The Florida congressman who leads Republicans on the U.S. House Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee cheered protesters who took to the streets of Hong Kong in recent weeks against the communist regime’s policies. 

The protests, which started over a proposed extradition policy that could lead activists in Hong Kong to be deported to mainland China, have resulted in the shutdown of the Hong Kong airport. After months of protests, Hong Kong’s leadership announced on Wednesday it would not pursue the proposed policy. 

Educator Michael Hepburn is gearing up for a rematch with U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Fla., taking her on in the Democratic primary in an important South Florida congressional race. 

Hepburn ran in the crowded Democratic primary for the open seat last year but was left in the dust by Shalala who went on to flip the seat from the GOP in November. But Hepburn had reeled in the support of New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who was fresh off her upset of then-U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley, D-NY, in the primary. 

This week, even as protests continue in Hong Kong, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, the chairman of the  Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) and a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, doubled down on his proposed “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.”

The protests, which started over a proposed extradition policy that could lead activists in Hong Kong to be deported to mainland China, have resulted in the shutdown of the Hong Kong airport. After months of protests, Hong Kong’s leadership announced on Wednesday it would not pursue the proposed policy. 

Last week, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Marco Rubio, R-Fla., cheered the Trump administration’s latest efforts against Hezbollah. 

Two South Florida Democrats proposed a bill this week to exempt the sales tax for home improvement purchases for seniors and the disabled. 

State Sen. Lori Berman, D-Delray Beach, and state Rep. Joe Casello, D-Boynton Beach, teamed up to propose a bill would exempt bed transfer handles, bed rails, grab bars and shower seats from sales tax. 

The two sponsors insisted their bill would help seniors and the disabled remain independent and living in their own homes. The South Florida Democrats have championed the proposal before. 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced on Thursday it is sending almost $5 million to Palm Beach County to help end youth homelessness in South Florida. 

HUD is sending  $4,932,359 to Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, part of $75 million being sent around the nation through its Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP).

On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., pushed for a federal fund to teach students about the Holocaust. 

At the start of the year, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-NY, and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-NY, introduced the “Never Again Education Act." The bill would have the U.S. Education Department create the Holocaust Education Assistance Program Fund, expanding middle and high school education on the Holocaust. More than 200 members of the House, including Buchanan, are cosponsoring the proposal.

While U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., won’t face voters until 2022 and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., doesn’t have to run for a second term until 2024, a PAC backing more gun control has said it won't wait: It will run TV ads against them in the coming days. 

Two Democrats from South Florida in the Legislature want to increase the focus on Holocaust education in the Sunshine State. 

On Monday, state Sen. Kevin Rader, D-Boca Raton, and state Rep. Rep. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Ration, brought out the “Holocaust Education Act.” The legislation would have the Florida Department of Education create curriculum standards on teaching the Holocaust and have traditional public schools, charter schools and private schools which accept vouchers follow it. 

The two South Florida Democrats’ offices weighed in on why the bill was needed. 

Four congressmen from the Sunshine State are backing a proposal to have easily remembered “9-8-8” as the code for the national suicide hotline.

Last week, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, brought out the “National Suicide Hotline Designation Act.” The bill would designate “9-8-8” as a universal telephone number for the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system, which is run by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Veteran’s Crisis Line.