Stephanie Murphy Calls Out Pelosi over Delayed Infrastructure Package Vote

Florida Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL-7) has called out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) for delaying a vote on a $1.2 billion infrastructure package on the House floor. Pelosi previously made concessions to Democrat moderates, of which Murphy is often categorized since she is co-chair of the Blue-Dog Coalition, that the package was to be voted on last week.

Murphy said she is “profoundly disappointed and disillusioned” and said that some of her fellow Democrats have been using the infrastructure package to “gain ‘leverage’” over other Democrats.

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Florida Gov. DeSantis Says Washington Dysfunction Hurting Florida Transportation Projects

In a press release on Friday, Governor Ron DeSantis called attention to the impacts congressional inaction and dysfunction are beginning to have on transportation projects in Florida.

“Yet again, the delays in Washington are impacting the lives of Floridians,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “It is unacceptable that Congress or the Biden Administration would use highway construction as a bargaining chip and leave Florida taxpayers to foot the bill. This is even more proof that the Democrats in leadership don’t want to help people, they don’t want to get anything done, they just want to follow a political agenda.”

And DeSantis is not alone in his criticism.

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Release of Census Numbers Starts Florida’s Redistricting Process

Florida State Capitol

With Florida’s gubernatorial race only a few months in, the political rhetoric is increasing and pressure is mounting on Republican and Democratic sides of the aisle. For the Democrats, they will be attempting to unseat current Gov. Ron DeSantis and current Sen. Marco Rubio.

For Republicans, the pressure is mounting to increase their already dominant presence in Florida’s statewide offices and state legislature. However, this upcoming legislative session will also see the Republican-controlled State House and Senate redrawing Florida’s congressional seats.

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Sabatini Challenging Rep. Murphy for Florida Congressional Seat

State Rep. Anthony Sabatini (R-32) announced his intention to run against U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-7) in Florida’s potentially newly drawn congressional district as a result of 2020 U.S. Census data and Florida picking up two additional congressional seats.

Sabatini is highly critical of Murphy and her policies which he says are a reflection of “corporate interest groups” in Washington.

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U.S. Representative Stephanie Murphy to Announce Senate Run

U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-7) is set to announce a run for U.S. Senate against sitting Sen. Marco Rubio in 2022. Murphy is the first major challenger to join the Senate race and has a reputation for being a proven fundraiser, providing a challenge for Rubio’s team.

Murphy has a history of separating herself from the larger Democratic Party and provides potential crossover appeal to moderate voters. She and her family fled communist Vietnam when she was a child, and refers to herself as a “proud capitalist,” and has given indicators she may be opposed to possible tax increases floated by President Joe Biden’s administration.

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Commentary: There’s No Such Thing as a Conservative Blue Dog Democrat

by George Rasley   On Tuesday, the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of allegedly “fiscally responsible” House Democrats announced its new leadership team as their party is poised to retake the gavel in the 116th Congress. The Blue Dogs claim they embrace a “bipartisan approach” to legislating and are looking to play a major role in brokering compromise positions on legislation with a Republican-held Senate and President Trump. “In this new era of divided government, we Democrats must introduce bold ideas and fight for our shared values, and we must also seek bipartisan cooperation that keeps our government functioning and improves the lives of our constituents; the alternative is a partisan stalemate that brings our country to a halt,” said Florida Representative Stephanie Murphy, the Blue Dogs’ incoming co-chair for administration, reported the online news site The Well. The reality is that the Blue Dogs are, when push comes to shove, anything but “bipartisan” as their voting records show. Rep. Murphy, who represents Florida’s Seventh Congressional District, has a lifetime rating of 6 percent from Heritage Action for America. The House Democrats’ average is 8 percent, meaning Rep. Murphy is even more liberal than the average Democrat. The Blue Dogs’…

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