Rep. Jared Moskowitz on Tuesday put to rest rumors that President-elect Donald Trump is eyeing him to potentially lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“I appreciate the speculation, but I will remain in Congress and run for reelection. It is an honor to serve the people of Florida's 23rd Congressional District,” Moskowitz (D-Florida) said. I wrote to X.
“To be clear, nothing was offered to me.”
on monday, Moskowitz He was the top candidate to lead FEMA under the incoming Trump administration. His parliamentary office did not respond to requests for comment.
Before taking office in January 2023, Moskowitz served as director of the Florida Office of Emergency Management, which works closely with the federal government in responding to natural disasters.
Moskowitz, 43, served in the role under Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis from 2019 to 2021, despite coming from a rival party.
Moskowitz, who is generally considered one of the more moderate Democrats in the House, has not shied away from criticizing his party for its handling of the anti-Semitism that erupted in the United States after the Israel-Hamas war.
Shortly after President Trump announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which despite its name is not actually a government department, Moskowitz expressed interest in the idea.
And earlier this month, he became the first Democrat to join the House DOGE caucus, led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
One of his key recommendations is to restructure FEMA's position in the federal government. Moskowitz believes the Department of Homeland Security has become “too big,” wants to remove it from the department, and wants it to be more prominent within the president's purview. .
Additionally, Moskowitz argued that it is important for Democrats to work with DOGE, noting that most of the House caucuses are bipartisan.
Since then, other Democrats, such as Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (R-Vermont), who have caucused with the Democratic Party, have advocated, among other things, to root out government waste. has expressed interest in collaborating with DOGE. Come to the Pentagon.
Why President Trump is trying to pull Democratic members from the House of Representatives
Since Trump's election victory, Republicans have lost or are at risk of losing three seats in the House. President Trump has nominated House Republican Conference Speaker Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Representative Mike Walz (R-Fla.) to serve as national security adviser.
He also selected former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to be U.S. attorney general, a move that came under fire. Gaetz has announced that he will not return to Congress and will focus on new programming on One America News Network.
That means Republicans could temporarily gain a one-seat majority early next year, depending on the timing of Stefanik and Walz's resignations.
What could make the situation worse are comments from Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.). assertion She says she's “not going to caucus,” but it's not entirely clear what that means.
If Trump is successful in pulling Democrats out of the House, especially as he hopes Congress will move quickly and deliver important legislative victories early in the incoming administration. may become easier.
Moskowitz has been an unabashed critic of Trump. pitching method Earlier this year, he decided to name a federal prison in Miami after the president-elect.
Both Mr. Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance have indicated that they are open to electing a Democratic Party to power.
