U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., unveiled a bill to repeal the individual mandate included in President Barack Obama's federal health-care law. Jolly is calling his proposal the? ?Patient Freedom Act of? ?2014.

Teacher David Cox took 37.5 percent as the Democrat challenger against U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., who won with 62.5 percent. But on Monday, less than two weeks after the final votes were counted, Cox filed to run for the Florida Senate seat opened after Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, resigned to take the helm at Florida State University. Cox becomes the first Democrat to run for the seat. Already two Republicans in the Florida House -- Travis Hutson of Palm Coast and Doc Renuart of Ponte Vedra Beach -- have filed.

Reports emerged on Monday that Nicolas Maduro said his regime in Venezuela is running a large spy operation in the U.S. and two Florida Republicans who have been sharp critics -- U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen -- are targets.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, took aim at the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) after news emerged on Monday that it had kidnapped a Colombian general. Rubio said he supported the Colombian government ending peaces talks with FARC.

On Monday, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater named Michelle Dahnke as deputy CFO of the Florida Department of Financial Services. Dahnke will focus on communications. Michelle brings our department more than a decade of strategic communications and policy experience on a variety of issues important to the well-being of Florida families, Atwater said. Im confident her expertise will advance our efforts to make our government more transparent and our entire state more consumer- and business-friendly.

With Islamic State (IS) terrorists releasing a video of the beheading of American aid worker Peter Kassig, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called for a congressional vote for military action. The beheading of another American over the weekend further illustrates the savagery of IS, Nelson said on Monday. It shows why the United States and our allies must leave no stone unturned in going after these barbarians. I hope Congress is moved to vote on legislation formally authorizing military action.

U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., called on President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate to pass the Keystone XL Pipeline. Rooney insisted Keystone XL was a major issue in the elections earlier this month which saw the GOP flip the Senate. Building the Keystone pipeline was absolutely on the ballot last week, and the American people sent a clear message its time to build, Rooney said on Friday. Will President Obama and Harry Reid continue to ignore the American people, or will they finally say yes to jobs and energy?

After taking 4 percent in the recent Florida gubernatorial race, Libertarian Adrian Wyllie announced on Monday he will be a lobbyist for the Liberty First Network, planning to work in Tallahassee on issues. The Liberty First Network and I have been working toward the same goals, and fighting the same legislative battles, so this partnership is a perfect fit, Wyllie said on Monday. Though I may not be governor, the Legislature will still hear our voices, and will be subject to our scrutiny. I am excited to be joining this all-star team of principled and competent people.

Since being elected in 2012, U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., ranks as one of the leading congressional champions of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Yoho has even compared it to the transcontinental railroad which connected America after the Civil War. No surprise, then, that Yoho cheered the House for passing the Keystone XL on Friday and urging President Barack Obama and the U.S. Senate to support it.

From his perch as the chairman of the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee, U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., weighed in on the news that the VA department fired Terry Gerigk Wolf, the Pittsburgh health-care system director who was in charge during the Legionnaires' outbreak back in 2011 and 2012 which impacted 22 veterans, killing six of them. Wolf had been on paid administrative leave since the summer after a VA internal investigation.

Administrative Judge W. David Watkins gave the Department of Health's proposed rules for implementing Florida's new medical marijuana law the heave-ho Friday, calling them an invalid exercise of delegated legislative authority. Yes, on Jan. 1 doctors can order marijuana in oil form to treat patients for seizure, but none of the five licenses authorized by the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014 have been awarded.

Jonathan Gruber is drawing fire from U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., after a video emerged in which he said the lack of transparency and the stupidity of the American voter helped pass President Barack Obamas federla health-care law. DeSantis wants Gruber to return federal monies he received for consulting on the law.

The Heartland Institute has been named a 2014 top-rated nonprofit organization by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews about nonprofit organizations.

On Thursday, incoming Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, named Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, as president pro tempore. The Senate will meet next week when Gardiner takes over from current Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Destin. Richter served as president pro tempore under Gaetz.

Calling himself the true conservative," Palm Coast Republican Travis Hutson is moving his money from his current Florida House accounts to a Florida Senate campaign. Hutson will take on Rep. Doc Renuart, R-Ponte Vedra Beach, in a special primary on Jan. 27 to see who replaces former Sen. John Thrasher in Tallahassee.