Counting 'em Down: For better or for worse, this is the Headline Surfer countdown of 2021's Top 100 biggest news stories of Central Florida along the tourism-driven stretch of Interstate 4 (Orlando Attractions and east to I-95 & the World's Most Famous Beach in Daytona). Each recap segment is posted with its own headline, culminating with the unveiling of No. 1. Each segment includes a 2022 update.
ABOVE: Headline Surfer photo illustration / Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy is shown in the larger display image and in the inset pic with President Joe Biden. LEFT: Murphy with her family. BELOW: Murphy is shown climbing steps of the US Capitol.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
WINTER PARK, Fla. -- U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy announced t back in December that she would not seek re-election to a fourth term representing Florida’s Seventh Congressional District.
Murphy, a Democrat, and the first Vietnamese-American woman to serve in Congress said while she is not done with public service, she wants to spend more time with her family and find new ways to give back to her country.
“I strongly believe in a citizen Congress, where ordinary citizens run for office in search of duty and service, not in search of a career. And I never intended my time in Congress to become a career,” Murphy, 43, said in her announcement via video on Dec. 20.
“These last few years have been some of the most rewarding moments of my life, but also some of the most challenging. Public service is not without personal sacrifice. And as a mom of two young children, my time away from them has been hard. So, I wanted to share with you that I will not be seeking another term as your representative in Congress. This was not an easy decision, but it was the right decision.”
Murphy, who shocked the nation by defeating 12-term Republican incumbent Rep. John Mica, was one of only six Democrats to unseat a Republican incumbent in 2016.
Following court-ordered redistricting in 2015, Murphy's 7th Congressional District includes all of Seminole County (Sanford, Lake Mary, Oviedo, Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Winter Springs) and northern Orange County, including much of downtown and northern Orlando and the cities of Maitland and Winter Park.
In just three two-year terms, terms, Murphy quickly established herself as an effective and bipartisan legislator, rising up in the ranks of the U.S. House.
Murphy currently serves in House leadership as a Chief Deputy Whip and serves on the influential Democratic Steering & Policy Committee. and is one of only about 25 women in history to serve on the powerful House Ways & Means Committee. She also currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by pro-Trump forces.
“I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together over these last five years,” Murphy said. “I am most proud that through it all – whether the Democrats were in charge or the Republicans, whether under President Trump or President Biden – I was consistently named one of the most bipartisan and effective Members of Congress. Because from day one, I have always put people over politics.”
“I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together over these last five years,” Murphy said. “I am most proud that through it all – whether the Democrats were in charge or the Republicans, whether under President Trump or President Biden – I was consistently named one of the most bipartisan and effective Members of Congress. Because from day one, I have always put people over politics.”
Murphy leaves Congress with a considerable number of accomplishments for her constituents, having passed more than 55 measures into law. Her work in Congress includes, but is not limited to:
- Repealed the Dickey Amendment. Murphy announced her candidacy two weeks after the Pulse shooting. Since then, she not only led the successful fight to repeal the Dickey Amendment, but she secured millions in federal gun violence research for the first time in decades.
- Secured critical federal dollars for Florida’s schools. Murphy successfully secured millions to support Florida public schools and universities who took in new students from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands following Hurricane Maria.
- Authored and expanded the ERTC to save jobs during the pandemic. As a member of the powerful Ways & Means Committee, Murphy authored and successfully expanded the Employee Retention Tax Credit during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce layoffs and put people back to work. She is currently leading an effort to reinstate this critical, job-saving tax credit.
- Secured Historic Investments in Florida’s Infrastructure. Murphy stood up to her own party to pass a historic bipartisan investment in our nation’s infrastructure, helping to ease traffic congestion, combat climate change, improve water quality, and create good-paying jobs.
- Secured Investments to Protect Florida’s Environment, Waterways, and Marine Life. Murphy spearheaded bipartisan efforts to fund research on harmful algal blooms, preserve and restore the Little Wekiva River, and safeguard marine mammals like manatees. She also secured $3.3 million with Republican Congressman John Rutherford to count the red snapper population in the South Atlantic, hopefully leading to a longer recreational fishing season.
- Helped Ensure a Local Hero was Properly Honored. Murphy worked with Republican Congressman Michael Waltz to pass legislation that led to President Biden posthumously awarding Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe the Medal of Honor – our nation’s highest honor for military service. She also passed a law naming an Oviedo post office in honor of this American hero.
- Passed Several Measures to Support Servicemembers & Veterans. Murphy, who served two terms on the House Armed Services Committee, passed historic reforms to the Transition Assistance Program to help the nearly 250,000 service members who leave the military each year better transition to civilian life and provide for their families. She passed a measure to help disabled military veterans transition to the civilian workforce and passed another measure to help veteran and women entrepreneurs start and grow their small businesses. Murphy also helped secure funds for UCF’s RESTORES Clinic to develop its own virtual reality software to treat active-duty servicemembers and military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Passed Historic Rules Changes to the House of Representatives. As a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Murphy led the effort to pass historic changes to House rules designed to make it easier for bipartisan bills to get a vote.
- Delivered for Her Constituents. Murphy and her office held numerous public events and town halls every term – even holding virtual events during the COVID-19 pandemic – and helped thousands of constituents recover the money they were owed by the federal government – more than $6.3 million to date.
- Helped Improve Capitalism and Defend Democracy. Throughout her term, Murphy worked to protect and improve the two great pillars of our nation: capitalism and democracy. She passed measures to improve access to capital for small business owners and pushed back against attempts from some within her own party to advocate for socialism. At the same time, she cosponsored legislation to strengthen voting rights and strongly condemned far-right attempts to dismantle our democracy, proudly serving on the January 6th Select Committee to protect and preserve our great democracy.
Murphy added while she is leaving Congress, she will continue to find ways to be active in public service. She will also continue her work as Chair of the Florida Democratic Party’s Democracy and Voter Protection Program.
“Several years ago, I departed public service by leaving the Pentagon and moving to Central Florida to start my family. I knew then I wasn’t done with public service, just as I know now I am not done with public service,” Murphy said. “I still have a job to do and will work just as hard this next year as I have the last five. And rest assured, after I leave office, I will continue to find ways that I can serve this great nation that has given so much to my family and me.”
YouTube embedding / Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy announces in a video on Dec. 20, 2021, that she is not seeking re-election to a fourth two-year term representing Central Florida's 7th Congressional District in the mid-term elections.
Update on candidates vying for Stephanie Murphy's seat in mid-term elections:
Among Democrats who have declared candidacies here in 2022 are Al Krulick and Allek Pastrana.
Among the top GOP candidates are Erika Benfield, Anthony Sabatini, Brady Duke, and Cory Mills.
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. • Award-Winning Journalism: Florida Press Club recognizes Headline Surfer for nine stories in 2020 statewide competition. • Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.