Florida's Latest News

Ben Albritton picks Appropriations Committee Chairs to serve during his term as Senate President

Senate President-designate Ben Albritton has his choices for Senate Appropriations Committee Chairs lined up.

The incoming head of the Senate has already selected Sen. Ed Hooper to lead the main Senate Appropriations Committee. Now, Albritton has decided on heads of the siloed committees.

“Leading an Appropriations Committee is a significant, demanding responsibility. I have asked the following Senators to serve as Chairs of our Senate Appropriations Committees,” Albritton said in a Wednesday memo announcing the moves.

“Each of these appointments represents a substantial position of trust and authority. I’m grateful to each Senator listed below for agreeing to step into a key leadership position. Along with Chair Hooper, I know they will work hard to ensure all of your voices and those of your constituents are reflected in where we prioritize the limited taxpayer dollars we are entrusted with.”

Sen. Gayle Harrell will chair the Appropriations Committee on Higher Education.

Trump officially nominates Marco Rubio for secretary of State

President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday officially announced he will nominate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to be secretary of State, ending a nearly two-day delay between initial reports and the official announcement.

In a statement, Trump said that Rubio is a “Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom.” Trump also called Rubio a “strong Advocate for our nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our allies.”

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the top Republican on the selective Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He ran against Trump for president in 2016, but once Trump entered office he became a key ally of the White House on Latin America policy. Rubio was a contender to be Trump’s running mate, though he ultimately lost out to Vice President-elect JD Vance.

The announcement comes as speculation swirled over the delay in announcing Rubio’s nomination to the role of America’s top diplomat. Some allies of former U.S. Ambassador to Germany and top Trump loyalist Richard Grenell insisted that no decision had been made, despite media reports that Trump planned to nominate Rubio. And Rubio faced criticism from some corners of the Republican Party for his more traditional and neoconservative views on foreign policy and national security.

Matt Gaetz resigns from Congress after Attorney General nomination

After nearly eight years, Republican Matt Gaetz is a Congressman no more.

Mere hours after President-elect Donald Trump announced he was nominating Gaetz to serve as his Attorney General, the self-described “conservative firebrand” resigned his seat representing Florida’s 1st Congressional District.

During a Wednesday news conference, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that Gaetz had stepped down “effective immediately.” He said the quick resignation was in “deference” to House lawmakers.

“That caught us by surprise a little bit, but I asked him what the reasoning was, and he said, ‘Well, you can’t have too many absences,’” Johnson said.

Johnson added that Florida law provides eight weeks to select and fill a vacant congressional seat. He said he’d already contacted Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is in Italy on a trade mission, to get the proverbial ball rolling.

“If we start the clock now … we may be able to fill that seat as early as Jan. 3, when we take the new oath of office for the new Congress,” he said. “Matt (did) us a great service by making that decision as he did on the fly, and so we’re grateful for that.”

James Blair, Taylor Budowich continue Florida influx into Donald Trump’s senior staff

Two more prominent Florida Republicans will play major roles in a Donald Trump White House where Susie Wiles has already been tapped as Chief of Staff.

James Blair has been picked as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political and Public Affairs.

Blair was political director for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee this cycle, where he managed staff and oversaw what a press release calls a “wide portfolio of political operations and programs.”

Taylor Budowich, who played a significant role not just in the campaign but also in Trump’s Leadership PAC, Save America, as well as serving as  CEO of the pro-Trump Super PAC, MAGA Inc., will be Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel.

In addition to the these announcements, the incoming administration is bringing back familiar names for two more significant roles.