Delegation for 7.31.26: Homebound — AI scam — Space Age — coastal forecast — Haiti

Time at home

The August recess looms, with members of Florida’s congressional delegation turning their focus to politics back home. Most House members have wrapped up business in Washington and returned to Florida through the end of August.

Those in competitive Primaries are making the most of their time on the ground.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz posted photos of herself knocking on doors in Florida’s 20th Congressional District. There, the Broward Democrat has faced criticism for running in a plurality-Black District under a newly enacted congressional map, one she believes aims to reduce minority representation. She faces former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, rapper-turned-activist Luther Campbell, former Broward Mayor Dale Holness and progressive activist Elijah Manley, and argues her seniority will empower the District.

“Great to knock doors to share with voters that making life more affordable and fighting back against Trump’s chaos and corruption are my top priorities,” she posted on X. “I’ve delivered real results for Broward, and I won’t stop now.”

Another lawmaker in a heated re-election race, U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, has amplified his district work even as Primary opponents challenge him over personal scandals. But he has urged voters to consider what he has done for constituents directly. On his campaign account, he posted about $65 million in Social Security money returned to individuals, $22 million in Veterans Affairs dollars given back, and millions more. Mills faces Primary challenges from former TV journalist Ryan Elijah, conservative activist Michael Don Johnson and businesswoman Sarah Ulrich.

“Proud to lead the state of Florida with over $107M in owed benefits that was held by bureaucrats for months or even years. If you have any problems with your Gov. benefits or back pay, please don’t hesitate to contact our offices. Honored to fight for Florida’s 7th District!” he posted.

The two most recent additions to the delegation, U.S. Reps. Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis, have stressed their conservative credentials as they face challengers in Republican Primaries. Both have endorsements from President Donald Trump, valuable commodities in the Primary competition.

Patronis made a post as he walked through Northwest Florida neighborhoods campaigning. He stressed his support of military spending in the region and the backing of the commander in chief. He faces former Green Beret John Frankman.

“The sound of an F-35 overhead is the sound of freedom and the sound of Northwest Florida. I’m fighting every day in Congress to make sure that sound echoes for generations to come,” he posted.

Fine, an Atlantic Coast Republican, held a campaign event in Flagler County with local officials who support his candidacy at his side, including state Rep. Sam Greco and Flagler County Commissioner Greg Hansen.

“It was great spending time with so many incredible patriots at Hammock Beach Resort in Flagler County last night,” Fine posted. “I’m grateful to everyone who came out to hear what I’ve accomplished so far for the county and to discuss the work still ahead. Thank you for your support. I will never stop fighting for you and the people of Florida’s Sixth District.”

Fine is being challenged in a Primary by America First activist Aaron Baker, social media influencer Dan Bilzerian, retired Army Reserve Brig. Gen. Charles Gambaro and investment firm founder Manuel Asencio.

U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Parkland Democrat, has tallied critical endorsements from the state teachers’ union and firefighters’ union and from the Democratic Environmental Caucus, among other prominent groups in the region. He also has a vote-by-mail operation in full swing as he faces a fight with democratic socialist Oliver Larkin.

“Every day you hold onto that ballot is a day it could get lost or delayed. The sooner you return it, the sooner your vote is locked in and counted,” Moskowitz’s campaign posted on Facebook.

Voters in Florida will settle all congressional Primaries on Aug. 18.

AI-powered scams

Artificial intelligence has led to more sophisticated scams targeting Florida’s seniors, according to Sen. Rick Scott.

The Naples Republican this week held a hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, which he chairs, on AI and senior fraud.

“Whether it’s a phone call from someone posing as a grandchild in trouble, a suspicious investment scheme delivered through the mail, or an email from a government impostor threatening jail time, these criminals are targeting our seniors with increasing sophistication,” Scott said.

“Our seniors are often especially vulnerable to this kind of fraud. Sadly, for many older Americans, falling victim to a scam doesn’t just mean losing money; it can also mean losing peace of mind, trust in others, and confidence in themselves while navigating daily life.”

Already, Americans over age 60 lose a collective $7.7 billion to scams each year, Scott said. AI gives one more tool to criminals to exploit the elderly, as documented in a new report released by the bipartisan Committee. Scott said he has worked closely with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, researching the topic. Now, he said it’s time to follow up with policy.

“Only understanding the threat is not enough. Seniors need an easy way to report it,” Scott said. He has worked on bills with Gillibrand, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama that he hopes to pass this year.

Last-minute business

The Senate remained in Session this week. But in the final days before the upper chamber breaks for its own August recess, Sen. Ashley Moody urged colleagues to follow the House’s lead and pass an insider trading ban (H.R. 7008). She also reiterated a request for the Senate to stay in Session until it takes up some nationwide photo ID requirement for voters.

“The American People expect results, and I didn’t come to the Senate to just listen as the vast majority of this country call for securing our elections and banning members from trading stocks,” Moody said. “It’s time to act. I joined my colleagues on the floor last night to fight for America, ban congressional insider trading and pass voter ID. Both measures would restore trust in the People’s Government — something our country desperately needs.”

She brought to the floor bills on both, including the Save America Act that Trump supports, urging unanimous consent. That drew expected objection. Moody also noted that she has pushed forward other bills that would put identification requirements into law.

New Space Age?

Legislation now introduced in both chambers of Congress could soon allow the private space industry to improve launch facilities at Cape Canaveral and beyond.

U.S. Rep. Mike Haridopolos, an Indian Harbour Beach Republican who chairs the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, introduced the Space Ready 2.0 Act (H.R. 9651). The legislation would pave the way for modernizing roads, utilities and other critical infrastructure at NASA facilities as commercial spaceflight continues to grow.

The Space Coast lawmaker said such improvements will be necessary to keep the U.S. at the head of a new and increasingly competitive space race.

“We can’t be number one on Earth if we’re number two in space,” he said. “The Space Coast has always been at the heart of America’s space program. As more missions launch from Florida, we must ensure NASA has the infrastructure needed to support the next generation of exploration and keep America leading the world in space.”

Moody introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

In addition to allowing for private-sector construction at launch sites, the bill as written also increases transparency requirements on costs and project timelines and allows for congressional oversight. It also would implement the changes as a pilot program set to sunset at the end of 2031 and be reviewed by lawmakers at that time.

For the left

As another high-profile Democratic Primary plays out in Michigan, U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, the only House member in Florida’s delegation with no opposition this year, flew in to support progressive Abdul El-Sayed. The race has drawn national attention as El-Sayed, a socialist-affiliated candidate, appears to be leading polls over moderate U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and is considered a favorite for the nomination in a swing state.

Frost, the most outspoken progressive in Florida’s congressional delegation, has pushed for the further-left candidate and said the pushback against his candidacy shows the corporate class is frightened.

“They are throwing everything they’ve got at him because they know he is going to win,” the Orlando Democrat said in a speech in Michigan.

“Something we always have to remember is that your opponent will fight the hardest and throw the most punches when their back is against the wall, when their back is against the ropes, when they know it’s almost over for them.”

Investing in forecasting

U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna came home from Washington with $1.5 million to present to the University of South Florida for a new oceanic program at its St. Petersburg campus.

The Pinellas Republican said the funding would move research efforts forward to improve forecasting for hurricanes, storm surge, red tide and other natural disasters.

“This investment will allow the USF College of Marine Science to move forward from a difficult setback with stronger tools and greater capacity to continue the critical work being done,” Luna said.

“The data collected offshore plays a direct role in how our coastal communities prepare onshore, from forecasting dangerous conditions to guiding emergency planning. I fought to secure this funding so that we can provide our communities with the best possible information and more time to prepare before the next threat reaches our shores.”

The region has seen its share of stormy weather and is still dealing with impacts from Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.

University leaders said the research funding will assist both the institution and the broader community. Data collected at the school will be transmitted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Data Buoy Center and Global Data Service and, in turn, support forecasting at the National Hurricane Center.

“At the University of South Florida, we believe the best research solves real-world challenges and improves lives,” said USF President Moez Limayem. “This investment will strengthen the science behind forecasting hurricanes, storm surge and harmful algae blooms, helping our region better prepare for such natural hazards. We are grateful to Congresswoman Luna for her support of this important research.”

Stormwater support

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor brought home $2.29 million to provide for stormwater projects in St. Petersburg.

That funding will be split between the MLK Street South Flooding Alleviation, at Martin Luther King Jr. Street between 30th Avenue South and 36th Avenue South, and the 88th Avenue North and 4th Street North Storm Drainage Improvements.

“Tampa Bay families should not have to worry that a heavy rainstorm will flood their street, damage their property or cut them off from their neighborhood,” said Castor, a Tampa Democrat.

“I am proud to have worked with local leaders to secure these federal investments because protecting our neighbors from flooding requires reliable, modern infrastructure. These projects will help keep important roadways open, move stormwater more effectively and make our community safer and more resilient for years to come.”

Castor presented the check to Mayor Ken Welch and City Council members Deborah Figgs-Sanders and Brandi Gabbard.

“This funding will upsize drainage, elevate low-lying roadway, and add stormwater storage built for the storms we’re seeing today,” Welch posted on social media. “Thank you, Congresswoman Kathy Castor, for fighting for these dollars and delivering real results for our neighborhoods.”

Cabinet visit

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins met with veterans in Pasco County, in an event hosted by U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee at the Zephyrhills Museum of Military History. There, Collins and Lee both discussed the federal agency’s efforts to improve healthcare access and modernize Florida facilities.

“Under President Trump and with the support of strong leaders like Rep. Laurel Lee, we are making VA benefits better, faster and easier to use than ever before,” Collins said.

“Since the start of the second Trump administration, the Department has cut the backlog of veterans waiting for VA benefits by more than 70%, provided more direct healthcare and community care than ever before, and housed historic numbers of homeless veterans. More than 200,000 new veterans have enrolled in VA healthcare in 2026 alone — proof our reforms are working.”

Lee, a Thonotosassa Republican, noted that the agency has enrolled more than 200,000 more veterans this year alone and opened more than 38 new VA facilities since the start of the second Trump administration. That includes expansions at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital serving the Tampa Bay region.

“As a community that is home to thousands of veterans and military families, Florida’s 15th Congressional District understands the importance of ensuring those who served our nation receive the highest quality care and support,” Lee said.

“I was honored to welcome Secretary Collins to our District to discuss the tremendous progress being made to strengthen the Department of Veterans Affairs. Under President Trump and Secretary Collins’ leadership, the Department is cutting bureaucracy, improving access to care, modernizing facilities, and delivering results for the men and women who wore our nation’s uniform. I look forward to continuing our work together to ensure every veteran receives the care, benefits, and respect they have earned.”

Redeveloping closed bases

U.S. Rep. Greg Steube doesn’t want abandoned military bases to leave communities with largely undevelopable land.

The Sarasota Republican just introduced the Increasing Opportunity for Reindustrialization Act, a bipartisan bill filed with U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, a California Democrat. The legislation would expand Qualified Opportunity Zone designations to streamline the process of communities redeveloping onetime military installations.

“As the only active-duty veteran in the House Republican Conference serving on Ways and Means, I’ve seen firsthand what these communities give to our national defense, and I know what it takes to help them rebuild when a base closes,” said Steube, a former Army captain.

“This bill gives states a tool to attract private investment into these communities without taking opportunity away from any other zone already on the map.”

The U.S. military since 1988 has done five major reviews of base closures, along the way shuttering the Naval Air Station Cecil Field in Jacksonville, the Naval Training Center Orlando and the Naval Aviation Depot Pensacola, as well as downsizing Homestead Air Force Base to a reserve base.

Some of the closed facilities have seen portions of property reused by the military, such as the redirection of much of Cecil Field to Naval Air Station Jacksonville. But in some cases, redevelopment plans remain unrealized decades after base closures.

Eye on Haiti

Violence has gripped Haiti for several years. U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, warned that there’s no reason to think the turmoil will stay contained to the island forever.

“Seven hundred miles from my home state of Florida, terrorist organizations control the Haitian national capital. They don’t influence it; they control it. They hold an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince,” the Stuart Republican said.

“They have displaced more than 1.4 million. They murder, they kidnap, they rape, they castrate, they feed people what they castrate, they extort the Haitian people on a massive scale, they seek to replace the Haitian state with something that answers to them. The consequences of a fully collapsed Haiti will not just stay in Haiti.”

Mast called a meeting specifically on gang violence. He called a U.S.-funded but United Nations-led effort to send African police to the island a failure and boondoggle. He voiced more confidence in a new U.N.-organized Gang Suppression Force that will have costs more evenly distributed among allied states, but still said the U.S. needs to set goals well in advance.

“Helping Haiti is not impossible. But the lesson of the last mission was that failure was obvious for nearly two years, yet nobody changed course,” Mast said. “That will not happen on this Committee’s watch.”

Surprise inspection

Wasserman Schultz made another surprise visit to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in South Florida, this time springing an inspection on the ICE Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach. The Broward Democrat wasn’t pleased with what she found.

In this visit, Wasserman Schultz checked specifically on the treatment of Claudia Carolina Rodriguez Caglianone, a Venezuelan immigrant who came to the U.S. legally and obtained temporary protected status (TPS) but now has endured “inhumane conditions” at ICE facilities in Pompano Beach and Miramar, where the Congresswoman conducted a visit earlier this month. The Homeland Security Department last year terminated TPS for Venezuelans.

“Stories like Claudia’s and so many others must lead to action. Because the end of TPS means more and more of our neighbors will be targeted by ICE,” Wasserman Schultz said.

“Right now, ICE agents are overrunning airports to catch law-abiding residents like Claudia, upending lives, wasting taxpayer dollars, and betraying America’s values. Every dollar we spend to build mass detention centers is a dollar not spent on making life more affordable for working families.”

Wasserman Schultz also said the treatment of Hispanic migrants by ICE shows a need to pass her No Person’s Race, Ethnicity, Job, or Use of Dialect or Inflection is Cause for Enforcement (No PREJUDICE) Act, which she just filed. She also unveiled another bill, the Build Homes, Not Hate Act, which would divert $70 billion in ICE funding toward affordable housing programs and efforts to end homelessness.

Sustainability and security

Before a hurricane hits South Florida, U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar wants federal officials in emergency response and national security working together to coordinate planning.

The Coral Gables Republican was part of a bipartisan group of lawmakers who reintroduced the National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security (NCARS) Act. The bill would establish a permanent Chief Resilience Officer in the administration and require the creation of a National Adaptation and Resilience Strategy and implementation plan in coordination with federal, state, local, Tribal, private-sector and nonprofit partners.

“Miami is ground zero for rising waters, and our neighborhoods cannot afford more delay. Every year we wait to plan for natural disasters, the costs go up, and the damage gets worse,” Salazar said.

“That’s why I’m proud to co-lead the National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security (NCARS) Act of 2026. This legislation will help us build stronger infrastructure, improve coordination across the federal government, and keep our people safe for generations to come.”

She filed the legislation with Democratic U.S. Rep. Scott Peters of California, while a Senate companion was carried by Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Salazar cites Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates that each dollar spent on resiliency before a disaster can save as much as $6 in recovery costs after an event. Meanwhile, natural disasters caused almost $218 billion in damage nationwide in 2024 alone.

On this day

July 31, 1975 — “Labor leader Jimmy Hoffa reported missing” via History.com — One of the most influential American labor leaders of the 20th century was officially reported missing after he failed to return home the previous night. Though he is popularly believed to have been the victim of a Mafia hit, conclusive evidence was never found. Hoffa’s fate remains a mystery. Born in 1913 to a poor coal miner in Indiana, Hoffa proved a natural leader in his youth. At the age of 20, he helped organize a labor strike in Detroit and remained an advocate for downtrodden workers for the rest of his life.

July 31, 1861 — “Ulysses Grant gets surprise promotion to Brigadier General” via Ulysses S. Grant Revealed — Various members of Congress submitted names to President Abraham Lincoln first. Grant’s inclusion in the list was based on the recommendation of Republican Rep. Elihu Washburne, a resident of Galena, Illinois, where Grant also resided and worked at his father’s leather goods store as a clerk at the time the Civil War erupted. Grant, as a colonel, had been commanding the 21st Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry. It had been mustered into service only a few weeks before that time, and Grant brought badly needed order and discipline to it, including during a period when the regiment was camped in Missouri.

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