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CHC Roundup: Rep. Maxwell Frost (FL-10) - Young But Mighty [1]
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Date: 2025-06-14
He’s the youngest member of Congress right now at age 28. Don’t let that youth fool you though because Rep. Maxwell Frost is a mighty addition to Congress. He frequently dishes out invective towards Republicans on the House Oversight Committee while also putting his head down and doing the work on the Science/Space/Technology Committee.
Most of all, he is one cool dude and also a bit of a nerd. To let off steam, he is a jazz musician specializing in the drums and especially the timbales. I couldn’t find a clip (I know it exists) of him playing with fellow members of Congress but he did join the band Paramore onstage at a concert.
He’s also a huge fan of the Japanese card game known as Yu-Gi-Oh! and will challenge anyone to a game (if he has the time) [LONG VIDEO].
However, it isn’t all fun and games for this budding Democratic superstar. He has the same responsibilities as any other member of Congress and even does his best to help out with town halls and party building amongst Gen Z. What is Rep. Maxwell Frost like in Congress? What are his priorities in terms of legislation? How does he vote? All these questions will be answered below the fold.
Personal History
Rep. Maxwell Frost has been an activist for most of his short life. His main cause is gun safety.
Rep. Maxwell Frost was born on January 17, 1997 to a Puerto Rican mother and a Haitian father. Neither could care for him, so he was put up for adoption at birth. Luckily, he found a loving adoptive family. He would later reconnect with his biological mother in 2021 before running for Congress.
Frost was adopted as an infant; his adopted mother is a special education teacher who originally came from Cuba as part of the "Freedom Flights" in the late 1960s, while his father is a musician. "Growing up, there's always been a lot of music in the house," he says. But last year, while being urged by fellow activists to run for Congress, he reconnected with his biological mother in June. He found out then that he was one of eight biological siblings and that his biological mother struggled with addiction when he was born; she told him that he was trembling, as an infant, in the weeks after his birth due to withdrawals from crack cocaine. "I wasn't mad. I was just incredibly sad," he told the fundraiser attendees. "Because my biological mother, a woman of color, was born into a ZIP code where she had gotten in this cycle of drugs, poverty, crime. And I knew it wasn't her fault."
For his education, Frost went to Osceola County School for the Arts and attended Valencia College but did not graduate. He even had the chance to perform at Obama’s second inauguration while still in high school!
Throughout high school, Frost remained engaged. He competed in and won speech competitions, became class president, and door-knocked to raise funds for the many organizations and local campaigns he started — including a successful effort to get the Salsa band he founded to perform at Obama’s 2012 inauguration. Frost dropped out of Valencia College before his senior year to focus on activism; he tells me he plans to finish in the near future. During his campaign, he drove an Uber five nights a week to pay bills.
He started getting bit by the political bug watching former President Obama’s first inauguration in 2009 and frequently cites Obama as an inspiration. Other events that have inspired him include Occupy Wall Street, Columbine, the murder of Trayvon Martin, and the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. Gun violence even hit close to home in 2016 when he was present at a shooting at a Halloween themed party!
But first and foremost, Rep. Maxwell Frost is an activist. He has been on a quest to pass gun safety measures since the horrific Sandy Hook mass shooting in 2012. He has been a part of every significant gun safety group since he volunteered for the Newtown Action Alliance. That includes a stint as national organizing director for March for our Lives which formed after the Stoneman Douglas school shooting. He branched out his activism to include the ACLU and working to pass Florida’s Amendment 4 in 2019. He was even arrested at a voting rights rally held by Rev. William Barber in 2021.
x YouTube Video
In late 2021, Frost announced his campaign for Congress with a memorable ad in “Spanglish”. He is fluent in both Spanish and English.
Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a Florida Democrat running in a contested primary for a House seat, released an ad Friday in unabashed Spanglish. The ad features Frost speaking a mix of Spanish and English, with subtitles in either language. “What we found is increasingly Latinos are in a place where their first language is Spanish but they speak English as well, and quite frankly that’s me,” Frost told The Hill. “We speak Spanglish in the house, and I know that’s the same for a lot of Latino families in the district,” he added. Frost is competing in a crowded field of 10 Democrats for the Orlando seat, one of the two open seats in Democratic areas of Florida.
He ran a different kind of campaign, relying on friends and family instead of overpriced consultants and seasoned politicos.
Frost keeps his campaign office open for long hours of the day, allowing friends and supporters to flow in and out to lend a hand whenever and however they can — training them to knock on doors, make phone calls, ask for petition signatures and fundraising. Daniel Chico, 25, another of Frost’s closest high school friends, fits in volunteering around his various jobs. “When I was working at night I would go over [to the office] at 11 a.m., have lunch, we’d make calls and send emails until about 3 p.m. when I would have to leave, and then somebody else would turn up to continue the cycle,” he says. His girlfriend also got involved. “We had different schedules, so she would show up and [then] I would leave. There’s always a cycle of people in and out.” Frost is grateful to be surrounded by so many people willing to chip in, softening the otherwise intense and stressful run for federal office. Many people working on the campaign, including Frost, have multiple jobs, or are working while in school. Frost himself drives for Uber. His experiences mean he’s in tune with what the people around him need, and the effort it takes to see their needs fulfilled. “Folks see someone who is aiming to represent them going through a similar thing [to them], and they want to see more people who have been through that elected into office,” Frost says of how his constituents view him. Amid the work, the campaign crew does what they can to keep it fun. “Sometimes they’ll have some wine or beer, or just snacks ready for everyone,” Frost says. “The shifts we do are usually four to five hours, so people are putting in some real time.” Both Lowell and Chico point out that the qualities that make Frost a good friend — his loyalty and generosity, to hear them tell it — are also what make him a candidate worth fighting for. “He does whatever he can to help others. We’ve always got each other’s backs,” Chico says.
Rep. Maxwell Frost obviously won the primary which was tantamount to election in a deep blue district. He defeated two former members of Congress in Corrine Brown and Alan Grayson while also defeating State Sen. Randolph Bracy. His endorsements came mostly from the progressive end of the spectrum such as Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Other prominent endorsers of his campaign included the legendary activists Dolores Huerta and Jessie Jackson.
Frost had a difficult time at first in Washington, DC. He was denied an apartment due to poor credit. He didn’t make enough before Congress, and of course his new job didn’t give him a paycheck yet.
The congressman-elect who will become the first member of Generation Z to join Congress next month said on Thursday that he was denied an apartment in Washington, D.C., because of his “really bad” credit. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a community organizer who is set to take the seat of Rep. Val Demings (D) representing Florida’s 10th Congressional District, tweeted that he told his potential landlord that his credit was poor as he applied to the apartment, and was told it would be fine. But Frost said his application was denied and he lost the apartment and the application fee. He said his credit is so poor because he “ran up a lot of debt running for Congress for a year and a half.” He said he did not make enough money working for Uber to pay for the cost of living.
As the first member of Generation Z in Congress, Rep. Maxwell Frost already came in with a compelling story. The question then turned to how he would channel his activism into Congressional responsibilities.
Issue Positions and Work in Congress
Rep. Maxwell Frost speaks at the 2024 DNC in Chicago. He is one of the most prominent young Democrats in the party.
I’m not going to cover much old ground in terms of his issue positions. I wrote about him for New Faces in Congress two summers ago and that article is a nice supplement and primer for this one. Suffice it to say that Rep. Maxwell Frost is very progressive, almost Squad-adjacent, on most issues. His DW Nominate score is -0.428 which puts him near the Squad. He’s more liberal than 82% of the entire House and 63% of his Democratic colleagues. Progressive Punch rates him extremely high with a 99% “A+” score. He’s the real deal!
Rep. Maxwell Frost has yet to author a piece of legislation that has become law. He is the primary sponsor of 2 pieces of legislation in the 119th Congress including his signature Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2025 which would reestablish the office that the Trump regime dismantled. He has co-sponsored an additional 172 pieces of legislation in the 119th Congress. Hopefully he will have a chance to write legislation that becomes law if Democrats ever win a trifecta again.
Speaking of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, pushing former President Biden to establish it is likely his most significant accomplishment since coming to DC. Frost and Sen. Chris Murphy are definitely amongst the best members of Congress on the issue of gun safety!
Rep. Maxwell Frost walking at the White House about ready to announce the Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
Rep. Maxwell Frost has been very busy this term in front of the cameras.
He was amongst the leaders who tried to gain entry to various departments when “DOGE” restricted access.
x We are members of Congress at the Treasury Department. We want to be let in to provide oversight on behalf of our constituents. @jasmineforus.bsky.social @sethmagaziner.bsky.social
[image or embed] — Maxwell Frost (@maxwellfrost.bsky.social) February 4, 2025 at 4:40 PM
He’s also been travelling the country hosting town halls in places where the GOP is too chicken to have them.
x Hey! @chrismurphyct.bsky.social & I are hitting the road to fight the billionaire takeover of our government. This Saturday, we'll be in Warren, MI to give real answers to real people. If your Rep is hiding, let us know—we’ll come to you! RSVP here to join us in Warren: bit.ly/ThePeoplesTownHallMI
[image or embed] — Maxwell Frost (@maxwellfrost.bsky.social) March 27, 2025 at 1:52 PM
x @chrismurphyct.bsky.social and I walking into a PACKED house at UAW Region 1 here in Warren, MI! Republican Rep. John James refuses to hold a Townhall, so we did it for him!
[image or embed] — Maxwell Frost (@maxwellfrost.bsky.social) March 29, 2025 at 5:03 PM
He was a part of a delegation that went to El Salvador to demand the release of Killmar Abrego Garcia.
x We have arrived in El Salvador. Trump is illegally arresting, jailing, & deporting people with no due process. We must hold the Administration accountable for these illegal acts and demand Kilmar’s release. Today it’s him, tomorrow it could be anyone else. www.politico.com/news/2025/04...
[image or embed] — Maxwell Frost (@maxwellfrost.bsky.social) April 21, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Frost can give some stemwinders for speeches too. He is a favorite of the clip master Aycn!
x Frost: Tonight the people stealing are not folks with tattoos and hoodies but people wearing suits and ties and congressional pins sitting in the capitol now, not in some alley wrapped in darkness but the United States congress wrapped in the flag. It is disgusting and we will never forget this.
[image or embed] — Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) May 22, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Finally, as one of the most prominent young Democrats, he was given a coveted speaking slot at the DNC back in 2024.
Congressional Chronicle: Week of June 9, 2025
The latest on Capitol Hill when it comes to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Monday, June 9
The Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Brett Shumate to be an Assistant Attorney General. The nomination was confirmed (51/41/8) with the 4 Senators of the CHC voting NAY.
The Senate voted to invoke cloture on David Fotouhi to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Cloture was invoked (53/43/4) with the 4 Senators of the CHC voting NAY.
Tuesday, June 10
Rep. Jimmy Gomez and the California Congressional delegation held a press conference about Trump regime and their actions in LA.
x HAPPENING NOW: I’m live with @SpeakerPelosi and my colleagues speaking out against Trump’s unlawful and dangerous actions in LA. Tune in.
https://t.co/UZVMdCE6aJ — Rep. Jimmy Gomez (@RepJimmyGomez) June 10, 2025
The House voted to pass the rules package for the week (except for the Rescissions Act and changes to the Budget of Abominations). H. Res 489 was passed (211/206/15) with most of the CHC voting NAY. Reps. Correa and Trahan did not vote.
The House voted to pass H.R. 2096 — the Protecting Our Nation’s Capital Emergency Act (this would make radical changes to protect DC law enforcement from being charged with misconduct). The bill was passed (235/178/1/18) with most of the CHC voting NAY. Reps. Cisneros, Cuellar, Gonzalez, and Gluesenkamp Perez voted AYE. Reps. Correa, Randall, and Trahan did not vote.
The House voted to pass H.R. 884 — a repeal of the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022 (this would prohibit non-citizens from voting in local DC elections). The bill was passed (266/148/1/17) with a mixed vote amongst the CHC. The members in swing districts generally voted AYE while those in safer districts voted NAY. Reps. Correa, Randall, and Trahan did not vote.
The Senate voted to confirm the nomination of David Fotouhi to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The nomination was confirmed (53/41/6) with the 4 Senators if the CHC voting NAY.
The Senate voted to invoke cloture on Stephen Vaden to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Cloture was invoked (48/45/7) with the 4 Senators of the CHC voting NAY.
The Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Stephen Vaden to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. The nomination was confirmed (51/44/5) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Lujan, and Padilla voting NAY. Sen. Gallego did not vote.
The Senate voted to invoke cloture on Andrew Hughes to be Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Cloture was invoked (51/44/5) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Lujan, and Padilla voting NAY. Sen. Gallego did not vote.
The Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Andrew Hughes to be Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The nomination was confirmed (51/43/6) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Lujan, and Padilla voting NAY. Sen. Gallego did not vote.
Wednesday, June 11
House and Senate Democrats held a press conference on the 13th anniversary of the DACA program.
The House voted to pass a special rules package for the Rescissions Act and changes to the Budget of Abominations. H. Res. 499 was passed (213/207/12) with most of the CHC voting NAY. Reps. Correa and Randall did not vote.
The Senate voted to invoke cloture on Billy Long to be Commissioner of Internal Revenue Service. Cloture was invoked (53/46/1) with the 4 Senators of the CHC voting NAY.
The Senate voted to invoke cloture on Amendment 2307 on S.1582 — a bill to regulate stablecoins. Cloture was invoked (68/30/2) with the 4 Senators of the CHC voting AYE.
The Senate voted to reject a motion to discharge S.J. Res 53 — disapproving of arms sales to Qatar. The motion to discharge was rejected (39/56/1/4) with Sen. Cortez Masto voting NAY, Sen. Lujan voting AYE, and Sens. Gallego and Padilla not voting.
The Senate voted to reject a motion to discharge S.J. Res 54 — disapproving of arms sales to the UAE. The motion to discharge was rejected (39/56/1/4) with Sen. Cortez Masto voting NAY, Sen. Lujan voting AYE, and Sens. Gallego and Padilla not voting.
Thursday, June 12
Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a DHS press conference.
x Wow. California Sen. Alex Padilla is wrestled and detained by federal officers after showing up to DHS Sec. Kristi Noem's press conference in LA. (video from Bill Melugin of Fox News)
[image or embed] — MeidasTouch (@meidastouch.com) June 12, 2025 at 2:19 PM
The response from the CHC and Democrats was fury.
x If that’s what they do to a United States Senator with a question, imagine what they can do to any American that dares to speak up. We will hold this administration accountable.
[image or embed] — Senator Alex Padilla (@padilla.senate.gov) June 12, 2025 at 5:15 PM
x If this is how this administration responds to a Senator with a question, you can only imagine what they're doing to farmworkers, to cooks, and to day laborers throughout California and across the country. We will hold this administration accountable.
[image or embed] — Senator Alex Padilla (@padilla.senate.gov) June 12, 2025 at 6:19 PM
x SEN. PADILLA: “Saying I lunged is a lie, but that’s par for the course for this administration… I was behind the cameras listening, and at a certain point hearing Noem say they had to rescue LA from the Governor and Mayor was too much to take. So I raise my voice to ask a question.”
[image or embed] — The Tennessee Holler (@thetnholler.bsky.social) June 12, 2025 at 7:35 PM
x Let's talk about what happened today. pic.twitter.com/5XgvCrXc3p — Senator Alex Padilla (@SenAlexPadilla) June 13, 2025
x This is unacceptable, full stop. @SenAlexPadilla attended an open press conference to engage in debate, to represent his state, to do his job.
We demand a full investigation and consequences for every official involved in this assault against a sitting US senator.
https://t.co/AP3mXHYNVa — Congressional Hispanic Caucus (@HispanicCaucus) June 12, 2025
x The forcible removal of @SenAlexPadilla from a public press conference accelerates Trump’s authoritarian power grab.
The silence from Republicans is deafening.
Via @SenatorLujan pic.twitter.com/22X7BlainK — Senate Democrats (@SenateDems) June 12, 2025
x My colleagues and I went to Speaker Johnson’s and Leader Thune’s offices just now to demand an investigation into the assault of @padilla.senate.gov. Let’s be clear: Republican leadership is complicit in enabling the growing authoritarianism in this country.
[image or embed] — Joaquin Castro (@joaquincastrotx.bsky.social) June 12, 2025 at 5:44 PM
x LIVE: Right now, I led a march to Leader John Thune’s office — he’s refusing to meet with the House Democrats, who are demanding answers on what he’s doing to protect @padilla.senate.gov.
[image or embed] — Congressman Raul Ruiz, MD (@repraulruizmd.bsky.social) June 12, 2025 at 4:42 PM
x I said it at Delaney Hall, and I’ll say it again now after Senator Padilla was handcuffed for doing his job: this Administration wants to intimidate us. They want to silence us for standing up against their cruelty. We cannot let that happen. We won’t let that happen.
[image or embed] — Rep. Rob Menendez (@menendez.house.gov) June 12, 2025 at 4:26 PM
x On today’s Democratic Daily Download, Caucus Chair @aguilar.house.gov speaks out against the out of control Trump Administration detaining Senator Alex Padilla and preventing him from asking questions on behalf of the people he represents.
[image or embed] — House Democrats (@housedemocrats.bsky.social) June 12, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Meanwhile…
The House voted to pass H.R. 4 — the Rescissions Act (this would defund many “DOGE” targets such as NPR/PBS and foreign aid). The bill was passed (214/212/6) with most of the CHC voting NAY. Reps. Correa and Randall did not vote.
The House rejected a motion to adjourn. This motion was rejected (206/218/8) with most of the CHC voting AYE. Reps. Correa and Randall did not vote.
The House voted to pass H.R. 2056 — the District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act (this prohibits DC from passing any laws to hinder the operations of DHS or the American Gestapo ICE). The bill passed (224/194/14) with most of the CHC voting NAY. Reps. Cuellar, Gonzalez, and Gluesenkamp Perez voted AYE. Reps. Correa and Randall did not vote.
The House is adjourned until Monday, June 16th.
The Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Billy Long to be Commissioner of Internal Revenue Service. The nomination was confirmed (53/44/3) with Sens. Cortez Masto and Lujan voting NAY and Sens. Gallego and Padilla not voting.
The Senate rejected a motion to table Amendment 2310 to S.1582 — a bill to regulate stablecoins. The motion to table was rejected (45/52/3) with Sens. Cortez Masto and Lujan voting AYE and Sens. Gallego and Padilla not voting.
The Senate voted for a motion to waive all budgetary discipline for Amendment 2307 to S.1582 — a bill to regulate stablecoins. The motion to waive passed (64/33/3) with Sens. Cortez Masto and Lujan voting AYE and Sens. Gallego and Padilla not voting.
The Senate voted to pass Amendment 2307 to S.1582 — a bill to regulate stablecoins. The amendment passed (67/30/3) with Sens. Cortez Masto and Lujan voting AYE and Sens. Gallego and Padilla not voting.
The Senate voted to invoke cloture on S.1582 — the GENIUS Act (the bill to regulate stablecoins). Cloture was invoked (67/27/6) with Sens. Cortez Masto and Lujan voting AYE and Sens. Gallego and Padilla not voting.
The Senate is adjourned until Monday, June 16th.
Rep. Maxwell Frost has been an activist since age 15. He has definitely made a mark on Washington, DC. in the short amount of time that he has been there. He leans towards being a show pony in terms of legislative responsibilities but the Office of Gun Violence Prevention shows that he has a more serious side as well. Given how young he is, Frost could have a very long tenure in Congress!
The CHC Roundup is a diary series meant to highlight the contributions of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to the Democratic Party. These 43 members of Congress range from members of the Squad to the most conservative members of the party. The series will run every Saturday morning, at 8:00AM.
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