The Florida Republicans who oppose earmarks — and took the money anyways

Good morning and happy Friday.

Florida Republicans love to say they hate earmarks. But they also love to take that earmark money back to their own districts.

Earmarks, a process where members can request funds for certain projects in their districts, was banned for a decade before Congress reinstated them in 2021. And since their reintroduction, Florida Republicans have bashed earmarks as a “corrupt” practice that leads to irresponsible spending in Washington.

But with six of the appropriations bills already set, Florida lawmakers are pulling in cash for their community funding projects. That includes most of the 11 Florida Republicans who voted against the bills.

Nine of those 11 Republicans got earmarks approved in the recent appropriations bills, despite voting against them — even if they pledged to not request earmarks in the past.

Here’s a breakdown of who is getting what:

Conservative Florida Rep. Byron Donalds signed a pledge in 2021 with Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) where he promised to not ask for any earmarks. But this year, he requested over $185 million and ended up with about $18 million for community funded projects.

And previously, Donalds has been praised for his earmark opposition. Club for Growth, a conservative economic organization, gave him a perfect score — the highest among the Florida delegation. Club for Growth also endorsed Roy’s letter and other Florida members got lower scores for not signing on.

Club for Growth did not respond to inquiries about whether his scores would be impacted for requesting and accepting those earmarks. Donalds also did not respond to requests for comment.


Rep. Greg Steube, Club for Growth’s next highest ranked congressman from Florida, signed a letter in 2021 that called for banning earmarks. But this year he is bringing in almost $10 million.

But Steube said in a statement he stands by his projects, which he described as “non-partisan,” and will keep using the funds for his district if they are available.

“I’m not going to allow my district to miss out on federal funding opportunities for good, fiscally responsible projects while the Democrats spend, spend, spend like drunken sailors on ridiculous progressive priorities,” Steube said. “I would support ending earmarks once again, but until that day, my district has a right to submit projects like every other district.”


Rep. Matt Gaetz has also loved trashing earmarks in the past — he once compared the allegations of sexual misconduct against him to the earmark practice. While he only requested one earmark, he is taking $50 million to update a Navy helicopter hanger.

“Typically, earmarks in Congress are used to exchange money for favors. I’m requesting necessary funding to ensure the needs of our military are met,” Gaetz said in a statement, explaining his request. “I voted against the minibus that included this earmark because spending will increase by tens of billions of dollars above the Pelosi omnibus levels.

He added, “Maybe I wouldn’t need to request any earmarks for our military if our weak leadership never wasted hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars on Ukraine.”

Still, the overall earmark spending is low: it only makes up about 0.5 percent of total funding for the year. Only two of the 20 Florida House Republicans did not request any earmarks: Reps. Kat Cammack and Aaron Bean.

“In Congress, there’s too much doublespeak, an insane amount of performance without real action, and few people who stick to their promises,” Cammack told Playbook. “It’s no wonder Americans are frustrated. I’m proud to have never, ever asked for an earmark and taxpayers can be assured I never will.”

Meanwhile, Florida’s GOP senators — Marco Rubio and Rick Scott — both strongly oppose earmarks and did not request any for this year. They have led their own efforts to ban the practice in the past — plus Scott signed onto the same letter Steube signed in 2021.

“That’s a decision everybody else gets to make,” Scott told Playbook at the Capitol this week. “I oppose the earmarks.”

— Mia McCarthy

WHERE’S RON? Gov. DeSantis is doing a press conference in Winter Haven at 10:30 a.m. about unauthorized immigration.

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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...


UNFINISHED BUSINESS — Why Florida Republicans did little on property insurance, by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. When it comes to Florida’s continuing insurance crisis, the solution from most Florida Republicans continues to be hope and wait. State legislators wrapped up their annual session last week without enacting any major changes designed to shore up Florida’s battered insurance market or bring down rising costs.

Legislators did agree to a one-year pause on fees and taxes charged on homeowner policies — which will yield anywhere from $60 to $100 in savings on average — but other changes were relatively small in scale. They also bolstered funding for a program that offers grants to homeowners seeking to make their homes more hurricane resistant and eligible for insurance premium credits.

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS — “State will attempt to assist Floridians and family members amid Haitian crisis,” reports Michael Moline of the Florida Phoenix. “Florida state government has opened an online portal to allow Floridians in Haiti to register for assistance amid the violent unrest in that country.”

‘AIR DESANTIS’ — “DeSantis faces riskier operation in Haiti after ordering Israel rescue flights,” reports Michael Wilner and Ana Ceballos of the Miami Herald. “Any rescue mission in Haiti would be riskier for the state, as heavily armed gangs continue to challenge the Haitian government to turn the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, into a war zone. The international airport in Port-au-Prince has been under regular gunfire. The main roadways out of the capital are under gang control. And armed groups have orchestrated a jailbreak of nearly 4,000 inmates, many of them murderers and kidnappers and gang leaders.”

SUNSHINE WEEK — “Securing public records in Florida can take cash, patience and lawyers,” reports Skyler Swisher of the Orlando Sentinel. “Getting public records in Florida increasingly takes waiting months, shelling out hundreds if not thousands of dollars, hiring a lawyer and in one recent case even having the police called … Advocates listed a multitude of problems with accessing government documents: understaffed public records departments, hefty costs for reviewing and producing documents, the governor’s assertion of executive privilege, and a mounting number of public records exemptions passed by state lawmakers.”

VETO PLEA — “Calls mount for DeSantis to veto bill that makes it harder to file ethics complaints,” reports John Kennedy of USA Today Network - Florida. “A week after Florida lawmakers approved sharp new restrictions on ethics complaints filed against public officials, calls are increasing for DeSantis to veto the measure to guard against corruption.

Nine organizations signed onto a letter sent Thursday to DeSantis while local ethics officials and open government organizations are endorsing another pushing the governor to reject the legislation approved shortly before Florida’s 2024 session adjourned last week.”

UN-BEAR-ABLE — Everglades Coalition, other groups joins thousands in requesting veto of bear-killing bill, reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. Environmental groups say they have forwarded thousands of requests to Gov. Ron DeSantis asking him to veto a bill that would allow people to shoot bears if they feel threatened. And the Everglades Coalition, which consists of 57 member groups, on Thursday joined at least other 11 groups that have asked or will ask the governor to veto the bill, which lawmakers have not yet sent to the governor.

— “Florida set to spend $1.5 billion in variety of health care programs; here’s where the funds would go,” reports Jackie Llanos of Florida Phoenix

NO REGRETS — “‘It was the right thing to do’: Florida Surgeon General Ladapo defends measles response at Weston elementary school,” reports 7News’ Nicole Linsalata and Kevin Boulandier. “There’s nothing I would’ve done differently,” Ladapo said.

ACC BATTLE — “Florida State fires back in ACC fight,” reports Jim Saunders of News Service of Florida. “With a hearing scheduled April 9, Florida State University this week fired back at a request by the Atlantic Coast Conference to put on hold — or dismiss — a lawsuit that could lead to FSU leaving the athletic conference. FSU filed the lawsuit Dec. 22 in Leon County circuit court challenging what it describes as more than $500 million in penalties if it wants to exit the conference. But the day before the Leon County case was filed, the conference filed a lawsuit in North Carolina against FSU about many of the same issues, which focus on media rights.”

PENINSULA AND BEYOND


VANDALISM — “‘Somebody’s got to hold these people accountable’: Man pleads not guilty to vandalizing LGBTQ Pride mural in Delray Beach,” reports Shira Moolten of the Orlando Sentinel. “Dylan Brewer, of Clearwater, was arrested on Feb. 12, a week after police said he performed burnouts on the Pride mural in a dark pickup truck with a President Trump flag attached. Witnesses and surveillance cameras recorded the incident, Brewer and the license plate, but Brewer left before officers arrived, according to the probable cause affidavit. He faces one count of felony criminal mischief over $1,000 and one count of reckless driving.”

CAMPAIGN MODE


MARCH 19 — “Florida primary could reveal any lingering anti-Trump feeling among Republicans,” reports Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel and Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “The Florida primary, unlike many previous primary states, is open only to registered Republicans. A strong showing here for candidates other than Trump, including Haley and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who are both still listed on the ballot along with several other candidates, could reveal the size of the contingent of Republicans not fully on board.”

CHIMING IN — Matt Gaetz campaigns against fellow House Republican, despite leadership pleas not to, reports POLITICO’s Olivia Alafriz. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) campaigned with a primary challenger to Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) on Thursday, disregarding calls from party leadership for GOP unity. Gaetz was in Texas for an event with Brandon Herrera, a pro-gun social media influencer who forced Gonzales into a primary runoff earlier this month.

— “U.S. Rep. Salazar campaign committees blame $2 million in misreported cash on treasurer for her and George Santos,” reports Dan Christensen of the Florida Bulldog

DATELINE D.C.


PROPERTY INSURANCE FIX? — “Reduce insurance costs by 25 percent? South Florida backers push bill they say would do it,” reports Ron Hurtibise of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Two longtime South Florida political leaders are pushing a congressional bill they say would immediately lower the cost of homeowner property insurance by about 25 percent in Florida and across the nation … A congressional bill submitted last May by U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat from Coral Springs, would require the U.S. Treasury Department to issue 10-year Treasury notes to cover damage beyond what would be generated by a 1-in-50-year storm. With that guarantee in place, insurers would only have to buy enough reinsurance to cover a 1-in-50-year event, rather than a 1-in-130-year event, Geller said at a news conference held Thursday to outline the proposal.”

— “Matt Gaetz subpoenaed in friend’s lawsuit accusing others of defamation in sex trafficking probe,” reports NBC News’ Matt Dixon

TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

MAR-A-LAGO DOCS — Cannon is tight-lipped about trial date for Trump’s classified document case, reports POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein, Kimberly Leonard and Kyle Cheney. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon assiduously avoided Thursday any discussion of a central issue hanging over Donald Trump’s criminal case for hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home: when she intends to bring it to trial.

At a hearing intended to resolve key pretrial matters, Cannon didn’t even offer a hint about her potential timing on that front, and none of the lawyers for Trump, his co-defendants or special counsel Jack Smith pressed her for an update.

Less than three hours after the hearing concluded, Cannon turned down — for now — Trump’s motion to toss out 32 of the 40 felony charges he faces in the case. Trump had argued in the motion that the law he’s accused of violating, the Espionage Act, is too vague to apply in these circumstances.

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN


POPULAR POLK COUNTY — “More people moved to a county rich with citrus groves located between two of Florida’s most populous metro areas than to any other county in the U.S. last year, according to estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau,” reports The Associated Press. “More than 29,300 people moved last year to the county between Tampa and Orlando, two metro areas where housing has grown increasingly pricey and the county is considered a cheaper alternative.”

BIRTHDAYS: Former state Sen. Audrey Gibson … former state Senate President Mike Haridopolos ... former state Sen. Chris Smith … (Saturday) Richard Corcoran, New College president and former House speaker … state Rep. Chip LaMarca … (Sunday) state Rep. David Smith … Sean Shaw, former state legislator and founder of People Over Profits