Ted Deutch RSS Articles

Rep. Deutch Urges Attorney General Pam Bondi to Use Mortgage Settlement Money on Helping Struggling Homeowners

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Today, U.S. Reps. Ted Deutch (FL-19), Corrine Brown (FL-3), Alcee L. Hastings (FL-13), Richard Nugent (FL-5), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20), and Frederica Wilson (FL-17) sent a letter to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi urging her to ensure that the funds awarded to Florida in the recent nationwide mortgage settlement are used for no purpose other than helping struggling homeowners and foreclosure victims. Congressman Deutch’s letter follows developments in other states where settlement money intended for foreclosure relief is being used for other purposes. In Missouri and Wisconsin, Attorneys General have diverted funds to Governors and state legislators to plug budget shortfalls, and most recently, a plan put forward in Ohio uses such funds to pay for the demolition of vacant homes.

“Given the ongoing State of Florida’s housing crisis, we strongly urge you to use these settlement funds for housing relief, and resist any efforts to divert the funds to close shortfalls in the state budget,” the Representatives write. “Data demonstrates that Florida has the third highest percentage in the country of homeowners – 44% of homeowners in the state - that are underwater. The funds from the Federal Government and State Attorneys Generals settlement with mortgage servicers can provide and should be used to provide much needed assistance to struggling homeowners.”

Click here to download a copy of the letter.

Deutch Cosponsors the Keep Kids Safe Act of 2011

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Ted Deutch has signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 505, the Keep Kids Safe Act of 2011. As history has demonstrated far too many times, guns in the possession of those who are unstable or unfit to use them can have devastating consequence. To best ensure our collective safety, we should be proactive in ensuring people who may do others harm do not have access to firearms. Right now we have a glaring gap when it comes to keeping Americans, and most significantly children, safe from predators with guns. While it is against federal law for a person convicted of a felony --- including a felony sex crime against a minor --- to buy, sell, or possess guns or ammunition, it is perfectly legal if he or she has been convicted of one or more misdemeanor sex crimes against a minor. H.R. 505 would close this safety gap by making it illegal under federal law for someone convicted of a misdemeanor sex crime against a minor to transfer, receive, or possess firearms or ammunition. It also would be a crime for anyone to provide such an offender with firearms or ammunition.

You can read H.R. 505, the Keep Kids Safe Act of 2011, here.

Rep. Deutch Releases Statement on State of the Union Address

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

"Tonight, President Obama called on Congress to end the political paralysis in Washington and focus on the task of building an economy where everyone plays by the same rules, everyone pays their fair share, and everyone has a fair shot. We know how to create new jobs and grow a prosperous middle class because we have done it before. Building cutting-edge infrastructure, investing in research and technology, and providing our children and our workers with world-class education and training are chapters in the playbook written by so many of my constituents as members of America's greatest generation. It is my hope that my colleagues in Congress can rise above election-year politics and work together to regain the American people's confidence in the ability of their elected leaders to meet the challenges faced by our nation."

Rep. Deutch Pens Piece on OCCUPIED Amendment in Miami Herald

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Ted Deutch authored this piece on how the growing influence of corporate money in politics undermines our elections. Watch Ted discuss Citizens United and his proposed constitutional amendment here.

Posted on Tue, Jan. 24, 2012

Cash, special interests, dominate political process

BY U.S. REP. TED DEUTCH
Deutch.house.gov/

As multimillion-dollar Super PAC ads begin airing statewide, Floridians are getting a firsthand look at how the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision has changed presidential elections.

Mitt Romney may try in vain to distance himself from the Super PAC his staff founded to accept millions from anonymous donors and stamp out Newt Gingrich’s surge. Gingrich may decry the system while his satellite Super PAC runs a TV special on Mitt Romney’s corporate record using $5 million from one casino mogul. Yet as candidates express well-rehearsed disdain over these malicious ads, the fact is they are running to become the national leader of a Republican Party that now openly believes special interests do not have enough clout in Washington.

Most threatening about the Citizens United decision is the court’s declaration that caps on corporate spending in elections are unconstitutional, thus undermining the very concept of campaign-finance laws and the contribution limits we already have in place.

Yet, where most Americans see danger in allowing special interests to gain even more power in Washington, the Republican Party sees opportunity. In an amicus brief recently filed in a closely watched court case, the Republican National Committee argues that the Tillman Act of 1907, our century-old law banning direct corporate giving to politicians, is unconstitutional.

It was only a matter of time before the Republican Party openly advocated for a free-for-all system in which corporations and their CEOs can buy our elections. While the supremacy of corporate interests in Washington became a rallying cry in the newly energized Occupy movement, the overwhelming majority of Americans have long agreed there is too much money in politics. With our ability to strengthen campaign finance laws effectively crippled due to Citizens United, amending our Constitution is now our only route to reclaiming our democracy.

I have introduced a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United and banning corporate spending in our elections once and for all. The Outlawing Corporate Cash Undermining the Public Interest in our Elections and Democracy (OCCUPIED) Amendment makes clear that corporations are not people but private entities prohibited from using their profits to influence voters.

It also gives Congress broad authority to limit and require disclosure of political spending by individuals, unions, nonprofits, wealthy self-funded candidates, and all other sources. Thousands of Americans have already pledged their support for my amendment and its companion legislation introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Amending our Constitution is not easy, but the ability of corporations and the super wealthy to drown out the will of the people is the defining struggle of our time. Most Americans agree that there “can be no effective control of corporations while their political activity remains,” and that we must ensure those “to whom the people delegate their power shall serve the people by whom they are elected, and not the special interests.”

Those words, by the way, were spoken by President Theodore Roosevelt, the great Republican president whose legacy will be undone if the Republican National Committee successfully overturns the Tillman Act of 1907 and hands our public elections over to the private sector. Amending the Constitution gives us the best chance to restore the integrity of our elections and deliver our democracy back to the people.

U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, a Democrat, represents the 19th District of Florida, which includes portions of Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Video: Rep. Deutch Calls for Action to Overturn Citizens United

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) joined Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), and local activists for a panel hosted by People for the American Way on the impact of Citizens United case on the integrity of our electoral system. Watch Ted discuss his proposed constitutional amendment, H.Res 90, Outlawing Corporate Cash Undermining the Public Interest in our Elections and Democracy (OCCUPIED) Amendment below.

Rep. Deutch to Discuss Corporate Spending in Elections on Panel

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

This Tuesday, January 24, 2012, Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-19) will join Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Congressman Keith Ellison (MN-5) for a panel hosted by People for the American Way on the growing national movement to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. The impact of Citizens United, which gave corporations the right to spend unlimited and undisclosed amounts of money in our elections, has been on full display during the recent presidential primary elections. The panel will focus on remedies to Citizens Unitedproposed at the local, state, and federal levels. It will be moderated by Marge Baker, Executive Vice President at People for the American Way.

Congressman Deutch’s Outlawing Corporate Cash Undermining the Public Interest in our Elections and Democracy (OCCUPIED) Amendment continues to gain momentum in Congress, with cosponsors for H.J. Res 90 growing by the day and the recent introduction of a companion bill by Senator Bernie Sanders, the Saving American Democracy Amendment. The Deutch-Sanders Amendment bans corporations from spending general treasury funds in elections, makes clear that corporations are not people but private entities that can be regulated by people, and authorizes Congress to set limits and require disclosure of all election spending by all entities and individuals. Congressman Deutch will discuss his proposal and other similar efforts to overturn Citizens United on the panel, which will also feature activists at the forefront of this effort at the state and local level.

WHAT: Panel Discussion on Constitutional Remedies to Overturn Citizens United

WHEN: January 24th, 2012, 10:00-11:30 A.M. EST

WHERE: 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC

WHO: Senator Tom Udall
Representative Ted Deutch
Representative Keith Ellison
Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin
New York City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito
Colorado Activist Elena Nuñez
Marge Baker, Executive Vice President, People For the American Way (moderator)

RSVP to Ashley Mushnick by email here.

Rep. Deutch Releases Statement on Protecting Internet Innovation and Stopping Online Piracy

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-19) released the statement below in response to concerns over the Stop Online Piracy Act. In the coming weeks, he will be convening a round-table with leaders of local Internet start-ups in South Florida and other technology industry stakeholders to discuss the issue in more detail.

"Technology and internet startups have driven innovation and created countless new jobs, and advancing the industry is vitally important to me as the representative of the congressional district where the first personal computer was built. Likewise, the music, media, and entertainment industries are also vital to South Florida's economy and promote American culture throughout the world. Protecting the internet and stopping foreign trafficking of illegal products and content are not mutually exclusive goals. I will not support any legislation that violates our constitutional rights or prevents the development of the next great technology. I remain committed to working with my colleagues in Congress, and, more importantly, with my constituents and others impacted by our actions, to find the best way to crack down on the trafficking of illegal merchandise on the web while preserving our Constitution. And I will never support censorship."

Today: Deutch Rallies to Awake the State

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Ted Deutch will join Awake Palm Beach and Occupy Palm Beach for a rally that is part of a statewide effort to "Awake the State," on the first day of Florida's state legislative session. Deutch will join teachers, construction workers, firefighters, retirees, and local activists to call on Governor Rick Scott and his allies in Tallahassee to put middle class families first in 2012. He will also discuss the growing support for his Outlawing Corporate Cash Undermining the Public Interest in our Elections and Democracy (OCCUPIED) Amendment, which was recently introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders in the United States Senate. The rally will take place at the corner of North Olive Avenue and Banyan Boulevard in West Palm Beach today at 5:00 pm.

Congressman Ted Deutch’s schedule for the remainder of the week is as follows:

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

West Boca Community Council Meeting
7:30 pm – Boca Lago Community
Rep. Ted Deutch, who lives in West Boca with his wife and three kids, will attend the West Boca Community Council meeting in Boca Lago and give some brief remarks on his hopes for the upcoming congressional session.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Special Delivery: Deutch Works UPS Delivery Route
9:30 am – departure from district office at 2500 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton, FL
Residents of Florida's 19th district may be surprised to see Rep. Ted Deutch deliver their UPS package on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. Ted will be donning the signature uniform of a UPS worker and accompanying a truck driver on a local package delivery route. UPS employs over 400 workers in Florida's 19th district alone and over 15,000 statewide. Ted's visit with UPS on Wednesday is part of his ongoing effort to connect with local employers and workers to get an up close look at South Florida's economy.

Palm Beach County Veterans Advisory Meeting
2:00 – 3:00 pm - 405 Pike Road, West Palm Beach, Room 202
Veterans, caregivers, and local advocates will join Rep. Deutch for a meeting of his Palm Beach County Veterans Advisory Committee at the Fire Rescue Headquarters. Rep. Deutch will discuss his ongoing efforts to connect veterans with employers in the South Florida area as more of our troops return home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Speech on Caring for America’s Seniors
4:30 pm at Morse Geriatric Center, 4847 Fred Gladstone Dr., West Palm Beach
Rep. Deutch will provide an update on legislation and other issues related to retirement security and care for America’s seniors. He will discuss his recent testimony in Congress on America’s long-term care crisis, the ongoing effort in Congress to privatize Medicare and Social Security, and the repercussions of Governor Rick Scott’s proposed cuts to Medicaid at the state level.

Address to Boca Pointe Democratic Club
7:00 pm – 7144 Boca Pointe Drive, Club All Purpose Room, Boca Raton, Florida
After a year of Republicans in Congress threatening to shut down the government, push the United States into a default on our debt, and allow middle class tax cuts to expire for 160 million Americans, Rep. Deutch will address local Democrats on why we cannot afford to have our economy take a backseat to political brinksmanship in 2012.

Friday, January 13th, 2012

Forum with Senator Bill Nelson in Coconut Creek
9:30 am – 1001 Wynmoor Circle, Coconut Creek, Florida
At an event in the Wynmoor Village retirement community, Rep. Deutch will introduce Senator Bill Nelson as a relentless fighter for Florida’s families in the midst of unprecedented partisan obstructionism in Washington.

Address to the Broward Coalition
11:30 am - Sunrise Lakes North Clubhouse, 8100 Sunrise Lakes Dr, Sunrise, FL
This local nonprofit organization, which meets each month to discuss issues of local and national importance, will welcome Rep. Ted Deutch as their guest speaker. Rep. Deutch will discuss his legislative initiatives aimed at boosting our manufacturing sector, building infrastructure that gives our businesses a competitive edge in the global marketplace, and encouraging American scientific and technology innovation.

Visit with the United Retired Autoworkers of Southeast Florida
12:30 pm – 935 Rock Island Road, North Lauderdale, Florida
Rep. Deutch will discuss his work in Congress to advance the “Make it in America” agenda, a platform of policies championed by Democrats in the House of Representatives committed to reigniting America’s manufacturing sector.

Congressman Deutch Cosponsors H.R. 3743

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Ted Deutch has signed on as a cosponsor of H.R.3743, the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011. The payroll tax cut went into effect a year ago and has provided $110 billion of tax relief to 159 million American workers. While President Obama has called on Congress to extend and expand the payroll tax cut, partisan bickering has prevented a complete extension of the tax relief.

Economists have warned that failure to extend the payroll tax cut would hurt the still fragile U.S. economy and job growth. Congressional Republicans have opposed extension of the payroll tax cut, especially if it is paid for by placing a small surtax on those earning more than $1.1 million a year. Congressman Deutch believes that after years of passing tax cuts that have disproportionately benefited America's wealthiest income earners, it is time to provide middle class Americans the type of tax relief we need to boost consumer confidence and create jobs.

To read the original bill text of H.R. 3743, click here.

Rep. Deutch Cosponsors H.R. 3741

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Ted Deutch has signed on as a cosponsor H.R. 3741, the Rilya Wilson Act, which is designed to protect foster children and to ensure that every state has a procedure in place to promptly report their disappearance. This bill was named after Rilya Wilson, a four-year-old girl who went missing in South Florida in 2001. Her foster mother, Geralyn Graham, continued to collect payments from the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) for 15 months after her disappearance, during which time the agency never knew Rilya’s whereabouts. When Rilya’s disappearance finally was discovered by DCF, it took a full week to report her missing to local authorities. Rilya has never been found. Foster children continue to go missing at much higher rates than their peers, and their disappearances often go unreported for longer periods of time. Currently, only two states have procedures in place to ensure that their child welfare agencies report known missing children in a unified way – Florida and Illinois. Congressman Deutch supports this bill because it will require state child welfare agencies to report information on missing or abducted foster children promptly to local law enforcement agencies so that disappearances can then be reported to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). As a member of the Congressional Children's Caucus, Congressman Deutch is committed to keeping our children safe from crime, neglect, and abuse.

For the full bill text and other related information please click here.

Town Hall Meeting in Deerfield Beach

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:38:36 GMT

Town Hall in Coconut Creek

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:22:27 GMT

Deutch Honored as Democrat of the Year by Parkland and Coral Springs Democratic Club

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:24:35 GMT

Deutch Honored as Democrat of the Year by Parkland and Coral Springs Democratic Club

Rep. Deutch to Meet with Residents in Palm Aire Community

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:21:48 GMT

Congressman Deutch will provide an update on his work in Washington and take questions from residents of Palm Aire.

Congressman Deutch to Hold Seniors' Forum

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:13:00 GMT

eniors' Forum on Monday, August 9th, at 2:00 pm at Temple Emeth in Delray Beach.

Congressmen Host Medicaid Enrollment Fair

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:45:55 GMT

Deutch Unveils Congress in the Classroom

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:35:49 GMT

Press Conference on Stem Cell Research

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:36:38 GMT

Congressman Deutch Hosts Prescription Drug Safety Seminar

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:16:22 GMT

Congressman Deutch Awards Bronze Medals to WWII Veteran

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:17:23 GMT