U.S. Rep. Bill Posey on Monday called the extended investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election a “travesty.”

“You had a crew of attorneys that hated the president’s guts doing the investigation,” without any opportunity for cross-examination, Posey said during a news conference Monday following a tour of the Port Canaveral area.

Yet, in the end, Posey contends, President Donald Trump “clearly … was exonerated” by Mueller’s report. “If he wasn’t, they would have filed charges.”

“The report, written by Mueller, was written like no other report ever written by the Department of Justice ever in history, whereby it made excuses for not exonerating” Trump, said Posey, R-Rockledge.

Nevertheless, Posey said he was “sad that we’ll probably have another two years in Congress, with the primary discussion being about the Mueller investigation — and people that are still so deeply distressed about the last (presidential) election, that’s all they want to focus on — changing the result.”

Posey was even reticent about the questions at the news conference from FLORIDA TODAY about the Mueller investigations, saying: “I think everybody is probably sick and tired of hearing about the Mueller investigation, but if you insist, we’ll talk about it.”

Congressman compliments port

Posey was at Port Canaveral for an hourlong boat tour of port projects, including a soon-to-be-completed federally funded Canaveral Harbor Sand Bypass Project.

Posey indicated that he liked what he saw and — noting that Monday was Earth Day — he recognized the port for its efforts to protect the environment.

“Our port is a leader, not only in economic development, but also is a pioneering leader in caring for our environment,” said Posey, who is a founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Estuary Caucus. “We have learned that our economic well-being depends upon the health of our ecology. We take care of ourself when we take care of our environment.”

As part of the current sand project, about 1.34 million cubic yards of sand have been dredged from the shoreline north of Port Canaveral. The sand is being placed along 3.5 miles of shoreline from just south of the Port Canaveral inlet to a location 0.6 miles south of Cocoa Beach Pier.

The $18 million project began in November, and will be completed by the end of this month.

Canaveral Port Authority Chairman Micah Loyd recognized Posey for being “instrumental in helping us secure” the federal money for the sand bypass project.

He said it is “a very important project to our community.”

This is the fifth such project since the program’s inception in 1995.

Col. Andrew Kelly, commander and district engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, said the program is designed to preserve the beaches south of Port Canaveral to the sand level they were before the port opened in 1953, and inlets and jetties interrupted the natural flow of sand to the south of the port.

“This project demonstrates that, when people work together, we can pursue our vital economic interests at the same time we take care of our environment,” Posey said.

Posey cited various entities involved in the sand bypass project, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, federal and state environmental agencies, the Air Force’s 45th Space Wing, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Brevard County’s Natural Resources Management Department, and the cities of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach.

Posey also noted that Port Canaveral was the first deep-water port in Florida to create an inlet management plan.

During his boat tour aboard the Chalmette, Posey also was briefed by Port Canaveral officials about the port’s $163 million Cruise Terminal 3 and parking garage project, scheduled to open in 2020, as well as about various cargo berth projects in the works.

“Port Canaveral … is so critical to our economic situation in Brevard County,” Posey said. “It’s the economic engine that never seems to stop or even slow down.”

Posey credited Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Murray and his team, as well as the elected Canaveral Port Authority board, for the port’s “extraordinary” progress in recent years.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – During a series of engine tests Saturday afternoon, a SpaceX official said a Crew Dragon vehicle experienced an “anomaly,” which witnesses said sent a large plume of smoke into the sky at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Witnesses reported seeing the large plume of smoke around 3:30 p.m. 

A SpaceX spokesperson released the following statement:

“Earlier today, SpaceX conducted a series of engine tests on a Crew Dragon test vehicle on our test stand at Landing Zone 1 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The initial tests completed successfully but the final test resulted in an anomaly on the test stand. 

Ensuring that our systems meet rigorous safety standards and detecting anomalies like this prior to flight are the main reasons why we test. Our teams are investigating and working closely with our NASA partners.”

Officials did not say if this would cause any delay for the launch of a Crew Dragon capsule targeted for July. 

In March, SpaceX launched a Crew Dragon capsule with a mannequin on board, which successfully returned to Earth six days later.

Dale Ketcham, of Space Florida, the state’s aerospace economic development agency, said accidents are a part of spaceflight.

“This is the nature of what we do here. It’s the nature of the industry,” he said. “You build into your system. You’re going to have accidents, and hardware is going to fail. Elon’s lost a lot of rockets in the past and learned from it.”

Rep. Bill Posey said he does not believe the incident will delay SpaceX’s schedule.

“What we’ve heard may have happened will probably not affect at all the SpaceX schedule,” he said. “And we will be launching American astronauts on American rockets on American motors in the near future.”

Ketcham echoed Posey’s remarks.

“SpaceX is good about figuring out what went wrong, fixing it and getting back in the air,” he said.

WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday House Ways and Means Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05), Representative Tom Reed (NY-23) and Rep. Bill Posey (FL-08), co-chair of the Congressional Motorsports Caucus, announced the introduction of the bipartisan Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act.

The bill makes permanent the seven-year cost recovery period for motorsports entertainment complexes, giving these economic drivers the tax certainty needed to make long-term investments in safe racing environments. 

“Motorsports are a huge economic driver, both across the country and in our district, and the tracks used require constant investments to ensure they are safe for drivers and spectators alike. To make these investments, everyone in the industry needs long-term certainty about what they can rely on in our tax code, but in 2017, the provisions that provided that certainty expired,” said Chairman Thompson. “That’s why I introduced my bill, the Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act, which make the seven-year cost recovery period permanent for the industry, incentivizing more investment and ensuring motorsports facilities have the same advantages as other entertainment complexes. This is a simple fix that will allow the motorsports community to continue contributing to our economic success.”

“Our district is home to Watkins Glen International – the world’s premier racing facility – so we’re proud to reintroduce the Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act,” said Rep. Reed. “This common-sense legislation will provide economic certainty the motorsports industry needs, both in our district and across the country, to continue investing in our communities.”

“This important legislation will help family-owned race tracks across our nation improve the driver and fan experience, create jobs and, most importantly, enhance event safety features,” said Rep. Posey.

The motorsports industry adds more than $37 billion each year to our economy and supports more than 250,000 jobs generated by 1,200 facilities around the nation.

Most of the Florida delegation is backing an effort for Congress to fully fund Evergladesrestoration and water quality projects.

Four members of the delegation–U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla.–led ltters to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee leadership “urging House appropriators to fully fund Everglades restoration and water quality infrastructure projects.”

Other members signing the letter included U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., U.S. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, D-Fla., U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Fla., U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla.

“We in South Florida are speaking with one voice to tell the Trump administration that the federal government needs to fulfill its commitment to our constituents by providing the necessary funding for Everglades restoration,” said Mucarsel-Powell on Tuesday. “There is bipartisan support to fully fund Army Corps of Engineers projects for the Everglades at $200 million, and if President Trump was being sincere when he visited Lake Okeechobee about protecting our water, our environment, and creating new jobs, he should fully fund Everglades restoration programs.”

“For the third year in a row, President Trump’s budget has cut federal funding for Everglades restoration,” said Hastings. “So much of South Florida’s quality of life depends on the Everglades. More than 8 million Floridians rely on this national treasure for their water supply, and the sawgrass prairies and mangrove forests are home to numerous vulnerable, threatened, and endangered species. It is critical for the Florida delegation to stand united against anything that slows down Everglades restoration. This is not some impossible problem that we cannot solve. We can solve it with bipartisan support and full funding from the federal government.”

“The single biggest issue impacting our Southwest Florida community is water quality,” said Rooney. “Over the past two years, we have been successful in obtaining nearly $1.1 billion for repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike and Everglades restoration. It is critical that we maintain these funding levels so that we may speed up the projects necessary to fix our water. Just last week, I was with President Trump at Lake Okeechobee receiving an update on these repairs and I stressed the importance of federal funding to fix our waters. Clean water is key to our economy and ecology in southwest Florida. I will continue working with my colleagues from Florida to fix our water quality.”

“The federal government needs to step up with a strong funding commitment for infrastructure projects that are critical to Florida’s environment, economy and public health, especially now that Governor DeSantis has made state matching funds for these projects a top priority,” said Mast. “We also cannot allow misguided red tape and bureaucracy to stand in the way of Everglades restoration, which is why we are requesting a $150 million increase in funding for the environmental restoration construction account that has been used by the Army Corps to fund projects like the C-44 Reservoir and Kissimmee River restoration. This has bipartisan support and is absolutely critical to stopping harmful discharges, toxic algal blooms and the continued destruction of the Everglades.”

A bipartisan federal bill would fund gear research and development to help save the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

The Scientific Assistance for Very Endangered (SAVE) Right Whales Act (H.R. 1568), introduced by U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) earlier this month, would provide up to $5 million in grants annually for the next 10 years to develop technology that would reduce the mortality rates for the species.

Some of the grant money would be used to research and develop new commercial fishing gear. About 85 percent of the population has scars or other injuries associated with gear encounters, according to the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office.

Right whales have been listed on the Endangered Species Act for nearly 50 years. Conservationists estimate the current population at less than 420 and fear the population will only continue to dwindle as birth rates drop.

“We humans have nearly killed every right whale in existence through our direct and indirect actions over the past two centuries,” said Moulton in a statement. “Now we have a choice: We can be the generation that brings them back or the generation that allows their extinction. Let’s not miss this unique moment.”

Moulton filed similar legislation in August of last year, but Congress did not take it up before the session ended in January.

Co-sponsors of this year’s bill include three Democrats — Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Bill Keating of Massachusetts, and David Cicilline of Rhode Island — and three Republicans — Reps. John Rutherford, Bill Posey and Brian Mast, all from Florida.

Advocates say gear entanglements and collisions have led to a drastic reduction in their lifespan. Once expected to live for up to 100 years, the average life expectancy is now under 40 years because of human interactions.

“The SAVE Act is a bipartisan agreement that extinction is not an option,” said Martin Hayden, Earthjustice’s vice president for policy and legislation. “We applaud Rep. Moulton and Rep. Rutherford for moving us swiftly in the right direction, and we hope the other members of Congress will join them in this urgent work.”

Both the House Natural Resources and Budget committees have the bill for review. No hearings have been scheduled on the legislation.

‘OUR SPACE COAST LAUNCHED THE FIRST AMERICAN SUBORBITAL FLIGHT AND THE FIRST AMERICAN TO ORBIT EARTH’

(Sunshine State News) – Led by two Republican congressmen, members of the Florida delegation are calling on the Trump administration to base the proposed U.S. Space Command in the Sunshine State.

On Tuesday, Florida Republican U.S. Reps. Bill Posey and Mike Waltz wrote a letter to acting U.S. Defense Sec. Patrick Shanahan on the matter. Waltz, the only freshman Republican serving on the U.S. House Armed Forces Committee, has been increasingly vocal about his support for the space industry’s role in Florida.

“We write to express our support for the establishment of a U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) and urge locating the headquarters in Florida,” the members wrote. “Space Command is a crucial step for the United States maintaining its position as a global leader in space innovation which is essential to national security and commerce in the 21st Century. According to the January 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, ‘countries – including U.S. adversaries and strategic competitors – will become more reliant on space services for civil and military needs, and China and Russia will field new counterspace weapons intended to target U.S. and allied space capabilities.’”

The members of the Florida delegation showcased why the Sunshine State makes sense to host the new branch of the military.

“Florida, with its existing civilian and commercial space infrastructure and launch capabilities, is uniquely suited, and the logical choice to locate USSPACECOM headquarters to counteract these growing threats,” they wrote. “Florida is the epicenter for America’s space program. Our Space Coast launched the first American suborbital flight and the first American to orbit Earth. From Cape Canaveral, rockets propelled the astronauts that left their footprints on the face of the moon and ferried the space shuttle astronauts into the stratosphere for 30 years. Florida universities lead the world in training premier aviation and aerospace talent, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

“Florida has a strong defense and aerospace industry base and also has a long history of supporting America’s military community,” they continued. “Florida offers an unrivaled quality of life for personnel and their families. Our state is committed to assisting our brave servicemembers who go into harm’s way overseas, and now into the frontiers of space. U.S. Space Command will be essential to American national security through the acceleration of space capabilities to defend our national interests and deter our adversaries. We hope these important factors are considered when your department makes recommendations as to where to locate the USSPACECOM headquarters.”

A handful of House Republicans have proposed legislation that would require federal workers to be paid if they are required to work during a government shutdown, a sign that Republicans are growing increasingly worried about the long-term effect of the ongoing lapse in government funding.

Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio, introduced a bill with four other House Republicans to ensure federal employees who are required to work during the shutdown are paid. When the government is partially shut down, departments require essential employees to stay on the job without pay, while nonessential workers are furloughed without pay.

But Gibbs said it’s unfair to have essential workers do their jobs without any pay.

“If they are working to protect America and the lives of our citizens, they should be getting their paychecks on time,” Gibbs said. “We shouldn’t be forcing these men and women to shoulder the burden of Democrats’ unwillingness to work with President Trump and congressional Republicans to solve the humanitarian and security crisis on our southern border.”

The fight over funding for President Trump’s proposed border wall has prevented Congress from reaching a deal on funding for nine agencies, which forced them to partially shut down on Dec. 22.

Passing Gibbs’ bill into law might make it easier for the shutdown to continue since it would ensure critical federal workers are still paid on time. For that reason, it’s unlikely House Democrats would call it up for a vote.

Four other Republicans joined Gibbs on the bill: Reps. Mark Meadows, R-N.C.; Scott Tipton, R-Colo.; Morgan Griffith, R-Va.; and Susan Brooks, R-Ind.

Rep. Mo Brooks, a Republican from Alabama, introduced his own similar bill along with Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., to pay essential workers.

“Ordering a federal employee to work without timely pay is morally wrong and runs counter to every economic principle on which a free enterprise system is based,” he said.

Meadows also proposed a separate bill that would allow federal employees to make withdrawals from their Thrift Savings Plan accounts during a government shutdown.

The bills were proposed on Tuesday amid speculation that Republicans could start to crack under the pressure of a shutdown that would be the longest on record if it continues into Saturday. But as of Tuesday, Republicans said they still expect most Republicans to vote against Democratic bills this week aimed at funding the government without Trump’s border wall.

Still, Democrats on Wednesday were predicting that Republicans would start to cave in on those bills this week. Democrats need to pick up nearly 20 GOP votes in order to pass bills in the House.

At the end of last week, Congress reauthorized the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), elected officials from across the Sunshine State are increasingly calling for action.

After clearing the U.S. Senate without opposition, the U.S. House agreed to reauthorize the NFIP until May on a 315-48 vote with 69 members of the House not voting.

U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., was the only member of the Florida delegation to vote against reauthorization.

Florida Republican U.S. Reps. Bill Posey, Francis Rooney, Tom Rooney, Dennis Rossand Dan Webster did not vote. Neither did U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla.

At the end of November, freshman U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., who sits on the U.S. House Financial Services Committee which oversees the NFIP, took to the House floor and called for its reauthorization.

“I rise today urging action to extend the National Flood Insurance Program,” Crist said. “If Congress fails to reauthorize the NFIP by November 30th, millions of homeowners will be unable to obtain or renew their flood coverage. Housing markets will grind to a halt and families will be left at risk of financial ruin should a flood occur.

“Congress must put this uncertainty to rest,” Crist added. “Policyholders need stability. Our housing market needs stability. American families also need stability. I urge my colleagues to bring to the floor – and to pass – the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program as soon as possible.”

Republicans from the Sunshine State are also calling for Congress to reauthorize the NFIP. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and outgoing U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., pushed for the reauthorization.

“Extending the NFIP for six months is good news for millions of Floridians. Congress must now use this time to come to a bipartisan and bicameral consensus that ensures the program is affordable and sustainable. I urge President Trump to quickly sign this important extension into law,” Rubio said after the House vote.K

Republican Congressman Vern Buchanan on Thursday applauded House passage of bipartisan legislation to combat the devastating impact of harmful algal blooms (HABs), including red tide. The bill now heads to President Trump for his signature.

“Red tide has plagued our local economy, environment, and way of life,” Buchanan said in a written statement. “I urge the president to swiftly sign this bill into law.” 
 
Buchanan, co-chair of the Florida congressional delegation, worked with three other Florida congressmen, Alcee Hastings, Bill Posey and Brian Mast, to get the bill passed. 

“Red tide is a problem that requires more research and development of cutting-edge technologies to mitigate its damaging effects,” Buchanan continued.

The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2017 was included in the legislation passed Thursday by Congress, providing more than $100 million to combat HABs like red tide. It also establishes a process to declare an “Event of National Significance.” That declaration would trigger disaster-like funding for affected communities.

The bill also reauthorizes the Harmful Algal Bloom Federal Interagency Task Force; formally adds the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the task force; and permits private donations to be used to fund recovery for events of national significance, according to Buchanan’s statement.

Harmful algae blooms cause $82 million in economic losses to the seafood, restaurant and tourism industries each year in the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) claims.

Buchanan co-sponsored nearly identical bipartisan legislation in the House (H.R. 4417) and earlier this summer wrote a letter with Democrat Hastings urging House leadership to immediately bring this legislation to the floor for a vote. Buchanan and Hastings are co-chairs of the 29-member Florida congressional delegation.

Separate legislation signed into law earlier this year included Buchanan’s proposal to provide NOAA with an additional $8 million to reduce the threat of algal blooms, including red tide.