Out of the limelight, four of the dark horses seeking the Republican presidential nomination will be on stage on Tuesday afternoon in the undercard debate. 

The stakes will be high in Las Vegas as nine Republican presidential candidates get ready to engage in Tuesday night’s main event as CNN hosts the fifth round of debates.

The race has changed considerably in recent weeks as terrorism replaced the economy as the top issue for many Republican voters after the Paris and San Bernardino attacks. Donald Trump still remains at the top of the polls but Ted Cruz has broken from the pack to be his top challenger, overtaking him in some surveys of Iowa which holds the first caucus in seven weeks. 

While newly crowned U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan’s, R-Wisc., main rival in the Republican caucus was U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Fla., the new speaker has a key ally in a longtime congresswoman from the Sunshine State.

U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., appointed a South Florida congressman to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council which serves as a board of trustees for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. 

Pelosi turned to U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., the ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, to serve on the council. 

Two congressional freshmen from Florida expected to face tough reelection bids in 2016--Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo and Democratic U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham--teamed up to bring out a proposal to help farmers in the Sunshine State impacted by Oriental fruit flies. 

After the latest round of redistricting, Annette Taddeo looked to be a big winner as she continues her bid to take down Florida Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo. But the end of last week offered a few potential stumbling blocks for her.

With the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicting a 29 percent drop in Florida orange production this week, congressional representatives from the Sunshine State are trying to raise awareness of the problem.

U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw’s, R-Fla., proposal to create a small business advocate at the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) picked up steam this week as the House Financial Services Committee passed it without opposition. 

The committee passed the bill on a 56-0 vote on Wednesday, sending it to the House floor. 

Members of the Florida congressional delegation urged President Barack Obama on Wednesday to add more protection for Florida panthers, calling on him to create a critical habitat designation for the state animal. 

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., brought out a bill this week making the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) increase security efforts at airports across the nation and it’s already gaining traction.