in the House Chamber this session. Messengers (grades 9-12) assist House members and staff by delivering time-sensitive materials throughout the Capitol Complex. In addition to their prescribed duties, the Pages and Messengers will spend their week learning the ins and outs of the legislative process, hearing from officials working in all three branches of Florida’s state government, and creating mock bills of their own that they will endeavor to pass through mock committees and a mock session.
The COVID-19 global pandemic necessitated making a number of changes and modifications to the program in order to ensure a safe and enriching experience for all participants, which are outlined below:
ALL Pages and Messengers will be subject to the Capitol’s mobile on-site COVID-19 diagnostic testing, which will take place at the beginning of their week of service. Only those students who receive a negative test result will be allowed to participate in the program. A negative COVID-19 diagnostic test or a positive antibody test from the student’s local testing site WILL NOT be accepted as a substitute for the on-site COVID-19 diagnostic test. ANY student presenting symptoms of COVID-19, who has been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, or who is awaiting results of a COVID-19 diagnostic test because of suspected exposure to COVID-19 WILL NOT be allowed to participate in the program and will be immediately sent home should they start exhibiting any such symptoms during their week of service. Students will be REQUIRED to wear a face-covering at all times, aside from lunch, and unless otherwise specified in the Page & Messenger Program Guidebook.
All applications must be completed and returned to the Florida House of Representatives Office of the Clerk by FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021, via email to [email protected] or via fax to 888-864-8992.