Florida's Jared Moskowitz knocks down 'speculation' that he'll leave Congress to lead FEMA

Max Greenwood, Miami Herald on Dec 17, 2024

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U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz on Tuesday pushed back on the notion that he could leave his House seat to become President-elect Donald Trump’s FEMA director, insisting that he would remain in Congress and seek reelection to another term in 2026.

In a post on the social media site X, Moskowitz, a Democrat from Parkland who previously led the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said that he hadn’t been offered the FEMA director job in the incoming Trump administration.

“I appreciate the speculation but I am staying in Congress and running for re-election,” said Moskowitz. “It’s an honor to serve the people of Florida’s 23rd district.”

The post came a day after news reports surfaced naming Moskowitz as a top contender to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Moskowitz, who was first elected in 2022 to represent parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties in Congress, wouldn’t be an entirely unusual pick for such a job. He served as the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump has also moved to fill several high-profile roles in his incoming administration with Floridians, like U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who is Trump’s pick for secretary of state, and U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, who was tapped to serve as the president-elect’s National Security Advisor.

And although he’s a Democrat, Moskowitz has taken a somewhat more welcoming approach to Trump than others in his party.

Earlier this month, Moskowitz became the first congressional Democrat to join the newly formed Delivering on Outstanding Government Efficiency — or DOGE — Caucus, a group of lawmakers that will work with the Department of Government Efficiency helmed by billionaire Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

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