Latest news with #Patronis
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Congressman Jimmy Patronis talks air traffic concerns and President Trump's tax cuts
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Congressman Jimmy Patronis was the keynote speaker at the Bay Builders Industry Scholarship Luncheon on Monday. Patronis was elected to Congress on April 1st. On Monday he talked about a variety of topics concerning Washington politics and Bay County. Patronis addressed air traffic concerns with the Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy's plan to update the control systems. He said the House Transportation Committee has earmarked $12.5 billion to update an outdated system. Patronis also spoke of the need for the House and Senate to agree on a budget by Memorial Day weekend, with numbers that include all of Trump's tax cuts. 'If we do not get those passed by Memorial Day weekend, the average taxpayer is going to see a tax hike of about 22%. The average family of four will see about a $700 tax hike. There's a program that's a child tax credit, that will be cut in half so that money will affect about 20 million families as opposed to 40 million families. Nearly every taxpayer will see their guaranteed deductions slashed. About 26 million small businesses will be saddled with massive tax increases. So by not renewing them then automatically those new taxes, old taxes, get reinstated. So in addition to renewing those tax cuts and then no tax on tips, overtime on social security, all those things cost money,' Congressman Jimmy Patronis said. Patronis also claimed that the majority of President Trump's executive orders are in the best interest of taxpayers. He also warned of upcoming medicaid changes, but didn't elaborate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Investigation finds homeowners left in limbo after insurance companies drag their feet on claims: 'Just feel completely ignored'
A Florida law aimed at stabilizing the insurance market may have created an even worse situation for policyholders, leaving them with limited recourse as insurers keep them in limbo. An investigation by WPTV revealed that insurance companies in the Sunshine State have been dragging their feet for months before addressing claims. For Brittani Littlejohn, whose home was ravaged by an EF-3 tornado, that meant months of reaching out to her insurance company, only to be ghosted after filing a claim before WPTV's investigative team stepped in. Littlejohn isn't alone in this experience. "We're hearing these stories all the time of people who just feel completely ignored by their insurance companies," said West Palm Beach insurance attorney Aaron Bass. Attorney intervention often helps move the needle, but Bass explained that a 2022 Florida law preventing policyholders from recouping attorney fees has created a "lose-lose" situation for consumers making claims. Jimmy Patronis, Florida's chief financial officer, supported that assessment, telling WPTV that the state had seen abuse in the system, with "some attorneys claiming absolutely ludicrous fees." As insurers pull out or reduce coverage in many areas of the country, premiums are also increasing where they remain, making homeownership a distant dream for many and increasing the period of economic upheaval in communities recovering from natural disasters. As the National Association of Insurance Commissioners explains, the exorbitant premium hikes are linked in part to more frequent and severe extreme weather. This is true even in places such as Iowa, not traditionally considered as high risk as states such as Florida, which deals with hurricanes. "Insurance companies do not make money from your premium dollars," Bass explained to WPTV. "They make money by taking your premium dollars and investing it. The longer they hold onto those dollars, the more money they make. The longer they can stretch these things out in litigation, that's their tactic so that people just give up." State officials have taken emergency action to help protect residents from post-storm insurance fraud. For example, before Hurricane Milton made landfall in October, they issued a decree requiring adjusters to provide line-by-line written breakdowns of estimated losses, helping ensure transparency in a system with strict regulations about changes to initial estimates. Do you think America is in a housing crisis? Definitely Not sure No way Only in some cities Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. More recently, when WPTV investigative reporter Kate Hussey asked Patronis if the insurance market could find a "middle ground," Patronis conceded that 2022's legislation may have been an "overcorrection of the system" and expressed optimism that there could be improvement. He pointed to pending legislation that would mandate mediation between policyholders and property insurance companies for claim disputes before being eligible for court. This is meant to prevent clients from being left without answers for months on end. If you want to make your voice heard on these matters, you can contact your representatives and raise awareness about the issue in conversations with family and friends. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Florida Republicans won. Now let's get back to work.
On Tuesday, Republicans Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine won special House elections in Florida. The media is spinning it as a closer-than-expected race that spells doom and dissatisfaction for Republicans. The media are absolutely wrong. In 2017, President Trump was in the final stretch of his first 100 days. The left had organized a resistance movement that was determined to stop a president they deemed unfit for office — one who, in their mind, had certainly won only because of foreign influence and cheating. The new president had tapped then-Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) to head the CIA, and a race was underway in a solid red Kansas district that the new president had handily won just five months prior. But as I wrote in 2017, Republicans in the district I now represent were not dissatisfied with the actions of the president. Rather, they were unhappy about the inaction of congressional Republicans. I won by just over six points. Two years later, and against the same opponent in a regular-turnout midterm election, I won by nearly 19 points. Patronis's and Fine's wins were even larger last week at nearly 15 points — and that's despite having millions of dollars dumped into their districts. Reports show they were outraised almost 10-to-1. And what do Democrats have to show for it? Two losses and a stronger Republican majority. Democrats will still try to characterize last week's Republican victories as a referendum on Trump, and they will claim their party is destined to take control of the House in 2026 just as they did in 2018. But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) shouldn't be counting on holding a gavel at the start of the 120th Congress. The differences between 2017 and 2025 are stark. There is no denying that Democrats took control of the House after the 2018 election, flipping 41 seats, but 2026 won't be the same race. To begin with, in 2018, there were 25 Republicans in districts that Hillary Clinton had won two years prior. Today, Republicans represent just three districts that Kamala Harris won in November. On the other hand, 13 vulnerable Democrats have to figure out a way to please constituents in districts that President Trump won just five months ago. And they have to do it while their base moves further to the left and increases its antics across the country. Meanwhile, Trump's poll numbers continue to outpace his numbers during the same time period of his first administration. What's more, Republicans are generally more unified in advancing his agenda — we will have positive wins for the American people before the end of this first year. Americans are expecting results. Republicans flipped the White House, House and Senate in 2024, and now we must return to work, with Patronis and Fine, to secure our borders, reduce runaway spending, rid our government of waste, and pass meaningful tax reform through extending and enhancing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Republicans should also take note that Democrats are willing to dump massive amounts of money to try and sway by-elections. As much as the left crows about money influencing politics, it has no issue when Hollywood elites, billionaire hedge fund managers and the son of Bill Gates send checks across state lines. And with Trump not at the top of the ticket in less than two years and Democrats having no serious chance to flip the Senate, all of their money will be heading straight to the House. Tuesday's election was not a warning to Republicans to stop pursuing President Trump's America First agenda — it was a decisive win and a reminder for House Republicans to fulfill our mandate prepare for the tidal wave of Democratic dollars that will be spent to undermine our majority. Ron Estes, a Republican, has represented the 4th Congressional District of Kansas since he won a special election on Apr. 11, 2017. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Meet the Trump-picked lawmakers giving Speaker Johnson a full House GOP conference
House Republicans will finally begin this week with a full conference for the first time this year. Newly minted representatives Randy Fine, R-Fla., and Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., won special elections in the Sunshine State's 6th and 1st congressional districts, respectively, Tuesday night. It's going to give some much-needed wiggle room to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has been wrestling with a one- to two-vote margin since the 119th Congress began at the beginning of January. In separate interviews with Fox News Digital this week, both lawmakers signaled they would be team players focused on advancing President Donald Trump's agenda, likely welcome news for House GOP leaders as they navigate a conference that's been deeply fractured on key issues like government spending. Scoop: Trump Ally Donalds Showcases Campaign Cash Surge Since Announcing Florida Governor Run "We do not need the team to fight within itself. Everyone's got to keep their eye on the prize," Fine said. "How do we make Speaker Johnson successful? And when we do that, how do we make President Trump successful? My focus is helping the team be successful. That will help my constituents. That will help Florida. That will help the country." Read On The Fox News App Patronis told Fox News Digital some of his top priorities would be the military and veterans and advancing Trump's policies on government efficiency, the border crisis and fentanyl trafficking. The military is particularly important to Patronis, who until recently was the chief financial officer of Florida. The 1st Congressional District, which had been represented by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., maintains a heavy military presence in multiple branches of the armed forces. Patronis pledged his office would be "doing everything we can" to help the military installations continue to "protect our nation." On veterans' care, the new Florida congressman lauded Trump's first administration for backing reforms aimed at enabling veterans to seek care outside of VA hospitals but said it was "mothballed" under the Biden administration. "It's really allowed those vets to seek services in their own community instead of traveling out of state," he said, pledging to work to get it back on track. While he did not mention the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) specifically, Patronis signaled he aligned with its goals of transparency in federal spending. "I'm a big believer that the citizens of the state of Florida spend their money better, a heck of a lot better, than Washington, D.C., does," Patronis said. "I like being a watchdog. … I like to ensure that that transparency is the norm, that we have, you know, a public that is informed and aware how their tax dollars are being used." Fine, when asked about his agenda items, deferred largely to the president. "The big agenda item for me is gonna make sure we get President Trump's agenda passed. Look, it's a narrow majority, and you have to support the team captain," Fine said. Desantis Rebukes Republicans For Backing Bill For Carbon Sequestration Task Force: 'Absolutely Embarrassing' He pointed out that Florida's Republican majority grew significantly during his tenure in both houses of the state legislature. "It didn't get there overnight. It's because Republicans showed that we knew how to govern, and we hit singles and doubles and triples every day. And the voters rewarded us," Fine said. "The goal needs to be go from a five-vote majority to a 15, to a 25, to a 35, and you do that by governing and putting points on the board every day." Both Republicans made clear, however, that their principles would follow them from the Sunshine State to the nation's capital. Patronis said he was looking at starting work on insurance reform, a critical issue in Florida, a state that regularly deals with natural disasters. "When you've got high insurance rates, when you've got inflation the way it is, home ownership is more of a dream than a reality," he said. "We rolled out several solutions when I was CFO." Among the initiatives he mentioned was legislation to create a tax-free savings account to help homeowners during national disasters, a bill that was introduced by Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., a fellow delegation member. Fine maintained to Fox News Digital that he "can't give carte blanche" guarantees to House GOP leaders but said he foresaw few if any future points of contention. "I was the only Republican Jew in the Florida legislature for eight years. I got this crazy nickname, the 'Hebrew hammer,' which I finally decided to embrace," Fine said. "If, God forbid, they were going to do something that stood in the way of [fighting antisemitism], that would be an example where my principals would override, and I wouldn't be able to be with the team."Original article source: Meet the Trump-picked lawmakers giving Speaker Johnson a full House GOP conference
Fox News
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Meet the Trump-picked lawmakers giving Speaker Johnson a full House GOP conference
House Republicans will finally begin this week with a full conference for the first time this year. Newly minted representatives Randy Fine, R-Fla., and Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., won special elections in the Sunshine State's 6th and 1st congressional districts, respectively, Tuesday night. It's going to give some much-needed wiggle room to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has been wrestling with a one- to two-vote margin since the 119th Congress began at the beginning of January. In separate interviews with Fox News Digital this week, both lawmakers signaled they would be team players focused on advancing President Donald Trump's agenda, likely welcome news for House GOP leaders as they navigate a conference that's been deeply fractured on key issues like government spending. "We do not need the team to fight within itself. Everyone's got to keep their eye on the prize," Fine said. "How do we make Speaker Johnson successful? And when we do that, how do we make President Trump successful? My focus is helping the team be successful. That will help my constituents. That will help Florida. That will help the country." Patronis told Fox News Digital some of his top priorities would be the military and veterans and advancing Trump's policies on government efficiency, the border crisis and fentanyl trafficking. The military is particularly important to Patronis, who until recently was the chief financial officer of Florida. The 1st Congressional District, which had been represented by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., maintains a heavy military presence in multiple branches of the armed forces. Patronis pledged his office would be "doing everything we can" to help the military installations continue to "protect our nation." On veterans' care, the new Florida congressman lauded Trump's first administration for backing reforms aimed at enabling veterans to seek care outside of VA hospitals but said it was "mothballed" under the Biden administration. "It's really allowed those vets to seek services in their own community instead of traveling out of state," he said, pledging to work to get it back on track. While he did not mention the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) specifically, Patronis signaled he aligned with its goals of transparency in federal spending. "I'm a big believer that the citizens of the state of Florida spend their money better, a heck of a lot better, than Washington, D.C., does," Patronis said. "I like being a watchdog. … I like to ensure that that transparency is the norm, that we have, you know, a public that is informed and aware how their tax dollars are being used." Fine, when asked about his agenda items, deferred largely to the president. "The big agenda item for me is gonna make sure we get President Trump's agenda passed. Look, it's a narrow majority, and you have to support the team captain," Fine said. He pointed out that Florida's Republican majority grew significantly during his tenure in both houses of the state legislature. "It didn't get there overnight. It's because Republicans showed that we knew how to govern, and we hit singles and doubles and triples every day. And the voters rewarded us," Fine said. "The goal needs to be go from a five-vote majority to a 15, to a 25, to a 35, and you do that by governing and putting points on the board every day." Both Republicans made clear, however, that their principles would follow them from the Sunshine State to the nation's capital. Patronis said he was looking at starting work on insurance reform, a critical issue in Florida, a state that regularly deals with natural disasters. "When you've got high insurance rates, when you've got inflation the way it is, home ownership is more of a dream than a reality," he said. "We rolled out several solutions when I was CFO." Among the initiatives he mentioned was legislation to create a tax-free savings account to help homeowners during national disasters, a bill that was introduced by Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., a fellow delegation member. Fine maintained to Fox News Digital that he "can't give carte blanche" guarantees to House GOP leaders but said he foresaw few if any future points of contention. "I was the only Republican Jew in the Florida legislature for eight years. I got this crazy nickname, the 'Hebrew hammer,' which I finally decided to embrace," Fine said. "If, God forbid, they were going to do something that stood in the way of [fighting antisemitism], that would be an example where my principals would override, and I wouldn't be able to be with the team."
