"The Sunday Political Brunch" -- October 4, 2015

Dr. Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is a Freelance Political Reporter based in New England and a Political Analyst for KGO Radio 810-AM San Francisco.

(Pawtucket, Rhode Island) – As political reporters and analysts, we run the danger of becoming myopic. For example, I cover Rhode Island politicians most of the time and often see events only through their lenses. We have to avoid that. With this in mind, I took advantage of an opportunity to speak with Rep. David Jolly (R-FL), who was in the Ocean State this week. Jolly is running for the U.S. Senate, specifically for the seat being vacated by Presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). Let’s brunch on that this week:

“Who Are You?” – Congressman David Jolly succeeded his longtime boss, Rep. Bill Young (R-FL, who had represented the Tampa Bay area of Florida for over 40 years. Jolly won a special election in the spring of 2014, after Young’s death, and then was reelected to a full term in November, 2014. Jolly is 42 and recently married to his wife, Laura. He has a law degree and is seen as a real up-and-comer in Washington, although a Senate bid this early in his career may be a roll of the dice.

“It’s All About the Money” – Jolly started his talk to a local gathering by noting that the seemingly out-of-control national debt is a real danger. Our total debt was $5 trillion in 2000, but doubled to $10 trillion by 2008. It is projected to double again, to $20 trillion next year.

“It’s becoming unsustainable,” Rep. Jolly said; and he noted that much of our debt is being held by foreign countries, such as China and Saudi Arabia. “We will undermine our national security if the debt spiral does not stop,” Jolly predicted.

“Iran” – The Congressman-turned-Senate-candidate is not a fan of the Iran nuclear deal. “Why in the world do you negotiate with a regime that is hell-bent on destroying us?” Rep. Jolly said, referring to both the United States and Israel as potential targets for Iran. “It creates a pathway for a nuclear armed Iran,” said Jolly, who added, “I don’t think we have the intelligence resources to monitor the deal.”

“The Nuclear Option” – No, I’m not talking bombs here. I’m talking about a legislative tactic. To pass anything in the U.S. Senate, you must have 60 votes - not just a bare majority. That’s because you need 60 votes to stop a filibuster and bring an issue to a vote. Jolly and others are urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to invoke this so-called “nuclear option” and end the 60-vote rule, so that a simple majority of 51 Senators could decide an issue, including the Iran nuclear deal. “The Iran deal is heart wrenching,” said Jolly.

“The Opposition” – The 60-vote rule in the U.S. Senate is known as “invoking cloture,” or ending the debate. It is a Senate rule and tradition, and is not mandated by law or the Constitution. In many respects, it is the only tactic the minority party has to block legislation it deems unfit. Filibustering legislation can be a powerful weapon. Republicans are in the majority now, but some day the tide may swing, and the GOP could be back in the minority. For this reason, many in the party - including Presidential candidate Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) - oppose nuking the filibuster rule.

“Run for the Border” – Another issue on which Congressman Jolly is very outspoken is illegal immigration. “Border security and immigration is the number one issue,” he said. ”Where is Congress on this issue? Silent,” Jolly added. What the Senate candidate is suggesting is that Congress not try to pass an overall one-stop-shopping immigration bill. Instead, he wants six to eight separate bills. One might deal with just border security and building a fence (whether it’s a physical fence or electronic). Another bill might deal solely with foreign agricultural workers; another bill, on processing people who over-stayed their visas; and another bill, to address criminal aliens. Jolly says Congress refuses to act on immigration because “It’s too politically toxic.”

“The Florida Two-Step” – Florida is tied with New York for having the third highest number of votes in the Electoral College, at 29. While New York is a solidly liberal state, Florida is a swing state. It can go either way. While Congressman Jolly’s district has been in Republican hands for over 40 years, its demographics are changing. “The district I represent, President Obama won twice,” Jolly noted. “Republicans have to win Florida at the national level, or we lose the White House,” he added. He believes the races are intertwined. If Jolly wins the Senate nomination, he might have a coattail effect for whoever is the GOP’s Presidential nominee, especially a home-state candidate like former Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL). “What’s good for the top of the ticket is good for the Senate race. What’s bad for the top of the ticket is bad for the Senate race,” Rep. Jolly said.

“Who’s In; Who’s Out?” – Jolly is in a very competitive Senate race. On the GOP side, he is competing against fellow Representative Ron DeSantis (R-FL, Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera (R-FL), businessman Todd Wilcox, and Professor Ilya Katz. The primary winner will face either Representative Alan Grayson (D-FL, Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-FL, former Lt. Gov. candidate Lateresa Jones, or former U.S. Navy Judge Advocate Pam Keith. If any of them appear in New England, we’ll give them some coverage, too.

What are the big House or Senate races in your state, or is there a big Governor’s race? Weigh in by clicking the comment button at www.MarkCurtisMedia.com.

© 2015, Mark Curtis Media, LLC.

Photo credit: Mark Curtis Media