NEWS ALERT! Senator Rick Scott is Fighting to Make Washington Work

NEWS ALERT!

Senator Rick Scott is Fighting to Make Washington Work

See more of Senator Scott’s efforts to make Washington work below.

Senators Rick Scott, Jim Risch, Thom Tillis, Roger Marshall, Marco Rubio and Joni Ernst introduced an amendment to the Senate Rules to require that all bills passed by Senate committees include inflationary impact statements so Americans can see the true impacts of government spending. Congressman Jim Banks introduced the companion bill in the House last month.

Senator Rick Scott said, “American families are worried about growing inflation. I’ve heard countless stories from families across Florida that are having to cut back on purchases because of rising costs. We know that reckless government spending causes inflation, but President Biden and the Democrats have absolutely no plans to slow down spending or get our debt under control. It’s shameful and I won’t just stand by while they try to drive our nation further into the ground with these horrible policies. Congress must get real about the true cost on every American family that this recklessness brings and start spending responsibly. That’s why I’m introducing a proposed rule change in the Senate today to require every piece of legislation passed by a committee to include a report on how it will impact inflation. The American people deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent and each bill’s impact on inflation. I look forward to my colleagues supporting this measure to increase spending transparency.”

Read more HERE.

Senator Rick Scott asked for unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass his amendment to require that all bills passed by the Senate committees include inflationary impact statements so Americans can see the true impacts of government spending. Senate Democrats blocked its passage. Congressman Jim Banks introduced the companion bill in the House last month.

See his speech on the Senate floor HERE or below.

Following the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) releasing its analysis of the Senate’s proposed $1.2 TRILLION “infrastructure” spending bill, Senator Rick Scott released the below statement.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Last night, Senate Democrats blocked my proposal to ensure reckless government spending does not increase inflation and raise prices even higher for American families. Now, we see in this new CBO report that the proposed ‘infrastructure’ spending bill, which isn’t paid for, will add $256 BILLION to our national deficit, further fueling President Biden’s inflation crisis. I fully support spending on infrastructure. We did it when I was Governor of Florida and we should do it at the federal level – but it has to be paid for. We can’t forget, this is just the first part of Senator Schumer’s $5.5 TRILLION tax and spending spree. We cannot afford this reckless spending. Florida families cannot afford even more inflation and higher prices. The American people deserve better.”

Read more HERE.

Senator Rick Scott released the following statement demanding Congress take action to get America’s nearly $30 trillion federal debt under control and urging his colleagues to refuse to increase the debt ceiling without also enacting true spending reform. For months, Senator Scott has been warning of the dangerous consequences of Washington’s reckless spending and the nation’s rapidly growing debt. Today, the Congressional Budget Office released a report highlighting the dire nature of the federal debt crisis.

In April, Senator Scott secured an amendment to the rules of the Senate Republican Conference resolving that any increase in the debt ceiling should be accompanied by cuts in federal spending of an equal or greater amount as the debt ceiling increase, or meaningful structural reform in spending.

Senator Rick Scott said, “America’s nearly $30 TRILLION debt crisis cannot be ignored. Today, I am urging every member of Congress to protect the fiscal security of our nation by refusing to increase the debt ceiling unless it is accompanied by true structural spending reform. We must end the reckless waste of taxpayer dollars.

“We need real spending reform before we consider increasing the debt ceiling. We need reform like my Federal Debt Emergency Control Act, which prevents Washington politicians from mindlessly spending by requiring that two-thirds of the Senate vote to increase the debt before approving any bill. This isn’t political, it’s good government and it’s commonsense. Every fiscally responsible Republican and Democrat should be focused on the debt crisis before us. We cannot allow Congress to continue mortgaging the futures of our children and grandchildren.”

Read more HERE.

Senator Rick Scott led Senators Ted Cruz, Mike Braun, Marsha Blackburn, Ron Johnson, John Barrasso, Joni Ernst and Tommy Tuberville in introducing the Federal Debt Emergency Control Act to rein in Washington’s out-of-control spending and provide a concrete path forward to tackle the nation’s nearly $30 trillion debt. The Federal Debt Emergency Control Act is endorsed by the National Taxpayers Union, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, Americans for Tax Reform, Americans for Prosperity, FreedomWorks, and Club for Growth.

The Federal Debt Emergency Control Act:

• Requires the Office of Management and Budget to declare a “Federal Debt Emergency” in any fiscal year where the federal debt exceeds 100% of that year’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
• This emergency designation would trigger several provisions to help control and reduce the federal debt to levels below 100% of GDP, including:
  • Terminating any unobligated funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, and any previous stimulus bills, and sending it back to the Treasury General Fund immediately for deficit reduction.
  • Requiring all legislation that increases the federal deficit, as determined by the Congressional Budget Office, to carry its own offsets. If it does not, the legislation shall be considered out of order and will require at least two-thirds of all Senators to vote to increase federal debt before even being able to consider the bill.
  • Fast-tracking any legislation that would reduce the federal deficit by at least 5 percent over ten years.

Senator Rick Scott said, “America is in a debt crisis. Our nation is barreling toward $30 trillion in debt – an unimaginable $233,000 in debt for every family in America. It’s a crisis caused by decades of wasteful and reckless spending by Washington politicians. Now, President Biden is continuing this way of governing by pushing for trillions in wasteful spending, raising the U.S. federal debt by 60% to $39 trillion and the debt-to-GDP ratio to 117% in 2030, the highest level ever recorded in American history. Spending beyond our means has consequences. We’re already seeing rising inflation, which disproportionately hurts the poorest families, like mine growing up.

“That’s why today, I am leading my colleagues in introducing the Federal Debt Emergency Control Act to rein in Washington’s out of control spending. This includes preventing Washington politicians from mindlessly spending by requiring that two-thirds of the Senate vote to increase the debt before approving any bill. I look forward to every fiscally responsible Republican and Democrat working with me to quickly pass the Federal Debt Emergency Control Act.”

Read more HERE.

Senators Rick Scott, Joe Manchin, Mike Braun, John Barrasso, Richard Burr, Shelley Moore Capito, Joni Ernst, Maggie Hassan and Kyrsten Sinema reintroduced their No Budget, No Pay legislation. The common-sense No Budget, No Pay bill requires members of Congress to do their job and work together to pass a budget and meet appropriations bill deadlines, or forgo their own salaries until the job is done.

Senator Rick Scott said, “There is no reason members of Congress should be held to a different standard than any other American family or business. In the real world, if you don’t do your job, you don’t get paid. Our No Budget, No Pay bill simply requires Congress to pass an annual budget and meet appropriations bill deadlines, or forgo their taxpayer-funded salaries until the job is done. Accountability shouldn’t be controversial.”

Read more HERE.

Senators Rick Scott, Joni Ernst, Mike Braun, Mike Crapo and Thom Tillis introduced the Federal Agency Sunset Commission Act to help streamline operations and identify inefficiencies of bloated federal agencies in order to reduce waste and save taxpayer dollars. The Federal Agency Sunset Commission Act creates a review process to routinely evaluate the efficiency of federal agencies, justify their existence in their current structure, and offer recommendations for change in the form of proposed legislation. Representative Michael Cloud introduced the companion bill in the House of Representatives.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Our nation is on track to reach $30 trillion in debt and reckless, unaccountable spending by politicians in Washington has put us on a path of economic self-destruction. We have to take action. One way we can actually protect the American taxpayer is by routinely evaluating the usefulness of our government agencies and identifying their inefficiencies. I did it as Governor of Florida, and it saved Florida taxpayers millions of dollars. The Federal Agency Sunset Commission Act will help eliminate waste and redundancies throughout the federal government, and make Washington work better for American families.”

Read more HERE.

Senators Rick Scott and Mike Braun re-introduced the End Pensions In Congress (EPIC) Act to end taxpayer-funded pensions for members of the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Currently, members of Congress are eligible for their federal pension after just five years of service, providing a financial incentive to would-be career politicians.

Senators Scott and Braun also re-introduced their legislation, the Banning Lobbying and Safeguarding Trust (BLAST) Act, to implement a permanent lobbying ban for former members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Washington is broken, and that’s due in part to self-interested politicians who are more focused on getting high-paying lobbying gigs and generous taxpayer-funded pensions than serving the taxpayers who elected them. We need to end the concept of career politicians if we ever want to change Washington and make government work for American families. That means we need term limits for all members of Congress, a permanent lobbying bans for former members, and an end to lucrative taxpayer-funded pensions. Members of Congress shouldn’t be using their elected position to get rich – period. I’m proud to join Senator Braun on common sense solutions to make Washington work for families across the nation.”

Read more HERE.

Senators Rick Scott, Joni Ernst, Roger Marshall, Josh Hawley, and John Kennedy introduced legislation to require members of Congress to have enough time to read bills before voting on them and certify that they have read every bill they cast a vote on.

This legislation comes as Senate Democrats try to push through a more than 600-page COVID-19 spending bill, which prioritizes their wasteful, liberal agenda over actual COVID relief. Only 10 percent of the funding in the Democrats’ bill is dedicated to actual COVID relief and less than one percent is committed to critical vaccine initiatives.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Too often, lawmakers in Washington pass bills without having time to read them before they vote. These are new laws that impact American families and businesses and sometimes even authorize billions or trillions in tax dollar spending. Scary, right? It’s ridiculous Washington dysfunction, and it has to end. I’m proud to lead my colleagues in making sure members of Congress get to work for the American people and actually read bills before casting their votes.”

Read more HERE.

U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced the Pay Down the Debt Act of 2021, a bill that would permit state and local governments to redirect grants they receive from the federal government toward reducing federal deficit spending, giving concerned state and local leaders a way to help address the staggering national debt that our nation faces.

Congress passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in March, and numerous states have since opted out of an extra unemployment payment included in the law.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Our nation is nearing $30 trillion in debt and President Biden and the Democrats continue to spend American taxpayer dollars with reckless abandon. Anyone in state and local government who calls themselves a fiscal conservative knows there is no such thing as free money. This is American taxpayer money and lawmakers have a responsibility to spend it wisely. Governors, mayors and state legislatures across the country need to stand up and say the disastrous fiscal path we’re headed down is wrong. Our bill promotes fiscal responsibility by allowing them to redirect grants they receive from the federal government, like the hundreds of billions in bailouts allocated by the Democrats’ American Rescue Plan, toward reducing federal deficit spending.”

Read more HERE.

Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Ted Cruz and colleagues to reintroduce an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would impose term limits on Members of Congress. U.S. Senators would be limited to two six-year terms and members of the House of Representatives to three two year terms.

Read more HERE.

Senator Rick Scott wrote an op-ed for the South Florida Sun Sentinel on how Washington’s dysfunction is at an all-time high, with Democrats refusing to negotiate on even the most common-sense issues. Senator Scott campaigned on a platform to Make Washington Work for American families, and has introduced several pieces of legislation to reform the tired, dysfunctional ways of Washington, including his No Budget, No Pay proposal, term limits for members of Congress, a permanent lobbying ban for former members of Congress, and his bill to make sure members of Congress are accountable to the taxpayers and actually read the bills they are voting on.

In the op-ed, Senator Rick Scott wrote, “When I was elected as Florida’s U.S. senator, I knew Washington was dysfunctional. Two years in and it’s worse than you can imagine. People don’t talk to each other in the halls. The concept of bipartisanship is dead on arrival. President Biden’s disingenuous calls for unity fell on deaf ears as his administration and the Democrats refused to negotiate on even the most common-sense issues.
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I came to Washington after completely turning Florida’s economy around during my eight years as governor. We can turn our entire nation around and uphold the ideals that make America the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family – but first, we have to change Washington. 
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Recently, Sen. Ron Johnson was criticized for making sure that Democrats’ 600-page, massive spending bill was actually read before members voted on it. The Democrats fought against this effort for transparency in order to rush through and pass a $2 trillion bill that devotes less than 10 percent of its funding to COVID-19. For them, the more Americans are kept in the dark, the better. That’s wrong and why I introduced legislation to make sure members of Congress are accountable to the taxpayers and actually read the bills they are voting on.

Finally, to Make Washington Work, we have to end government waste. America is in a $30 trillion debt crisis and so many in Washington, namely the Biden Administration, couldn’t care less.
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Here’s what they don’t want Americans to know — as reckless spending continues to increase the federal debt, inflation will rise with it. For American families that means rising costs on everyday necessities, like groceries and gas. I grew up in public housing and watched my parents struggle to find work and make ends meet. I never want a family to go through what mine did growing up and I know that the last thing hurting families need to worry about is higher prices on our most essential goods. We simply cannot waste any more taxpayer dollars and expect our nation to be on a successful and sustainable path.
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As your senator, it’s my job to keep you informed of what’s going on in this unusual place and keep you updated on every step I am taking in my fight to make Washington work for Florida’s families. I plan to do just that.”

Read the full op-ed in the South Florida Sun Sentinel HERE.

Senators Rick Scott and Cynthia Lummis wrote an op-ed on how Washington’s status quo of reckless and wasteful spending, which is leading our nation to $30 trillion in debt and rising inflation, isn’t working. In their op-ed, Senators Scott and Lummis detail what must be done to address America’s debt crisis and how their legislation, the Pay Down the Debt Act, will help fix it.

In the op-ed, Senators Rick Scott and Cynthia Lummis wrote, “With our national debt nearing a staggering $30 trillion, one would think that President Joe Biden would be ready to take a hard look at our spending and find ways to reduce it. Instead, in the just over 100 days that Joe Biden has been president, he’s proposed more than $6 trillion in new spending. 

Even more troubling is that Biden refuses to address the basic question we and many Americans keep asking: ‘How do you plan to pay for all of this, Joe?’ 

We know that Biden can’t tax his way out of his own massive spending problem – but that won’t stop him from trying. His proposed tax increases would do more to wreck our economy than pay this tab. Clearly, something must change.

It is up to all of us to do our part to reduce the national debt. 
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As part of our commitment to taxpayers in our home states of Florida and Wyoming, as well as the entire nation, we’ve just introduced legislation to change the status quo.

Our bill, the Pay Down the Debt Act, would prevent any federal grant funds refused by a fiscally responsible state government from going to another state. Instead, our bill would require those funds to go to reduce our national debt.
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Fiscally conservative citizens and elected officials must do everything in our power to reverse the direction of our deficit and debt spending. The future of our children and grandchildren depend on our actions. 

This legislation is a real step to start reining in spending and reducing our debt. 

For every dollar this legislation saves today, it is one less one that we have to pay back tomorrow.”

Read the full op-ed in Fox News HERE.