In the News

Roll CallBy Bridget BowmanWielding the gavel he held nearly 50 years ago to the day, former Rep. John D. Dingell told a group gathered in the Capitol Visitor Center Wednesday, “We did it! Now let’s see some real enthusiasm,” adding, “They fought us all the way.”The Michigan Democrat was back in the Capitol to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid becoming law. At the House Democratic event, Dingell waved the same gavel he held when he presided over that historic vote a half c... Read more

Roll CallBy Hannah HessOn a day when Louisiana lawmakers and other members of Congress mourned a fatal shooting in a Lafayette movie theater, Capitol Hill also honored two Capitol Police officers killed by a gunman who charged into the Capitol exactly 17 years ago.“Shots fired at the Document Door. This was some 50 feet from where I was sitting. Two U.S. Capitol Police officers were down,” Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, recalled on Friday. “Their names were Jacob J. Chestnut and John M. Gibson... Read more

McClatchyBy William Douglas, McClatchyThe head of the Democratic Party said they were among the darkest hours in the history of the House of Representatives. The White House said Republicans were strikingly eager to defend the Confederate flag.Republicans said they were merely proposing to enforce existing policies about the sale and display of the flag in national cemeteries set by the Obama administration itself in the wake of the massacre at a Charleston, S.C., church.The bottom line: The Rep... Read more

FOX NewsBy Barnini Chakraborty With South Carolina poised to take down its Confederate flag on Friday, the debate is quickly expanding to all symbols of the Confederacy -- and causing consternation among lawmakers.The conflict over the Confederate flag spread to Capitol Hill Thursday in a politically-charged and emotionally-draining display from both House Democrats and Republicans, who accused each other of using the controversial and thorny topic as political leverage to advance their own agen... Read more

WLRNBy Diego Saldaña-Rojas South Florida’s main entry point for gasoline and jet fuel and one of the busiest cruise ports in the world is widening its channels.The alteration to the port’s existing infrastructure is a response to the evolving shipping industry.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released an environmental and economic report that allows for the start of preliminary designing and engineering, a process that will take over a year.“It would be hard to think of a more complex, challengi... Read more

Sun SentinelBy William E. Gibson and Doreen Hemlock With varying success, South Florida's seaports are striving to grow wider and deeper to lure a bigger share of the increased trade expected to flow from Asia and Latin America.Port Everglades just got approval — 18 years in the making — for a federally funded dredging project. PortMiami already has dug its harbor down to 50 feet to attract a new generation of super-sized ships.The Port Of Palm Beach also plans to expand. But the port has run in... Read more

TAMPA BAY TIMESBy Alex LearyFlorida's political figures have weighed in on today's landmark Supreme Court decision in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized gay marriage throughout the United States. Here are their statements:Gov. Jeb Bush, Republican presidential candidate: "Guided by my faith, I believe in traditional marriage. I believe the Supreme Court should have allowed the states to make this decision. I also believe that we should love our neighbor and respect others, includi... Read more

MIAMI HERALDNAKED POLITICS BLOG@PatriciaMazzei The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, allowing Obamacare to continue as it exists today. Here's the reaction from Florida politicians, updated as they come in:U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida (also 2016 presidential candidate)I disagree with the Court’s ruling and believe they have once again erred in trying to correct the mistakes made by President Obama and Congress in forcing Obamacare on the American pe... Read more

MIAMI HERALDNAKED POLITICS BLOG@PatriciaMazzeiThe U.S. Supreme Courtlegalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states Friday. Here's how Florida politicians reacted to the 5-4 ruling, updated as they come in:U.S. Sen.Marco Rubio, R-Florida and 2016 Republican presidential candidateI believe that marriage, as the key to strong family life, is the most important institution in our society and should be between one man and one woman. People who disagree with the traditional definition of marriage have t... Read more

Sun SentinelBy Anthony ManFlorida political figures reacted swiftly to the U.S. Supreme Court opinion making same-sex marriage the law of the land.Former Gov. Charlie Crist, a former Republican who is now a Democrat, became the first major Florida politician to react, shortly after the opinion was issued. "Love is love. Equal rights for all. #MarriageEquality #LoveWins," he wrote on Twitter.U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, hailed the ... Read more