mast, brian Rep 17 27%

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pow mofo pending

EX APOSTATE? florida man

17% * life 27 % went down in gimmie year? trumpista?

https://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/brian-mast

yes tribal, psas, methane

021427Supporting Tribal Management of BisonWildlife, Environmental Justice, Public Lands/Forests

2021385Transformative Climate, Jobs, and Justice Investments (2x Score)Climate Change, Air, Clean Energy, Environmental Justice, Transportation, Public Lands/Forests, Water, Other

2021385Transformative Climate, Jobs, and Justice InvestmentsClimate Change, Air, Clean Energy, Drilling, Environmental Justice, Public Lands/Forests, Transportation, Water, Other

2021379Censuring Paul GosarJustice and Democracy

2021272Taking Action on PFAS ContaminationToxics/Public Right to Know

2021260Restoring the Voting Rights ActJustice and Democracy

2021247Pro-Environment Funding PackageOther, Climate Change, Clean Energy, Clean Air, Clean Water, Environmental Justice

2021217Protecting People from PFASToxics/Public Right to Know; Water

2021208Investing in Transportation and Water InfrastructureClimate Change, Transportation, Water, Clean Energy, Environmental Justice

2021206Building Climate-resilient Wastewater InfrastructureWater, Climate Change

2021201Investing in Climate-Smart and Pro-Wildlife InfrastructureTransportation, Climate Change, Wildlife

2021196Removing Confederate Statues from the U.S. CapitolLands/Forests, Justice and Democracy

2021185Repealing Assault on Methane Pollution SafeguardsClimate Change, Dirty Energy

2021169Corporate Climate Risk Disclosure RequirementsClimate Change; Other

2021145Increasing Awareness and Reporting of Hate CrimesOther, Justice and Democracy

2021132Washington, D.C. StatehoodJustice and Democracy

202191Protecting Dreamers and Immigrants Fleeing DisastersJustice and Democracy, Other

202170Protecting the Rights of Workers to OrganizeOther, Justice and Democracy

202162Voting Rights and Democracy ReformsJustice and Democracy

202145Protecting Public Lands and Waters Across the WestPublic Lands/Forests

202117Impeachment for Incitement of InsurrectionJustice and Democracy

202111Certifying Pennsylvania’s Electoral VotesJustice and Democracy

202110Certifying Arizona’s Electoral VotesJustice and Democracy

2020242Phasing Out Harmful Fishing GearOceans, Wildlife

2020203Increasing Funding for Renewable Energy Research & DevelopmentClean Energy, Climate

2020182Protecting the U.S. Postal ServiceJustice and Democracy

2020166Pro-Environment Funding PackageOther, Environmental Justice, Water, Dirty Energy, Drilling, Lands/Forests

2020164Slashing EPA FundingOther, Water, Air, Environmental Justice

2020163Blocking Trump’s Inadequate Soot StandardAir, Environmental Justice

2020156Removing Confederate Statues from the U.S. CapitolOther

:{-----}:

===

an 10 24

In a 165-page legal brief unsealed by Judge Tanya Chutkan in early October, special counsel Jack Smith makes a comprehensive, highly detailed case for moving forward with his election interference indictment against former President Donald Trump.

One of the many things Smith addresses in the document is the danger that then-Vice President Mike Pence faced when Trump supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 in the hope of preventing Congress from certifying now-President Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.

Outside the Capitol, some Trump supporters set up a hangman's gallows and were chanting, "Hang Mike Pence." But Trump, according to Smith's brief, allegedly said, "So what?" when he heard that Pence had been taken to a secured location.

During a Thursday, October 3 appearance on CNN, Rep. Brian Mast (R-Florida) — a Trump ally and far-right MAGA Republican — downplayed the threat that Pence faced on January 6, 2021 and claimed that he "wasn't really in peril."

CNN's Manu Raju asked Mast, "What is your response to the president's apparent reaction to his then-vice president's life being in danger?" And Mast responded, "I don't think… that should be categorized as anything other than hyperbole right there."

The MAGA congressman said of Pence, "He has Secret Service protection. Now, at that time, we thought that Secret Service protection was the gold standard of protection, and they would be keeping him safe. He was under protection, OK. He's being brought to a secure facility, OK. That's something that's being done. It doesn't really require a great deal of thought. And he wasn't really in peril."

Raju wanted to know how Mast could say that Pence's life "wasn't really in peril" when Trump supporters were chanting, "Hang Mike Pence" outside the Capitol Building. And Mast doubled down on his claim, insisting, "His life wasn’t really in peril, he was protected by Secret Service."

*Watch the full video at this link.

===

wiki 7 22

brian Jeffery Mast (born July 10, 1980) is an American politician and U.S. military veteran who has served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 18th congressional district since 2017. Mast is a member of the Republican Party.

A veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, Mast lost both his legs while serving as a U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal technician in Afghanistan in 2010.

Early life and education

Mast was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan.^[2] He is the son of James Mast and Tixomena Trujillo. His maternal grandparents were immigrants from Mexico.^[3] Mast graduated from South Christian High School in 1999.^[4] In 2016, he obtained an A.L.B. from Harvard University Extension School with a concentration in economics and minors in government and environmental studies.^[5][6]

Military service

After graduating from high school, Mast enlisted in the United States Army Reserve in May 2000 and became a combat engineer assigned to the 841st Combat Engineer Battalion.^[7] In 2006, he transitioned to the active U.S. Army and became an explosive ordnance disposal technician. Mast later joined the elite 28th Ordnance Company,^[8] a special operations explosive ordnance disposal unit that works alongside personnel of the 75th Ranger Regiment. He served in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. On September 19, 2010, while clearing a path for United States Army Rangers in Kandahar, Mast stepped on an IED along the road. The explosion resulted in the amputation of both his legs and his left index finger.^[9][10]

Mast and his family were awarded a custom ADA-compliant home by the nonprofit organization Helping a Hero.^[11]

Civilian career

After his honorable discharge^[12] from the Army, Mast was hired as an explosives specialist for the United States Department of Homeland Security.^[2] While recovering from his injuries at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Mast provided explosive and counter-terrorism expertise to the Office of Emergency Operations at the National Nuclear Security Administration from July 2011 to February 2012,^[13] and as an instructor of homemade explosives for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.^[14][15]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2016

Mast first considered running for office while recovering from his injuries at Walter Reed Medical Center.^[2] It was reported in May 2015 that he was considering a run for Congress.^[16]

On June 8, 2015, Mast announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for U.S. Representative in Florida's 18th congressional district.^[17] He defeated five opponents in the August 30, 2016, primary with 38% of the vote.^[18] Mast faced Democratic businessman Randy Perkins in the November 8 general election.^[18]

During the 2015-16 election campaign, Mast's largest donors were Duty Free Americas (owned by the pro-Israel Falic family), NextGen Management (a condo property firm), and Superior Foods (frozen foods).^[19]

Mast won the general election with 53% of the vote.^[20]

In 2016, Mast was briefly linked with World Patent Marketing, a company the Federal Trade Commission shut down as an invention promotion scam. World Patent Marketing donated money to Mast's campaign fund and said in a press release that he sat on their advisory board. Mast claimed no knowledge of being given a position on the board and said he only had a couple encounters with members of the company.^[21]

In 2018, Anthony Bustamante, a campaign consultant who had worked on Mast's 2016 campaign, told The Wall Street Journal that he had used data hacked from the Democratic National Committee by Guccifer 2.0, a front for Russia's GRU military intelligence service, to adjust Mast's campaign strategy.^[22] Guccifer 2.0 had leaked the hacked data to the HelloFLA blog.^[23]

2018

On April 25, 2018, physician Mark Freeman announced a primary challenge to Mast, focusing on his promise to "defend the Second Amendment" and be an "unwavering partner" to President Donald Trump. Freeman called Mast an "establishment candidate" and complained about Mast's shift on gun control issues after the Parkland school shooting.^[24]

Mast defeated Freeman in the Republican primary. In the general election, he defeated Democratic nominee Lauren Baer, an attorney and foreign policy expert who served as an official in the Obama Administration, with 54% of the vote.^[25]

During the 2017-18 election campaign, Mast's largest donors wereDuty Free Americas and Amway/Alticor (run by the DeVos family).^[26] Between March and June 2018,^[27] Mast's campaign received thousands of dollars from Soviet-born Igor Fruman, one of two business associates of Rudy Giuliani who later faced charges of violating federal campaign finance laws. After this allegedly illegal contribution was discovered and reported by the press, Mast's spokesman said he would disburse the funds to the Treasury Department,^[28] but less than two weeks later, Mast said, "I think we donated it to charity."^[29]

2020

Mast ran for reelection in 2020 against Democratic nominee Pam Keith. In August 2020 he apologized for what he called "disgusting and inappropriate jokes" that he made on Facebook in 2009 and 2011 responding to a friend and subsequent campaign manager about sex with 15-year-old girls in South Africa and an end-of-the-world pick-up line involving rape or murder.^[30]

Tenure

Mast was sworn in on January 3, 2017. He is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership^[31] and the Climate Solutions Caucus.^[32]

After voting in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, he had a 40% approval rating among his constituents; 45% said they were disappointed with his work in Congress.^[33]

In May 2018, the Associated Press reported that the Trump administration was considering Mast for secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.^[34]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Political positions

In the first session of the 115th United States Congress, Mast was ranked the 32nd most bipartisan member of the Houseby the Bipartisan Index, a metric published by The Lugar Center and Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy to assess congressional bipartisanship.^[36][37]

During Trump's presidency, Mast voted in line with the president's stated position 90.6% of the time.^[38][39] As of September 2021, Mast had voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 19.4% of the time.^[40]

Abortion

Mast believes abortion should be illegal except in cases where the woman's life is at risk or in cases of rape or incest.^[15]

Agricultural subsidies

In April 2018, Mast said he would probably vote for legislation to reduce support for sugar farmers, who under the then current Farm Bill were protected by fixed minimum prices, by limits on imports and on domestic production, and by government loans to sugar growers. "I expect I'll be supporting it when it comes up for a vote next week," Mast said of the Sugar Policy Modernization Act, "because it's important to the community I represent, and our waterways". The proposed act, reported TCPalm, "would make sugar import quotas more flexible and protect taxpayers from government-funded buyouts of surplus sugar". Mast said he would "probably be the only representative in the history of this district to vote against the sugar industry".^[41] Mast accepted over $15,000 in campaign donations from the executives at Florida Crystals and the Fanjul family that owns the company.^[42]

Cannabis

In December 2020, Mast was one of only five House Republicans to vote for the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act.^[43] The act aimed to "correct the historical injustices of failed drug policies that have disproportionately impacted communities of color"; it included provisions to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, impose a federal tax on cannabis products, and use the proceeds of the tax to fund restorative justice programs.^[44][45][46] A month before the vote, Mast invested between $15,000 and $50,000 in the cannabis company Tilray. He disclosed the purchase on December 1.^[47][48]

In November 2021, Mast was one of four original cosponsors of the Republican-led States Reform Act to legalize cannabis federally and regulate it similarly to alcohol.^[49] In April 2022, after Representative Don Young died in office, Mast was named to replace him as a co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus.^[50][51]

Donald Trump

In June 2016, Mast said he supported President Donald Trump "unanimously and wholeheartedly" in the 2016 presidential election. After the 2005 Access Hollywood recording of Trump making crude remarks about sexually assaulting women became public, Mast called Trump's remarks "inexcusable and disgusting".^[52] In February 2017, he voted against a resolution that would have directed the House to request ten years of Trump's tax returns, which would then have been reviewed by the House Ways and Means Committee in a closed session.^[53]

On December 18, 2019, Mast voted against both articles of impeachment against Trump. Of the 195 Republicans who voted, all voted against both impeachment articles.

Gay rights

Mast believes it was a mistake for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage.^[15]

Gun policy

Mast wrote an opinion piece in The New York Times in support of the Second Amendment right to bear arms, but said "it does not guarantee that every civilian can bear any and all arms."^[54][55] He supports a ban on assault weapons, citing his military background: "I cannot support the primary weapon I used to defend our people being used to kill the children I swore to defend."^{[54][55][56][57]}

After the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Mast announced his support for prohibiting the sale of assault and tactical firearms without confiscating such weapons that are already owned; ensuring that all firearm purchasers undergo a background check; improving background checks; banning the sale of gun accessories that enhance the firing rate of weapons, such as bump stocks; preventing those who have been detained for mental illnesses from purchasing firearms; ensuring that those on the Terror Watch List cannot purchase firearms; and placing anyone who makes threats of violence against schools on an FBI watch list for "a long time".^{[54][55][56][57]}

Mast also supports conducting further research on gun violence, which federal law currently prohibits in some ways.^[54]

Mast has at least partly blamed violent video games and violent movies for school shootings.^[58] In March 2017, he voted for the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act.^[59] The measure passed the House but stalled in the Senate.[citation ^needed]

During 2015–16, Mast accepted $4,950 in campaign donations from the NRA's Political Victory Fund.^[60]

Healthcare

Mast is in favor of repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). On May 4, 2017, he voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and pass the American Health Care Act.^[61][62]

Immigration

In June 2018, commenting on the Trump administration family separation policy, Mast said: "It is our duty as an American government to deal compassionately with any child from any nation, just as it is the responsibility of foreign families seeking asylum in the U.S. to choose only legal means to enter our nation so they can avoid family disruption. I am confident this process will be improved." Citing his own Mexican grandparents, he said, "The way that they got to work, the way that they assimilated to the American way of life and became a part of our system is not what we're seeing across the board."^[63]

In June 2018, a volunteer for the Democratic Party of Martin County who was angry about the Trump administration's immigration policy was arrested after threatening to kill Mast's children.^[64] The first trial in the case ended in a mistrial in April 2019.^[65]

International diplomacy

Mast said he would support a Republican proposal to cut U.S. funding to the United Nations.^[5]

Mast was critical of Obama's Middle East policy. "ISIS is as strong as it is because of a lack of US leadership," he said in 2016. "ISIS could have been defeated at the time of the Arab Spring if we had sent in special operations forces. What's being done now is too little too late. It's going to require an all-out military effort. The only way to guarantee peace is to make the enemy surrender."^[15]

Iran nuclear deal

Mast views Obama's Iran nuclear deal as a betrayal by the U.S. of its own national security as well as that of Israel, Jordan, and other regional allies. "The deal has aligned us with a Shia regime, which is just enabling extremism. This is going to make it very hard to get Sunni regimes to align with us, and Putin is now the go-to player in Syria with his alliance with Assad," he said in 2016.^[15]

Israel

Mast is "a vocal supporter of Israel and Israelis", reported The Times of Israel during his 2016 campaign. "If anyone was lobbing rockets into the US, guys like me would be sent to kill them, and Americans would applaud us," he said.^[15]

Military and veterans affairs

Mast, who sits on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, was the first member of Congress to open an office inside a federal agency. The office in question, which opened in 2018, was in the West Palm Beach Veterans Affairs facility. In 2018 he introduced a House bill that would make it easier for other House members to do the same.^[66] But in 2019, the Department of Veterans Affairs evicted Mast from the West Palm Beach office.^[67] Mast sent the VA Secretary Robert Wilkie a letter of complaint about the eviction.^[68]

Taxes and budget

In October 2017, Mast voted against the original version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 due to "out of control" federal spending, fear of the national debt growing, and a desire to see lower tax rates with loopholes closed.^[69][70] In December 2017, he voted for the final version of the bill,^[71] saying it "provides a lot of confidence to a lot of people" and is "a great moment for our country and our community".^[72][33]

Honors

During his 12 years of U.S. Army service, Mast received the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal with "V" for valor device.

President Barack Obama invited Mast as a guest to his 2011 State of the Union Address, at which he was seated with First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden.^[73][74] Mast was named one of 10 House freshmen to watch by the Washington, D.C. newspaper The Hill, out of 55 new members of the House elected in 2016.^[5]

Personal life

Mast lives in Palm City, Florida, with his wife Brianna and their four children, Madalyn,Maverick, Magnum, and Major.^[75] As of 2016, he attended the evangelical Calvary Chapel.^[15]

In January 2015, Mast volunteered with the Israel Defense Forces, working at a base outside Tel Aviv, packing medical kits and moving supplies.^[15]

References

...

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United States Congressman Brian Mast (R-Florida) on Friday attempted to coerce Democrats in the House of Representatives into validating right-wing talking points about abortion by flashing cold, hard cash.

Mast performed his stunt during a floor debate over House Resolution 8297, which if it passes would protect the right to interstate travel to get an abortion.

"I got a $20 bill here. It's not worth as much as it used to be worth. I'll put it down here on the table. Any one of you or your colleagues wants to speak up and tell us when life begins, it's sitting here for you," Mast boasted.

Mast's theatrics left Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-California) nearly speechless.

"Uh... it gets more painful every single day. When you think about, you've got an [attorney general] in Indiana who has smeared a healthcare professional in that state who did exactly what she was supposed to do in providing an abortion to a ten-year-old. But he [Todd Rokita] was gonna bring charges against her. We have a colleague on the other side of the aisle who is now putting down $20 bills as if we're gonna race over there to get that $20 bill to answer his question," Speier said in response.

"I mean, what are we doing here?! Have we lost it?" she exclaimed. "This bill simply codifies what is interpreted in the Constitution in the 5th Amendment. Now, we have a [Supreme Court] Justice, [Brett] Kavanaugh, who said, was asked the question, 'may a state bar a resident of the state from traveling to another state? The answer is no.' But interestingly enough, the right to travel – those words – are not in the 5th Amendment. So if we have an originalist Court, we do have to pass this bill."

Watch below or at this link.

---

A far right wing U.S. Congressman hijacked the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Afghanistan on live TV Monday, accusing the President of the United States of treason then trying to block the Secretary of State from responding to his attacks.

After accusing President Joe Biden of manipulating intelligence coming out of Afghanistan, U.S. Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) declared, "in my opinion that's absolutely aid and comfort to the enemy," which is the definition of treason.

"I absolutely wonder if you were complicit in this as well. I find it hard to believe that President Biden would do that without you being aware of this and these are things that we deserve to know, better answers, have better hearings on this, I do not believe a word that you're saying on this. Simply put, I do not wish to hear from you," Congressman Mast told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

As Blinken tried to respond, Mast took over the hearing, talking over Blinken and repeatedly telling him he did not want to hear him, calling him a liar, and announcing he would not listen to him.

"I do not believe a word that you're saying on this," he interjected. "I do not wish to hear from you. I'm not yielding you a moment of time. I don't wish to hear your lies."

Mast's time had already expired, and Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) tried to get it back under control.

"What the Congressman said is simply wrong," Blinken replied. "Period."

"I think every member of this committee has been apprised of or had access to the intelligence assessments throughout the year – and you know what they were, and you know what they are," Blinken charged.

The Florida congressman did manage to introduce lies into the record, including the common GOP-told falsehood that the U.S. forfeited tens of billions of dollars of military equipment to the Taliban.

---

huffpo

A little more than halfway through the new 29-page indictment handed up by the grand jury investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 election is an intriguing tidbit: An unnamed congressional candidate reached out to Russian intelligence operatives posing as a hacker named Guccifer 2.0, seeking dirt on their opponent.

The outreach came on Aug. 15, 2016, after it was clear Guccifier 2.0 ― whom the indictment identifies as part of GRU, a Russian Federation intelligence agency within the Russian military ― had hacked the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The Russian intelligence operatives responded to the request with information related to the candidate’s opponent, according to the relevant portion of the indictment, pictured below:

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team didn’t reveal who the candidate was, and while several GOP congressional candidates benefited from the DCCC hack, the details don’t quite match up with previously reported incidents.

One name that has come up is Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Ryan Costello. The operatives posing as Guccifer leaked documents revealing that Costello’s Democratic opponent, Mike Parrish, was not the top choice of national Democratic operatives to challenge the Republican. The documents, which were leaked to The Hill and the subject of an Aug. 23, 2016, story, showed DCCC operatives attempting to recruit another Democratic candidate into the race.

But Costello’s team said it opted to not use the damaging material ― he was a heavy favorite to win re-election.

“When news broke that this material had likely been stolen by a foreign actor, we immediately said, ‘We’re not going to use it,’” Vince Galko, a strategist who worked for Costello, told The Atlantic earlier this year.

Costello’s congressional communications director, Natalie McLaughlin, had a blunt response when asked if Costello was the candidate who reached out to Guccifer 2.0: “Absolutely not." The other candidates to benefit from the DCCC hack were clustered in Florida: GOP Reps. Carlos Curbelo, Ron DeSantis and Brian Mast. But the information on their opponents appeared to be posted independently by Aaron Nevins, a Florida lobbyist and journalist.

Nevins is mentioned in the next paragraph of the indictment as the “then-registered state lobbyist and online source of political news” who received 2.5 gigabytes of data stolen from the DCCC, including “donor records and personal identifying information for more than 2,000 Democratic donors.”

The data Nevins received from Guccifer was extremely valuable, and contained information on the two candidates running in a primary to challenge Curbelo. An operative for Mast admitted to The Wall Street Journal he adjusted his strategy after the leaks.“I did adjust some voting targets based on some data I saw,” Mast consultant Anthony Bustamante said.

Florida GOP consultant turned #NeverTrump talking head Rick Wilson pointed a finger at Mast as the candidate mentioned in the indictment. A spokesman for Mast denied any contact with the hackers: “Congressman Mast and his campaign 100 percent did not have any contact with Guccifer.”

A spokeswoman for Curbelo issued a similar denial and added that Curbelo hoped the Justice Department would reveal who the candidate who requested the information was.

“Neither he nor anyone on his campaign has ever contacted any foreign agent to request illegally obtained documents or information,” Curbelo spokeswoman Joanna Rodriguez told the Miami Herald.

DeSantis, who represents a safely Republican district in north Florida, is now running in the GOP primary for Florida governor with President Donald Trump’s endorsement and has repeatedly tried to end special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.He’s also denied any contact with Guccifer 2.0.

The publicly available trail of breadcrumbs ends there. There are no other indications of who the candidate who requested the information could be. House Speaker Paul Ryan’s office says it doesn’t know anything beyond what’s in the indictment, and Democratic operatives are similarly baffled.

Kevin Robillard is a senior political reporter for HuffPost. Do you have information or theories on the mystery candidate? Reach Kevin at kevin.robillard@huffpost.com.