By Kimberly Leonard and Mia McCarthy

THE BUZZ — Former President Donald Trump and U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz are expected to speak tonight in Palm Beach at the Club 47 USA meeting.

Chairman Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., speaks as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies before a House appropriations subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) | AP

Good morning and welcome to Wednesday, on what could be just the first round of votes for U.S. House speaker. 

It’s not off to a good start. It was a Florida Republican who threw the House into chaos — and it apparently won’t be Florida Republicans getting lawmakers out of it.

The House, as of last night, was divided over whether to back Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio or Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana to succeed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was dethroned last week after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) led the effort to oust him. Any divisions matter because Republicans hold only a narrow majority in the House.

Florida’s delegation is scattered. Seven of Florida’s 20-member GOP congressional delegation were no-shows to yesterday’s nearly 90-minute meeting with Jordan and Scalise.

Florida GOP Rep. Carlos Gimenez, who didn’t attend the meeting and will be writing in McCarthy’s name for speaker, said he wasn’t “at all” confident that Florida Republicans would be able to unite behind a candidate. “We’re going to go all over the place,” he predicted.

There’s enormous pressure on members to pick a speaker. Lawmakers are facing an international crisis after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel over the weekend and face a Nov. 17 deadline to fund the government.

“Things don't stop just because we do … The part that gives me a lot of discomfort is the fact that we’re kind of paralyzed right now,” said Florida Rep. Mario Diaz Balart, who is supporting Scalise but also praised Jordan.

Besides Gimenez, the other Florida Republicans who missed the meeting with the speaker candidates included: GOP Reps. Cory Mills, Anna Paulina Luna, Mike Waltz, Neal Dunn, Bill Posey and Aaron Bean.

Posey’s spokesperson George Cecala said the congressman already spoke with both candidates for speaker and attended other meetings, while Luna’s spokesperson Edie Guy said the congresswoman had a scheduling conflict but knows both men personally and “thinks they are both high caliber candidates” (she’s supporting Jordan). Gimenez said, “While I am a fan of movies, I don't watch them over and over again and I have seen this movie multiple times already today.”

The Florida meeting was separate from the caucus-wide candidate forum held Tuesday evening, and some members said the information in the smaller session had been crucial.

One GOP House member from Florida, who spoke on condition of anonymity because members are asked not to publicly disclose details of the secretive meetings, said it was “frustrating” and “disappointing” that members of the delegation were absent. That person said the Texas delegation was the one to emulate because “they stick together.”

“Because we have not worked the process and operated as a team, we lose,” the person said. “And I think that's because people are more willing to put their political careers ahead of the needs of the state and the country.”

— WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis DeSantis will join Rob Schmitt Tonight on Newsmax. Tomorrow he’ll be doing events in New Hampshire with Never Back Down.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: [email protected]

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DATE SET — The Florida Supreme Court will hear oral arguments regarding DeSantis’ suspension of state attorney Monique Worrell on Dec. 6.

ON TAP TODAY — Senate interim committee meetings on health, justice and appropriations topics. Here’s a look at the Senate bills filed so far for the next session. Watch the meetings here.

FUNDRAISING TOTALS ARE IN — Florida Republicans collectively raised more than $7.6 million during the past three months, according to the latest quarterly reports filed with the state by the Republican Party of Florida and the two leadership funds run by top Republicans in the Legislature. That overall total far surpassed Democrats, who raised slightly more than $1.05 million for their two legislative committees and the state party.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida — which donated $250,000 to the fundraising committee controlled by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo — was one of the bigger donors to the GOP during the time period from July 1 to Sept. 30. Other large donors to Republicans included Publix Supermarkets, the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s political committee and the company that owns Florida Power & Light. The donations from NextEra Energy Capital Holdings come ahead of a session when the Florida House is expected to take an energy bill.

Democrats received money from NextEra and Publix as well, though in smaller amounts. Duke Energy Florida donated $50,000 to the House fundraising committee controlled by Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the Democratic House minority leader. The Florida Democratic Party received at least $125,000 from Orlando PAC, a political committee controlled by lobbyist Screven Watson that once helped Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s campaign (State records for Orlando PAC show it donated $175,000 to the party while the filings for the Democratic Party show a smaller amount).

— Gary Fineout

Planned Parenthood affiliates were among the donors to Floridians Protecting Freedom. | AP

2024 BALLOT MEASURES — Organizers seeking to get an abortion rights amendment before voters in 2024 raised nearly $4.2 million in the last quarter, according to their latest campaign report filed with the state. Planned Parenthood affiliates, along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and Open Society Fund, were among the major donors to Floridians Protecting Freedom. Open Society Fund is linked to an organization that receives financial support from billionaire George Soros. Floridians Protecting Freedom has now raised more than $8.9 million overall.

Meanwhile, medical marijuana company Trulieve donated another $500,000 in July to get a recreational marijuana amendment on the 2004 ballot. Since 2022, Trulieve has donated more than $39 million to the Smart & Safe Florida committee sponsoring the initiative.

— Gary Fineout

PROPERTY INSURANCE RATES STILL HIGH, BUT — Legislators may stand pat when it comes to insurance crisis, by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout: Despite double-digit hikes for consumers and a continued outcry from residents, Florida's Republican-controlled Legislature appears unlikely to take any more action to stabilize the state’s fragile property insurance market or pressure companies to lower rates.

DESANTIS CALLS ON FLORIDA TO INCREASE SANCTIONS ON IRAN — The governor wants the Legislature to pass a bill that would block a broad array of state or local investment in Iranian businesses in Florida, whether it be financial, construction, manufacturing or other sectors.

MEDICAID ENROLLMENT — “DeSantis asked again to pause Medicaid redetermination process,” by Florida Politics’ Christine Jordan Sexton: “DeSantis received a letter Tuesday signed by 50 organizations requesting the governor to take a closer look at the state’s unwinding process and to streamline it to make it easier for people to re-enroll in the safety net program for the poor, elderly and disabled.”

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ON EDGE — Dozens injured after stampede at University of Florida vigil for Israel, by POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury: Some 30 people were reported injured in the Monday night stampede, which university officials say was triggered by “misunderstanding and panic” when campus police officers responded to a woman who fainted at the demonstration.

CLOSE TO HOME — “These South Floridians were in the region when Israel was attacked. They’re still there,” by Miami Herald’s Lauren Costantino and Linda Robertson: “South Florida, with one of the largest Jewish communities in the nation, has many ties to Israel, through faith, families and culture … ‘It could be your friend’s parents. It could be your teacher. It’s not so much removed that it’s just the people who are in the military today that we know,” she said. “It’s your friends. It’s your neighbor. It’s everybody who’s being called to come and fight for survival and to defend our citizens.’”

COMPENSATION — “Richard Corcoran’s New College salary could get larger or stay the same,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Ian Hodgson: Corcoran received a $700,000 salary for his interim role overseeing the college, as well as a housing allowance and car. Now that the job is permanent, a “financial analysis commissioned by the Sarasota school recommended a base salary range from $487,110 to $867,777, with total compensation, including bonuses and benefits, up to $1,547,324. That analysis, performed by the consulting firm Mercer in July, is based on executive pay at 12 universities that the authors said share reputation, cultural and strategic similarities with New College.”

— “Civil rights attorney Ben Crump joins defense of Florida woman accused of voter fraud,” by USA Today Network-Florida’s Douglas Soule

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BEHIND CLOSED DOORS — Jordan and Scalise fielded questions from Florida’s GOP delegation Tuesday about the state’s agricultural sector and about retaining a moratorium against drilling on Florida’s shores.

— DeSantis super PAC aide Steve Cortez has left the group, NYT’s Maggie Haberman reported.

— Savannah Glasgow Plafker is joining Targeted Victory as a director on the public affairs team. She most recently was comms director for Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) and is a Doug LaMalfa and Gus Bilirakis alum.

BIRTHDAYS: Joni Branch with the Florida Education Association

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