Senator Rick Scott’s Week in Review
Dear Fellow Floridian,
For years, too many in Congress have just accepted the status quo and stood idly by as Democrats shoved through massive spending package after massive spending package with no consideration of the consequences. Here is why Washington’s spending problem is hurting families. Think about this: inflation has skyrocketed nearly 18% since Biden took office – it’s costing Florida families over $1,000 MORE PER MONTH. It’s because Democrats and the Washington elite think it’s normal to pass giant spending bills that are just wasteful, unaccountable spending sprees of your taxpayer money that allow trillions in more debt and further fuel this crisis. The reckless spending is EVERYWHERE. So this week, I hosted a press conference to call on Republicans to work together and force the return of fiscal sanity and secure our border by passing spending bills that get our country back on track.
When we think about returning to fiscal sanity and getting our country back on track, I am reminded of our nation’s student loan crisis. Millions of Americans are burdened with soaring tuition and thousands of dollars in loans while the university they attended sits on a MASSIVE endowment. But the reality is these universities don’t want to spend their money. They want to push you to rack up debt and also take BILLIONS of your taxpayer dollars, and the crazy thing is Washington lets them with NO ACCOUNTABILITY. It’s exhibit A of Washington’s broken mentality and why I reintroduced my COLLEGE Actearlier this week. This good bill forces universities to take more responsibility when preparing students for successful careers and holds university administrators accountable for the unacceptable skyrocketing price of education.
I’ve had enough! Families have had enough. It’s time Washington stopped looking out for special interests and political agendas and started working for you.
Sincerely,
Rick Scott
United States Senator
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Sen. Rick Scott: No Conditions on Israel Aid Until Every Hamas Terrorist is Dead
Senator Rick Scott released the following statement slamming Democrats’ demands to include new conditions on Israel aid and apply limits on Israel’s actions to defend itself. The atrocities committed by Iran-backed Hamas terrorists during their October 7th attack, and their ongoing war in Israel, have killed more than 1,400 innocent people, and at least 33 Americans, while taking hundreds of Israelis hostage, including several Americans. Senator Scott is demanding the Biden administration bring American hostages home and has been a leading supporter of Israel defending itself and destroying Hamas. Last week, Senator Scott joined his colleagues in demanding a vote on the Senate floor to pass the House-passed Israel aid legislation, but it was defeated when every Senate Democrat voted against it.
Senator Rick Scott said, “Unlike the brutal Iran-backed Hamas terrorists, the people of Israel are fair and just in their actions to defend themselves. Tying the hands of Israel as it fights against terrorists for its very survival is unacceptable and un-American. The terrorists Israel seeks to destroy invaded its country and brutally beheaded babies, burned people alive, raped and murdered young women and are STILL holding hundreds, including Americans, hostage. It is disgusting that Democrats, including President Biden, would be considering limits on Israel and its right to defend itself. There should not be a single discussion about additional conditions on Israel aid until every single Hamas terrorist is dead. It is embarrassing that Americans and leaders within our own government would consider helping Hamas when these Iran-backed terrorists are fighting to eliminate Israel and all who live there, including innocent Americans held hostage. It is disgusting. Enough is enough—no further conditions on Israel aid until Hamas is destroyed.”
Read more HERE.
Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and their colleagues in sending a letter to President Joe Biden reiterating concerns over the White House’s refusal to respond to the Senators’ previous demands for transparency regarding the use of American taxpayer dollars to implement Executive Order 14019. The Executive Order instructed federal agencies to engage in voter mobilization and submit to the White House a plan for doing so, and is a potential violation of the Antideficiency Act that prohibits agencies from expending federal funds without Congressional authorization.
Read the full letter HERE. Read more HERE.
Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and their colleagues in sending a letter to President Joe Biden reiterating concerns over the White House’s refusal to respond to the Senators’ previous demands for transparency regarding the use of American taxpayer dollars to implement Executive Order 14019. The Executive Order instructed federal agencies to engage in voter mobilization and submit to the White House a plan for doing so, and is a potential violation of the Antideficiency Act that prohibits agencies from expending federal funds without Congressional authorization.
Read the full letter HERE. Read more HERE.
Senator Rick Scott announced the reintroduction of his Changing Our Learning, Loans, Endowments, and Graduation Expectations (COLLEGE) Act to force universities to take more responsibility when it comes to preparing students for successful careers and to hold university administrators accountable for the unacceptable skyrocketing price of education. Senator Scott’s legislation puts higher education institutions on the hook for student debt, implements reporting requirements for metrics related to student success and ensures that massive university endowments benefit students and families first.
Senator Rick Scott said, “Right now, universities are raking in BILLIONS from federal taxpayers while sitting on massive endowments & doing nothing to combat disgusting anti-Semitism on their campuses. That is unacceptable. For far too long, state and federal leaders have taken a misguided and failed approach to managing public institutions of higher education. The result of their decades of failed policy and mismanagement is millions of Americans with mountains of student debt racked up earning degrees that haven’t prepared them for good, high-paying jobs in the real world. If we want real results that improve student performance, boost post-graduation job placement and keep tuition affordable, we need to do the hard work of actually holding colleges and universities responsible for the outcomes of their students and accountable to the American taxpayer. My COLLEGE Act takes big, important steps toward doing exactly that.”
Read more HERE.
Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Marco Rubio and their colleagues to introduce the Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Reauthorization Act of 2023 to ensure current U.S. government’s sanctions against Venezuela’s narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro, and 150 members of his criminal regime responsible for human rights abuses against the Venezuelan people, remain in place. Without action, the sanctions will expire on December 21, 2023. Joining Senators Scott and Rubio in their efforts are Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN).
Senator Rick Scott said, “Time after time we’ve seen President Joe Biden appease murderous dictators like Maduro by lifting sanctions, allowing millions of dollars to fuel his dangerous regime and further destabilize the region. The people of Venezuela made their choice by backing María Corina Machado as the legitimate opposition leader, and now the United States must use every opportunity it has to put the full support behind the voice for freedom, using every sanction within the power of our nation to hold Maduro accountable. I’m proud to join Senator Rubio in this bill to reauthorize sanctions that impose human rights sanctions on the Maduro regime and ensures the U.S. only supports those who are fighting for a truly democratic and free Venezuela.”
Read more HERE.
Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) in leading his colleagues in a bipartisan letter to President Joe Biden ahead of his meeting with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In their letter, the senators focus on the devastating impact of fentanyl in the United States and the PRC’s role in the fentanyl supply chain. The letter calls on President Biden to urge President Xi to do more to stop the flow of precursor chemicals that are sent from the PRC to Mexico. These chemicals are used to manufacture deadly drugs, which are then trafficked across our southern border. From 2020 to 2021, the number of primarily fentanyl-related deaths in the United States increased by 24.1 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read more HERE. Lea más en español AQUÍ.
Sens. Rick Scott & Marco Rubio Send Letter to DOD Urging Action Against Chinese LIDAR Proliferation
Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio sent a letter to Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, highlighting concerns regarding the increase of Chinese Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology within the United States. In their letter, Senators Scott and Rubio urge the Department to take stock of current LIDAR sources and add Chinese LIDAR companies to the Section 1260H Chinese Military and Military Civil-Fusion Companies List—a list issued by the DOD identifying Chinese companies of concern that may pose a risk to the safety and security of America and its citizens. Communist China’s military actions continue to create major threats to America’s security, and the sustained production and use of Chinese LIDAR poses potential economic and national security risks as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to promote global adoption of its LIDAR technology and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) seeks to develop offensive unmanned weapons systems.
Read more HERE.
Sen. Rick Scott Issues Weekly Update on Biden’s Inflation Crisis
Senator Rick Scott released a weekly update on his actions to address America’s debt crisis and rising inflation following the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ October Personal Consumer Expenditures (PCE) report showing prices paid by consumers for goods and services rose 3.0% over the year. Earlier this week, Senator Scott hosted a press conference with Senators Mike Braun, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson and Roger Marshall, as well as members of the House Freedom Caucus (HFC), including HFC Chair Scott Perry and Representatives Chip Roy, Bob Good and Andy Biggs, highlighting the need to demand and secure fiscal sanity and border security in the upcoming supplemental and forthcoming appropriations bills.
Read more HERE. Lea más en español AQUÍ.
The American Conservative: Butchers, Brewers, and Bakers
Florida Daily: Rick Scott: ‘No Further Conditions on Israel Aid Until Hamas is Destroyed’
The Floridian: Scott: No Conditions on Israel Aid Until Hamas is Totally Destroyed
The Floridian: Scott Demands Action as Chinese Giant Files to go Public
The Floridian: Scott Seeks to Keep Social Security Administration On the Hook for Massive Overpayments
West Orlando News: Sen. Scott: Hold Social Security Admin, Not Florida Seniors, Accountable for Overpayments
Florida’s Voice: Scott commits to strengthening national security relations with Ecuador following visit
Florida’s Voice: Rick Scott: Biden puts U.S. energy jobs ‘on the line’ based on China dictator’s word
Tampa Free Press: Florida Sens. Scott, Rubio Lead Effort To Get Answers On “Pause” Of Overseas Gun Deals
Senator Scott’s Team in Tampa Bay
Senator Scott’s team attended the Tampa Bay Wave and Latin Chamber of Commerce gathering with the Krewe of the Knights of Sant Yago.
Senator Scott’s Team in Punta Gorda
Senator Scott’s team also attended the presentation for the fallen officer Christopher Taylor.
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