Senator Rick Scott's Week in Review - Republican Men's Club of Collier County

Dear Fellow Floridian,

With the start of the 2023 Hurricane Season around the corner, I kicked off my hurricane preparedness tour across Florida to send one very clear message: Now is the time for every family to make a plan and get prepared.

Throughout my eight years as governor and now as senator, I’ve seen the destruction left behind by multiple devastating hurricanes. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned – it’s that preparedness saves lives.

Last year, we saw terrible devastation and loss of life with Hurricane Ian’s landfall in Florida. I know so many families are still working to recover and get back to their homes and businesses. But recovery would not be possible without incredible organizations like the American Red Cross Florida Regions and Meals on Wheels, which operates 126 programs throughout the state. Both of these organizations play a critical role in serving our communities, especially during hurricane season, to help families and our senior citizens receive much-needed resources and support. Ann and I were proud to give back to these organizations and donate my first quarter Senate salary to advance their work.

Now is also a great opportunity for your family to stock your disaster supply kits with vital supplies like a first aid kit, a radio, flashlights, batteries and other necessities. As I always say, you can rebuild your home, but you can’t rebuild your life. Don’t put your family and loved ones at risk. Don’t wait to take action.

Get prepared today.

For resources on how you and your family can stay safe, click HERE.

Sincerely,

Rick Scott

United States Senator

To be the first to find out about Senator Scott’s actions and statements, follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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See more of what Senator Scott has been up to this week below.

Sen. Rick Scott to Donate Senate Salary to American Red Cross and Meals on Wheels in Support of Hurricane Preparedness Efforts

Senator Rick Scott and Mrs. Ann Scott announced that the senator will be donating his quarterly Senate salary to the American Red Cross Florida Regions and Meals on Wheels, which operates 126 programs throughout the state. Both of these organizations play a critical role in serving our communities, especially during hurricane season, to help families and our senior citizens receive much-needed resources and support. Senator Scott has donated his Senate salary every quarter since taking office.

Later this week, Senator Rick Scott be traveling the state on a hurricane preparedness tour across Florida to emphasize the importance of planning ahead for the 2023 hurricane season beginning June 1.

Senator Rick Scott said, “The 2023 hurricane season is around the corner, and there’s no better time to get prepared than TODAY for any potential weather. As I travel the state this week to encourage Floridians to get prepared, Ann and I are proud to announce that we will be donating my Senate quarterly salary to Florida sectors of American Red Cross and Meals on Wheels to support the great work they’re doing throughout our state during this Hurricane season. Right now, so many families are continuing to struggle to make ends meet with inflation, and often turning to organizations like these for help with extra supplies for their emergency supply kits and stocking up for potential weather. One of the best things about the state of Florida is that when Floridians are in need, there’s always a helping hand available – these organizations and their many committed volunteers are a prime example of that.”

Read more HERE. Lea más en español AQUÍ.

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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING… Nationwide Law Enforcement & School Safety Leaders Applaud Sen. Rick Scott’s School Guardian Act

Law enforcement and school safety leaders across the nation are applauding Senator Rick Scott’s School Guardian Act. This bill, which was introduced last month following the horrific shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, would create a block grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice supporting the hiring of one or more law enforcement officers to provide full-time security at every K-12 school in the country, including all public, private and religious schools. This bill builds on Senator Scott’s efforts as Governor of Florida to improve school safety with increased law enforcement and security measures following the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.

Senator Scott’s School Guardian Act has been endorsed by:

Stand With Parkland
The Florida Sheriffs Association
The Florida Police Chiefs Association
The National Association of School Resource Officers
The National Sheriffs’ Association
The Florida Association of School Resource Officers
Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast
The Indiana Sheriffs’ Association
The Pennsylvania Association of School Resource Officers

Read more HERE.

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Sen. Rick Scott Kicks Off Statewide Hurricane Preparedness Tour in Doral

Senator Rick Scott kicked off his hurricane preparedness tour in Doral where he emphasized the importance of planning ahead for the 2023 hurricane season which begins next week on June 1. This was Senator Scott’s first stop on his two-day tour across the Sunshine State where he is getting the word out about the upcoming hurricane season with local elected leaders, emergency management officials and business owners.

Yesterday, Senator Scott and Mrs. Ann Scott announced that they will be donating his first quarter Senate salary to the American Red Cross Florida Regions and Meals on Wheels, which operates 126 programs throughout the state. Both of these organizations play a critical role in serving our communities, especially during hurricane season, to help families and our senior citizens receive much-needed resources and support. Senator Scott has donated his Senate salary every quarter since taking office.

Senator Rick Scott said, “With the start of the 2023 Hurricane Season around the corner, I am here to send one very clear message: Now is the time for every family to make a plan and get prepared. Throughout my eight years as governor and now as senator, I’ve seen the destruction left behind by multiple devastating hurricanes. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned – it’s that preparedness saves lives. Last year, we saw terrible devastation and loss of life with Hurricane Ian’s landfall in Florida. I know so many families are still working to recover and get back to their homes and businesses. Now is also a great opportunity for your family to stock your disaster supply kits with vital supplies like a first aid kit, a radio, flashlights, batteries and other necessities. As I always say, you can rebuild your home, but you can’t rebuild your life. Don’t put your family and loved ones at risk. Don’t wait to take action. Get prepared today.”

Yesterday, Senator Scott and Mrs. Ann Scott announced that they will be donating his first quarter Senate salary to the American Red Cross Florida Regions and Meals on Wheels, which operates 126 programs throughout the state. Both of these organizations play a critical role in serving our communities, especially during hurricane season, to help families and our senior citizens receive much-needed resources and support. Senator Scott has donated his Senate salary every quarter since taking office.

Senator Rick Scott continued his hurricane preparedness tour in Kissimmee where he emphasized the importance of planning ahead for the 2023 hurricane season which begins next week on June 1. This was Senator Scott’s second stop on his two-day tour across the Sunshine State where he is getting the word out about the upcoming hurricane season with local elected leaders, emergency management officials and business owners.

Senator Rick Scott said, “With the start of the 2023 Hurricane Season around the corner, I am here to send one very clear message: Now is the time for every family to make a plan and get prepared. Last year, we saw terrible devastation with Hurricane Ian’s landfall, and it reminded us that severe weather can approach and change course so quickly – even without a direct hit, we still saw massive flooding, road closures and outings here in Central Florida. Many folks here remember Hurricane Maria just a few years ago, and had families come here to Florida after their homes were devastated in Puerto Rico. Now is a great opportunity for your family to stock your disaster supply kits with vital supplies like a first aid kit, a radio, flashlights, batteries and other necessities. As I always say, you can rebuild your home, but you can’t rebuild your life. Don’t put your family and loved ones at risk. Don’t wait to take action. Get prepared today.”

Read more HERE. Lea más en español AQUÍ.

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Sen. Rick Scott Hosts Hurricane Preparedness Press Conference in Ft. Myers

Senator Rick Scott continued his hurricane preparedness tour in Ft. Myers where he emphasized the importance of planning ahead for the 2023 hurricane season which begins next week on June 1. This was Senator Scott’s third stop on his two-day tour across the Sunshine State where he is getting the word out about the upcoming hurricane season with local elected leaders, emergency management officials and business owners.

Senator Rick Scott said, “With the start of the 2023 Hurricane Season around the corner, I am here to send one very clear message: Now is the time for every family to make a plan and get prepared. Last year, we saw terrible devastation with Hurricane Ian in Southwest Florida. I know so many families are still working to recover and get back to their homes and businesses. In Washington, I am working hard to get you all the relief you deserve by passing my Hurricane Tax Relief Act to provide disaster-loss tax relief to families impacted by Hurricanes Ian, Nicole and Fiona. I am hopeful we can get it done and get Floridians the help they need.

“In these seven months since Ian, I’ve talked to countless families, businesses, and officials on every level – we’ve worked hand in hand to make sure you have the resources you need to get back on your feet and on the way to a full recovery. But we always need to be ready for the next storm. Now is a great opportunity for your family to stock your disaster supply kits with vital supplies like a first aid kit, a radio, flashlights, batteries and other necessities. As I always say, you can rebuild your home, but you can’t rebuild your life. Don’t put your family and loved ones at risk. Don’t wait to take action. Get prepared today.”

Read more HERE. Lea más en español AQUÍ.

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Sen. Rick Scott Hosts Hurricane Preparedness Press Conference in Tampa

Senator Rick Scott continued his hurricane preparedness tour in Tampa where he emphasized the importance of planning ahead for the 2023 hurricane season which begins next week on June 1. This was Senator Scott’s fourth stop on his tour across the Sunshine State where he is getting the word out about the upcoming hurricane season with local elected leaders, emergency management officials and business owners.

Senator Rick Scott said, “With the start of the 2023 Hurricane Season around the corner, I am here to send one very clear message: Now is the time for every family to make a plan and get prepared. Ian reminded us that severe weather can approach and change course so quickly—just days before landfall, the eye of the storm shifted and was heading right here for Tampa Bay before shifting back south. Tampa got lucky with that storm, but we cannot count on that again. We have to take all storms seriously. Now is a great opportunity for you and your family to stock your disaster supply kits with vital supplies like a first aid kit, a radio, flashlights, batteries, and other necessities. As I always say, you can rebuild your home, but you can’t rebuild your life. Don’t put your family and loved ones at risk. Don’t wait to take action. Get prepared today.”

Read more HERE. Lea más en español AQUÍ.

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Sen. Rick Scott Hosts Hurricane Preparedness Press Conference in Mexico Beach

Senator Rick Scott continued his hurricane preparedness tour in Mexico Beach where he emphasized the importance of planning ahead for the 2023 hurricane season which begins next week on June 1. This was Senator Scott’s fifth stop on his tour across the Sunshine State where he has been getting the word out about the upcoming hurricane season with local elected leaders, emergency management officials and business owners.

Senator Rick Scott said, “With the start of the 2023 Hurricane Season around the corner, I am here to send one very clear message: Now is the time for every family to make a plan and get prepared. I’ll never forget a family I met here in Mexico Beach after Hurricane Michael devastated that community and much of the panhandle. They ignored the evacuation order and stayed home. They almost lost everything in the storm—including their lives. They pledged to never take that chance again. We have to take all storms seriously.

“I know Michael is still fresh in the minds of families and businesses here in Mexico Beach. It is hard to imagine going through that again, so now is a great opportunity for you and your family to stock your disaster supply kits with vital supplies like a first aid kit, a radio, flashlights, batteries, and other necessities. As I always say, you can rebuild your home, but you can’t rebuild your life. Don’t put your family and loved ones at risk. Don’t wait to take action. Get prepared today.”

Read more HERE. Lea más en español AQUÍ.

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Sens. Rick Scott & Elizabeth Warren Criticize Failures of Fed IG, Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Eliminate Conflicts of Interest and Promote Accountability at the Fed

Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Elizabeth Warren in sending a letter to Federal Reserve (Fed) Inspector General (IG) Mark Bialek, reiterating the need to make his position a presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed role to provide greater accountability at the Fed. Mr. Bialek testified in front of the senators at a Senate Banking Subcommittee hearing last Wednesday. The letter was sent in response to several concerns he had raised about S. 915, the Senators’ bipartisan Fed IG reform legislation.

Additionally, the lawmakers introduced the Strengthening Federal Reserve System Accountability Act, to improve the governance of the Federal Reserve System and make the Fed more transparent and accountable. The senators’ new legislation would prohibit executives from large banks from serving on Reserve Bank boards of directors, require the Board of Governors and Reserve Banks to disclose more information about the Reserve Bank president and director selection processes, and subject Reserve Bank directors to ethics and financial conflict of interest rules.

Read more HERE.

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Sen. Rick Scott Issues Weekly Update on Biden’s Inflation

As the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ April Personal Consumer Expenditures (PCE) release showed prices paid by consumers for goods and services rose 4.4% over the year, Senator Rick Scott released a weekly update on his actions to address America’s debt crisis and rising inflation. The PCE data released today is further proof that President Biden’s inflation crisis, caused by his and Democrats’ socialist policies and reckless government spending, continues to wreak havoc on the economy and shrink budgets for families as the prices of everyday goods continue to skyrocket.

Senator Rick Scott said, “I have said it before, and I will say it again: reckless government spending causes inflation. The events that have unfolded recently are further proof that we have real and serious economic issues at hand. When it comes to negotiating our debt ceiling, every American has a dog in this fight. Families are being forced to dip into their savings just to keep up with rising costs. We cannot continue to make reckless decisions that will saddle future generations with debt. We have to come to an agreement and get this country back on the path of fiscal sanity. We cannot continue to raise taxes, and we certainly cannot continue spending the way Washington has been. I stand firmly behind my House Republican colleagues and their effort to pass a solid, commonsense plan. The time for fiscal sanity is now.”

Read more HERE. Lea más en español AQUÍ.

Additionally, click HERE for Senator Scott’s monthly Economic Snapshot.

Citrus County Sheriff Michael Prendergast shared his support for Senator Rick Scott’s School Guardian Act in a recent Citrus County Chronicle op-ed. Senator Scott’s legislation would create a block grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice supporting the hiring of one or more law enforcement officers to provide full-time security at every K-12 school in the country, including all public, private and religious schools.

In addition to Sheriff Prendergast’s recent endorsement, Senator Scott’s proposal has been endorsed by Stand With Parkland, the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Florida Police Chiefs Association, the National Association of School Resource Officers, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the Florida Association of School Resource Officers, the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association, and the Pennsylvania Association of School Resource Officers.

Sheriff Michael Prendergast writes, “Recent tragic events around the country have once again brought the issue of school safety to the forefront of the national conversation. As Sheriff of Citrus County, I have seen firsthand the importance of having well-trained, armed law enforcement officers in our schools to protect our students and staff. It is vital that we take immediate action to protect our children and provide a safe learning environment. For these very reasons, I am expressing my full support for Sen. Rick Scott’s recent proposal placing a sworn law enforcement officer on every school campus in the country. Following the horrific mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Sen. Scott has introduced a new bill in the U.S. Senate called the School Guardian Act of 2023…

“Sen. Scott seeks to build upon his efforts as governor of Florida, where he helped pass the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act in 2018 to improve school safety across the state with increased law enforcement and security measures. Since passage of that legislation five years ago, Florida has been extremely successful in improving school safety and continues to set the standard for the rest of the nation. I have no doubt that this model could be expanded and enhanced to a national level to ensure consistency of services, effectiveness in deployment, and afford top-quality protection across all K-12 campuses in the country.

Law enforcement officers who are assigned to a school build positive relationships with students, staff, and parents. These interactions can help to prevent incidents of violence or other criminal activity, and identify potential threats before they escalate. In Citrus County, we have sworn deputies assigned to nearly every public school in our community and one contracted at Seven Rivers Christian School. While each one is acutely focused on safety and security, they also work diligently on educating and working with our schools in preparing students to make good life choices along with instructing them on the consequences of violating the law…

“Over the past several years, our School Resource Deputy Program has undergone extensive training in areas such as de-escalation, crisis response tactics, use of force, criminal investigation and the handling of high-pressure situations. They work tirelessly to prepare for any potential threats through annual joint trainings on critical responses and mock drills at school facilities with their staff. In 2019, the Sheriff’s Office invited the US Department of Homeland Security to provide their weeklong, in-depth Active Shooter Threat Training Program to all our SRDs. To further bolster our continuous preparedness, we had the Florida Department of Law Enforcement provide their Active Threat Response course to all of our SRDs just last summer. Later this year, we have the U.S. Secret Service coming in to train our deputies and other sheriff’s office staff on their course, Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model and Key Findings of Averted and Targeted School Violence…

“Sen. Scott’s School Guardian Act is a common-sense approach to ensuring the safety of our schools by having a sworn, law enforcement officer in every public and private school across the U.S. I pledge my full support to Sen. Rick Scott and his School Guardian Act. I urge everyone to back this important legislation which has already received endorsements from the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Florida Police Chiefs Association, and Stand with Parkland – The National Association of Families for Safe Schools. We have an obligation to our children and our communities to do everything we can to prevent another tragic school shooting and keep our schools safe…”

Read the full op-ed in the Citrus County Chronicle HERE.

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WTSP 10 Tampa Bay: Sen. Rick Scott’s Bill to Combat Fentanyl Crisis, Shares Heartbreaking Stories of Floridians Impacted

In case you missed it, WTSP 10 Tampa Bay highlighted Senator Rick Scott’s Uniform Postal Data Acquisition for Transparency and Early Detection within the United States Postal Service (UPDATED USPS) Act to curb the flow of fentanyl through the U.S. mail. The bill strengthens advance electronic data requirements on shipments from foreign adversaries, allowing the postal service to block the transmission of packages that lack digital tracking data. If passed, this bill would make it easier for the U.S. to stop foreign cartels from circumventing border patrol agents and curb the delivery of fentanyl into American communities. In 2021, more than 70,000 Americans have died from fentanyl overdoses.

When announcing the reintroduction of his bill Senator Rick Scott said, “Every day, fentanyl is pouring into American communities and killing our neighbors and loved ones. More than 70,000 Americans died in 2021 from fentanyl overdoses – and every one of these deaths was 100% preventable. Today, I am continuing my work to combat the deadly fentanyl crisis by reintroducing the UPDATED USPS Act, giving officials another desperately needed tool to use in the fight to keep these deadly drugs out of our country. We know that Communist China is feeding the Mexican Cartels the precursors they need to make fentanyl and then smuggle it over the border, but it’s also coming in through the mail. By strengthening requirements on shipments from foreign adversaries, we’ll be able to stop shipments of fentanyl before they reach our communities and kill our citizens. Americans are dying every day. We don’t have time to wait, and I won’t stop fighting in the Senate to bring an end to this horrible crisis.”

Watch the full clip from WTSP 10 Tampa Bay HERE.

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Fox News: Rick Scott leads push to help parents keep kids safe from unrestricted AI

As artificial intelligence developments continue to advance and concerns with the technology grow, Fox News published an article highlighting Senator Rick Scott’s newly introduced Artificial Intelligence Shield for Kids (ASK) Act. Senator Scott’s legislation would prevent children from accessing artificial intelligence features on social media sites without the consent of a parent or guardian. Additionally, the bill requires the Federal Communications Commission, in consultation with the Federal Trade Commission, to issue rules prohibiting social media companies from charging a fee or mandating a paid subscription, as Snapchat has recently done, before allowing parents or kids to remove artificial intelligence features from products used by minors.

Reporting for Fox News, Liz Elkind writes, “Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is hoping to give parents more control over their kids’ access to AI chatbots as Congress starts to wrestle with how to put guardrails around rapidly advancing artificial intelligence systems…

[He’s] already winning support for the bill from Senate colleagues as well as American parents…

‘Part of government’s responsibility is to keep people safe. And I think this is the basic premise of what government ought to be doing, is keeping kids safe,’ he said…

‘I think about how my wife and I raised our daughters, you know, we signed off if they were gonna go to a school trip. If they were going to stay all night, we made sure we knew the family. We tried to make sure they’re around people that put them in a situation that kept them safe. And I think every parent probably thinks that way,’ the senator said. ‘So I think we’ve got to do the same thing with regard to technology,’ he said. ‘I don’t think that our children ought to be subjected to AI technology without parental consent.’

…He added that he expects the legislation to move forward in committee, which would set it up for an eventual Senate floor vote.”

Read the full story on Fox News HERE.

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Fox News: Sen. Scott responds to NAACP’s Florida ‘travel advisory’ with one of his own for ‘socialists’

The Hill: Rick Scott issues travel advisory for ‘socialists,’ warning Florida is ‘openly hostile’ to them

Washington Examiner: Rick Scott mocks NAACP with travel advisory for socialists heading to Florida

The Floridian: Rick Scott Receives Citrus County Sheriff’s Support of School Safety Bill

The Floridian: Rick Scott Issues His Own Florida Travel Advisory for ‘Socialists’ and ‘Leftists’

News Channel 8: Sen. Rick Scott issues travel advisory warning Florida is ‘openly hostile toward Socialists’

Florida Daily: Rick Scott to Donate Senate Salary to American Red Cross and Meals on Wheels in Support of Hurricane Preparedness Efforts

Florida Daily: Rick Scott Brings Back Proposal Targeting Fentanyl Transport Through U.S. Mail

WTSP: Sen. Rick Scott issues travel advisory for ‘socialists visiting Florida’