Florida Republicans Want Bill Nelson to Oppose Harry Reid on Appropriations

With U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., planning to block appropriations measures, Florida Republicans in the U.S. House urged U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., to oppose his leader. 

U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., who is considering running for the Senate when Nelson is up again in 2018, led a coalition of Florida Republicans in writing Nelson on Wednesday on the matter. Other signers included U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Ander Crenshw, Ron DeSantis, Mario Diaz-Balart, Jeff Miller, Bill Posey and Ted Yoho. 
 
“Putting our security at risk and holding our troops, military families and veterans hostage in exchange for billions of additional dollars for wasteful bureaucracies like the IRS is beyond the pale,” they wrote. “We hope you will stand up for the millions of veterans, men and women in uniform, and military families who call Florida home, put our nation’s security above petty politics, and reject Harry Reid’s destructive plan with your vote and your vocal opposition.”

“Sen. Reid said that voting on the bill to fund our military operations and support our troops and veterans is a ‘waste of time.’ I disagree,” Bilirakis said on Wednesday afternoon. “Sen. Reid’s plan is reckless and shameful, and it is my sincere hope that Sen. Nelson will join the bipartisan group of members of the House and support these spending bills to ensure our troops remain safe and our veterans get the care they need. Sen. Reid, after years of accusing Republicans in the Senate of stonewalling, is now willingly putting our troops and veterans at risk for political benefit.”