| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | | | |  A pedestrian walks past the Leading Insurance Agency, which offers plans under the Affordable Care Act, on Jan. 28, 2021, in Miami, Fla. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images | Good morning and welcome to Wednesday. Bidenomics is out. Obamacare is in. Democrats are fired up about putting Republicans on the spot over health care after 2024 GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said recently he was “seriously looking at alternatives” to the Affordable Care Act and urged his party to “never give up” on terminating it. Congressional Republicans failed to undo Obamacare under Trump, largely because they couldn’t agree on a replacement. Since then, Democrats have used Obamacare as an effective rallying cry to win elections by focusing on the popular parts of the law that would go away under GOP repeal, such as how it forbids insurers from turning away or out-pricing sicker customers. Ahead of 2024, Democrats are vowing to protect and improve the law again, including former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-Fla.), who is running for the Democratic nomination to unseat Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). In an interview, she accused Trump and Scott — who endorsed Trump — of wanting “to take away affordable health care from millions of Floridians.” “This is an issue that will activate our voters in Florida to come out and vote … bring it on; let's talk about this issue,” she said. Repealing a 13-year-old medical law would be complicated and take years, and some U.S. senators told POLITICO’s Burgess Everett that they had no interest. Obamacare’s reach is sprawling: It makes restaurant chains post menu item calories, mandates birth-control and other prevention coverage and allows adults to stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26. “You’ve got to put others on the spot about this,” said Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.), who Republicans are trying to unseat in 2024. “This is something deeply personal to millions of Floridians. It's literally their own personal health care. So I think it'll organically become more of an issue now that the person that's the presumptive nominee for them has declared war on Obamacare again.” In Florida alone, nearly all 3.2 million people who bought private health insurance plans under Obamacare get some of their coverage paid for by the federal government. “We have to continue to remind them who's on their side, and who's going to continue to work on these issues,” Mucarsel-Powell said of voters. “A lot has been done, a lot of good things have been achieved.” Obamacare is limited in Florida because GOP state leaders opposed a part of it that would open up the Medicaid program to cover low-income people regardless of disability, work or pregnancy status. An estimated 800,000 Floridians would otherwise qualify for Medicaid coverage at little or not cost to them. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis opposes Medicaid expansion, which he described as welfare for people who don’t work. Scott, who was his predecessor in the governor’s mansion, considered expansion but ultimately didn’t support it. DeSantis’ campaign didn’t respond to questions over his current position on the Affordable Care Act. When he was in Congress, he voted to repeal it. Scott also called for an Obamacare repeal when Trump was president and said he helped him write a replacement plan. Priscilla Ivasco, Scott’s campaign communications director, called the senator a “leading voice in calling out Obamacare for failing Americans,” given that health care is still expensive. Ivasco added that Scott was “looking forward to working alongside [Trump] when he wins in 2024” to lower costs and give more people access to health care. Scott previously suggested Congress consider sunsetting and reapproving all federal programs every five years, including Obamacare. — WHERE’S RON? Nothing official announced yet for today for Gov. DeSantis. His debate with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California is tomorrow. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com | | | | GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | | | A message from Unite Us: America’s 3,000+ counties are on the frontlines of many of our nation’s most pressing challenges. As a result, they’re leading the way in discovering innovative solutions through collaborative partnerships. Join Unite Us as we hear from county and city leaders across the country, who have unleashed innovation in government by leveraging technology solutions and community partnerships to address constituents' health-related social needs and improve service delivery. | | |
LEADERSHIP BID — “Kelly Skidmore publicly announces bid to become the House Democratic Leader in 2026,” reports Florida Politics’ Anne Geggis. “The Boca Raton Representative, now the House Democratic Caucus Policy Chair first will have to get by Rep. Christine Hunschofsky of Parkland who is also making a bid to succeed the current Democratic House Leader Fentrice Driskell of Tampa. Driskell’s term ends in 2026.”
$25,000 TAX BILL — “Rep. Carolina Amesty’s family-run university should not be exempt from paying property taxes on the $1.6 million house it owns near Windermere because it is used as a private residence and is not ‘an integral part of the educational institution,’ according to a special magistrate ruling released Tuesday,” reports the Orlando Sentinel’s Leslie Postal and Annie Martin. “Central Christian University, where the Republican lawmaker serves as vice president, argued it should not pay 2023 property taxes on the five-bedroom pool home, because its president, Amesty’s father, resides there and uses it for some university business.” | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | | 
Disney sued DeSantis and his hand-picked oversight board for allegedly retaliating against the company and violating Disney’s First Amendment rights. | Walt Disney World Resort/Getty Images | HAPPENING TODAY — Orange County’s legislative delegation is meeting this morning, and on the agenda is a local bill that would reinstate the Reedy Creek Improvement District after DeSantis hand-tapped board members to run the area, now known as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. Members are expected to vote on the bill, introduced by Democratic Sen. Linda Stewart. Republicans, however, generally haven’t expressed interest in returning to the status quo for the area that surrounds Walt Disney World. Still, the bill is expected to pass the Orange County delegation because Democrats outnumber Republicans there, and one of the 15 seats is vacant until a January special election. After passage and a notice there's a 30-day period before the bill can get filed in the GOP-supermajority Legislature. Bottom line: It could be a huge PR win for Walt Disney World if any Republicans start to waiver on reinstating the special tax district’s authority. (Tune in.) — “Disney CEO Bob Iger tells employees he wants to start building again during town hall,” reports CNBC’s Alex Sherman SCHOOL WALKOUT — “The turmoil related to a transgender athlete at Monarch High continued Tuesday, with students at the school staging a walkout and the state demanding ‘serious consequences’ for those who allowed the student to play girls’ volleyball,” reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Scott Travis. CURRICULUM FIGHT — “Department leaders at 10 of Florida’s public universities say they ‘strongly object’ to a plan that would remove sociology as an option for courses students must take as part of their college studies,” reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Divya Kumar. “The plan was proposed Nov. 9 by state Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. and advanced by the Board of Governors, which oversees Florida’s university system. It will take a final vote in January.” HATE CRIME — “Police on Tuesday were investigating antisemitic vandalism at the University of Florida Chabad Jewish student center after a person was caught on security footage late last week in the act,” reports the Miami Herald’s Omar Rodríguez Ortiz. — “Orange County may inherit a $400,000 debt to the state if it accepts onePulse land,” reports the Orlando Sentinel’s Amanda Rabines | | | | A message from Unite Us:   | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | |  Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, left, listens to rival GOP candidate Nikki Haley speak during the Family Leader's Thanksgiving Family Forum on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. | Charlie Neibergall/AP | ANTI-TRUMP GROUP — “Koch-backed AFP Action endorses Nikki Haley as DeSantis campaign fumes,” reports Semafor’s Shelby Talcott. “Polling played a key role in AFP Action’s decision: In another memo, the group detailed how DeSantis’ polling ‘has been static or shrinking’ while Haley’s support continues to grow in early voting states. Haley also benefits from high favorability numbers, ‘is less defined than DeSantis and certainly Trump,’ and ‘consistently performs the best against Joe Biden’ in the group’s internal polls, the memo noted. ‘Gov. DeSantis has been a tremendous leader for the state of Florida,’ AFP Action senior advisor Emily Seidel said. ‘He’s been a strong advocate for many of the policies that we fight for every day. But all of the evidence that we’ve already shared on this call point to the fact that Nikki Haley is the strongest candidate in this race.’” FACE OFF — “Speech is freer in California than in Florida, watchdog warns ahead of Newsom-DeSantis debate,” reports the Los Angeles Times’ Noah Bierman. “PEN America, which defends the rights of authors and others around the world to write and speak out without fear of government reprisals, has written detailed reviews comparing the two states’ recent policies and proposals on campus speech codes, book bans, curriculum fights, diversity and inclusion, internet freedom and other 1st Amendment issues in the interstate feud between DeSantis, a Republican, and Newsom, a Democrat.” | | DATELINE D.C. | | | | | | GET A BACKSTAGE PASS TO COP28 WITH GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Get insider access to the conference that sets the tone of the global climate agenda with POLITICO's Global Playbook newsletter. Authored by Suzanne Lynch, Global Playbook delivers exclusive, daily insights and comprehensive coverage that will keep you informed about the most crucial climate summit of the year. Dive deep into the critical discussions and developments at COP28 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12.. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | BIDEN LABOR NOM — José Javier Rodríguez’s nomination stalls on Senate floor, reports POLITICO’s Nick Niedzwiadek and Olivia Olander. The Senate on Tuesday blocked advancing Biden’s pick to head the Employment and Training Administration, part of the Labor Department. Biden nominated Rodríguez, a Democratic state senator in Florida who lost reelection in 2020 by fewer than 50 votes, within months of taking office. But retiring centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and indicted Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) joined Republicans in voting against Rodríguez, 44-51, in a procedural vote Tuesday, upending Senate leadership’s plans for a final floor vote later this week. | | TRANSITION TIME | |
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The Florida Democratic Party has three new hires.
Danielle Hawk is the party’s director of candidates and campaigns. Hawk was the 2022 Democratic nominee for Florida’s 3rd Congressional District and worked as the party’s campaign committee chair. Camila Cisneros will be the party’s deputy digital director after holding positions with Javier Fernández for state Senate, Ruth’s List Florida, Florida AFL-CIO and Liftoff Campaigns. She was also state Rep. Ashley Gantt’s campaign manager. Maya Anderson is the Florida Democratic Party’s finance assistant. She was Call Time Manager for U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost during the 2022 Primary Election and for former Rep. Charlie Crist in the 2022 gubernatorial election. Other moves: — Longtime public affairs specialist Juan “J.C.” Flores is joining DCI Group to open the company’s office in Tallahassee. Flores spent more than a decade with AT&T in Florida, most recently as a vice president in the company’s Latin American and EMEA external affairs office. He worked in Florida policy and politics as an operative in the state Republican party and later as a special assistant to Sen. Marco Rubio when he was speaker of the Florida House. — Blake Harris, who most recently served as senior political adviser to Sen. Tim Scott's presidential campaign, will lead Fight Right, the super PAC confirmed first to POLITICO’s Natalie Allison. | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | |
BIRTHDAY: Former state Rep. Cindy Polo
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