Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defends a $10 million settlement paid to Hope Florida amid increased scrutiny, and the Florida House passes a law that would require identification for voter registration.
DeSantis defends Hope Florida settlement amid scrutiny
Florida lawmakers are asking tough questions about Hope Florida — a charity spearheaded by First Lady Casey DeSantis.
At the heart of the issue is $10 million from a state settlement that ended up in the hands of Hope Florida.
Gov. Ron DeSantis jumped into the fray at a press conference Thursday in Miami. He defended his wife, the charity and the transfer.
“When you do settlements, you can try to get as much money as you can," he said. "But this was in addition to what they were getting. This is kind of like a cherry on top, where they agreed to make an additional contribution."
House Republicans want more transparency about why $10 million in settlement cash was transferred to Hope Florida. Some question if it was legal.
“I don’t know what we can do, but obviously we were, at the very least, need more accountability on what that $10 million is being used for,” State Rep. Alex Andrade said.
The money stems from a settlement between the agency for health care administration and the private health care company Centene.
Thursday in a hearing — things between lawmakers and the agency became tense.
Hours later, leaders of various departments posted a video online to defend the charity, and criticize the questioning.
“I think it was a shameful approach to be able to get into this conversation that distracts us from the ultimate mission, which is helping young people achieve their full god-given potential. And I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to get back on track quickly and make sure that we stay focused on the priorities of our state,” Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice Eric Hall said.
For Florida Democrats, this is an opportunity to rethink social services.
“I would much rather money be allocated to beef up these agencies to be responsive to their constituents, versus funding a slush fund for the first lady,” State Rep. Anna Eskamani said.
Hope Florida was established by Casey DeSantis in 2021. According to the organization's website, it "serves as a connection point for community collaboration between the private sector, faith-based communities, and nonprofits."
As of Thursday, lawmakers said they had not received requested tax forms and other documents concerning Hope Florida.
U.S. House passes SAVE Act
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill that, if signed into law, would change voter registration requirements across the country.
Called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, the legislation would require prospective voters to provide proof of citizenship when they register.
Now that it has passed the House, the bill will go to the Senate for consideration.
While federal law already bars noncitizens from voting, Republicans say the bill would ensure voting integrity.
Critics say it would do the opposite and suppress voting.
House approves framework for Trump's 'big bill'
House Republicans narrowly approved their budget framework Thursday, a political turnaround after Speaker Mike Johnson worked into the night to satisfy GOP holdouts who had refused to advance trillions of dollars in tax breaks without deeper spending cuts.
Johnson stood with Senate Majority Leader John Thune early in the morning at the Capitol to shore up President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill," and they committed to seeking at least $1.5 trillion in cuts to federal programs and services. The speaker had abruptly halted voting Wednesday night.
"I told you not to doubt us," Johnson, R-La., said afterward.
He acknowledged the week's economic turmoil as the financial markets "have been a little unstable." Americans "want to know Congress is on the job. And I'm here to tell you we are," the speaker said.
The 216-214 vote pushed the budget plan forward, one more milestone for Johnson, and the next step in a lengthy process to unlock the centerpiece to the president's domestic agenda of tax cuts, mass deportations and a smaller federal government. A failed vote, particularly as the economy was convulsing over Trump's trade wars, would have been a major setback for the party in power in Washington. Two conservative Republicans voted against it, as did all Democrats.
Trump, at a black-tie fundraising dinner this week, had admonished Republicans to "stop grandstanding" on the budget.
By Thursday morning, Trump had shifted his tone.
"Biggest Tax Cuts in USA History!!! Getting close," Trump said.
The House action still leaves weeks, if not months, ahead, on a final product, with more votes in Congress. Johnson could lose only a few detractors from his slim Republican majority. Democrats, in the minority, lack the votes to stop the package, but they have warned against it.
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