CBS4: DREAM Act-er heckler Mario Diaz-Balart at Miami Mitt Romney event

What would political reporters and activists of all stripes do without the pro-immigrant DREAM Act?

Republicans see Democrats as playing cynical ethnic politics (Obama and a Democratic-majority congress failed to pass it for 2 years). Democrats see Republican opposition as sure way to keep Hispanics from voting Republican. 

And Republican Mitt Romney's presidential campaign gets dogged with DREAM Act questions at the mere mention of his Miami supporters, Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. They support the act. Romney said he'd veto it, that it's a "handout."

So it's little surprise that pro-DREAM Act supporters busted up a Diaz-Balart event for Romney yesterday. Here's CBS4: 

Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, who was rallying support for frontrunner Mitt Romney Friday, was interrupted during the event by supporters of the Dream Act.

The congressman hosted a Cafecito in support of Romney at a Doral restaurant, and Romney wasn’t the only focus at the rally. Supporters pushing the Dream Act were also in attendance at the restaurant.

Under the provisions of the DREAM Act, qualifying undocumented youth would be eligible for a 6 year long conditional path to citizenship that requires completion of a college degree or two years of military service.

One of the students involved with the Dream Act confronted Diaz-Balart, asking him why he supports Romney if Romney is not a supporter of the Act.

More here

Hispanic Dems pounce on 'immigrant bashing' Mitt Romney for DREAM Act veto stance

As part of Democrats' orchestrated effort to go after Mitt Romney the day after his narrow victory in the Iowa caucuses, two Hispanic members of Congress bashed the former Massachusetts governor on immigration.

The chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Charlie Gonzalez of Texas, and Rep. Xavier Becerra of California, said Romney's immigration stance will hurt him with Hispanic voters. And they repeated the line from other Democrats that Romney's positions are so muddied he can't be trusted. 

Gonzalez and Becerra defended the DREAM Act, which would grant U.S. citizenship to immigrants who came into the United States illegally as children and now go to college or serve in the military. President Barack Obama has supported the legislation. Romney said Monday he would veto it.

"It really demonstrates how far he is from understanding the issue," Gonzalez said in a conference call with reporters Wednesday afternoon. "I understand in that particular field [of candidates] one will try to out-pander another, but you still have to be responsible…How do you paint yourself in such a corner on immigration where you can't walk back from that statement?"

GOP Rep. Jeff Flake, a Cuban embargo critic, stumping for Mitt Romney in Iowa

Mitt Romney touted his endorsement in Miami last November of three Cuban-American Republicans who have made it their mission in Congress to keep a hardline stance against Cuba.

But in Iowa, Romney is campaigning alongside Rep. Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican and well-known champion of lifting the U.S.-Cuba trade embargo.

It was a trifecta for Romney to score the backing of Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart and former Rep. Lincoln Diaz Balart, all staunch supporters of the embargo. (Earlier, Romney had drawn the support of former Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, another influential Cuban-American. The four politicos had backed Sen. John McCain in 2008.)

Romney has backed the embargo as well as restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba, so he has disagreed with Flake on the issue. Similarly, Romney disagrees with the high-profile Cuban-Americans on immigration, though he once shared Martinez's views on broad reform.

Yet the clash of endorsers and their issues shows what a tightrope presidential candidates must walk when they campaign across the country. A supporter that works in one state (or even part of a state, such as South Florida) may not work -- and could potentially backfire -- elsewhere. It's tricky for the endorsers, too, who stand to be accused of putting their party over their principles when their presidential pick (or one of his surrogates) doesn't agree with them on some of their key issues.

It's safe to say the Cuban-Americans won't be stumping for Romney in Flake's district in Arizona -- and Flake won't be glad-handing for Romney in South Florida.

Medicare fraud bill reintroduced

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, has reintroduced legislation that would double the fines and jail time for people convicted of Medicare fraud. It also creates a new criminal offense punishable with a 10 year minimum sentence for those who knowingly sell or distribute the ID numbers of Medicare beneficiaries.

The legislation also bars those who have been part of Medicare fraud in the past from billing Medicare if they switch companies. It also facilitates real-time information sharing among law enforcement agencies to aid in uncovering and dismantling Medicare scams.

"South Florida has been known as the epicenter of Medicare fraud for years," she said. "It is time we took the fight to those who seek to defraud Medicare and prey on our most vulnerable citizens. This bill not only increases the penalties for those who engage in Medicare fraud, but also sets up a pro-active paradigm that will help stem the tide of abuse in South Florida and across the nation."

The bill takes particular aim at Medicare theft in Miami-Dade County, widely regarded as the nation's capital of healthcare fraud. Medicare fraud in South Florida costs taxpayers between $3 billion and $4 billion every year, according to law enforcement and healthcare officials. Nationwide, Medicare and other healthcare fraud is estimated to cost $68 billion annually. 

U.S. House to U.S. Senate: We're not passing your payroll tax cut as-is

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday blew off the Senate's bipartisan proposal to extend a payroll tax cut for two months, instead voting for a conference committee that would work on a bill with the Senate.  

Problem is, the Senate is already gone home for the holidays, and won't be returning until Jan. 23. And if the extenstion isn't approved, an estimated 160 million people will see lighter paychecks beginning in January. The tax cut is about $1,000 a year for families, the White House said. 

President Barack Obama told Republicans shortly after their vote that they need to "come together right now and do the right thing," noting that the Senate was able to do so, even if it means they must return after the holiday break to negotiate extending the two-month period to a year. "We have more important things to worry about than politics right now," Obama said. 

But House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, wasn't able to muster the votes to pass the Senate bill with the two-month extenstion, and didn't schedule a vote that would have failed -- and would have painted Republicans as raising people's taxes. Instead of voting on the Senate bill, House Republicans voted to meet with the Senate to work out their differences on the tax cut legislation. Boehner went as far as to appoint six "conferees."  

Tuesday's 229-193 House vote was largely along party lines, although seven Republicans did vote with Democrats. Miami Republican Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and David Rivera voted to go to conference with the Senate on the bill, as did and Rep. Allen West,  R-Plantation. Democratic Reps. Frederica Wilson of Miami, Alcee Hastings of Miramar, Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston and Ted Deutch of Boca Raton voted for it. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, didn't vote -- his office said he was anavailable because of a family medical issue. Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fort Myers, who is running for U.S. Senate in Florida, also voted with fellow Republicans on the bill. 

Note: Both Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., voted for the two-month payroll tax cut extension last week in the Senate, where it passed 89-10.

Federal spending bill passes, without Cuba language

The House of Representatives approved a $915 billion federal spending package this afternoon that will keep the government running through Sept. 30 of next year. The Senate is expected to approve the spending plan as soon as Saturday. 

The bill passed 296 to 121. And that was with the vote of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, who authored a controversial provision rolling back Cuba travel and remittances to Bush-administration levels. The amendment -- which the White House opposed -- nearly hung up budget negotiations as the federal government neared a shut-down. In the end, the Diaz-Balart proposal was stripped from the bill. 

After the vote, Diaz-Balart put out a statement sputtering with anger at the White House. His amendment was proposed during the committee process with "bipartisan support," he said.

"The approved language has been publicly available since June and was included in the conference report– then later stripped out. The language was not inserted secretly, it was not a surprise, nor the result of sly political gamesmanship," he said.

He then lashed out at President Barack Obama's foreign policy: "President Obama's willingness to shut down the United States government to appease a U.S.-designated State Sponsor of Terrorism is appalling and inexcusable," he said. "I hope that the American people see that President Obama would deny Americans essential services, halt checks to our seniors and veterans rather than reverse one aspect of his failed policy toward Cuba."

Miami GOP Rep. David Rivera was the only South Florida House member to vote against it -- he, too, backed the Cuba language panned by the White House. Rivera went a step beyond Diaz-Balart, calling the president the "Castro brothers’ best ally and chief lobbyist in Washington."

"My vote against this budget is intended to demonstrate my willingness to continue fighting the Obama administration’s policy of appeasement and unilateral concessions toward the Castro regime," he said.

Republican Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami and Allen West of Plantation voted for the spending bill, as did Democratic Reps. Frederica Wilson of Miami, Alcee Hastings of Miramar, Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston and Ted Deutch of Boca Raton voted for it.

The spending bill affects a wide range of federal programs, and incorporates many of the cuts lawmakers agreed to earlier this year. Among the cuts are Federal Emergency Management Agency grants to first responders. The money was cut by $1 billion to $2.4 billion.

In addition, the measure bars money to transfer, release or assist in the transfer or release of Guantanamo Bay detainees "to or within the United States or its territories."

No surprise -- South Florida House members go party line on payroll tax cut extension

The House just passed a GOP version of the payroll tax cut extension 294-193, largely along party lines. 

It's got some toxic provisions for most Democrats, including a measure that would speed up construction of the Keystone pipeline from Canada. 

Miami GOP Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and David Rivera voted for it, as did Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation.

Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, and Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, voted against it. 

The White House panned the House vote: "This is not a time for Washington Republicans to score political points against the President."

U.S. House fails to pass a balanced budget amendment

The U.S. House of Representatives turned down a balanced budget amendment Friday afternoon, with Florida's congressional delegation largely voting along party lines. Although the proposal had 261 votes, 165 members voted against it and it was 29 short of the two-thirds majority needed for passage. Just four Republicans voted against the bill; 25 Democrats voted for it. 

Miami GOP Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and David Rivera voted for the amendment, as did Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation.

Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, voted against it. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, did not vote. 

UPDATED: Reaction to Gadhafi's death

Fugitive Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi died today from wounds sustained during capture near his hometown of Sirte, according to reports that were confirmed by Libyan transitional authorities and independent journalists.

Here's a statement from Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, the chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She calls on Libya to establish a democratic government that's "tolerant, inclusive, and free from extremist influence."

"Tyranny, oppression, and violence defined Qaddafi’s time in power," she said. "In addition to his brutal treatment of the Libyan people, he is also responsible for attacks that killed Americans and led to Libya’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. State Department. If Qaddafi is confirmed dead and his loyalists defeated, it marks a critical moment for the Libyan people to turn their nation away from its grim past as a rogue state and toward a future of freedom marked by alliances with the United States, Israel, European democracies, and other responsible nations."

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who recently traveled to Libya with other GOP senators, said in a statement that "justice has been done today."

"For decades, Muammar Gaddafi terrorized the Libyan people, bankrolled international terrorism and spread instability among its neighbors," he said. "He masterminded numerous terrorist attacks that resulted in the death of hundreds of fellow Americans. We are impressed with the tenacity of the Libyan people in reclaiming their freedoms and honor the service of American and NATO forces that courageously assisted on this endeavor. Gaddafi has now joined the list of failed and disgraced tyrants that have faced justice from their own people. We still have a long and arduous road ahead as we partner with the free Libyan people to build a more prosperous and democratic future."

Diaz-Balart, Ros-Lehtinen applaud trade agreements

Saying "it's about time," both Miami Republican Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on Monday said they support the free trade agreements the White House sent to Congress Monday.

President Barack Obama on Monday submitted agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. Some tTrade unions disagree with the free trade agreements -- and will be holding several events Tuesday to protest them. But the White House said Monday that the agreements will make it easier for American companies to sell their products in South Korea, Colombia, and Panama and provide a major boost to our exports. 

"These agreements will support tens of thousands of jobs across the country for workers making products stamped with three proud words: Made in America," Obama said.

Diaz-Balart said that the Colombia agreement alone could create more than 6,400 jobs for Florida -- and increase exports by $500 million annually. "These agreements will not only get Americans back to work but also demonstrates solidarity with our democratic allies, Colombia, Panama and South Korea," he said.

Ros-Lehtinen, who heads the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the agreements will "level the playing field for American businesses, including many in South Florida.  The billions of dollars in increased sales that will result will enable these companies to create tens of thousands of jobs for hard-pressed Americans."

Obama also called on Congress to pass trade adjustment assistance that will help workers whose jobs have been affected by global competition.