While U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio will not be speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) later in February, two of his fellow Sunshine State Republicans will be addressing the event.

Florida’s political leaders are continuing to pressure the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), hoping that more than half of the state will be declared as a disaster area due to the inclement weather.

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, named members of his party to the various appropriations subcommittees Friday -- and three Florida Republicans won some plum assignments, giving the Sunshine State a large seat at the table when Congress sets federal expenditures.

As Democrats get used to being in the minority in the U.S. House, two members from Florida were named to roles in the Democratic leadership.

Besides outgoing Gov. Charlie Crist, there were three former governors attending Rick Scott’s inauguration as the state’s 45th governor: Claude Kirk, who was elected in 1966; Bob Martinez, who won office in 1986; and Jeb Bush, who was elected in 1998 and 2002.

After stalling in the afternoon, the U.S. House voted just after midnight Friday to extend tax cuts initially backed by George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003 for all Americans. The bill, which also extends jobless benefits, now moves to President Barack Obama’s desk.