Curbelo, C Rep

<b style="line-height: 16.8px; outline: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">oops 2x, not seeing it 7/18
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Columbia | SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy | Emissions ...Search domain energypolicy.columbia.eduhttps://www.energypolicy.columbia.edu › research › report › emissions-energy-and-economic-implications-curbelo-carbon-tax-proposalThe Curbelo proposal allocates this carbon tax revenue to various uses, with 70 percent designated for the federal Highway Trust Fund (a portion of which replaces the revenues lost with the elimination of fuel excise taxes). 10 percent of carbon tax revenues are granted to states, which must transfer these grants to low-income households within ...Concerns with the Curbelo Carbon Tax - IERSearch domain instituteforenergyresearch.orghttps://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org › fossil-fuels › concerns-with-the-curbelo-carbon-taxConcerns with the Curbelo Carbon Tax. By Robert P. Murphy. In the climate change policy debate, the latest news is the carbon tax bill (H.R. 6463) introduced by Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo, which would levy an initial $24 per ton tax on carbon in the year 2020, and would rise 2% (plus inflation) annually thereafter.Assessing the Curbelo Carbon Tax Bill | NRDCSearch domain nrdc.orghttps://www.nrdc.org › experts › david-doniger › assessing-curbelo-carbon-tax-billAssessing the Curbelo Carbon Tax Bill. When Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) introduced a bill to address dangerous climate change on Monday, it was a notable breakthrough. His bill is one of the first ...Carbon Tax Curbelo Loses in Florida | Americans for Tax ReformSearch domain atr.orghttps://www.atr.org › carbon-tax-curbelo-loses-floridaEarlier this year Florida congressman Carlos Curbelo introduced a bill to impose massive carbon tax on the American people. The Curbelo bill would have raised the cost of everything, hitting poor households the hardest.

"Curbelo could and should have been reelected but he was talked into pushing an energy tax on all Americans -- the so-called carbon tax -- and as a result voters ...The Curbelo Carbon Tax Bill: A Breakthrough GOP Proposal ...Search domain ase.orghttps://www.ase.org › blog › curbelo-carbon-tax-bill-breakthrough-gop-proposal-climate-changeThose were questions many were asking this week as Rep. Carlos Curbelo, a south Florida Republican, introduced the first GOP-led carbon-pricing bill in a decade. At a time when climate change gets woefully little attention on Capitol Hill, Curbelo's bill was the talk of DC's energy and environmental crowd - and even broke through to the ...Images for curbelo carbonCarlos Curbelo Carbon Tax Plan: Wealth Redistribution at Its Worst | National ReviewCarlos Curbelo's Carbon Tax Proposal | National ReviewBehind the scenes, Republican Carlos Curbelo builds case for his carbon tax planCurbelo: Florida Could Change Nation's Mindset on Climate Change | Newsmax.comThe Curbelo Carbon Tax as Wealth RedistributionRepublican congressman Carlos Curbelo introduces bill taxing carbon emissions - AxiosCurbelo's Carbon Tax Threatens 300% IRS Fines for "Any person who fails to comply" | Americans ...Curbelo Carbon Tax Misses the Mark - American Energy AllianceRep. Carlos Curbelo set to introduce carbon tax bill Monday - AxiosThe Curbelo Carbon Tax Bill: A Breakthrough GOP Proposal on Climate Change? | Alliance to Save ...More ImagesEmissions, Energy, and Economic Implications of the ...Search domain rhg.comhttps://rhg.com › research › emissions-energy-and-economic-implications-curbelo-republican-carbon-tax-proposalIn July 2018 Representative Carlos Curbelo proposed legislation that would put a price on US carbon dioxide emissions ("Curbelo proposal"). A carbon price is widely viewed as a necessary part of a cost-effective national strategy to address the risks of climate change. This proposal is especially notable because Republicans, who currently control the US Senate, […]Don't Let This Republican's Carbon Tax Proposal Fool You ...Search domain huffpost.comhttps://www.huffpost.com › entry › opinion-prattico-curbelo-carbon-tax_n_5b58a52ce4b0b15aba9473f5First, Curbelo's carbon tax comes at the cost of the federal excise tax on gas, meaning that federal revenue will be reduced by $35 billion in 2020 and by $24 billion in 2030.This wouldn't necessarily have a devastating financial impact after accounting for the incoming revenue from the carbon tax; however, research out of Columbia University shows during this time period, GDP would ...Curbelo Carbon Tax Misses the Mark - American Energy AllianceSearch domain americanenergyalliance.orghttps://www.americanenergyalliance.org › 2018 › 07 › curbelo-carbon-tax-misses-the-markCurbelo Carbon Tax Misses the Mark. For the first time this decade, a Republican Member of Congress has introduced carbon-pricing legislation on Capitol Hill. On Monday, July 23, Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida's 26 th Congressional District filed the inaptly named MARKET CHOICE Act, with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-8) and Francis Rooney (R ...Reject a Carbon Tax - American Energy AllianceSearch domain americanenergyalliance.orghttps://www.americanenergyalliance.org › initiatives › nocarbontaxThe Curbelo Carbon Tax would be a tax on everything. Some "conservatives" in Washington are pushing the idea of a carbon tax. A carbon tax is nothing more than a tax on energy that would impact every American. This would not only raise the price at the pump and on utility bills, but would also increase...Carlos Curbelo Carbon Tax Plan: Wealth Redistribution at ...Search domain nationalreview.comhttps://www.nationalreview.com › 2018 › 07 › carlos-curbelo-carbon-tax-wealth-redistributionCurbelo's tax would start at $24 per metric ton of GHG emissions, growing 2 percent per year above inflation and an additional $2 per ton every two years if emission-reduction goals are not met ...<div style="widows: 1;">=</div><div style="widows: 1;">Carlos Luis Curbelo (born March 1, 1980) is an American politician who served as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="United States House of Representatives" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">U.S. representative</a> for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%27s_26th_congressional_district" title="Florida's 26th congressional district" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Florida's 26th congressional district</a> from 2015 to 2019. In <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Florida#District_26" title="2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">2018</a>, he was narrowly defeated for re-election by Democrat <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debbie_Mucarsel-Powell" title="Debbie Mucarsel-Powell" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Debbie Mucarsel-Powell</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-:1-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[1]</a> Prior to his election to the U.S. House, he served on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami-Dade_County_Public_School" class="mw-redirect" title="Miami-Dade County Public School" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Dade County School Board</a>.<div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading" style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); padding: 7px; display: table; widows: 2;"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="margin: 0px; position: absolute; opacity: 0; z-index: -1; display: none;" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; direction: ltr;" /><ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Early_life_and_education" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Early life and education</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Career" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2Career</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#U.S.House_of_Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3U.S. House of Representatives</a><ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Elections" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3.1Elections</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Committee_assignments" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3.2Committee assignments</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Tenure" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3.3Tenure</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Legislation_sponsored" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3.4Legislation sponsored</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Political_positions" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4Political positions</a><ul style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Vote_Smart_issue_positions" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.1Vote Smart issue positions</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Environment" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.2Environment</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Healthcare" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.3Healthcare</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Donald_Trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.4Donald Trump</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Guns" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.5Guns</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Tax_reform" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.6Tax reform</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Cannabis" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.7Cannabis</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-16" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#LGBT_rights" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.8LGBT rights</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-17" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Immigration" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.9Immigration</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-18" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Abortion" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.10Abortion</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-19" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Keystone_pipeline" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.11Keystone pipeline</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-20" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Charter_schools" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.12Charter schools</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-21" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Iran_deal" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4.13Iran deal</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-22" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Electoral_history" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5Electoral history</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-23" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#Personal_life" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">6Personal life</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-24" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#See_also" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">7See also</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-25" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#References" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">8References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-26" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#External_links" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">9External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Early life and education[</h2>Curbelo was born in Miami, the son of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_exile" title="Cuban exile" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Cuban exiles</a> in Florida.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[2]</a> He attended <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belen_Jesuit_Preparatory_School" title="Belen Jesuit Preparatory School" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Belen Jesuit Preparatory School</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-votesmart-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[3]</a> He attended the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Miami" title="University of Miami" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">University of Miami</a>, where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_administration" title="Public administration" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">public administration</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-votesmart-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[3]</a><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Career[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carlos_Curbelo&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Career" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h2>
He is also a former state director for former U.S. senator <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_LeMieux" title="George LeMieux" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">George LeMieux</a> of Florida.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-MiamiHerldMazzei11052014-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[5]</a>Curbelo previously served on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami-Dade_County_Public_Schools" title="Miami-Dade County Public Schools" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Miami-Dade County Public Schools</a> board from 2010 to 2015.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[4]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-MiamiHerldMazzei11052014-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[5]</a> He won the seat vacated by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ana_Rivas_Logan" title="Ana Rivas Logan" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Ana Rivas Logan</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[6]</a> Curbelo represented the 7th district.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[7]</a> He was succeeded by Lubby Navarro on the school board.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[8]</a> Curbelo is the founder of Capitol Gains, a government and public relations firm.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-votesmart-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[3]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[9]</a><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">U.S. House of Representatives[</h2><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
2014Elections[</h3><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable" style="font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">See also: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Florida#District_26" title="2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida § District 26</a></div>In the 2014 election, Curbelo defeated <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incumbent" title="Incumbent" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">incumbent</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Garcia" title="Joe Garcia" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Joe Garcia</a> of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party(United_States)" title="Democratic Party (United States)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Democratic Party</a> by 52 to 48 percent.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-MiamiHerldMazzei11052014-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[5]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[10]</a><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">2016</dt></dl><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable" style="font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">See also: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Florida#District_26" title="2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida § District 26</a></div>Curbelo ran for re-election in 2016. He was unopposed in the Republican primary.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[11]</a> In the general election, Curbelo defeated Garcia in a rematch. Curbelo received 53% of the vote.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[12]</a><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">2018</dt></dl><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable" style="font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">See also: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Florida#District_26" title="2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida § District 26</a></div>Curbelo was challenged by Democrat <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debbie_Mucarsel-Powell" title="Debbie Mucarsel-Powell" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Debbie Mucarsel-Powell</a> in one of the most hotly contested House races in Florida.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-:1-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[1]</a> Curbelo was significantly outspent during the campaign, as national Democrats eyed a pick-up opportunity in a district that had been won by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Clinton" title="Hillary Clinton" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Hillary Clinton</a> in the 2016 presidential election. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Congressional_Campaign_Committee" title="Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee</a> spent more money (nearly $7.2 million) in the district than in any other race in 2018. House Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC, spent about $2.5 million in the race.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-defeat-13" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[13]</a>In the November 2018 general election, Mucarsel-Powell defeated Curbelo with 50.9% of the vote to Curbelo's 49.1%.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-14" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[14]</a>Reflecting on his election loss, Curbelo said the Republican Party "has to understand that if we're going to have a small government, free enterprise party in America, that Trumpism isn't the future for such a party."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-defeat-13" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[13]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Committee assignments[</h3>In the 115th Congress, Curbelo sat on the following committee and subcommittees:<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-15" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[15]</a><ul style="list-style-image: url("/w/skins/Vector/resources/common/images/bullet-icon.svg?d4515"); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; widows: 2;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Ways_and_Means" title="United States House Committee on Ways and Means" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">United States House Committee on Ways and Means</a><ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); list-style-image: url("/w/skins/Vector/resources/common/images/bullet-icon.svg?d4515"); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Ways_and_Means_Subcommittee_on_Human_Resources" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">United States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Ways_and_Means_Subcommittee_on_Oversight" title="United States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">United States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight</a></li></ul></li></ul><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Tenure[</h3>Curbelo has a reputation as a moderate Republican. According to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_McClatchy_Company" class="mw-redirect" title="The McClatchy Company" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">McClatchy</a>, "Curbelo has broken ranks with his party to take lonely stands on high-profile topics ranging from abortion and women’s health to climate change, the environment, immigration and government spending."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-16" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[16]</a> Curbelo was ranked the fourth most bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives during first session of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/115th_United_States_Congress" title="115th United States Congress" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">115th United States Congress</a> by the Bipartisan Index, created by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Lugar#The_Lugar_Center" title="Richard Lugar" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">The Lugar Center</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCourt_School_of_Public_Policy" title="McCourt School of Public Policy" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">McCourt School of Public Policy</a> to assess <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress" title="United States Congress" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">congressional</a> bipartisanship.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-17" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[17]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-18" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[18]</a>In November 2017, Curbelo made a bid to join the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Hispanic_Caucus" title="Congressional Hispanic Caucus" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Congressional Hispanic Caucus</a>, which is made up of 30 Democratic members of Congress. After Curbelo made a presentation to the group, caucus membership took a vote and a majority refused to admit him to its membership. Members of the caucus cited Curbelo's vote in favor of repealing Obamacare as a reason to deny him membership, and that Curbelo had not yet signed on as a cosponsor of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DREAM_Act" title="DREAM Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">DREAM Act</a>, though he said he would vote in favor of any proposal to help undocumented youth who came to the U.S. as children.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-:4-19" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[19]</a> In January 2018, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus announced that its political arm would support Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in her 2018 bid for Curbelo's seat.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-20" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[20]</a> In an editorial, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Herald" title="Miami Herald" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Miami Herald</a> criticized the caucus's decision to exclude Curbelo from its ranks, writing that "not letting Curbelo join the caucus remains a short-sighted, spiteful move" and that "The caucus should make clear that it's an exclusive club for Democrats, and that Republicans need not apply—even if they're Hispanic."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-21" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[21]</a>As of September 2018, Curbelo had voted with his party 86.3% of the time in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/115th_United_States_Congress" title="115th United States Congress" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">115th United States Congress</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-22" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[22]</a>Curbelo was a member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congressional_International_Conservation_Caucus" title="United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-23" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[23]</a> the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Main_Street_Partnership" title="Republican Main Street Partnership" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Republican Main Street Partnership</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-24" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[24]</a> the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_Solutions_Caucus" title="Climate Solutions Caucus" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Climate Solutions Caucus</a>,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-25" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[25]</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.-Japan_Caucus" title="U.S.-Japan Caucus" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">U.S.-Japan Caucus</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-26" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[26]</a> Along with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ileana_Ros-Lehtinen" title="Ileana Ros-Lehtinen" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Ileana Ros-Lehtinen</a>, he was one of two Republican members of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_LGBT_Equality_Caucus" class="mw-redirect" title="Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus</a> who served in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/115th_United_States_Congress" title="115th United States Congress" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">115th United States Congress</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-27" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[27]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Legislation sponsored[</h3>The following is an incomplete list of legislation that Curbelo sponsored:<ul style="list-style-image: url("/w/skins/Vector/resources/common/images/bullet-icon.svg?d4515"); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affordable_College_Textbook_Act(H.R.3840;115th_Congress)" class="mw-redirect" title="Affordable College Textbook Act (H.R. 3840; 115th Congress)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Affordable College Textbook Act (H.R. 3840; 115th Congress)</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Market Choice Act (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/6463" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: url("/w/resources/src/mediawiki.skinning/images/external-ltr.svg?59558") right center no-repeat; padding-right: 13px;">H.R. 6463</a>; 115th Congress)</li></ul><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Political positions[</h2><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Vote Smart issue positions[</h3><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Vote_Smart" class="mw-redirect" title="Project Vote Smart" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Vote Smart</a>, a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States, "researched presidential and congressional candidates' public records to determine candidates' likely responses on certain key issues." According to Vote Smart's 2016 analysis, Curbelo generally supports pro-life legislation, opposes an income tax increase, opposes mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders, supports lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth, opposes requiring states to adopt federal education standards, supports building the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_Pipeline" title="Keystone Pipeline" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Keystone Pipeline</a>, supports government funding for the development of renewable energy, supports the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, supports repealing the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affordable_Care_Act" title="Affordable Care Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Affordable Care Act</a>, opposes requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship, supports same-sex marriage, supports increased American intervention in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq" title="Iraq" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Iraq</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria" title="Syria" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Syria</a> beyond air support, and supports allowing individuals to divert a portion of their <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security(United_States)" title="Social Security (United States)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Social Security</a> taxes into personal retirement accounts.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-28" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[28]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Environment[</h3>In February 2016, Curbelo and Democratic representative <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Deutch" title="Ted Deutch" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Ted Deutch</a> created the bipartisan <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_Solutions_Caucus" title="Climate Solutions Caucus" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Climate Solutions Caucus</a> in the House to "explore policy options that address the impacts, causes, and challenges of our changing climate."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-29" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[29]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-30" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[30]</a>In 2016, Curbelo had the second highest rating of House Republicans on the annual scorecard of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Conservation_Voters" title="League of Conservation Voters" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">League of Conservation Voters</a>. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Herald" title="Miami Herald" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Miami Herald</a> wrote that Curbelo has "attempted to position himself as the national voice for Republicans who are concerned about climate change," describing him as "one of the few GOP voices speaking out against Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Agreement" title="Paris Agreement" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Paris Climate Agreement</a> and his desire to dismantle the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Protection_Agency" class="mw-redirect" title="Environmental Protection Agency" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">E</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Protection_Agency" class="mw-redirect" title="Environmental Protection Agency" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">nvironmental Protection Agency</a>."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-31" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[31]</a> Curbelo described <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change" title="Climate change" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">climate change</a> as a "local issue" that is causing flooding in his congressional district. Speaking about his efforts to convince his fellow Republicans about the threats posed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change" title="Climate change" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">climate change</a>, Curbelo told the New York Times "I know we have the truth on our side. So I'm confident that we'll win—eventually."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-32" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[32]</a>In December 2017, Curbelo and eleven other House Republicans signed a letter to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_McConnell" title="Mitch McConnell" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Mitch McConnell</a> urging the U.S. Senate "to pass a tax bill without oil-drilling concessions in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_National_Wildlife_Refuge" title="Arctic National Wildlife Refuge" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Arctic National Wildlife Refuge</a>."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-33" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[33]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-34" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[34]</a> Curbelo voted in favor of the final bill, which "includes a provision, introduced by Sen. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Murkowski" title="Lisa Murkowski" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Lisa Murkowski</a> (R-Alaska), that would require Interior Secretary <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Zinke" title="Ryan Zinke" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Ryan Zinke</a> to approve at least two lease sales for drilling—each covering no less than 400,000 acres—in the refuge's coastal plain area."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-35" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[35]</a>In April 2018, Curbelo called for the resignation of Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, saying Pruitt's "corruption scandals are an embarrassment" and that Pruitt's "conduct is grossly disrespectful to American taxpayers."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-36" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[36]</a>In July 2018, Curbelo became the first Republican in nearly a decade to propose legislation on enacting a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_tax" title="Carbon tax" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">carbon tax</a> to address the climate change (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/6463" style="background-image: url("/w/resources/src/mediawiki.skinning/images/external-ltr.svg?59558"); background-position: right center; background-size: initial; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; padding-right: 13px;">H.R. 6463</a>; 115th Congress). As part of the proposal, existing taxes on gasoline and diesel fuels would be repealed, and taxes would be introduced on carbon dioxide emissions that starts at $24/ton of CO2e in 2020. According to the Columbia University SIPA Center for Global Energy Policy, Curbelo's legislation would reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 27–32 percent reductions by 2025 and 30–40 percent reductions by 2030 (compared to 2005 levels). The legislation was also estimated to increase annual federal government revenues by $57 billion–$72 billion in 2020 and $63 billion–$106 billion in 2030. National macroeconomic outcomes were estimated to decline modestly, with losses between 0.1 and 0.2 percent of GDP in the 2020s.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-37" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[37]</a> Other Republicans disavowed the legislation, with the Republican-led House passing a nonbinding measure in July 2018 describing the legislation as "detrimental".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-38" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[38]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-39" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[39]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-40" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[40]</a>For his efforts Curbelo in December 2018 was called "ridiculous. That guy is a pretend environmentalist" by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Steyer" title="Tom Steyer" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Tom Steyer</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-41" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[41]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Healthcare[</h3>Speaking about the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act" class="mw-redirect" title="Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")</a>, Curbelo said: "I clearly do not support the law and think it is bad policy. ... However I prefer to use the word 'replace' or 'substitute' Obamacare because to just say 'repeal' implies that there is no need for health care reform. But yes, if we replace or substitute Obamacare, that means it would no longer exist."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-42" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[42]</a>On May 3, 2017, Curbelo <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter" title="Twitter" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">tweeted</a> that "I just reiterated to @HouseGOP leaders that #AHCA in its current form fails to sufficiently protect Americans with pre-existing conditions."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-43" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[43]</a> On May 4, 2017, he voted to repeal the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act" class="mw-redirect" title="Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act</a> and pass the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Health_Care_Act_of_2017" title="American Health Care Act of 2017" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Health Care Act</a> (AHCA).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-:2-44" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[44]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-45" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[45]</a> Explaining his vote, Curbelo said the AHCA was "not perfect, but that it was important for him to be a part of negotiations" and that the vote "is just a step in the legislative process for this bill—not the end of it."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-46" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[46]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Donald Trump[</h3>In March 2016, Curbelo said he would not vote for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Donald Trump</a> in the 2016 presidential election, calling it "a moral decision" rather than a political decision.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-47" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[47]</a> He did not attend the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Republican_National_Convention" title="2016 Republican National Convention" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">2016 Republican National Convention</a>. In October 2016, speaking about the upcoming presidential election, he said: "I'm not supporting any of the two major candidates. I'm as disappointed with this election as most Americans are."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-48" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[48]</a>In February 2017, while serving on the Ways and Means Committee, he voted against a measure that would have led to a request of the Treasury Department for Trump's tax returns.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-:0-49" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[49]</a> He then voted against a resolution that would have directed the House to request 10 years of Trump's tax returns, which would then have been reviewed by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Ways_and_Means" title="United States House Committee on Ways and Means" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">House Ways and Means Committee</a> in a closed session.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-50" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[50]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz(publication)" title="Quartz (publication)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Quartz</a> included Curbelo on a list of Republicans opposing Trump's 2017 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_13769" title="Executive Order 13769" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">executive order</a> to impose a temporary ban on entry to the U.S. of people from seven Muslim-majority countries. Curbelo said at the time: "I expect that these executive orders are in fact temporary and that once the Administration strengthens the vetting process, we can continue our tradition of welcoming those who are persecuted, in an orderly manner and without any kind of religious test."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-Timmons-51" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[51]</a> He said the executive orders "were hastily issued & need a lot of work."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-52" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[52]</a>In May 2017, President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Donald Trump</a> was accused of having pressured fired FBI director <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Comey" title="James Comey" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">James Comey</a> with the intent to end an FBI investigation into former <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Advisor(United_States)" title="National Security Advisor (United States)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">National Security Advisor</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Flynn" title="Michael Flynn" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Michael Flynn</a>. Flynn had resigned after 24 days in his post when information surfaced that he had misled the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI" class="mw-redirect" title="FBI" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">FBI</a> and Vice President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Pence" title="Mike Pence" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Mike Pence</a> about the nature and content of his communications with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_ambassador_to_the_United_States" class="mw-redirect" title="Russian ambassador to the United States" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Russian Ambassador</a> to the U.S. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Kislyak" title="Sergey Kislyak" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Sergey Kislyak</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-53" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[53]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-54" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[54]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-55" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[55]</a> Curbelo publicly stated that the allegations, if proven true, merited impeachment, as did Michigan Republican congressman <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash" title="Justin Amash" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Justin Amash</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-56" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[56]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-57" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[57]</a> On December 1, 2017, Flynn pleaded guilty in federal court to a single felony count of "willfully and knowingly" <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Making_false_statements" title="Making false statements" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">making "false, fictitious and fraudulent statements"</a> to the FBI.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-58" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[58]</a>Curbelo supported President Trump's decision to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_recognition_of_Jerusalem_as_capital_of_Israel" title="United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital</a>. He stated: "Jerusalem is without question the capital of Israel and I commend the President's decision to recognize it as such."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-59" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[59]</a>In September 2018, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FiveThirtyEight" title="FiveThirtyEight" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">FiveThirtyEight</a> found that Curbelo had voted in line with President Trump 82% of the time, and was the sixth-most partisan Trump supporter in the House when compared to his district's voting patterns.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-Five38-60" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[60]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Guns[</h3>The Brady Campaign, a gun control advocacy group, labeled Curbelo an "NRA lap dog" for his support of the 2nd Amendment.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-mcclatchydc.com-61" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[61]</a>In 2017, Curbelo introduced a bill to ban <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bump_stock" title="Bump stock" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">bump stocks</a> in the wake of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Las_Vegas_shooting" title="2017 Las Vegas shooting" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2017 Las Vegas shooting</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-Cadei122117-62" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[62]</a>Appearing on ABC's "This Week" on February 18, 2018, Curbelo called on Republican congressional leaders to introduce gun-control measures.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-63" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[63]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Tax reform[</h3>Curbelo voted in favor of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_Cuts_and_Jobs_Act_of_2017" title="Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-Almukhtar-64" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[64]</a> The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_New_Times" title="Miami New Times" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Miami New Times</a> projected that Curbelo's wife, who owns a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow-through_entity" title="Flow-through entity" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">pass-through</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_liability_company" title="Limited liability company" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">LLC</a>, would financially benefit from the TCJA's pass-through deduction enabling such companies to deduct a portion of their profits on taxes. He says the bill will "make American families more prosperous."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-Iannelli122217-65" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[65]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Cannabis[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carlos_Curbelo&action=edit&section=15&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Cannabis" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h3>Curbelo has a "B" rating from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NORML" class="mw-redirect" title="NORML" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">NORML</a> for his voting history regarding <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis" title="Cannabis" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">cannabis</a>-related causes. Curbelo supports veteran access to medical marijuana if recommended by their <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Health_Administration" title="Veterans Health Administration" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Veterans Health Administration</a> doctor and if it is legal for medicinal purposes in their state of residence.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-NORML-66" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[66]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">LGBT rights[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carlos_Curbelo&action=edit&section=16&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: LGBT rights" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h3>Curbelo supports <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage" title="Same-sex marriage" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">same-sex marriage</a>. Upon the landmark Supreme Court ruling <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obergefell_v.Hodges" title="Obergefell v. Hodges" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Obergefell v. Hodges</a>, Curbelo stated "I applaud the Supreme Court's ruling, and send my sincerest congratulations to all those who will finally enjoy the same legal rights as their peers."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-Derby62715-67" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[67]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Immigration[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carlos_Curbelo&action=edit&section=17&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Immigration" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h3>Curbelo is "an outspoken proponent of immigration reform."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-hill-68" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[68]</a> On July 23, 2015, he voted against legislation penalizing sanctuary cities.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-mcclatchydc.com-61" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[61]</a> In November 2017, he said he would oppose any appropriations bill to fund the government past December 31 unless Congress passed permanent protections for recipients of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deferred_Action_for_Childhood_Arrivals" title="Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals</a> (DACA), which currently impacts nearly 700,000 people and which President Trump rescinded in September 2017.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-hill-68" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[68]</a> Curbelo has pushed for a permanent version of DACA and is a co-sponsor of a bill on the topic developed with the bipartisan <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_Solvers_Caucus" title="Problem Solvers Caucus" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Problem Solvers Caucus</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-69" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[69]</a> In December 2017, Curbelo, who was leading talks with Democrats on immigration overhaul, criticized leaders of the Problem Solvers Caucus for withholding details of a potential bipartisan compromise on immigration policy. He introduced "a slightly more conservative version of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DREAM_Act" title="DREAM Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">DREAM Act</a>" but said that he would vote for the DREAM Act or more liberal proposals if they ever came up for a vote.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-70" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[70]</a> He filed the Recognizing America's Children Act (RAC) and said he would "support any bill that has a chance of putting DACA protections into law."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-hill-68" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[68]</a> In April 2018, he became a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-71" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[71]</a>On July 6, 2018, Curbelo was denied entry by the Department of Health and Human Services into a government facility housing immigrant minors separated from their parents at the Mexican border. He had made arrangements with HHS two weeks earlier for the visit, but the night before the planned visit was told he would not be permitted to enter the facility.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-72" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[72]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Abortion[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carlos_Curbelo&action=edit&section=18&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Abortion" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h3>Curbelo voted against defunding <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_Parenthood" title="Planned Parenthood" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Planned Parenthood</a>. He also voted against repealing a District of Columbia law that protects employees from employer retaliation when they have abortions, use birth control, or make other reproductive choices.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-mcclatchydc.com-61" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[61]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Keystone pipeline[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carlos_Curbelo&action=edit&section=19&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Keystone pipeline" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h3>Curbelo voted for the Keystone pipeline.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-mcclatchydc.com-61" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[61]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Charter schools[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carlos_Curbelo&action=edit&section=20&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Charter schools" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h3>He has voted to increase private school vouchers.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-mcclatchydc.com-61" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[61]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Iran deal[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carlos_Curbelo&action=edit&section=21&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Iran deal" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none; white-space: nowrap;">edit</a>]</h3>Curbelo voted against the Iran nuclear deal.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Curbelo#cite_note-mcclatchydc.com-61" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[61]</a><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Electoral history</h2></div><span style="line-height: 16.8px; outline: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.axios.com/climate-change-is-finally-getting-political-cred-821fab52-254a-4620-b84d-c303b7b22c27.html">https://www.axios.com/climate-change-is-finally-getting-political-cred-821fab52-254a-4620-b84d-c303b7b22c27.html</a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div>Climate change is starting to become a political worry for some Republicans.</div><div style="box-sizing: inherit;">The big picture: For years, Republicans could ignore the issue or outright question mainstream climate science without political worry. That’s starting to change. Some congressional Republicans are beginning to find it in their political interest to at least acknowledge climate change and oppose efforts to weaken existing policies.</div><div id="hidden-821fab52-254a-4620-b84d-c303b7b22c27" class="" aria-hidden="false" aria-expanded="true" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding-bottom: 65px;">The subtle but significant shift is fueled by disparate factors, including a stronger economy and President Trump’s dismissive policies on climate.<div class="Quoteroot--fHvPf Quoteplain--kY7a" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.75; margin: 25px 50px;">“Moderate Republicans running this cycle are going to look for places to distance themselves in some places and appeal somehow to the middle, and [climate] is a fairly safe issue to do so.”</div><div class="QuoteAttributionroot--vrUkY" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.45; margin: 0px 50px 30px;">— Adrian Gray, Republican pollster</div>Unlike the backlash Republicans face for disagreeing with Trump on many issues, Gray says his polling shows that most Republican voters don’t penalize their lawmakers for acknowledging climate change is real and a problem, even though Trump <a href="https://www.axios.com/trump-mocks-global-warming-in-tweet-1515110895-36aaedf6-0f4a-4de5-ae3f-38ed325fe555.html" class="InternalLoadLinkroot--17C4m StoryBodylink--10w8x 36aaedf6-0f4a-4de5-ae3f-38ed325fe555-821fab52-254a-4620-b84d-c303b7b22c27" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(0, 141, 200), rgb(0, 141, 200)); background-position: 0px 95%; background-size: 1px 1px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.03em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.03em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 0.03em, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px -0.03em, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.06em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.06em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.09em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.09em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.12em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.12em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.15em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.15em 0px; border: 0px; padding: 0px; border-radius: 0px; line-height: 1.25; cursor: pointer;">openly mocks it</a>.This distinction comes despite the fact polling shows climate change remains a low priority for most voters, said Gray, who has done work for environmental groups.Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo embodies the moderate GOP mold considered key to Republicans keeping control of the House. He represents the tip of Florida, a swing district whose residents regularly experience rising sea levels, one of the clearest and most present impacts of climate change.<ul style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><li class="StoryBodyitem--1cHYD" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.75; margin-bottom: 1rem;">Climate change is a top priority for Curbelo, who has regularly criticized Trump on several issues.</li><li class="StoryBodyitem--1cHYD" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.75; margin-bottom: 1rem;">He’s introducing legislation today that taxes carbon emissions, with at least one fellow Republican, Curbelo said.</li><li class="StoryBodyitem--1cHYD" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.75; margin-bottom: 1rem;">He’s a co-founder of a bipartisan House caucus that acknowledges climate change.</li></ul>The other side(s): Curbelo’s Democratic challenger, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, is <a href="https://twitter.com/DebbieforFL/status/1020327228406665216" class="StoryBodylink--10w8x" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(0, 141, 200), rgb(0, 141, 200)); background-position: 0px 95%; background-size: 1px 1px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.03em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.03em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 0.03em, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px -0.03em, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.06em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.06em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.09em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.09em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.12em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.12em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.15em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.15em 0px;">accusing the congressman</a> of being ineffective and disingenuous with his work addressing climate change. Meanwhile, Americans for Tax Reform, a conservative group influential with Republicans, is holding an event today highlighting its opposition to what it’s calling the “giant job-crushing carbon tax” bill Curbelo is introducing.Those cross-pressures highlight the political danger Curbelo faces in the midterm elections. His district is a top target for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and voters there overwhelmingly supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential contest.The 38-year-old Curbelo, first elected to Congress in 2014, is unusually nonchalant about this criticism and the potential for it to ultimately boot him from Washington.<div class="Quoteroot--fHvPf Quoteplain--kY7a" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.75; margin: 25px 50px;">“I don’t worry about those kinds of things. I didn’t go to college to serve in Congress. I’m going to be as effective as possible while I’m here. The day I’m not here, I’ll be perfectly fine.”</div><div class="QuoteAttributionroot--vrUkY" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.45; margin: 0px 50px 30px;">— Curbelo</div>The bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus Curbelo helped found two years ago with fellow Florida Rep. Ted Deutch, a Democrat, faces accusations from some environmentalists that it’s mostly an empty effort giving political cover to Republicans. Its record does show its limits:<ul style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><li class="StoryBodyitem--1cHYD" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.75; margin-bottom: 1rem;">The caucus hasn’t put forth any substantive policies.</li><li class="StoryBodyitem--1cHYD" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.75; margin-bottom: 1rem;">Most GOP members of the caucus supported a non-binding but symbolically important resolution last week <a href="https://www.axios.com/house-votes-to-condemn-a-carbon-tax-6fcc27ad-c4d0-4c89-a066-474660834f2e.html" class="InternalLoadLinkroot--17C4m StoryBodylink--10w8x 6fcc27ad-c4d0-4c89-a066-474660834f2e-821fab52-254a-4620-b84d-c303b7b22c27" style="background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(0, 141, 200), rgb(0, 141, 200)); background-position: 0px 95%; background-size: 1px 1px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.03em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.03em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 0.03em, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px -0.03em, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.06em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.06em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.09em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.09em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.12em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.12em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.15em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.15em 0px; border: 0px; padding: 0px; border-radius: 0px; line-height: 1.25; cursor: pointer;">opposing a carbon tax</a>.</li></ul>But the fact that some Republicans see a need to join an effort acknowledging climate change represents a political turning point, considering that the party as a whole has dismissed or denied outright mainstream climate science for most of the past decade. Of the 42 Republican members of the caucus, 35 have joined since Trump’s election.Leading up to last week’s vote on the anti-carbon tax resolution, some Republicans felt “angst” about it, according to a senior GOP aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid about inner party workings.After the vote, the aide expressed surprise at the number of Republicans who opposed the resolution: six, including five who are running for reelection. While objectively small, it’s still a notable change from the unanimous GOP backing in a near identical vote two years ago.Increasingly, Republicans are voting against opposing moves on climate policy — a political double negative. Last July, dozens of House Republicans <a href="https://www.axios.com/dozens-of-republicans-side-with-dems-on-climate-vote-1513304190-ad7909a3-b9ba-45f5-8914-d92da8330a6d.html" class="InternalLoadLinkroot--17C4m StoryBodylink--10w8x ad7909a3-b9ba-45f5-8914-d92da8330a6d-821fab52-254a-4620-b84d-c303b7b22c27" style="box-sizing: inherit; background: linear-gradient(rgb(0, 141, 200), rgb(0, 141, 200)) 0px 95% / 1px 1px repeat-x; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.03em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.03em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 0.03em, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px -0.03em, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.06em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.06em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.09em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.09em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.12em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.12em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.15em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.15em 0px; border: 0px; padding: 0px; border-radius: 0px; line-height: 1.25; cursor: pointer;">voted to defeat</a> an amendment that would have blocked a Defense Department study of climate change.This political shift is by no means universal, and it isn't leading to broad support for policies. It's one thing to acknowledge climate change is real, but it's another, big step to put forward policies, and so far Curbelo is an outlier.GOP Reps. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and David McKinley of West Virginia sponsored last week’s anti-carbon tax resolution for compelling reasons: they represent fossil-fuel constituents who would get hit hardest by a tax on carbon emitted from oil, natural gas and coal.Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia running for reelection this year, told me last week he would still support today an advertisement <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIJORBRpOPM" class="StoryBodylink--10w8x" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-image: linear-gradient(rgb(0, 141, 200), rgb(0, 141, 200)); background-position: 0px 95%; background-size: 1px 1px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; text-shadow: rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.03em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.03em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px 0.03em, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px -0.03em, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.06em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.06em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.09em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.09em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.12em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.12em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0.15em 0px, rgb(255, 255, 255) -0.15em 0px;">he ran in 2010</a> shooting climate-change legislation with a gun.One former congressional Republican who got voted out largely for his vote in support of that bill — Bob Inglis of South Carolina — says times are changing, albeit slowly.“That was the darkest days of the recession, the reddest district in the reddest state in the nation," Inglis said. "So things are turning, but they haven’t turned completely yet.”</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</div><span style="line-height: 16.8px; outline: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 16.8px; outline: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">New Carbon Tax Bill Suggests a Future Republican Shift on Climate Change<div id="utm_campaign" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url" data-elid="2590411558" data-authors="Olivia Rosane" data-headline="New Carbon Tax Bill Suggests a Future Republican Shift on Climate Change" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px;"><div class="body-description" style="">On Thursday, July 19 <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/house/397848-house-votes-to-disavow-carbon-tax" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none;">The Hill</a> reported that the Republican controlled Congress passed a non-binding resolution saying a tax on carbon-dioxide emissions "would be detrimental to American families and businesses, and is not in the best interest of the United States."But the next Monday, a Republican duo introduced and co-sponsored the <a href="https://curbelo.house.gov/uploadedfiles/ewbmisc001_xml.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">MARKET CHOICE Act (H.R. 6463)</a> that would implement a <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/carbon-tax" target="self" style="text-decoration-line: none;">carbon tax</a> and funnel the proceeds towards improving infrastructure.The two approaches, <a href="http://time.com/5348333/republicans-climate-change-carbon-tax/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Time Magazine</a> reported Thursday, could represent the past and future of the Republican party."The pendulum will swing," former Republican South Carolina congressman Bob Inglis, who heads the non-profit <a href="http://www.republicen.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">RepublicEn</a>, which promotes conservative solutions for environmental problems, told Time. "And when that pendulum swings…it may just be the solution you don't want on climate."The two congressmen who introduced and co-sponsored the carbon tax bill could be the beginning of that swing.Carlos Curbelo, the Florida Representative who introduced the bill, represents a district stretching from Key West to outside Miami.He has been a unique Republican voice on the reality and threat of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="self" style="text-decoration-line: none;">climate change</a> since he was first elected in 2014, according to <a href="https://grist.org/grist-50/profile/carlos-curbelo/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Grist</a>."I tell my skeptical colleagues: When my district is underwater, I'll move to their district and run against them," he told Grist. "That usually breaks the ice."He formed the bipartisan <a href="https://citizensclimatelobby.org/climate-solutions-caucus/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Climate Solutions Caucus</a> with fellow Floridian and Democratic Congressperson Ted Deutch, which is designed to have an even number of Republican and Democrat members.As of now, Time reports it has 43 Republican members, even though many still vote against climate action despite claiming to believe in its necessity."We're seeing trends in the House that should give us all hope," Curbelo told Time.The bill's co-sponsor, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, voted in line with the environment 71 percent of the time in 2017 according to the <a href="http://origin.lcv.org/" target="blank" style="text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;">League of Conservation Voters</a>' scorecard, the highest percentage of any Congressional Republican, <a href="https://grist.org/article/meet-6-house-republicans-who-could-get-behind-a-carbon-tax/" target="blank" style="text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;">Grist reported</a>.One reason a carbon tax might be a gateway climate proposal for Republicans is that it is actually favored by companies who see climate policy as inevitable, and prefer a tax to more complicated regulations, Time explained.On Wednesday, 34 major companies including <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/bp" target="self" style="text-decoration-line: none;">BP</a> America, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/shell" target="self" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Shell</a> and General Motors <a href="https://curbelo.house.gov/uploadedfiles/curbelo_letter_market_choice_act_thank_you.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">wrote a letter</a> to Curbelo thanking him for introducing the bill, though they did not endorse it outright."We believe that an economy-wide, market-based approach to valuing or pricing carbon, when carefully crafted, can both strengthen our economy and reduce carbon emissions by encouraging technological innovation and stimulating new investments in infrastructure, products, and services," the letter said.Curbelo's current bill is not likely to pass, given the opinions of the rest of the Republican majority in Congress, but it might model a way forward for the party in the future. Time reported two polls by the Alliance of Market Solutions and the Pew Research Center respectively that showed that more than half of younger Republicans care about climate change and that almost 25 percent of people under 30 who identified as Republican in 2015 had since left the party.However, Emilie Prattico, director of development at <a href="https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">We Mean Business</a>, a private-sector climate mobilization non-profit, cautioned in a <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-prattico-curbelo-carbon-tax_us_5b58a52ce4b0b15aba9473f5" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Huffington Post</a> opinion piece that carbon tax supporters could do better than Curbelo's bill.While it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions 27 to 32 percent by 2025 and 30 to 40 percent by 2030, its other provisions would not go far enough to adequately address climate change.It would devote as much as 70 percent of generated revenue to updating existing <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="self" style="text-decoration-line: none;">fossil-fuel</a>-based transportation infrastructure and only a small percent to developing carbon-free transport options and it would allow emitters a chance to perform their way out of having to obey Clean Air Act regulations if they followed the law."A successful carbon tax bill, whether it is proposed by Democrats, Republicans or both, would not only impose a levy on fossil fuels but steer the economy toward innovation, less-polluting alternatives for high-emitting sectors, and fairness to consumers and citizens," Prattico wrote.</div></div> <a href="https://www.alternet.org/environment/exxonmobils-support-carbon-tax-total-sham">https://www.alternet.org/environment/exxonmobils-support-carbon-tax-total-sham</a>ExxonMobil executives just had another opportunity to convince skeptics that their support for a carbon tax is genuine.They blew it.On July 23, Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL-26) introduced a <a href="https://curbelo.house.gov/uploadedfiles/ewbmisc001_xml.pdf" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none;">bill</a> that would place a $24 per ton tax on carbon emissions and dedicate 70 percent of the revenue to rebuilding U.S. infrastructure.  ExxonMobil’s reaction? “We appreciate Rep. Curbelo’s effort to help generate a constructive discussion on this important issue” was all a company spokesman was <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/CARBON-TAX-BILL-13098954.php" style="text-decoration-line: none;">willing to say</a>.ExxonMobil’s reluctance to seriously engage, however, should not come as a surprise.Yes, the company has consistently paid lip service to a carbon tax since 2009. And yes, it is a founding member of the <a href="https://www.clcouncil.org/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Climate Leadership Council</a>—which supports a $40 per ton carbon tax—and it recently endorsed Americans for Carbon Dividends, a new bipartisan lobby group promoting a carbon tax that would return revenues to taxpayers.But more telling is the fact that the oil giant has never publicly supported a carbon tax bill and consistently funds members of Congress who oppose a carbon tax.How does that square with the company’s avowed position?Just say noIt doesn’t.Curbelo’s bill is hardly the first carbon tax legislation that ExxonMobil has snubbed. When Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA-33) <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18122015/exxon-mobil-carbon-tax-rhetoric-or-reality-climate-change-rex-tillerson" style="text-decoration-line: none;">asked</a> ExxonMobil lobbyists to support a carbon tax bill in 2015, they refused. And when Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the “American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act” in 2016, the company would not endorse their bill or lobby on its behalf.... <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/gop-new-carbon-tax-bill-2590411558.html">https://www.ecowatch.com/gop-new-carbon-tax-bill-2590411558.html</a>
<h1 class="widgetheadline h1" style="margin: 10px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; cursor: pointer; overflow-wrap: break-word; line-height: 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a class="widgetheadline-text custom-post-headline" href="https://www.ecowatch.com/gop-new-carbon-tax-bill-2590411558.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; line-height: 31px;">New Carbon Tax Bill Suggests a Future Republican Shift on Climate Change</a></h1><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url expanded" data-elid="2590411558" data-authors="Olivia Rosane" data-headline="New Carbon Tax Bill Suggests a Future Republican Shift on Climate Change" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px;"><div class="body-description"><div class="widgetbrief">On Thursday, July 19 <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/house/397848-house-votes-to-disavow-carbon-tax" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">The Hill</a> reported that the Republican controlled Congress passed a non-binding resolution saying a tax on carbon-dioxide emissions "would be detrimental to American families and businesses, and is not in the best interest of the United States."</div><div class="js-appear-on-expand" style="transition: all 350ms ease 0s; height: auto; overflow: hidden; opacity: 1;">But the next Monday, a Republican duo introduced and co-sponsored the <a href="https://curbelo.house.gov/uploadedfiles/ewbmisc001_xml.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">MARKET CHOICE Act (H.R. 6463)</a>that would implement a <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/carbon-tax" target="self" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">carbon tax</a> and funnel the proceeds towards improving infrastructure.The two approaches, <a href="http://time.com/5348333/republicans-climate-change-carbon-tax/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Time Magazine</a> reported Thursday, could represent the past and future of the Republican party."The pendulum will swing," former Republican South Carolina congressman Bob Inglis, who heads the non-profit <a href="http://www.republicen.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">RepublicEn</a>, which promotes conservative solutions for environmental problems, told Time. "And when that pendulum swings…it may just be the solution you don't want on climate."The two congressmen who introduced and co-sponsored the carbon tax bill could be the beginning of that swing.Carlos Curbelo, the Florida Representative who introduced the bill, represents a district stretching from Key West to outside Miami.He has been a unique Republican voice on the reality and threat of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="self" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">climate change</a> since he was first elected in 2014, according to <a href="https://grist.org/grist-50/profile/carlos-curbelo/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Grist</a>."I tell my skeptical colleagues: When my district is underwater, I'll move to their district and run against them," he told Grist. "That usually breaks the ice."He formed the bipartisan <a href="https://citizensclimatelobby.org/climate-solutions-caucus/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Climate Solutions Caucus</a> with fellow Floridian and Democratic Congressperson Ted Deutch, which is designed to have an even number of Republican and Democrat members.As of now, Time reports it has 43 Republican members, even though many still vote against climate action despite claiming to believe in its necessity."We're seeing trends in the House that should give us all hope," Curbelo told Time.The bill's co-sponsor, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, voted in line with the environment 71 percent of the time in 2017 according to the <a href="http://origin.lcv.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">League of Conservation Voters</a>' scorecard, the highest percentage of any Congressional Republican, <a href="https://grist.org/article/meet-6-house-republicans-who-could-get-behind-a-carbon-tax/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Grist reported</a>.One reason a carbon tax might be a gateway climate proposal for Republicans is that it is actually favored by companies who see climate policy as inevitable, and prefer a tax to more complicated regulations, Time explained.On Wednesday, 34 major companies including <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/bp" target="self" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">BP</a> America, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/shell" target="self" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Shell</a> and General Motors <a href="https://curbelo.house.gov/uploadedfiles/curbelo_letter_market_choice_act_thank_you.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">wrote a letter</a> to Curbelo thanking him for introducing the bill, though they did not endorse it outright."We believe that an economy-wide, market-based approach to valuing or pricing carbon, when carefully crafted, can both strengthen our economy and reduce carbon emissions by encouraging technological innovation and stimulating new investments in infrastructure, products, and services," the letter said.Curbelo's current bill is not likely to pass, given the opinions of the rest of the Republican majority in Congress, but it might model a way forward for the party in the future. Time reported two polls by the Alliance of Market Solutions and the Pew Research Center respectively that showed that more than half of younger Republicans care about climate change and that almost 25 percent of people under 30 who identified as Republican in 2015 had since left the party.However, Emilie Prattico, director of development at <a href="https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">We Mean Business</a>, a private-sector climate mobilization non-profit, cautioned in a <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-prattico-curbelo-carbon-tax_us_5b58a52ce4b0b15aba9473f5" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Huffington Post</a> opinion piece that carbon tax supporters could do better than Curbelo's bill.While it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions 27 to 32 percent by 2025 and 30 to 40 percent by 2030, its other provisions would not go far enough to adequately address climate change.It would devote as much as 70 percent of generated revenue to updating existing <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="self" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">fossil-fuel</a>-based transportation infrastructure and only a small percent to developing carbon-free transport options and it would allow emitters a chance to perform their way out of having to obey Clean Air Act regulations if they followed the law."A successful carbon tax bill, whether it is proposed by Democrats, Republicans or both, would not only impose a levy on fossil fuels but steer the economy toward innovation, less-polluting alternatives for high-emitting sectors, and fairness to consumers and citizens," Prattico wrote.</div></div></div><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19072018/anti-carbon-tax-resolution-house-vote-climate-solutions-caucus-curbelo-scalise-koch-influence-congress" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19072018/anti-carbon-tax-resolution-house-vote-climate-solutions-caucus-curbelo-scalise-koch-influence-congress</a><div class="content" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded" style="box-sizing: inherit;"> U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a resolution denouncing the idea of a U.S. carbon tax as detrimental to the economy, one week before a Republican-sponsored bill to create a carbon fee is set to be introduced.It was a win for a coalition of groups funded by the petrochemical billionaire Koch brothers and other wealthy, right-wing opponents of climate action. And it revealed weak resolve for bucking GOP leadership among most of the 43 Republican members of the <a href="https://citizensclimatelobby.org/climate-solutions-caucus/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">Climate Solutions Caucus</a>.If the bipartisan caucus had held firm, the resolution would have been handily defeated.Instead, only six Republicans—four of them caucus members, including Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida, who plans to unveil the carbon fee measure next week—joined most Democrats in opposing the resolution. Seven Democrats voted with the GOP.The 229-180 vote marked a slight erosion in the GOP wall of opposition to climate action. In 2016, an identical measure passed the House <a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2016/roll295.xml" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">237-163</a>with no Republicans opposed. Such resolutions are meant to express the views of the chamber and have no real-world impact, but with a different Congress in place now, carbon tax foes wanted a new vote.  The American Energy Alliance (AEA), the Heartland Institute, and 18 other conservative advocacy groups had urged House Speaker Paul Ryan earlier this month to bring the resolution to the floor.AEA president Thomas Pyle said in an interview with InsideClimate News that the impetus was not the prospect of Curbelo's bill, but an effort to put members on the record before November. The groups put it this way in their <a href="https://www.americanenergyalliance.org/2018/07/09/conservative-coalition-rallies-to-warn-of-disastrous-economic-impact-of-carbon-tax%E2%80%8B/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">letter </a>to Ryan: "As we approach the 2018 midterm election, American voters need to know whether their elected representatives support the implementation of a new tax on the energy they rely on every single day."The House's affirmation of a fossil fuel-friendly agenda comes in a week when President Donald Trump's administration did the same on multiple fronts.The Environmental Protection Agency's new administrator, former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/epa-eases-rules-on-how-coal-ash-waste-is-stored-across-the-us/2018/07/17/740e4b9a-89d3-11e8-85ae-511bc1146b0b_story.html?utm_term=.98bcae2c16cc" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">finalized a plan</a> to ease requirements for handling the toxic coal ash from power plants—rules developed by the Obama administration after costly spills in Tennessee and North Carolina. The Treasury Department announced it would <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/17/us/politics/irs-will-no-longer-force-kochs-and-other-groups-to-disclose-donors.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">scrap requirements</a> that certain tax-exempt nonprofits disclose their donors, helping to cloak a key avenue for campaign contributions used by the Koch brothers and other wealthy political benefactors.<h3 style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.333;">2 Views on How Climate Solutions Caucus Voted</h3>The House vote showed the flimsiness of the <a href="https://citizensclimatelobby.org/climate-solutions-caucus/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">Climate Solutions Caucus</a>, the bipartisan coalition that Curbelo and others have sought to build behind the concept of a market-based solution for curbing greenhouse gas emissions.RL Miller, president of the advocacy group Climate Hawks Vote, said the caucus' credibility is in tatters after its GOP members, whom she has frequently criticized for their <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27022018/climate-solutions-caucus-congress-gop-voting-record-arctic-drilling-lcv-scores-election-challenge" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent;">weak environmental voting records</a>, failed to hold off a resolution that strikes at the heart of their purported purpose."It would be a joke were the subject not so serious. The caucus has no credibility, and no ability to do anything," Miller said. "The climate is changing far more quickly than Republican attitudes. That's why we do not hold faith in bipartisan solutions."But Steve Valk, spokesman for the Citizens Climate Lobby, a grassroots advocacy group that favors a carbon tax and that helped bring together the caucus, noted the non-binding resolution has no real effect. Valk said he did not expect that its members would go out on a limb against such a measure, especially since it was sponsored by House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), the No. 3 Republican in the chamber and a potential successor to Ryan, who is retiring."Anybody who votes against this resolution—it's going to be a mark against them in the eyes of the leadership, which decides what assignments you get, whether or not you're on the committee you want, and who's chair," Valk said. "There's a lot of calculations that go into a decision like this. We're willing to look at that and say, yeah, it's not a simple choice for them."In my mind, if you can get a handful of Republicans to vote no on this, that's a victory."<h3 style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.333;">The Conversation Is Shifting: Republicans Consider Carbon Pricing</h3>Other carbon tax advocates expressed glass-half-full optimism, arguing the mere push for a vote by fossil fuel allies betrays their concern about the increasing support for the idea of putting a price on carbon to fight climate change."They feel that the momentum is shifting as the conversation commences, and they are trying to beat down any thoughtful analysis with a tribal drum that they are nervously beating louder," said former Rep. Bob Inglis, a Republican from South Carolina and founder of a conservative carbon tax advocacy group republicEn."If we were able to discuss this, we'd find that this is something that could bring conservatives and progressives together," he said.Conservative advocates for a carbon tax have been trying to make their case in Washington since the start of the Trump administration with little success. Trump's former chief economic advisor, Gary Cohn, reportedly earned the derisive nickname "<a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/carbon-tax-cohn-is-the-nickname-bannon-supporters-reportedly-have-for-key-white-house-official-2017-04-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">Carbon Tax Cohn</a>" in the West Wing for giving a hearing to a revenue-neutral tax <a href="https://www.clcouncil.org/media/TheConservativeCaseforCarbonDividends.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">plan</a> proposed by prominent Republicans, including former Secretary of State James Baker and former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.But since then, other groups have popped up. The nuclear-heavy energy company Exelon, the American Wind Energy Association and First Solar are funding a coalition called <a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/6/22/17487488/carbon-tax-dividend-trent-lott-john-breaux" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">Americans for Carbon Dividends</a>, which has hired former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican, to lobby on the issue. Twenty-two college Republican groups came together earlier this year to form <a href="https://www.s4cd.org/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">Students for Carbon Dividends</a>. Its founding president, Alex Posner, an American history major at Yale, says the plan they favor would address international competitiveness and jobs creation and would look nothing like the carbon tax described in the Scalise resolution. "We want to see a plan that's pro-growth and pro-environment while shrinking the size of government," he said.Pyle, of the American Energy Alliance, argues that no matter the design of a carbon tax program, consumers are worse off. "There's revenue generated, and then you haggle over how to spend it," he said. "It's no different than other taxes and fees. If you're giving back some to low-income households, it's a still a redistribution. And since poorer people pay a higher percentage of their incomes on energy, they are worse off."A series of <a href="http://energypolicy.columbia.edu/july-2018-carbon-tax-research-series?utm_source=Center+on+Global+Energy+Policy+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=18c5b8aafb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_07_17_11_22&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0773077aac-18c5b8aafb-62135029" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">four reports</a> released this week by Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy calls that argument into question, however, and provides ammunition for carbon tax advocates. The reports analyze various carbon tax legislation scenarios and conclude that they would increase government revenue by hundreds of billions of dollars a year and drive down U.S. emissions, far more than current policy, with minimal effects on the U.S. economy, families or businesses, or even on oil and gas production and consumption.<h3 style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.333;">Curbelo: Resolution Presented 'a False Choice'</h3>For now, the House vote preemptively throws cold water on Curbelo's planned introduction next week of legislation that would impose an escalating tax on carbonemissions, while pausing federal regulations on climate change. Although Curbelo would not discuss details of his plan, reports said the revenue generated would be directed into infrastructure and in helping communities adapt to sea level rise and other impacts of climate change.Curbelo did not speak on the House floor during the one-hour debate allotted for the Scalise resolution. But when asked by InsideClimate News to comment, he criticized the measure in an emailed statement."The resolution presents a false choice," Curbelo said. "While I agree a carbon tax on its own would not be the best way forward and could have negative effects on the economy, there are smarter, more innovative solutions that would not only reduce carbon emissions and mitigate for the effects they have on our planet, but also grow the economy and provide opportunities for American workers and businesses at home and abroad."I look forward to engaging with my colleagues on this topic next week, and sharing my own proposal in the near future," he said.Curbelo, who represents the southern tip of Florida, one of the regions of the country most vulnerable to climate change impacts, is seen as one of the most vulnerable House Republicans. Cook Political Report and other political odds-makers call his race a <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">toss-up</a>.With Democrats <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/house-overview/house-ratings-changes-10-districts-move-mostly-democrats-direction" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit;">expected to gain</a> between 20 and 35 seats in November, and just 23 needed for them to retake the majority, Inglis argues that Scalise wasn't doing his own party any favors by forcing a carbon tax showdown. "Steve, what are you doing, running for minority leader?" asked Inglis. "He's putting people at risk for an idea that is clearly going to become very passé and very retro looking."<h3 style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.333;">The House Debate</h3>During the House debate on the measure, Republicans urged a stand against carbon taxes while taking pains to assert that they were not denying the science of climate change."I'm not a climate denier. I'm not a science denier. I'm a climate thinker," said Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) "And real science isn't just about assessing costs only. It's about looking at benefits as well. ... Coal provides cheap, plentiful, reliable energy over the long term. We should not want the most carbon-free energy, but the best energy."Democrats used up much of their 30 minutes of time attempting to change the subject from the anti-carbon tax measure to spotlight Trump's controversial meeting this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), managing the resolution for the GOP, repeatedly refused.A handful of Democrats, most of them members of the Climate Solutions Caucus, offered full-throated defense of carbon taxes."For decades, economists from across the ideological spectrum have argued that a carbon price is the most efficient way to discourage the use of fossil fuels and the best way to encourage energy efficiency measures and market decisions on everything from housing to transportation," said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.). "The science continues to accumulate in prodigious amounts that the pollution is changing our Earth and the cost is staggering into the billions. Carbon pricing is the most market-oriented policy we can take to combat this."Rep. Earl Blumenauer, (D-Ore.) said the resolution "encapsulates what's wrong with the Republican management of this Congress. It is a cartoon that doesn't deal with the underlying issues," he said. "We could have a debate about real legislation that would satisfy their answers and be able to deal with what our responsibilities are to the future. ... Instead, we're dealing with empty gestures."In addition to Curbelo, Republicans voting against the resolution were Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mia Love of Utah—all members of the Climate Solutions Caucus—and Reps. Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana and Francis Rooney of Florida. The Democrats who joined the GOP in voting for the resolution were Reps. Sanford Bishop of Georgia; Henry Cuellar and Vincente González of Texas; Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania; Stephanie Murphy of Florida; and Tom O'Halleran and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. </div></div></div></div><div class="tagged-with" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; margin-bottom: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><label style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; line-height: 1.2;">PUBLISHED UNDER:</label><div class="field field-name-field-topics field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-item even" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topics/regulation" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent;">REGULATION</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-item even" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topic/climate-change" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent;">CLIMATE CHANGE</a></div></div></div></div>=<span style="line-height: 16.8px; outline: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Gowdy has been under mounting pressure to step up his investigation into Pruitt, who’s faced a barrage of negative headlines in recent weeks related to his living arrangements and spending on private jets, office furniture and a security detail. 
Pruitt has maintained the lease followed ethics requirements and that his spending is not excessive.
In February, Gowdy began investigating Pruitt over numerous first-class flights funded by taxpayers. But so far, the retiring GOP chairman has not acted on calls by his Democratic counterpart, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, to bring Pruitt before his committee to personally answer lawmakers’ questions.Dozens of Democrats on Friday called for Pruitt to resign or be fired. Three House Republicans -- Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) -- also have called for Pruitt's ouster.
President Trump has indicated support for Pruitt, but noted this week he would be looking into the mounting accusations against him.<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Investigative reporter Michael Isikoff of Yahoo News dropped a <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mueller-probe-outgrows-witch-hunt-phase-100045988.html&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNFFAUeXwf1jwOvPDnusMlYE96eyDw" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mueller-probe-outgrows-witch-hunt-phase-100045988.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">small bombshell</a> this quiet holiday week that hasn't really exploded yet but might just explain the GOP's recent full-court press to discredit the FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller's team. Rep. Francis Rooney, a Florida Republican, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/27/politics/francis-rooney-fbi-russia-cnntv/index.html&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNHDxTmT5QlRwe0CU2NtJMQHZ9dnDA" href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/27/politics/francis-rooney-fbi-russia-cnntv/index.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">explained:</a></div><blockquote style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">I would like to see the directors of those agencies [the DOJ and FBI] purge it and say, "Look, we’ve got a lot of great agents, a lot of great lawyers here." Those are the people to see and know the good work’s being done, not these people who are kind of the deep state.</blockquote>On Wednesday, Rep. Ron DeSantis, another Florida Republican, went on "Fox & Friends" and backed up his colleague's sentiments, saying, "You look at a guy like Peter Strzok [the FBI agent demoted for sending derogatory texts about many politicians including Trump]. If he’s gonna say that it’s his job as an FBI to prevent a certain candidate from getting elected. ... Anyone who turns up in that situation, I think they should get another line of work.”For what it's worth, Strzok is a counterintelligence agent who appeared concerned that the "certain candidate" might be acting as an agent of a foreign adversary, which was important information the nation didn't have before the election. In any case, from what we can gather, these Republican congressmen identify nefarious "deep state" actors as those who cannot swear that they are not now and have never been a... Democrat.As one can imagine, the use of the word "purge" brought forth some rather unfortunate historical images. We haven't seen evidence that they plan the usual accompanying show trials, but give them time. Republicans in Congress are working feverishly to prepare hearings on the Hillary Clinton "Russian uranium email treason" hearings so there's a chance we'll see some kind of facsimile before 2018.The hysteria that's now raging seems a bit of an outsized reaction for this particular phase of the scandal, especially considering that Mueller actually did remove the offending "deep-staters." Isikoff may have come across a different motivation than simple loyalty to President Trump. <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mueller-probe-outgrows-witch-hunt-phase-100045988.html&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNFFAUeXwf1jwOvPDnusMlYE96eyDw" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mueller-probe-outgrows-witch-hunt-phase-100045988.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">He wrote:</a><blockquote style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In just the last few weeks, his prosecutors have begun questioning Republican National Committee staffers about the party digital operation that worked with the Trump campaign to target voters in key swing states. They are seeking to determine if the joint effort was related to the activities of Russian trolls and bots aimed at influencing the American electorate, according to two of the sources.</blockquote>It would not be surprising if certain Republicans were to become a bit nervous when the investigation into Russian interference turned in that particular direction. It's flown under the radar since the election, but the fact is that it wasn't only the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta's email accounts that were hacked. The intelligence community identified the same group of Russian-affiliated hackers as behind the hacking of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.I've been <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.salon.com/2017/03/03/how-much-did-russian-hacking-affect-congressional-races-and-how-deeply-was-the-gop-involved/&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNEjVYdm6PuM8Z8L5wLg7jlZ5cUJtg" href="https://www.salon.com/2017/03/03/how-much-did-russian-hacking-affect-congressional-races-and-how-deeply-was-the-gop-involved/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">intrigued by this aspect </a>of the Russian hacking story since the New York Times published an early report about it back in November of 2016. Recall that at first the hacker known as Guccifer 2.0 released personal information that was used to intimidate Democratic candidates, but then he/she/they suddenly became more sophisticated and targeted, dumping valuable tactical information:<blockquote style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The seats that Guccifer 2.0 targeted in the document dumps were hardly random: They were some of the most competitive House races in the country.</blockquote>People have wondered ever since if the hacker(s) might have gotten some expert assistance.Perhaps it's a coincidence that so much of the information in question was republished on a website called HelloFLA by <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=//www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-reg-russia-hacker-guccifer-connection-20170525-story.html&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNGfRjLvcG6B93MUO5pSMJYDj7VbJg" href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-reg-russia-hacker-guccifer-connection-20170525-story.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">a Florida Republican</a> and former congressional staffer named Aaron Nevins, who was connected to Trump associate and longtime political operative Roger Stone. It could be completely random that among the core group of Mueller antagonists, those calling the probe a "coup d'état" and demanding purges of members of the "deep state" are Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who proposed that Mueller's funding be cut off, and the aforementioned Rep. Francis Rooney, who's been all over TV talking about purging the FBI.Indeed, as journalist Marcy Wheeler pointed out a while back, one of <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=//www.politico.com/story/2017/08/28/mueller-investigation-republicans-russia-242108&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNFVP_ItV7KdO9m3Z_QPA_ZUH2FkDg" href="https://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/28/mueller-investigation-republicans-russia-242108" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">the ringleaders</a> of the movement to discredit the Department of Justice and Robert Mueller, Rep. DeSantis, directly benefited from Guccifer 2.0’s leak to Nevins after the latter published five documents regarding the DCCC’s recruitment of DeSantis’ Democratic opponent, George Pappas. <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-adviser-roger-stone-says-talk-with-online-entity-was-benign-1506433880&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNEtNdRoHZrKO2uWsr8ZLAbcLqrtMw" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-adviser-roger-stone-says-talk-with-online-entity-was-benign-1506433880" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">According to The Wall Street Journal</a>, Guccifer 2.0 even sent a link with a HelloFLA article directly to Roger Stone, who told reporters he didn’t forward the hacked material to anyone -- the answer to a question nobody asked,Donald Trump may think their vociferous attacks on Mueller are all about loyalty to him personally. After all, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=//florida%2520reps.%2520matt%2520gaetz%2520and%2520ron%2520desantis%2520hitched%2520a%2520ride%2520on%2520air%2520force%2520one%2520with%2520president%2520trump%2520to%2520pensacola%252C%2520according%2520to%2520the%2520white%2520house./&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNFMsbQmS_dIlQ1L3EuH_Xf1oAHXGQ" href="https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2017/12/08/gaetz-desantis-fly-with-trump-to-pensacola/" target="blank" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" none="none" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">this group all flew down to Florida together on Air Force One</a> earlier this month. But these guys have skin in the game now and may very well be caught up in the maw of the Russia investigation themselves.If Mueller's team is looking into the digital operation and Roger Stone's interactions with Guccifer 2.0, as one would expect them to do, then these shenanigans in Florida are also coming into view. That may explain why this little circle of Sunshine State GOP congressmen are so anxious to shut him down.They might not be the only ones. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/politics/house-democrats-hacking-dccc.html?r=0" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">According to The New York Times</a>, material from the DCCC hack was first used by Miami-area Democrat Joe Garcia, a former congressman, to win a tight primary race. Then "the National Republican Campaign Committee and a second Republican group with ties to the House speaker, Paul Ryan, turned to the hacked material" to undermine Garcia and re-elect Rep. Carlos Curbelo, the Republican incumbent.It should be noted that there were some candidates who refused to use the hacked material against their opponents. This gang of Florida Republicans who are now so loudly attacking the FBI for its supposedly unethical behavior were not among them. As we all know, neither was Donald "I love WikiLeaks" Trump.digby<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div>=10/23<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/three-weeks-after-las-vegas-legislation-to-ban-bump-stocks-has-stalled-out-in-congress">https://www.thedailybeast.com/three-weeks-after-las-vegas-legislation-to-ban-bump-stocks-has-stalled-out-in-congress</a>Three weeks after the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, efforts to pass even scaled-down gun-control legislation have effectively stalled on <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/congress" style="transition: color 0.15s ease; background-color: transparent;">Capitol Hill</a>.Congressional aides and issue advocates say they see no viable path for passing even the most promising bill: an effort to ban the manufacturing and sale of bump stocks, which were used by the <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/stephen-c-paddock-las-vegas-shooting-suspect-police-nbc" style="transition: color 0.15s ease; background-color: transparent;">Las Vegas shooter</a> to essentially turn his semi-automatic weapons into fully automatics ones.“Depressing but not surprising,” is how one senior House Democratic aide put it.“It’s pathetic,” said another.The failure of lawmakers to move bump stock legislation comes despite the willingness of <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/a-bipartisan-bill-to-ban-bump-stocks-is-hitting-some-bumps" style="transition: color 0.15s ease;">several House Republicans</a> to sign on to the measure. A <a href="https://curbelo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1706" style="transition: color 0.15s ease;">bill introduced</a> by Reps. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Seth Moulton (D-MA) has 20 co-sponsors in total—ten Democratic and ten Republican. But aides say that there is no indication that the House Judiciary Committee is going to consider that bill, or a similar one signed by 173 Democrats. Democrats are expected to ask the Committee’s chairman, Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), to address the matter in the week ahead.Prospects look bleak in the Senate too. Sen. <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/dianne-feinstein" style="transition: color 0.15s ease;">Dianne Feinstein</a>’s (D-CA) bill banning bump stocks has 39 Democratic co-sponsors but not one <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/republican-party" style="transition: color 0.15s ease;">Republican</a>, though an aide said that she is still hopeful that she can convince one to sign on to the measure. Even were she to find a GOP co-sponsor there is no guarantee that the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley (R-IA), would bring the bill up for consideration.<div class="TeadsWrapper" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="TeadsWrapperbefore" style=""><aside class="SimpleAd SimpleAd--no-padding" id="gpt-ad-40455" data-google-query-id="CPvbjYHQqtcCFYiraQodmWwNaA" style="padding: 0px;"><div id="google_ads_iframe/68287174/iac.tdb-tdb.us.dw/politics/content_1container__" style="border: 0pt none;"></div></aside></div>A committee spokesman for Grassley told The Daily Beast that the committee has been briefed about “regulatory and technical issues involving bump stocks” and that they are “evaluating potential regulatory and legislative proposals.”= g UK no linkfailure of American politics to deal with, or even coherently discuss, climate change was perhaps best illustrated when James Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma, took to the floor of the US Senate in February 2015 with a Ziploc bag and a mischievous grin.
“We keep hearing 2014 has been the warmest year on record,” Inhofe said, pulling a snowball from the bag. “You know what this is? It’s a snowball, just from outside here. It’s very, very cold out, very unseasonal.” Inhofe, apparently content that 150 years of global warming research had been swatted away as nonsense, playfully tossed the snowball at the Senate president.
Two years later – both of which set new global records for heat – at least half a dozen former aides to Inhofe – the fiercest critic of mainstream climate science in Congress – have been hired to top positions at the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency. Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the EPA who has an erstwhile Inhofe aid as his chief of staff, recently erred by denying that carbon dioxide was a primary driver of global warming.
Donald Trump, meanwhile, has vacillated on the issue but has previously called climate science “bullshit” and a “hoax”. His actions since becoming president perhaps speak loudest: he has set about dismantling the Clean Power Plan, thrown open federal lands to coal mining, ordered the revision of clean air regulations and halted new vehicle emissions standards.
But amid climate activists’ despair, there are fresh shoots of hope that, as a party, Republicans’ climate intransigence is shifting. A growing group of Republicans in Congress are newly emboldened and are speaking out in favor of finally addressing a crisis that is starting to bite their constituents.
The Climate Solutions Caucus, set up just last year, now has 38 members, half of them Republicans. The congressional group, which is crafting bipartisan action on climate change, is bolstered by a new chorus of big business, faith groups and young college-based Republicans that are demanding the GOP drops the climate skepticism that has become a key part of its identity over the past decade.
If you want to join as a Democrat, you have to bring a Republican. It’s a Noah’s Ark approach, which is appropriateTed Deutch, a Florida Democrat“The vast majority of Republicans in private buy the science – the likes of Inhofe are in the minority,” said Danny Richter, legislative director of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a non-profit group that painstakingly helped put together the caucus.
“What Republicans needed was safe passage to talk about climate action in public, to not be the the first one to walk down that rickety bridge. There’s now a group who can see their constituents are genuinely concerned about climate change.
“They are done with the denial. That should really shift something fundamental in American politics.”
The standard bearer in Congress is Carlos Curbelo, whose district includes the Florida Keys, an area in serious peril from the advancing seas. Curbelo, the son of Cuban migrants, said his generally moderate views and age – he’s 37 – make him “both an old-school Republican and also a new young Republican.”
Curbelo was the first Republican to join the Climate Solutions Caucus and co-chairs it alongside Ted Deutch, a Florida Democrat. In a bid to get beyond partisanship, members of the group are evenly split. “If you want to join as a Democrat, you have to bring along a Republican,” said Deutch. “It’s a Noah’s Ark sort of approach, which is appropriate given the subject matter. We don’t argue about the science. It’s all very respectful.”
 Sea level rise: Miami and Atlantic City fight to stay above waterThe wretched polarization of climate politics in the US showed signs of shifting last year when a group of 17 Republicans put their name to a resolution that called for “meaningful and responsible action” to the heatwaves, storms, floods and rising sea levels wrought by climate change. After surviving last year’s election despite committing what was thought to be a party heresy, this group is now attempting to break their colleagues’ collective fever over climate.
“There are a lot of Republicans who understand this is a real challenge, and the caucus is giving them a place where they can explore ideas,” Curbelo told Guardian US. “It was assumed that Republicans would take a position of denial, but that’s not the case. One of our main goals is to depoliticize environmental policy in the US.”
Curbelo admitted it is “labour intensive” to get some of his fellow Republicans on board, but the success of the small but expanding caucus is “spreading like wildfire. A lot of colleagues are now contacting us and wanting to learn more.”
Many Republicans were put off the climate issue by former vice-president turned activist Al Gore, according to Curbelo. The warming temperature of the planet has rarely ever been seen as an urgent issue by the party and the forceful campaigning by Gore and green groups was met with Republican hostility, almost as a reflex.
“Al Gore did all that without a Republican partner, so we got to a state of affairs where Republicans automatically oppose anything to do with the environment,” Curbelo said. “I don’t really blame Al Gore for that but there’s a lesson there. We need a proper, sober discussion on this issue.”
 Despite Trump’s rhetoric, says Carlos Curbelo, ‘there are a lot of Republicans who understand this is a real challenge.’Trump’s aggressive rollback of Barack Obama’s climate agenda casts a long shadow, but nagging forces are buffeting Republicans’ position on climate change. Polling shows hearty public support for the science and the need to cut greenhouse gases, while the position of fossil fuel companies – often viewed as the dastardly puppet masters of denial – has evolved to the point where Shell and BP can write to the president to demand that he stay within the Paris climate agreement.
“There are Republicans who can now say ‘I am conservative and care about conservation’ and that is an important signal to the base, that they can go back to the tradition of Teddy Roosevelt and the party that passed the Clean Air Act,” said Richter.
“The problem we are now facing is that the Republican party hasn’t exercized its muscles on this issue in a long time. The more they do that, the easier it will be.”
Agreeing on the need for action is easier than settling upon what that action should be. Curbelo said that the caucus is an “ideas factory” but there are no consensus solutions to go with the group’s name. Republicans remain largely opposed to federal regulation in the shape of the Clean Power Plan, and while imposing a tax on carbon and letting the market sort it out has some heavyweight Republican support, it too is a very hard sell.
All of this will require both sides breaking free of a destructive cycle that has made climate change a partisan cudgel“I’m not for any sort of carbon fee. I like incentives more than being punished,” Scott Taylor, a Republican whose coastal Virginia district is slowly sinking into a rising Atlantic, told Guardian US. “I think it’s pompous to think man can stop an ice age. That’s ridiculous.
“That said, there are issues with sea level rise and how to defend against that. That is something Republicans are willing to debate now.”
Curbelo has called Pruitt “reckless” for his dismissal of climate science and the Climate Solutions Caucus has written to Trump to urge him to stick with the Paris deal. But with the administration dismantling measures to lower emissions, a replacement plan is needed soon if the US isn’t to abandon the challenge in a practical sense whether it stays in the agreement or not.“The more real it gets the harder it gets,” said Richter. “But if we are able to get to the point where Republicans in Congress can pass something, it would be very difficult for Trump to veto that.
“There’s a strong economic and jobs narrative there. Republicans won’t want the Silicon Valley for solar, wind and battery storage to be outside the US.”
Richter said environmental groups also need to move beyond their entrenched position of attacking Republicans and instead applaud and encourage those willing to speak out on climate change. All of this will require both sides breaking free of a destructive cycle that has resulted in climate change becoming a partisan cudgel rather than an urgent cause for co-operation.
“The American people by and large want to see their leaders address the challenges of the 21st century and ignoring climate change is dangerous,” Curbelo said. “Are we going to be short sighted or are we going to be honest and build a sustainable country for future generations?”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb">Seventeen Republican members of Congress from diverse districts — including representatives from coastal Southeastern states, Nevada, Utah, upstate New York, and Pennsylvania — submitted a resolution in the House Wednesday acknowledging that “human activities” have had an impact on the global climate and resolving to create and support “economically viable” mitigation efforts.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">The resolution, sponsored by Reps. Carlos Curbelo of Florida, Elise Stefanik of New York, and Ryan Costello of Pennsylvania, is being submitted in the midst of an unprecedented effort by the most anti-science administration in recent American history to remove climate science studies and data from federal agencies.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-14/trump-said-to-drop-climate-change-from-environmental-reviews" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; line-height: inherit; border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(148, 168, 183); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out; text-decoration: none !important;">Bloomberg reported</a> that President Donald Trump is about to sign an executive order repealing President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan, and to order a reconsideration of the government’s use of the “social cost of carbon” metric, which measures potential economic damage related to climate change.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">Last week, meanwhile, Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency administator, Scott Pruitt, suggested that carbon emissions have nothing to do with climate change.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb">Curbelo, whose Miami-area district is already experiencing dramatic effects of rising sea levels, has been spearheading the effort to gather pro-science members on his side of the aisle since last year, when he coaxed 10 Republicans to join a bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, which now has 30 members from 13 states, half of whom are Republican.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">The resolution being submitted Wednesday states, “That the House of Representatives commits to working constructively, using our tradition of American ingenuity, innovation, and exceptionalism, to create and support economically viable and broadly supported private and public solutions to study and address the causes and effects of measured changes to our global and regional climates, including mitigation efforts and efforts to balance human activities that have been found to have an impact.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">During a call with reporters Tuesday, Curbelo said there are “many, many more” Republicans in the House who are interested in the issue and “want to learn more, and who are considering joining this effort officially by putting their name on it.” He said his goal is to “move on to solutions that we can all rally around and that we can work on with our Republican and Democratic colleagues.” This would include, he said, pressing the administration to add projects to mitigate the effects of climate change, such as seawalls, in its expected infrastructure plan.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">While prospects for a swell of GOP political support seem dim, given the president’s stated position that climate change might be “a Chinese hoax” and his EPA administrator’s open animosity toward the issue, Curbelo said he sees a possible wedge via members of Trump’s inner circle — presumably including his daughter Ivanka, who has reportedly lobbied her father on the issue.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">“We know there are people very close to the president who understand this issue,” Curbelo said, without naming anyone. “These are people who have already been a very good influence on items such as the Paris Agreement, and we are looking forward to engaging those individuals so that we can take this conversation to a good place.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">Curbelo called Pruitt’s comments on carbon “disconcerting” and added, “What he said was akin to saying the Earth is flat in the year 2017. We must insist on evidence-based and science-based policies.” He also chastised Pruitt last week in a statement, saying,“Rising carbon emissions have been a contributing factor to climate change for decades. That is a scientific fact and the reality facing communities like my district. The EPA is tasked with the very responsibility of helping to lower the impact of carbon emissions, and for Mr. Pruitt to assert otherwise without scientific evidence is reckless and unacceptable.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">One of the resolution’s signatories is Rep. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, who represents a section of his state known as the Low Country. Sanford, who grew up on a farm in the area, says he has seen firsthand the effects of rising sea levels, in acreage lost to salt water.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">“The Low Country makes Miami Beach look like high ground,” Sanford said. “I just think there is inherent danger in the three-monkey routine — see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil — related to climate change. To deny its existence is to deny what our country was founded on. The Founding Fathers designed a reason-based political system, and without reason the system doesn’t work.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">Curbelo’s climate caucus co-chairman, Florida Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch, released a statement Wednesday morning welcoming the GOP effort. “Americans don’t see climate change as a partisan issue, and neither should Congress,” he said. “As the Democratic co-chair of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, I applaud my Republican colleagues for introducing this important resolution on climate change. We’re going to need lawmakers from both sides of the aisle working together, engaging in robust debate, following the science and finding bipartisan legislative responses to the growing threats of climate change.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">Polls have shown that a majority of Americans are concerned about climate change, and those fears among constituents, plus the fact that Republicans now control all branches of government and are thus a last line of defense, might be prompting more Republicans to reject the administration’s anti-science position. “The polling is very clear,” Curbelo said. “A clear majority understand this is a challenge we are facing, and among younger voters the numbers are staggering. Over 80 percent of millennials consider this a major issue. The House is the most representative institution in our government. This issue was regrettably politicized 20 years or so ago, and we are trying to take some of the politics out and reducing the noise.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px;" droid="Droid" serif="serif" cambria="Cambria" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" line-height="line-height" text-rendering="text-rendering" optimizelegibility="optimizeLegibility" color="color" rgb="rgb" background-color="background-color">Others who signed the resolution are Reps. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), John Faso (R-N.Y.), John Katko (R-N.Y.), Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.), Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Mia Love (R-Utah), Pat Meehan (R-Pa.), Brian Mast (R-Fla.), and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla).<b style="line-height: 16.8px; outline: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">==http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2015/11/16/gop_science_some_republicans_are_bucking_their_party_about_climate_change.htmllindsey graham<a href="https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hres424/BILLS-114hres424ih.pdf">https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hres424/BILLS-114hres424ih.pdf</a>IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

Mr. GIBSON (for himself, Mr. CURBELO of Florida, Mr. REICHERT, Mr.

DOLD, Mr. HANNA, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. ROSLEHTINEN,

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania, Ms. STEFANIK, and Mr.

LOBIONDO) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on Energy and Commerce 
<b style="line-height: 16.8px; outline: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b style="line-height: 16.8px; outline: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=mKBm7kHbCGkx%2FDmTMlNdFra75vPAlQ%2Fw" style="text-decoration: underline; line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">
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</a><b style="line-height: 16.8px; outline: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=mKBm7kHbCGkx%2FDmTMlNdFra75vPAlQ%2Fw" style="text-decoration: underline; line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">THE LONE SOUTHERN GOP COSPONSOR (SO FAR) OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT RESTORATION BILL:</a><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16.8px; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important;"> Fifty years after the Voting Rights Act was introduced in Congress with bipartisan support, House lawmakers are trying to restore a key part of the law that the Supreme Court struck down in 2013. Just one Southern Republican is on board so far: Rep. Carlos Curbelo of South Florida. (3/20/2015)<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16.8px; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important;">=<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16.8px; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important;">bit the nad?<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16.8px; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important;">
<h3 class="entry-header entry-title title" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Deep-pocketed super PAC releases second attack ad against Joe Garcia</h3><div class="entry-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="entry-body" id="story-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 20px;">@PatriciaMazzei"We can do better than Joe Garcia," says a new television advertisement from Freedom Partners Action Fund, a super PAC that now has <a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2014/09/another-conservative-super-pac-unveils-anti-joe-garcia-ad.html" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">two spots</a> running against the Miami Democratic congressman.The conservative group, which is funded by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch and bills itself as a "free-market" organization, continues to hammer Garcia in the new ad over investigations into his past campaigns, making particular note of how the incumbent <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/article1956389.html" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">paid</a> his former chief of staff a "campaign win bonus" even after the staffer was suspected of orchestrating an illegal absentee-ballot request scheme. He later <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article1956542.html" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">ended up</a> in jail.The ad also criticizes Garcia for defending Obamacare "even with a double-digit premium increase" and for saying that "the economy is in a good place.""Does that sound right to you?" the ad's narrator asks. She makes no mention of Garcia's Republican opponent, Miami-Dade County School Board member Carlos Curbelo.In a <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article2770433.html" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">debate</a> Tuesday night, Garcia noted most of the ads against him have been funded by outside political groups and not from Curbelo himself, suggesting that, if elected, Curbelo would be subject to their interests."It's becoming a daily occurrence that lobbyist Carlos Curbelo -- who has been rejected by local members of his own party for saying one thing to Floridians and then calling Medicare and Social Security a 'Ponzi scheme' in Washington -- is forced to rely on shady out-of-state groups with little regard for South Florida's values in order to prop up his campaign," Garcia spokesman Miguel Salazar said in a statement.</div></div><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16.8px; text-align: -webkit-left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important;">

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