Editor’s note: We’ve edited this questionnaire to remove answers to certain sensitive questions, such as address and birthday.
Name: Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Age: 53
Family status: Married and mother of three children.
Please tell us about your education and the highest degree you attained:
B.A., political science, University of Florida
Please outline your work history for the past 15 years.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (2005-Present)
Chair of the Democratic National Committee (2011-2016)
Member of the Florida Senate (2000-2004)
Have you ever been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime? Or have you ever received a “withheld adjudication” or had a matter sealed or expunged? If yes, please explain. No
Have you ever been a plaintiff or a defendant in a civil action, including bankruptcy or foreclosure, or had a restraining order issued against you? If so, please explain. No.
Are you a member of any civic groups? If so, please name them.
I have had decades-long involvement with many civic organizations in our community. I regularly meet with, participate in and support the activities of numerous civic, non-profit and advocacy organizations including but not limited to the Urban League, the Broward Jewish Federation, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Hispanic Unity, numerous chambers of commerce, VFW, Early Learning Coalition, Children’s Services Council, Area Agency on Aging Broward County, Jewish Community Services of South Florida, Meals on Wheels of Broward, Jewish War Veterans, ACLU, Florida Democratic LGBT Caucus and many others.
Have you ever run for office before? If so, where and when?
I was first elected to the Florida House at age 26, where I served for eight years. I subsequently served in the Florida Senate for four years, and have served in the U.S. Congress since 2005. I have won every election in which I have run.
Why are you running for this office?
I ran and continue to run for Congress because I believe that one person can make a difference. I firmly believe that as a mother of high school and college students, I bring an important perspective to Congress every day representing a generation of women that came of age as advancements for women were beginning to take shape. Moreover, I believe that my experience in Congress and the relationships I’ve made in South Florida and Washington give me the unique ability to advocate on behalf of South Floridians and make life better for all Americans. From fighting climate change to expanding health care access, preventing gun violence to reducing income inequality, racial injustice and protecting our democracy, we have a lot of work to do in this next Congress — and I intend to advance these important goals with my voice and my vote.
Why should voters vote for you?
I have adamantly and successfully fought for the issues that most affect my constituents, such as stronger access to affordable health care, tougher environmental laws, reducing climate change, gun safety protections and policies that attack income and racial inequality, as well as promoting greater participation in our democracy. My work ethic, experience and respect from my colleagues have allowed me to leverage this congressional seat into a position that gives constituents the additional influence that comes with holding a Chief Deputy Whip position within House Leadership, as well as an Appropriations Committee chairmanship on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee. Currently, for the 117th Congress, I am running for Chairwoman of the full House Appropriations Committee. If successful, I would be the first Democrat from Florida to serve in this role, which would make a significant difference for Florida and District 23.
What grade would you give Congress for how it works, and why?
For Congress overall, a C+, and the House alone, an A. The Senate has abrogated its oversight authority over the Executive Branch, where fortunately, the House has provided robust accountability of this cruel, corrupt and inept White House. Together, both chambers have been able to address many of America’s COVID-19 response needs in the face of the Trump Administration’s apathy and inaction. Although the Senate’s current failure to take up additional relief and insistence on blocking aid for local governments will inflict unjustified pain on families, and front-line workers. The Senate has also been a roadblock to passing many House passed measures that would strengthen the health, economic security and well-being of families in Florida. Some examples include a bipartisan gun violence prevention bill to strengthen background checks, an increase to the federal minimum wage up to $15 an hour, a bill to dramatically lower the cost of prescription drugs, and a bill to curb the youth tobacco epidemic.
How would you assess the performance of President Trump?
In both substance and style, Donald Trump is the worst president of my lifetime. His deportment does not reflect that of someone who holds the highest office in our nation. His utter failure to pro-actively contain the COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed untold pain, hardship and death on families and health care workers. Thousands of lives have been lost needlessly. The resulting impacts on our economy exacted a brutal toll on those least able to afford or withstand it. His cruel, exploitative response to the death of George Floyd and his reaction to the protests demanding police reforms and racial justice will go down as a failure of historic proportions.
He has repeatedly attempted to take health care away from millions of Americans and eliminate protections for those of us with pre-existing conditions. He has tried to defund Planned Parenthood and appointed Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade. By rescinding DACA, he has opened Dreamers to the threat of mass deportation. He irreparably harmed the mental health of thousands of migrant children by tearing them away from their parents, turning away refugees, many literally fleeing for their lives. He failed our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico — and then denied the death toll. He has refused to even acknowledge the realities of climate change, appointed leaders of the EPA who roll back the progress the Obama Administration made in protecting our clean air and water. He has exploded the deficit by giving a massive handout to the ultra-wealthy, while proposing a budget that makes significant cuts to the EPA, SNAP, Medicaid, Head Start, housing assistance and Social Security. He’s failed to protect us from foreign election meddling, repeatedly attacked the Justice Department and the Judiciary, created a culture of corruption in his cabinet, and repeatedly called the free press the ‘enemy of the people.’
In your view, what are the top three issues facing our nation?
The top issues facing our nation are the health and safety of the American people, environmental sustainability, and economic and racial inequality. The President and Republicans have relentlessly tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act and eliminate protections for people with pre-existing conditions. We need to protect the ACA and make updates and improvements to expand access to quality, affordable health care. The health and safety of the American people is also threatened by the refusal of those in power to take action to prevent gun violence — and this must be a top priority for the next Congress.
Secondly, with the threat of climate change and sea-level rise, we must work on adaptability strategies for our coastal communities and invest significantly in clean, renewable sources of energy. We simply cannot leave this problem for the next generation to solve on their own.
Finally, staggering levels of economic and racial inequality have put the American Dream out of reach for far too many families, especially communities of color. We have to ensure that everyone has a fair shot at success. This starts with investing in our children from their youngest years through early childhood education and ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality public education — no matter their zip code. We must also make major investments in our nation’s infrastructure, raise the minimum wage, and ensure that every worker can bargain for better pay and working conditions. Underlying all of these basic economic limitations, the federal government must address the corrosive impacts of racial inequality, whether that means transforming policing in minority communities, or diverting substantially more resources to housing, education, healthcare and other basic resources to historically underserved communities.
Impeachment: What is your take on the outcome of President Trump’s impeachment trial?
This President was guilty of abusing his power. He withheld vital federal funding while pressuring a foreign ally to investigate his political rivals to try to tilt the 2020 Election in his favor. Once caught, he also obstructed Congress to hide it. The House managers convincingly proved their case, despite a sham trial concocted by Senate Leader McConnell and complicit Republicans who, appallingly, refused to even allow witnesses.
Senate Republicans again picked their party and cult of personality over protecting our elections, upholding their oaths of office and the rule of law. As I warned at the time, Trump will be more emboldened to operate outside the law, just as any monarch would.
The Republican Senate voted for an imperial presidency that empowers future commanders in chief of any party, to abuse their office for political or financial gain, regardless of the impact on our democracy. Our nation serves as a global beacon for hope, and a model for due process and the rule of law. Handling it the way they did in the Senate, America lost some of that moral authority. It is now up to voters to hold this President accountable because the Senate is and remains incapable of doing so.
Does more need to be done to ensure fair, free and safe elections in these turbulent times? If so, what?
Absolutely, more must be done. The Administration has failed to consistently assign a point person to handle overall election security issues, and the President himself fails to get comprehensive briefings on the various election security threats America faces. I pressed for these basic due diligence measures in Appropriations Committee hearings, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and by working directly with House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson.
In addition, I joined Democrats in demanding election assistance grants be made available to states in the CARES Act – which Gov. DeSantis has since slow walked any attempt to utilize or lay out a plan for – and I did the same in the recently House-passed Heroes Act. This latest legislation, which the Senate refuses to take up, would provide $3.6 billion to state and local governments to prepare for the challenges posed by COVID-19 and other ongoing foreign threats. It would provide Florida $184 million for election protection for this fall.
If you support the Affordable Care Act, what do you believe could be done to improve it? If you don’t support the Affordable Care Act, what do you propose? Do you favor letting people import drugs from countries like Canada?
I have vocally fought for, voted to enact, and defended the ACA. All Americans deserve access to quality, affordable health care. I helped defeat Republican-led attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and defund Planned Parenthood. I will continue to find creative ways to protect and expand Americans’ access to health care.
We can and should celebrate the successes of the Affordable Care Act – such as reducing the uninsured rate to the lowest number on record – and also make updates and improvements to the law in order to stabilize marketplaces and cut costs for the American people.
Our goal must be to expand access to quality, affordable health care, not restrict it. We need to protect funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program and boost funding for the National Institutes of Health. Congress has a major role to play in supporting research to improve prevention, treatment, and cures to life-threatening illnesses and diseases. Additionally, I have been a longtime supporter of a public option in the ACA marketplaces and am a cosponsor of bills to allow Americans to buy into Medicare starting at age 50 and to allow Medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs.
I was a co-sponsor of and proudly voted for The Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, that was passed by the House. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to directly negotiate with drug manufacturers to establish a fair price, so that Americans aren’t paying so much more for the same drugs that are available at lower prices in other countries. The legislation establishes an upper limit for the price reached in any negotiation, taking into consideration the average of the price of a drug in six countries, including Canada. The negotiated prices would apply both to Medicare and to private insurance. Too often, Americans – especially our seniors – must choose between life-saving prescription drugs and groceries. We must ensure that never happens.
Did you support President Trump’s reversal of President Obama’s Cuba policy? What should happen there?
I have always been clear that a relationship with the United States should be earned. I would have preferred the Obama administration secure human rights concessions, progress towards free and fair elections, or ensure more economic freedoms prior to moving forward with reopening relations. During both the Obama and Trump administrations, the Cuban regime has been engaging in malevolent activity in their own nation as well as exporting their anti-human rights practices all over Latin America like Venezuela. I’m glad the Trump administration has taken tough actions to crack down on the authoritarian Cuban regime, but that is not enough. If they were really serious about lifting up the Cuban people, they would not recommend slashing funding for democracy building and human rights efforts in Cuba. Congress appropriated $20 million for democracy and human rights in Cuba in FY20. But the recommended figure from the Trump administration in FY20 was $6 million and they have recommended allocating $10 million for FY21.
Before the coronavirus, the federal deficit was expected to top a trillion dollars this year. How would you have us think about our nation’s mounting debt?
Since President Trump took office, the national deficit has skyrocketed. Trump entered office with a deficit of $585 billion and a growing economy, a good basis with which to shrink the deficit.
Trump and Congressional Republicans expressed little concern with increasing our deficit when they passed the 2017 tax reform bill which lowered taxes for the ultra-wealthy and multinational corporations, while significantly increasing our yearly spending. As such, the deficit was expected to pass $1 trillion this year. However, that was before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The short-sighted decisions by the Republicans must not prevent us from addressing the current crisis. Unemployment numbers have reached the highest levels since the Great Depression. Millions of people are out of work and at risk of a deadly virus. It is our responsibility to protect Americans and prevent this health crisis from getting even worse.
Even Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, a long advocate for deficit reduction has said “additional fiscal support could be costly but worth it if it helps avoid long-term economic damage and leaves us with a stronger recovery.”
Once this pandemic and recession are behind us, we should go back to focusing on shrinking the national deficit as President Obama and Congressional Democrats were able to do following the Great Recession.
What should be done, if anything, to address climate change?
Climate change is real, is caused by human activity, and Congress should do everything in its power to reduce carbon emissions globally, which starts with reducing carbon emissions locally. We must also act to make South Florida more resilient in combating those impacts, and that requires greater federal funding of adaptation efforts. As our nation continues to experience changing weather patterns with increased floods and droughts, we have seen how this interaction can damage infrastructure, tourism, crops, and ecosystems.
Sea levels have risen nine inches in South Florida since the 1920s, and that will only accelerate in the coming decades. Miami Beach and Hollywood already experience “high tide” flooding, and the rest of our community faces future sewer failures, drinking water contamination from saltwater intrusion, and threats from the seagrass in the ocean to the sawgrass of the Everglades. I will continue fighting to ensure Congress properly funds federal efforts to gather the science on our changing climate, to curb carbon emissions, and to help communities become more resilient to weather impacts.
As an Appropriator, I have fought against Republican riders to federal funding bills designed to defund climate research and to defund climate resiliency planning. I have also sponsored amendments to restore full funding for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy delivery and reliability programs. We must make these investments now or continue to spend untold billions to recover from more intense weather disasters.
Have we had enough of campaign finance reform or should something should be done about the influence of money in politics? If so, what?
Our campaign-finance system is broken. Campaign finance reform is an issue Congress must address to help restore the confidence of the American people in our elections and in our elected officials. And House Democrats did just that with passage of the HR 1, the For The People Act, the first bill passed by the new House majority last year. This measure would:
Strengthen foreign money bans by prohibiting foreign nationals from participating in decision-making about expenditures by corporations, and unmask dark money by requiring super PACs, 501(c)4 groups and other organizations spending money to disclose donors of more than $10,000.
Require digital platforms to maintain a public database of ad purchase requests of more than $500 and directs online media outlets to prevent ads being directly or indirectly purchased by foreign nationals.
It would repeal Trump’s prohibition on Executive rules to require that government contractors to disclose all their political spending, and restructure the FEC to have five commissioners to break gridlock and lock in its civil penalty authority.
Finally, I a firm believer that the President should nominate Supreme Court justices who would overturn Citizens United and recognize that common-sense measures to protect our democracy from the corrosive influence of big money are wholly consistent with the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of speech for all Americans.
People are losing faith in institutions — government, politics, corporations, the media, organized religion, organized labor, banks, businesses. Do you worry about the future of our democracy?
Yes, I do worry about the future of our democracy, and that is why we must elect Joe Biden in November. Since being elected, Donald Trump has made it his mission to undermine faith in democratic institutions and create discord whenever it works to his political advantage.
Nowhere is this starker than his vilification of the media. At all times, but especially during times of crisis, Americans rely on the ‘Fourth Estate’ to provide accurate information to guide their everyday decisions. When President Trump derides information as “fake news” or calls the press the “enemy of the people,” it drives people away from expert guidance and towards rumors and other fringe sources of information.
He has run this same playbook to undermine many other democratic institutions that dare to deviate from his preconceived views. The intelligence and scientific communities are good examples of other institutions that have faced attacks for merely doing their jobs. These politically motivated attacks have consequences. They create confusion, threaten our safety, and weaken our democracy.
The long arc of the history of our country is so much greater than one President or than one moment in time. But to start repairing faith in these institutions, we must make sure Donald Trump is a one-term President.
When President Trump was elected, there was bipartisan agreement to do something about our nation’s infrastructure needs. What happened?
Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have been trying to negotiate with the President on the broad outlines of a large infrastructure bill. But Trump has proven to be an unwilling partner.
Trump has said that he wants an infrastructure bill, but he doesn’t want to pay for it. He and his Republican allies in Congress had no trouble paying for a corporate tax cut, but they don’t want to pay for airports or bridges. Republican refusal to properly invest in our nation’s infrastructure is why we don’t have a 21st-century transcontinental rail system, why many rural parts of the country still don’t have broadband, and why many American airports are in shameful states of disrepair
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released an ambitious proposal in January which includes a combination of highway, transit, water, and broadband legislation – as well as efforts to combat climate change. The Committee is expected to markup a modified version of legislation later this month. I hope Republicans decide to come to the table. Democrats are ready.
Does more work need to be done on ethics reform in Congress? If so, what?
Yes, Congress must do everything in its power to foster public trust. Congress took a significant step towards rooting out public corruption in 2012 when we passed the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge or STOCK Act. However, it’s become clear in recent months that there is still work to be done to ensure Members of Congress are not abusing their position for personal gain. Congress should consider reforms that clearly define the types of assets public officials are allowed to own and trade while they hold public office. I also firmly believe that sunlight can be the best disinfectant. To that end, we should consider strengthening the disclosure requirements of the STOCK Act.
In addition, in the wake of the ‘#MeToo movement,’ I’m glad Congress took action to update outdated rules in order to protect staffers and address sexual harassment and assault in our workplace, including ending the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for Member’s harassment or retaliation settlements and court judgments. We need to remain vigilant in this effort and Congress should lead by example in creating a safe and inclusive office environment, one that is free of discrimination in all forms.
Do you believe reforms are needed around the issue of abortion?
Access to safe, legal abortion is under attack all across the nation. I believe all women should have the right to choose, and that begins by repealing the Hyde Amendment, which has disproportionately affected poor women, young women, and women of color. I am a proud co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would protect women’s reproductive rights by prohibiting state and federal governments from enacting a) clinic shut down laws that impose medically burdensome regulations, b) bans on abortion prior to viability as established under Roe v. Wade, and c) unnecessarily burdensome laws that require unwanted medical procedures for the purpose of shaming women for their personal decisions.
What is your assessment of the changes and proposals made by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos?
Time and again, DeVos has prioritized her personal objectives and political beliefs over the education and wellbeing of students in this country. It is indefensible that in this unprecedented moment of crisis she has enacted new regulations that jeopardize the civil rights of all students.
Secretary DeVos recently finalized the egregious Title IX rule. This new rule relies on and reinforces the false and toxic stereotype that survivors, particularly women and girls, tend to lie about sexual assault. It flies in the face of common decency to require survivors to endure live hearings with live cross-examination by the perpetrator’s advisor of choice. And it gives colleges a free pass if sexual misconduct occurs outside of a school program or activity, such as off-campus sexual violence and online harassment. Not only will this new rule stifle victims from coming forward and receiving much-needed assistance to stay in school, but it will also unduly hinder many schools from responding effectively to many incidents of sexual violence. I sent a letter along with 105 of my colleagues to Secretary Devos demanding she rescind this rule.
DeVos’ audacity to finalize the Title IX rule amidst a global pandemic is even more shocking alongside her slow disbursement of emergency funds. Students have been waiting for over two months for this assistance, and yet, even more new limitations on the funds are coming to light. Instead of prioritizing students, DeVos continues to disregard their vital needs contrary to Congressional intent. This is unacceptable.
I am also appalled at DeVos’ decision to overturn the Borrower Defense Rule that has, for two decades, offered relief from federal loans based on fraudulent, misleading, or illegal actions by institutes of higher education. Organizations representing millions of students, borrowers, veterans, survivors and servicemembers have rejected this DeVos decision.
A great many of the 300,000 Venezuelans who live in this country live in South Florida. What more can or should be done to address the chaos in Venezuela?
We must take swift action for the tens of thousands of Venezuelans residing here, especially in the community I represent, which has the highest concentration of any other congressional district in the country.
The most immediate action that should be taken is granting of TPS, temporary protected status to Venezuelans, which would protect those who have fled Venezuela from deportations, and open access to work those residing in the U.S. Anyone who is forced to return to Venezuela will face a political, economic and health catastrophe. The President’s irresponsible refusal to provide these basic peace-of-mind protections is unconscionable.
In 2019, the U.S. House passed three bills sponsored by my South Florida colleagues. My legislation require a coherent U.S. strategy to combat Russia’s military presence in Venezuela as well as measures by Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, and Donna Shalala, to expand U.S. humanitarian assistance to Venezuela, and to prohibit U.S. exports of crime control materials that Maduro could use against pro-democracy protestors and his own people. These bills became law late last year.
The state commission investigating the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is critical of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA.) It’s been used to prevent law enforcement officers from sharing vital information about such serious events as a serial rapist on a campus, academic favoritism to athletes, biased admission policies and accidental injuries and deaths. It’s also allowed Broward’s school district to withhold what its personnel knew about Nikolas Cruz. Do you see a need for change and if so, how would you make it happen?
It is clear that while FERPA and other privacy laws are important, we need to reexamine how FERPA is interpreted and implemented in the context of schools and student safety. It’s our responsibility to protect the privacy of our students. In our new digital age, we do not want this data to be misused.
While it is unacceptable that concerns about Nikolas Cruz were not brought to light, it is also of paramount importance that by focusing on FERPA, we do not neglect the root causes of school violence and, in the case of MSD, mass shootings in schools. Strong legislative action must be taken to ensure students and community members have access to robust and timely mental health services. Also, to ensure school safety, we must have strong, desperately needed action to limit access to guns.
Like other metro areas, homelessness remains a big issue in South Florida. What should be the federal government’s role in addressing this problem?
The federal government must provide more affordable housing. This is a critical tool in our efforts to build a stronger, more vibrant, inclusive future for South Florida. The cost of living is too high in our cities and gentrification has exacerbated the rental housing crisis in some communities.
The Trump administration has not proposed any new solutions to address homelessness and in FY21 has sought to strip funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by 15%. According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, more than 10 million low-income households spend more than 50 percent of their earnings on rent. These households are also twice as likely to fall behind on their rent and be threatened with eviction. Especially during COVID-19, Americans are struggling more than ever to afford housing.
To address this crisis, I recently held a housing Q&A with local experts and advocates on what still needs to be done to provide greater access to housing. While I am that glad DeSantis extended the eviction moratorium to July 1st, this crisis will not be over, and the federal government must do more.
This Administration is not addressing this issue with the seriousness it deserves. For many, homelessness and mental health concerns are inextricably linked. If more job training, access to health care or food were provided, our homelessness problem would diminish. Therefore, we must invest more substantially in social services to address the root causes of homelessness today.
As the MilCon VA subcommittee chair, our FY20 funding bill allocated over $1.8 billion for homeless prevention and care. The CARES Act provides healthcare, outreach, exams, treatment, referrals, and case management to homeless veterans. HEROES would do more such as allowing VA to provide transportation and purchase food, shelter, phones, clothing, blankets, and toiletry items for homeless veterans.
The House has passed significant gun control measures. One mandates background checks on all gun sales, including firearm purchases made privately, whether it be online or at gun shows. The other lengthens the review period for a background check from three to 10 days. Do you support these measures? If so, is there anything that could get the Senate to move?
I support and was an original co-sponsor each of these measures. I have also authored legislation to enforce existing background checks on ammunition. The same prohibitions for gun sales exist for ammunition, they are just not enforced. My bill, Jaimie’s Law, is named after the daughter of Fred Guttenberg, who was slain in the Marjory Stoneman Douglass mass school shooting.
Sadly, Republicans are so indebted to the NRA. It is nearly impossible to move this or any sensible gun safety bill without a Democratic majority in that body or a supportive President in the White House. Winning one or both of these GOP-controlled arms of government would allow for a larger space for compromise and consensus to pass basic reforms.
It’s been a little over two years since the nation’s worst high school shooting happened in Parkland. How would you assess the progress in making schools safe, and what more should be done?
One month after the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the STOP School Violence Act of 2018. This legislation authorized significant funding towards evidence-based prevention programs and activities for school safety and mental health services within the Department of Justice. These funds have been used to help states and localities implement evidence-based programs that can help students and teachers identify and prevent school violence.
In fact, in my role on the Appropriations Committee, I’ve been a vocal proponent for increased funding for the STOP School Violence Program.
While I am proud to say we have made progress and have more resources dedicated to school safety, we still have significant work to do. We need to get at the root of the problem which requires creating safe and supportive school climates. Improving school climate can be used as a preventative approach to reduce disruptive behavior and improve attendance, achievement, and student and parent satisfaction with schools. Most importantly, it leads to better mental health of students, less bullying, and enhanced physical safety overall.
A study by the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education found that nearly three-quarters of school shooters had been bullied or harassed at school.
I am currently working on legislation to address school safety and school climate, the first of its kind on the federal level. My legislation will require states to form a Multi-Disciplinary Education Team of individuals including mental health professionals, school board members, principals, advocates, among others, who will develop a comprehensive and robust school safety and climate plan. The plan will require Teams to include specific evidence-based and culturally aware practices on school safety and climate. States will be awarded funding to implement their school safety plan within schools through a new grant program.
What do you make of the Army Corps designating the southern reservoir as a “new start,” which will cause delay?
The Administration has very recently determined that, since EAA (the Everglades Agricultural Area) was specifically authorized as part of CERP (comprehensive Everglades restoration plan) in WRDA (Water Resources Development Act) 2018, it will require a new start designation. This means that the project cannot move forward to the construction phase until it wins a new start from the Army Corps and the Office of Management and Budget, for which it now must compete against other eligible Army Corps projects.
Because of this decision, red tape will slow down this project that is so integral to efforts to restore South Florida’s historic, natural hydrologic cycle. It is my view that Congress was clear in its legislative intent in WRDA 2018: moving the EAA timeline was a modification of an already existing project, not a new start project created where nothing existed previously.
The EAA Reservoir is a critical project that will help store more freshwater, filter it of excess nutrients, and send it down south to the Everglades, which so desperately needs the water. Unchecked development in the twentieth century as well as improper flood control projects have led to the draining of our beloved River of Grass, which is now less than half of its historic size. Climate change and drought are also major contributing factors to the degradation of this one-of-a-kind ecosystem and biodiversity haven, which is suffering from hypersalinity, nutrient excess, and impaired sheetflow.
My office has raised all of these issues with the Army Corps, and I have registered my opposition to this decision. Because I sit on the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, I help fund the Corps and therefore possess significant influence over its activities. I will continue to work with my colleagues on the subcommittee, the Army Corps, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and my colleagues on the authorizing committee to find a solution to this red tape problem. Last year, I pushed the Appropriations Committee to include language to authorize CEPP (Central Everglades Planning Project) without a new start. I also successfully pushed the Committee to increase the number of new starts that Congress makes available to the Corps.
I will continue to work with the Appropriations Committee on a possible fix to the Everglades new start issue. I am also working with Rep. Mucarsel-Powell on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to try to get a solution into the next WRDA bill.
When CERP was initially approved, it was estimated that it would take 30 years and $10 billion. It is now projected that CERP will take 50 years and $13.5 billion. If we are to save the Everglades and Florida Bay, we need to move forward post-haste.
I have and will continue to do my part to provide federal funding for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration. For FY 20, I led the charge to secure a historic $235 million in federal funding for the Everglades using my position on the Energy and Water Subcommittee. I will continue to push for more funding and the elimination of unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles. Despite unforeseen roadblocks, I am confident that the EAA project, which has bipartisan support, will still find a way forward. I will make sure of it.
To an extent unseen before, even during the Nixon Administration, President Trump has claimed to be exempt, at least while in office, from laws that apply to others. What would you propose and/or support in response to this?
President Trump has repeatedly flouted laws and norms during his time in office. He refused to turn over his tax returns despite a demand from the Ways and Means Committee. During the Mueller investigation, he issued a blanket refusal to comply with Congressional subpoenas. He boldly and falsely claimed, “the president can’t have a conflict of interest” and continues to host foreign dignitaries at Trump-owned properties. He’s circumvented Congress to use money appropriated for other purposes to fund his border wall vanity project.
Sadly, there are so many more examples that are too voluminous to name.
Congress must do more to assert its authority as a co-equal branch of government. We should do this by pursuing our interests through the court system, as we’ve done already. We should also consider reviving Congress’s inherent contempt powers to compel compliance with requests for documents and testimony. We also need the Senate to join the House in asserting its authority as a co-equal branch of government. Their acquiescence to the Trump Administration’s overreach weakes
By dismissals, demotions and transfers, President Trump has extinguished the independence of the inspectors general and the ability of other agencies to perform their duties without fear of presidential reprisal. What, if anything, will you do to protect the independence and integrity of our civil servants?
In my role on the House Oversight Committee, and as an Appropriations subcommittee chairwoman, I’ve interacted directly with several Inspectors General. I understand their critical importance as stewards of taxpayer dollars and investigators of mismanagement, fraud, and abuse. Especially, now when Congress is appropriating trillions of dollars in response to the COVID-19 crisis, we need independent IGs to make sure those funds are allocated efficiently and effectively.
The Trump Administration’s unprecedented purge of IGs demonstrates the fear they have for independent oversight.
I’m proud to cosponsor Congresswoman Maloney’s legislation that would limit the president’s power to remove IGs and require “good cause” conditions are met before these essential government watchdogs can be fired. The language from this bill was also included in the HEROES Act, and I will urge leadership to ensure it remains in any future relief package that is negotiated with the Senate.
How much money have you raised so far? Please include today’s date.
As of the last FEC campaign report March 30th, 2020, my re-election campaign has raised $1,159,580.05.
How much money has been raised by groups independently supporting your campaign? Should any of them make false charges against an opponent, would you repudiate them?
I have no knowledge of third-party involvement in this race nor do I expect any.
Have you received any other endorsements? If so, which ones?
It is very early in the cycle so many organizations have not endorsed yet. Among those who have so far: Save Action PAC, Moms Demand Action, The Sierra Club, Courage to Fight Gun Violence, National Organization of Women PAC, The Florida LGBTQ Democratic Caucus, The National Education Association, The Planned Parenthood Action Fund, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Giffords Courage to Fight Gun Violence, Democratic Majority for Israel.
