A Florida congressman wants the U.S. Department of Education to investigate anti-Semitism in American schools, including higher education institutes. 

At the end of last week, the U.S. House passed the Defense Appropriations Act, which included an amendment from a Florida Republican to increase aid  to military families with autistic children. 

Retiring U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, D-Fla., who sits on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, showcased her proposal to fund anti-tunnel defenses for Israel as part of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The House supported the proposal on a 375-34 vote on Friday. 

Last week, the full U.S. House passed on voice vote a proposal from two Florida congressmen to increase access for congressional staffers to have access to help clear the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) backlog.

Former presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson, who moved to the Sunshine State after ending his celebrated medical career at Johns Hopkins, will serve in the administration of President-elect Donald Trump, a former rival back in the presidential primaries. 

Former Florida House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston’s back in Tallahassee--this time as a member of the state Senate and he continues to reel in leadership posts. 

This week, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., teamed up with U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., and U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., in urging the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to cover veterans whose wounds prevent them from having children by expanding Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) coverage, including In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). 

Much of the focus of U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., in recent weeks has been on Haiti as it recovers from Hurricane Matthew and deals with the first round of its presidential election.

Decades before the Pilgrims gathered around a table in Massachusetts in 1621, Florida had seen at least two separate thanksgiving celebrations and, like the more familiar tale from New England, they involved Native Americans and religious liberty.

The New Democrat Coalition in Congress is taking on an increasingly Florida feel.