Daniel Webster (Florida politician)

Last updated

Sandra Jordan
​
(m. 1972)​
Dan Webster
Daniel Webster, Official Portrait, 112th Congress.jpg
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2011
Children6
Education Georgia Institute of Technology (BS)
Website House website

Daniel Alan Webster (born April 27, 1949) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 11th congressional district since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he first entered Congress in 2011. He represented Florida's 10th congressional district from 2011 to 2017 (numbered as the 8th district during his first term). Before his congressional service, he served 28 years in the Florida legislature. He was the first Republican Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives since Reconstruction.

Contents

After receiving his engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Webster worked in the family air conditioning and heating business he now owns and operates. He has been a resident of Florida since the age of seven and resides in Clermont. First elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1980 and the Florida Senate in 1998, Webster is the longest-serving legislator in Florida history. [1] He became Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives (1996–1998) and Florida Senate Majority Leader (2006–2008); he left the legislature after reaching the legal term limits. He ran unopposed in all of his elections for the state legislature except for the first three: 1980, 1982, and 1984. [2]

Webster was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2010. He has since run three times for Speaker of the House: in January 2015, he received 12 votes; in October 2015, he received nine votes; in 2017, he received one vote. In the 115th United States Congress, Webster sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Natural Resources Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee.

Early life, education, business career, and health

Webster as a member of the Florida State House in 1980 Portrait of Florida State Representative Daniel Webster.jpg
Webster as a member of the Florida State House in 1980
Webster as Speaker of the Florida State House Florida Speaker of the House Daniel Webster.jpg
Webster as Speaker of the Florida State House

Webster was born in Charleston, West Virginia, the son of Mildred Rada (Schoolcraft), a nurse, and Dennis Webster. [3] [4] He was raised in Orlando, Florida, where his family moved when Webster was seven, upon a doctor's recommendation that a change of climate might cure Webster's sinus problems. [5] He is reportedly a distant relative of the antebellum politician and orator Daniel Webster. [2]

He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he was student government chaplain from 1970 to 1971 and a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. [5] [6] He graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. [6] Upon graduation, Webster's Vietnam War student deferment expired, and he became eligible for conscription into the U.S. military, but was not drafted because he failed the physical exam due to lifelong foot problems that prevent him from standing for long periods. [7]

Since college, Webster has worked in the family air conditioning and heating business; he presently owns and operates it. [5] [8] Webster lives in Clermont, Florida. [9] [ citation needed ][ failed verification ]

Webster said he and his wife faced health issues in 2021, which forced him to miss some votes. He said his wife had cancer surgery, and he had a pacemaker installed. [10]

Florida House of Representatives

Elections

Webster first ran for the Florida House in 1979 at age 30. He had been working on a project with his church to convert a residential house into a place for Sunday school to be conducted. When the Orange County commissioners rejected the church's request for a zoning exception, Webster investigated and found that the county commission had rejected every zoning exemption request brought before them by a church or religious organization. Seeking to rectify what he thought was an injustice, Webster ran for public office after finding no politician who shared his displeasure with local and statewide government. [5]

In the Republican primary, Webster ranked first with 38%, short of the 50% necessary to avoid a runoff election. [11] In the runoff, he defeated Barbara Owens, 54%–46%. [12] In the general election, he defeated Democratic State Representative Henry Swanson 51%–49%, a difference of just 2,070 votes. [13] The race came down to one precinct, Webster's own Pine Hills, which he won. [2]

After redistricting, Webster ran in Florida's newly redrawn 41st House District in 1982. He was reelected, defeating Craig Crawford 58%–42%. [14] In 1984, he was reelected to a third term over fellow State Representative Dick Batchelor, 54%–46%. [15] [16]

After defeating Batchelor in 1984, Webster never had another opponent in the State House of Representatives and was reelected unopposed every two years.

Tenure

Webster was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1980. There, he served as Minority Floor Leader and then Minority Whip. In 1996, when the Republicans gained a majority in the House, Webster became the first Republican Speaker of the Florida House in 122 years. He remained Speaker until 1998 when term limits made him ineligible to run for reelection. [8] [17]

During his tenure as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Webster received recognition and awards from several organizations, including the American Heart Association for support of AHA priority issues (1996), the Board of Regents Legislative Award (1995), the Florida Association of State Troopers Leadership Award for Excellence in Legislative Leadership (1996), the Florida Banking Association Award (1995), the Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislator of the Year (1995), the Florida Farm Bureau Legislative Award (1995), the Florida Hotel and Motel Association Special Recognition Award (1995), the Florida League of Cities Quality Floridian (1995), the Florida Medical Association recognition award (1996), and the Republican Party of Florida Statesman of the Year award (1995). [6]

Education

Webster's first bill to become law was the 1985 Home Education Program Act, which legalized homeschooling in Florida. He considers it his most significant legislation. [2] He homeschooled his six children, remains a homeschooling advocate, [2] and a member of a non-denominational Christian organization that promotes homeschooling, the Institute in Basic Life Principles. [18] While Speaker of the House in 1997, Webster insisted that legislation providing funding to schools must balance the needs of all school districts and not raise any taxes. [19] He agreed to a school construction plan funded by borrowing up to $2.5 billion in bonds. However, he thought the crowding problem was being exaggerated for political purposes. [19] [20] [21] He also sponsored 1998 legislation to improve and streamline pre-kindergarten education and provide training for parents who homeschooled their children. [22]

Marriage

In 1990, Webster sponsored and supported legislation in Florida introducing the policy of covenant marriage. This would make divorce between even two consenting individuals much harder, except in cases of infidelity. [23]

Committee assignments

Florida Senate

Elections

Webster ran unopposed for the Florida Senate in Florida's 12th and 9th Senate Districts. He served until reaching the term limit in 2008.

Tenure

In 2002, Webster unsuccessfully tried for the position of Senate President. [25] [26] From 2006 to 2008, he served as Senate Majority Leader. In 2006, while Majority Leader of the Florida Senate, he received the Florida Family Policy Council Award (2006). [2]

The Florida Department of Transportation Turnpike District Headquarters was named the "Senator Daniel Webster Building" in 2008, and in 2005 State Road 429 was designated the "Daniel Webster Western Beltway". [2] In addition, the largest committee room in the Florida House was named "Speaker Daniel Webster Hall" in his honor in 2008. [2]

Drugs

In 2007, Webster attached an amendment to a bill for steroid testing of high school athletes that would have created an oversight body for private school athletes separate from the Florida High School Athletic Association. [27] He said the provision was in response to complaints from private schools that had been allegedly singled out for recruiting violations. [27]

Abortion

In 2008, Webster sponsored SB 2400 in the Florida Senate, requiring that all women planning to undergo an abortion receive an ultrasound, but giving them a choice of whether to see the live images of the fetus. [28] [29] He argued that it would give women more medical information before receiving an abortion, and said if that changed some women's minds, it would make him happy. [28] [29] Opponents said the measure would be an invasion of privacy. [28] The bill did not pass the Senate then, but later became law. [29] [30] He also sponsored a law that would have required minors to notify their legal guardians before receiving an abortion. [2] It has been alleged that Webster does not believe in the right to have an abortion following rape or incest. When questioned by a reporter on the topic, Webster declines to comment. [31] He eventually said that this was an issue being used to distract from the real problem, which was that "Washington is broken." [32]

Schiavo case

Webster was a central figure in the Terri Schiavo case, which involved a dispute between relatives on whether to remove the feeding tube of an unconscious woman who had been in a persistent vegetative state for years. In March 2005, he introduced SB 804, which would have prohibited such patients from being denied food and water if family members disagreed with the patient's wishes and if the patient had not expressed their wishes in writing when competent. [33] The bill failed to pass the Senate by three votes. [33] [34]

Committee assignments

He also chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee. [1]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2010

Webster rejected early suggestions by several leaders in the Republican Party of Florida that he run to represent Florida's 8th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Still, in April 2010, he changed his mind and entered the race. [35] His name recognition and an endorsement from former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush quickly made him the front-runner. [36] He was further aided by a late endorsement and campaign rally from former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee. [37] On August 24, 2010, Webster defeated six other candidates in the Republican primary, winning nomination with 40% of the vote, to the runner-up's 23%. [38] Webster was named one of 52 "Young Guns" of the National Republican Congressional Committee's Young Guns Program, those the party viewed as serious contenders in their races. [39]

The campaign featured ads by opponent Alan Grayson that criticized Webster's conservative religious views on marriage and abortion as well as attack ads against Grayson financed by Americans for Prosperity and the 60 Plus Association. [32]

In July 2010, Webster signed a pledge sponsored by Americans for Prosperity promising to "oppose legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue." [40]

On November 2, 2010, Webster won the seat, 56% to 38%. [41] Three other candidates were on the ballot: Independent George Metcalfe, Florida Whig Party candidate Steve Gerritzen, and Peg Dunmire of the Florida TEA Party. [42] [43]

2012

Due to redistricting, Webster ran for reelection in the 10th district. Webster defeated Val Demings, the former Chief of Police of the Orlando Police Department, 52% to 48%.[ citation needed ]

2014

Webster faced former Navy Chief Petty Officer Mike McKenna, a Walt Disney World security officer. McKenna had a minimal budget and ran a door-to-door campaign. Webster was reelected, 62% to 38%. [44]

2016

Representative Daniel Webster speaks on Memorial Day at Veterans Memorial Park in The Villages, Florida. Daniel Webster speaks on Memorial Day.png
Representative Daniel Webster speaks on Memorial Day at Veterans Memorial Park in The Villages, Florida.

Due to a series of court-ordered re-drawings that made the 10th substantially more Democratic, Webster announced he would run in the 11th district instead. [45] The district's incumbent, fellow Republican Rich Nugent, was retiring. Webster had previously represented much of the redrawn 11th's eastern portion, around Ocala and The Villages. He opted to maintain his residence in Clermont, within the borders of the 10th; members of Congress are required only to live in the state they wish to represent. Webster won the Republican primary 60%–40% over Justin Grabelle. He defeated Democratic nominee Dave Koller, 65%–32%.

2018

Webster ran for reelection in 2018 for the 11th District. No Republican candidates opposed Webster, so he advanced to the general election. Webster defeated Democratic nominee Dana Cottrell, 65%–35%.

2020

Webster ran for reelection in 2020 for the 11th District. No Republican candidates opposed Webster, so he advanced to the general election, again defeating Cottrell by a similar margin (67%–33%).

2022

Webster ran for reelection in 2022 for the 11th District. The boundaries of the district were redrawn by the 2020 redistricting cycle, resulting in a district that once again included his hometown of Winter Garden, and one that was described as "Safe R" or "Solid R" by numerous outlets. Webster faced a primary challenger in far-right activist Laura Loomer. Webster managed to hold off the challenge and won the nomination by a close margin of 51%–44%. In the general election, Webster easily defeated Democrat Shante Munns by 63%–35%.

Missed votes

Webster has missed 5.5% of roll-call votes during his tenure in Congress, which is worse than the median of 2.1% for members serving in Congress, according to GovTrack, [46] a nonpartisan government watchdog group.

Webster did not vote on President Donald Trump's second impeachment. [47]

Webster did not vote on H.Res 503, the measure that established the January 6 Select Committee. [48]

Tenure

Webster's main platform in the 2010 election was a call for smaller, streamlined government, spending cuts, budget roll backs, and tax cuts. He also said he would increase the protection of personal rights and encourage financial responsibility in the federal government. [35] [49] Webster predicted that if Republicans took back Congress, "we would have the opportunity for turning this country around." In the January 2015 vote for Speaker of the House, Webster received the second-most Republican votes. [50]

On September 28, 2015, Webster announced that he was running again for Speaker of the House to replace John Boehner. [51] He received 43 votes in the House GOP Conference. Still, most members of the Freedom Caucus who voted for him in conference honored their pledge to support Ryan on the House floor, and Webster received nine votes in the final tally.

Despite not being a candidate in the 2017 speakership election, Webster received one vote from Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress: [52]

2004 U.S. Senate election

Webster briefly ran for the United States Senate in 2004 when he attempted to collect the 93,000 signatures necessary to place his name on the ballot without paying the filing fee. Webster claimed that he sought to be the first Senate candidate to ever qualify by this method as a symbolic gesture and a way to build an early network of voters. [53] He eventually qualified by paying the fee instead and later dropped out of the race. [54]

When Mel Martinez resigned from the United States Senate, it fell upon Governor Charlie Crist to name a replacement to finish out his Senate term. Webster was floated early on as one of seven potential candidates. [8] [55] In the end, George LeMieux was selected for the position. [56]

Political positions

Webster's campaign website, Daniel Webster for Congress, describes him as a committed conservative.

Education

Webster is an advocate for home schooling. [57]

Gun law

Webster supports allowing gun owners to carry concealed firearms across state lines where concealed carry is legal. [58] In 2017, he voted for H.J.Res.40, which successfully used the Congressional Review Act to block implementation of an Obama-era amendment to the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 that was aimed at preventing the mentally impaired from legally purchasing firearms. [59]

In 2015–2016, Webster accepted $1,000 in direct campaign contributions from the NRA Political Victory Fund. [60] From 2004 to 2018, he accepted $37,881 from NRA sources. [61] Webster has an "A" rating from the NRA, generally indicating a voting record that supports gun rights. [62]

LGBT rights

Webster has a "0" rating from the Human Rights Campaign regarding his voting record on LGBT-related matters. He co-sponsored the First Amendment Defense Act. He does not support same-sex marriage. [63]

Social issues

Abortion

Webster opposes abortion under all circumstances. [57]

Cannabis

Webster has a "D" rating from NORML for his voting history regarding cannabis-related causes. He is against veterans having access to medical marijuana if recommended by their Veterans Health Administration doctor and if it is legal for medicinal purposes in their state of residence. [64]

Tax reform

Webster voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. [65] He believes the current tax code is "punishing taxpayers" and is broken. He says the 2017 act "allows Americans to keep more money in their pockets, ends lobbyist loopholes and special-interest exemptions, and makes everyone play by the same rules." He says "the majority" of his constituents will be "among the biggest winners in the nation" due to the new tax policies. [66]

Donald Trump

Texas v. Pennsylvania

In December 2020, Webster was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania , a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated [67] incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state. [68] [69] [70]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of "election subversion." She also reprimanded Webster and the other House members who supported the lawsuit: "The 126 Republican Members that signed onto this lawsuit brought dishonor to the House. Instead of upholding their oath to support and defend the Constitution, they chose to subvert the Constitution and undermine public trust in our sacred democratic institutions." [71] [72] New Jersey Representative Bill Pascrell, citing section three of the 14th Amendment, called for Pelosi to not seat Webster and the other Republicans who signed the brief supporting the suit, arguing that "the text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States. Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that." [73]

Second impeachment

Webster did not cast a vote regarding the second impeachment of Donald Trump on January 13, 2021, due to a "family medical obligation". [74]

Personal life

Webster is a Southern Baptist and attends First Baptist Church of Central Florida. [75] He is on the University of Central Florida board of trustees. [76] He and his wife, Sandra E. "Sandy" (Jordan) Webster, have six children. As of 2018, they have 17 grandchildren. [2]

The Websters home-schooled their children using the curriculum of the Advanced Training Institute, founded by Bill Gothard. In May 2014, their son John married Alyssa Bates, daughter of Gil and Kelly Bates. The Bates family starred in the reality show Bringing Up Bates and were recurring guests on the show 19 Kids and Counting , which depicted the lives of their friends, Jim Bob Duggar and his wife Michelle.

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  3. ↑ "Webster's Mother Dies". tribunedigital-orlandosentinel. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Mildred Rada Schoolcraft 1917-2001 - Ancestry". www.ancestry.com. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Hollis, Mark (August 14, 1996). "Webster is Poised to Become House Speaker". The Ledger . Lakeland, Florida. p. D4. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 "Representative Daniel Webster Speaker (1996–1998)". Tallahassee, Florida: Florida House of Representatives. 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  7. ↑ Thompson, Bill (September 29, 2010). "Grayson criticized for recent attack ads: Opponent Webster calls the ads false and distorted". Ocala Star-Banner.
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  9. ↑ Kumar, Anita (March 18, 2005). "One by One, Options Sink". St. Petersburg Times . p. 9A. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
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  19. 1 2 Schlenker, Dave (November 6, 1997). "School Districts May Have to Raise Some of Their Own Funds". Ocala Star-Banner. pp. 1B, 3B. Retrieved November 6, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
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  21. ↑ Epstein, Gady A. (November 7, 1997). "$2.7 billion deal reached for schools". Tampa Tribune. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013.
  22. ↑ Andrews, Bill (March 30, 1998). "Give Kids a Great Gift: A Head Start on Life". Boca Raton News . Boca Raton, Florida. p. 8A. Retrieved November 9, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
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  29. 1 2 3 Royse, David (May 1, 2008). "Abortion Ultrasound Bill Fails in Florida Senate". Jacksonville, Florida: firstcoastnews.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  30. ↑ Lopez, Ashley (June 27, 2011). "Scott signs two more abortion bills into law". The Florida Independent. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  31. ↑ Grim, Ryan (September 26, 2010). "Alan Grayson Opponent Challenged By Local Media On Opposition To Abortion Rights For Rape Victims (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  32. 1 2 Cave, Damien (October 6, 2010). "A Florida Lawmaker Not Known for Subtlety, and Proud of It". The New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  33. 1 2 Gross, Samantha (March 24, 2005). "Florida Senate rejects bill to keep Schiavo alive". StAugustine.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  34. ↑ Follick, Joe; Dunkelberger, Lloyd (March 18, 2005). "Effort to Keep Schiavo Alive Falters in Senate". Sarasota Herald-Tribune . Sarasota, Florida. p. 18A. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  35. 1 2 Schlueb, Mark (August 24, 2010). "Florida Primary Results 2010: Florida Dan Webster is GOP nominee to take on Alan Grayson in November". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida . Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  36. ↑ Sahd, Tim (August 22, 2010). "FL, AZ House: Top 5 Primaries To Watch Tuesday". National Journal . Washington, D.C. Atlantic Media Company. Archived from the original on August 25, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  37. ↑ Matthews, Mark (August 20, 2010). "Huckabee to rally for Webster on Sunday, maybe Diebel too". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida. Tribune Company. Archived from the original on November 18, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  38. ↑ AP and WOFL FOX staff (August 25, 2010). "Webster wins Fla. GOP nod to challenge Grayson". My Fox Orlando. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
  39. ↑ Miller, Sean (August 31, 2010). "NRCC ups its 'Gun' count to 52". The Hill . Washington, D.C. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  40. ↑ Americans for Prosperity Applauds U.S. House Candidate Daniel Webster Archived June 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine ; Americans for Prosperity; July 15, 2010
  41. ↑ Fell, Jacqueline (November 2, 2010). "Grayson Concedes in District 8 Race". Central Florida News 13 . Orlando, Florida. Bright House Networks. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  42. ↑ "Candidate Listing for 2010 General Election". Division of Elections. Tallahassee, Florida: Florida Department of State. 2010. Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  43. ↑ Ferris, Kevin (August 29, 2010). "Back Channels: Democrats backing 'tea-party' candidates". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Philadelphia. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  44. ↑ Crate, Paul (November 5, 2014). "U.S. Congress District 10: Rep. Daniel Webster Is Easily Returned To Office". The ledger. Archived from the original on November 5, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  45. ↑ "U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster will challenge for District 11 congressional seat". Tampa Bay Times.
  46. ↑ "Daniel Webster, Representative for Florida's 11th Congressional District".
  47. ↑ "Skipped Vote". tribunedigital-orlandosentinel. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  48. ↑ "Skipped January 6th Vote". thefloridian. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  49. ↑ Webster, Daniel (2010). "The Issues". Daniel Webster for Congress. Archived from the original on September 26, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  50. ↑ French, Lauren. "How not to oust a speaker" . Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  51. ↑ "U.S. Rep. Dan Webster 'running hard' to replace House Speaker John Boehner". September 28, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  52. ↑ "Daniel Webster". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  53. ↑ Farrington, Brendan (February 22, 2004). "Senate Candidate Seeks 93,000 Signatures". Boca Raton News . Boca Raton, Florida. p. 15. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  54. ↑ Damron, David (April 22, 2010). "Will Webster run against Grayson? It looks like it". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, Florida. Tribune Company. p. 1. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  55. ↑ Bousquet, Steve (August 8, 2009). "Martinez's replacement could be Jim Smith, a former attorney general and secretary of state". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  56. ↑ Balz, Dan (August 28, 2009). "Florida Governor Taps LeMieux for Senate". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  57. 1 2 Herszenhorn, David M. (October 8, 2015). "Daniel Webster Wins Conservative Republicans' Endorsement for House Speaker". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 11, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2017.(subscription required)
  58. ↑ Bycoffe, Aaron (January 30, 2017). "Tracking Daniel Webster In The Age Of Trump". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  59. ↑ Sun Sentinel Editorial Board (February 18, 2018). "In the wake of school shooting, follow the money". SunSentinel. Broward County, Florida. Archived from the original on February 19, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  60. ↑ Grinberg, Emanuella (February 21, 2018). "These Florida lawmakers accepted money from the National Rifle Association". CNN. Atlanta. Archived from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  61. ↑ "Guns & money: How all members of Congress are affected by the NRA's spending". Las Vegas Sun. Las Vegas, Nevada. February 23, 2018. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  62. ↑ "Rating Group: National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund". ISPY. Vote Smart. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  63. ↑ "HRC Previews House Speaker Vote: John Boehner's Anti-LGBT Agenda to Continue | Human Rights Campaign". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved December 24, 2017.[ dead link ]
  64. ↑ "Florida Scorecard". NORML. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  65. ↑ Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017). "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  66. ↑ "Lawmakers offer opposing views as 'historic' tax cut plan moves through Congress | Villages-News.com". Villages-News. December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  67. ↑ Blood, Michael R.; Riccardi, Nicholas (December 5, 2020). "Biden officially secures enough electors to become president". AP News . Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  68. ↑ Liptak, Adam (December 11, 2020). "Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  69. ↑ "Order in Pending Case" (PDF). Supreme Court of the United States. December 11, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  70. ↑ Diaz, Daniella. "Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court". CNN . Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  71. ↑ Smith, David (December 12, 2020). "Supreme court rejects Trump-backed Texas lawsuit aiming to overturn election results". The Guardian . Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  72. ↑ "Pelosi Statement on Supreme Court Rejecting GOP Election Sabotage Lawsuit" (Press release). Speaker Nancy Pelosi. December 11, 2020. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  73. ↑ Williams, Jordan (December 11, 2020). "Democrat asks Pelosi to refuse to seat lawmakers supporting Trump's election challenges". TheHill. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  74. ↑ Cai, Weiyi; Daniel, Annie; Gamio, Lazaro; Parlapiano, Alicia (January 13, 2021). "Impeachment Results: How Democrats and Republicans Voted". The New York Times.
  75. ↑ Staff (January 5, 2011). "Ten Southern Baptists sworn in as new reps". Baptist Press. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
  76. ↑ Kaczor, Bill (October 22, 2009). "State panel names 21 Fla. university trustees". Newsday . Melville, New York . Retrieved September 1, 2010.
Florida House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 39th district
1980–1982		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Fran Carlton
 Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 41st district
1982–1998		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
1996–1998		Succeeded by
Florida Senate
Preceded by
John Ostalkiewicz
 Member of the Florida Senate
from the 12th district
1998–2002		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Florida Senate
from the 9th district
2002–2008		Succeeded by
Preceded by Majority Leader of the Florida Senate
2006–2008		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 8th congressional district
2011–2013		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 10th congressional district
2013–2017		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 11th congressional district
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