Florida Republican leaders plan to convene deep in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
State lawmakers are scheduled to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration event days before a special session of Congress convenes in Tallahassee to support the president’s immigration policies, which he aims to enact on day one.
Sens. Randy Fine (R-Melbourne Beach, R-Sarasota) and Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) took to social media to take a selfie on a plane heading to Washington, D.C., and wrote: I wrote it. Let’s make America great again! ”
Mr. Fine and Mr. Gruters were two members of the “Fearless 14,” a term Mr. Fine coined to refer to the 14 Florida congressmen who supported Mr. Trump over Republican presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis.
It’s no coincidence that the two had more to celebrate than the inauguration this week.
Ms. Fine arrived early Wednesday at a fundraising event for her congressional campaign hosted by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson.
And on Friday, Gruters, known as the “OG” Trump supporter in Florida, was elected treasurer of the Republican National Committee.
In a post on X, Florida Republican Party Chairman Evan Power called Gruters “Florida’s thing.”
“I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump, @ChairmanWhatley, and all of my colleagues for the trust they have placed in me as Treasurer of the Republican National Committee,” Gruters posted on X.
Other Florida senators scheduled to attend the inauguration are Sen. Jay Collins (R-Tampa); Sen. Iliana Garcia, R-Miami. Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill; Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers; Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez (R-Doral), according to information obtained by USA TODAY Network-Florida.
Florida lawmakers head to President Trump’s inauguration
Speakers at Saturday’s Florida Republican Party inaugural event include Power Party and Florida leaders Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Byron Donald, Rep. Kat Cammack and Rep. Cory Mills.
Puerto Rico’s next governor, Jennifer Gonzalez Colon, will also speak. Florida is home to the largest Puerto Rican community outside of the island. Approximately 1.2 million Puerto Ricans live primarily in Central Florida.
Florida’s other senator, Rick Scott, is scheduled to speak at the RPOF gala on Saturday night.
Rubio, who previously ran against Trump in the 2016 presidential nomination race, is expected to be confirmed as secretary of state. He reportedly enjoys wide support among Democrats.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody was selected this week by DeSantis to replace Rubio as Florida’s second U.S. senator.
And Rubio isn’t the only Florida political leader slated for a Cabinet post. Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and Trump supporter, has been selected to be the next U.S. attorney general.
Florida prepares for special legislative session after Trump takes office
Senate President Ben Albritton (R-Wachula) will not attend the inauguration, but Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez also plans to attend.
However, he must return to Florida soon to begin preparations for the special session, which is scheduled to begin on January 27th.
DeSantis called on Congress to convene a special session to pass legislation and secure funding to support President Trump’s sweeping immigration reform, which he plans to begin on his first day in office.
DeSantis said he has been meeting with Trump’s transition team and recently spoke with the president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach.
“President Trump has a mission, and the state of Florida will support him every step of the way,” the governor said.
Florida is expected to be one of the first states to implement President Trump’s immigration plan.
While President Trump hasn’t released a list of priorities, DeSantis has, and Florida’s special legislative session could be an indication of what’s to come for the rest of the state. be.
DeSantis presented a list of session proposals, including a requirement to participate in the 287(g) program, which would allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to partner with local law enforcement agencies to remove incarcerated noncitizens from the country. Announced.
Another proposal would be to pass a bill that would “create a rebuttal presumption that illegal aliens are a flight risk and deny them bail.”
“Make illegal immigration illegal again,” DeSantis wrote on X on Thursday.
USA TODAY Network Florida state watchdog reporter Ana Goñi-Lessan can be reached at agonilessan@gannett.com.
