By Kimberly Leonard

Good morning and happy Friday. 

President Joe Biden is expected to send to Congress a supplemental funding request for $100 billion today that would cover aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, and help address the U.S. southern border.

The ideological differences among Florida’s top elected officials were apparent even before the president previewed his request to the nation in a rare Oval Office address.

Gov. Ron DeSantis rejected the idea of coupling Ukraine and Israel funding during an interview at a presidential campaign stop in South Carolina. “These are separate issues,” he said. “They should debate them separately, and let the American people weigh in accordingly.”

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) departs a vote at the U.S. Capitol Sept. 6, 2023. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) similarly warned in a commentary against coupling the aid, though he has supported Ukraine aid, because it would “create needless division.” GOP U.S. Rep Byron Donalds summed up his position this way on X: “If this speech doesn’t encourage you to vote for Donald J. Trump, I honestly don’t know what will.”

Florida Democrats who took an immediate public stance agreed with Biden. U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor praised Biden’s request as “a call to action to all freedom-loving people to stand up for democracy at home and abroad” while U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the first Jewish woman to be elected to Congress from Florida, said on X that she was “proud” to follow Biden’s lead. “Their fight is our fight,” she said.

But the divisions are just one thing standing in the way of Biden getting what he wants. Congress needs a speaker to oversee passage of the aid, and Florida Republicans in the U.S. House don’t agree on who it should be. Plus, a dispute over Ukraine funding was one of the main factors that got the U.S. House in this mess to begin with. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who led the push for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ouster, has been vocal about getting the U.S. less involved in Ukraine — yet also more aggressive on the border.

Internally, even more division appears to be bubbling up perhaps among some Democrats. Hundreds of congressional staff have been circulating a anonymous letter pleading with their bosses to call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

— WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis has events in South Carolina this weekend with Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting him.

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ON TAP TODAY — Florida’s Commission on Ethics is meeting. (See agenda.)

ALSO — Attorney General Merrick Garland will visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tallahassee and meet with U.S. Attorney Jason Coody as well as federal, state and local law enforcement leaders.

Yesterday he was in Jacksonville and Miami, where he warned about the “potential threats of hate-fueled violence and terrorism,” reported Jay Weaver of the Miami Herald.

VENEZUELA TAKEAWAY — Florida Dems hopeful Biden’s Venezuela move won’t come back to haunt them, by POLITICO's Kimberly Leonard and Mia McCarthy: Florida Democrats greeted the White House’s easing of sanctions on Venezuela with cautious optimism. It’s a turnabout for the state’s beleaguered party, whose members last year were frustrated when the Biden administration made similar moves to restart talks between President Nicolás Maduro's government and the opposition.

HMM — Evidence is missing that frivolous lawsuits are driving soaring property insurance prices, reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Lawrence Mower. “Florida does have an extreme number of lawsuits against insurers compared to other states. Even plaintiffs’ lawyers and consumer advocates will admit some litigation against insurance companies is abusive or unnecessary. One law firm has been shut down for its practices. But the Legislature hasn’t studied how many of those lawsuits are excessive and not triggered by legitimate grievances against the insurer. State regulators also can’t give definitive answers about how much excessive or frivolous lawsuits have caused Floridians’ premiums to go up, compared to other factors.”

Related: Unlike Florida homeowners, property insurance companies are coming out ahead this year, reports WPTV’s Matt Sczesny.

Florida Rep. Joe Harding listens during a Local Administration and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee hearing in a legislative session, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla. | Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP

VERDICT — Former state Rep. Joe Harding, the author of the Parental Rights in Education Act dubbed "Don't Say Gay" by critics, was sentenced to four months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud, money laundering and lying to investors, reported POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. The charges were tied to Harding seeking federal Covid relief dollars that were intended to help small businesses stay afloat during lockdown orders.

ABORTION RIGHTS BALLOT — State policymakers struggled to determine the economic impact of loosening abortion restrictions during a meeting Thursday, because they weren't sure what baseline to use given that the state's current, 15-week ban is being challenged in court, reported Florida Phoenix’s Jackie Llanos. The ballot initiative in question would reinstate abortion rights for patients later in pregnancy.

MEDICAID EXTENSION — People with disabilities would be able to buy into Medicaid under a new bill introduced by state Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Tampa). Florida’s health agency would have to decide under which income levels people would qualify and how much they’d have to pay in premiums, then pitch the program to the Biden administration for approval.

This would be a way to get more people health care coverage outside of expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. If Florida were to go with the Obamacare option, people who are working could still get Medicaid but at no cost to them, as long as their income is below a certain level. An estimated 800,000 people would qualify.

PROFILE — “The man behind America’s most controversial high school course,” by the Deseret News’ Samuel Benson: “As College Board’s senior vice president over Advanced Placement courses, Trevor Packer has spent two decades oiling and rearranging the gears that make AP run, expanding the program to reach most school districts in the U.S. The Washington Post deemed him responsible for making AP “the most powerful educational tool in the country.” A scholar from a leading think tank credited him for “the rarest kind of success in public education” — expanding scale without sacrificing rigor. High schoolers nationwide know him simply as “AP Trevor,” a nod to his Twitter handle that’s amassed nearly a hundred thousand followers. And yet, all the experience running America’s largest secondary-school curriculum machine couldn’t have prepared him for this year.”

GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.

SCHOOL HEALTH SCREENINGS FALL — Eye, ear and height checks are falling by the wayside in Central Florida this school year because of state parental rights laws, reports the Orlando Sentinel’s Leslie Postal and Caroline Catherman. The new laws require schools to get written permission for the tests, rather than defaulting to getting the screening and then being able to opt out.

BAD NEWS IN TALLY — Homicides in the state’s capital are up, reports the Tallahassee Democrat’s Elena Barrera. They’ve totaled 733, and most are concentrated in four neighborhoods, found a Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice study.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom answers questions during a news conference, Sept, 26, 2023, in Sacramento, Calif. | Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo

DESANTIS-NEWSOM DEBATE FODDER — Californians are still moving to Florida, reports The Associated Press’ Mike Schneider. “California had a net loss of more than 113,000 residents last year, a number that would have been much higher if not for people moving to the state from other countries and a natural increase from more births than deaths. More than 343,000 people left California for another state last year, the highest number of any U.S. state.”

UNANIMOUS JURY — “Twice-convicted killer should be put back on Florida’s death row, Broward jury recommends,” by the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Rafael Olmeda: Juries have twice convicted Peter Avsenew but the 2022 capital punishment recommendation was overturned “when Broward Circuit Judge Martin Fein learned that jurors joked about the case and admitted watching a documentary in a private social media group before the death penalty arguments formally took place in court.”

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DESANTIS IN MASS. — DeSantis will swing through the Bay State on Monday for a pair of high-dollar fundraisers and a meet-and-greet to benefit the MassGOP, POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky scooped.

MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale, Vice Chair Jay Fleitman and Massachusetts’ Republican National Committee members Janet Fogarty and Ron Kaufman will host DeSantis for an afternoon event in Boston that the party is billing as “our first in the series of presidential candidate meet and greets benefiting the Massachusetts Republican Party.”

Ahead of the MassGOP event, DeSantis is expected to attend a lunchtime fundraiser hosted by Brian Shortsleeve, a Gov. Charlie Baker alum who held a reception for DeSantis in Cotuit over the summer. At 6 p.m. DeSantis will head to a reception organized by former congressional candidate and businessman Rick Green and his wife, Maggie Green. GOP state Sen. Ryan Fattman and Jim Rappaport are among the hosts of the big-money bash. Tickets start at $1,000 and chairs are asked to raise $11,600, according to an invitation reviewed by Massachusetts Playbook.

LATEST REGISTRATION NUMBERS — Republicans now outnumber Democrats in Florida by more than 625,000 people.

BIGGEST SPEND YET FROM A GOP THIS SENATE CYCLE — Sen. Rick Scott’s (R-Fla.) campaign is spending $3 million on a new TV ad, “Losing our Country.” It’ll run in every market in Florida for the next month.

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TODAY — Federal Judge Aileen Cannon will hold a second conflict-of-interest hearing for defendant Walt Nauta in Fort Pierce, regarding the Trump classified documents case. She postponed the hearing last week after prosecutors raised fresh objections during the trial that weren’t documented in paperwork beforehand.

COUNTERPROGRAMMING — Trump is considering holding his own event in Miami the night of the Nov. 8 GOP debate, NBC News’ Jake Traylor reported. The plans are still fluid, but Trump is considering a venue in the Hispanic neighborhood of Hialeah.

NO CLEAR WAY FORWARD — House Republicans on Thursday abandoned a push to empower Rep. Patrick McHenry as temporary speaker after the idea faced backlash within the party. No member of the GOP conference appears to have enough support to get the gavel, but Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio is pushing for a third floor vote.

REDLINING — “The Justice Department reached a $9 million settlement with Ameris Bank over allegations that it avoided underwriting mortgages in predominately Black and Latino communities in Jacksonville, Fla., and discouraged people there from getting home loans,” reports Lindsay Whitehurst of The Associated Press.

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