Dear Floridian,

Following the tragic shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that took the lives of 19 children and two teachers, I heard from so many in our state about the need to support commonsense legislation that follows the action I took as Governor of Florida after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. I cannot tell you how much I truly appreciate hearing from you.

Since the tragedy in Uvalde, many people have been eager to compare the bill passed by Congress this week to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act that we passed in Florida. These bills are not the same at all and I think it is important to explain the differences.

Our response in Florida was the product of a collaborative, well-defined and transparent process. The bill passed by Congress this week was the result of secret backroom dealings that did not include input from the majority of Republican members, committee hearings, nor opportunities for amendments, giving members of the Senate barely an hour to read the legislative text before we were asked to vote on it the first time.

In Florida, we used a thorough process that included meetings with mental health, education, and law enforcement experts to get valuable feedback on our bill. At the conclusion of that process, I signed a bill that improved school safety and has kept guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals and those suffering with mental illness, all while ensuring strong due process protections that stop unlawful infringement on the constitutional rights of law-abiding Floridians.

The risk protection order provisions in the law we passed in Florida ensure that law enforcement is involved from the very beginning, requiring police to evaluate a complaint before bringing it before a judge. This is important for two reasons. First, it ensures that law enforcement professionals who are trained to evaluate threats are the ones who make determinations about the risk an individual poses to themselves or others. Second, it ensures that these determinations about whether to limit access to a firearm are made by an entity that can be held accountable for civil rights violations. This is important because it puts protections in place against a law enforcement agency abusing its power and unlawfully infringing on the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding Floridians. I will never accept anything less.

The bill passed by Congress this week abandons Florida’s model for risk protection orders and allows even the most radical policies with the weakest due process protections, like California’s red flag law, to be implemented and supported with federal funding. That is simply not acceptable. Ironclad due process protections are essential to protecting the constitutional rights of Americans and we can never compromise on that.

This bill also allows convicted domestic abusers to have the opportunity to automatically get a gun. This has been grossly under-reported and was not included in the “framework” of the bill that was published last week, but it demands our attention.

When I was Governor of Florida, I always weighed past domestic abuse when considering a restoration of gun rights through the clemency process. I will never support soft-on-crime policies like this. Let me be clear, any man that abuses a woman is a coward, and he should not automatically be able to own a firearm after any set amount of time.

While there are elements of the bill passed this week that I support, like its incorporation of the Luke and Alex School Safety Act that I’ve been fighting to pass for years, the lack of specific and ironclad due process protections, and soft on crime policies for convicted domestic abusers, cannot be ignored. As Florida’s U.S. Senator, I remain committed to pursuing commonsense measures to protect our communities and our schools from acts of targeted criminal violence, and continue to advocate for the passage of the EAGLES Act to provide the tools and resources needed to prevent future tragedies.

Looking forward, I will continue to pursue policies that will keep our families and communities safe while zealously defending the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans. That is the promise I made to the families of our state when you elected me to this office, and I will never waiver from that responsibility.

Sincerely,

Rick Scott
U.S. Senator for Florida

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

Sen. Rick Scott Introduces Bill to Get Americans Back to Work

Senator Rick Scott introduced the Let’s Get to Work Act. This legislation would encourage Americans who are able to work to return to the workforce by ending the current suspension of work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which was put in in place during the pandemic, and expanding these requirements to apply to all able-bodied adults receiving benefits who are under 60-years-old and do not have children under the age of six or care for incapacitated individuals. This legislation also establishes similar work requirements for individuals receiving federal benefits through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Public Housing and Tenant-Based Rental Assistance programs. Read more about Senator Scott’s proposal in his Wall Street Journal op-ed HERE.

Senator Rick Scott said, “For too long, the Left has waged a war on work. That needs to end today. Policies put in place during the pandemic to pay people more to sit at home than go back to work are the radical Left’s latest and boldest move to boost government dependency. If we let it go on, it will ruin our country. That’s why, today, I am introducing the Let’s Get to Work Act. Americans know that a job is the very best thing for a family. A job creates income, independence and security – it’s the foundation of the American Dream. But living your dreams in this country takes work and I know that firsthand. I grew up poor, lived in public housing and watched my mom work hard every day just to put food on the table. I thank God that she never told me or my siblings to expect a handout and instilled in us the value of hard work. For our country to thrive, we need every American who can work to do so. I believe that any able-bodied, working-age adult who receives government benefits ought to work. This requirement means that those who receive benefits paid for with taxpayer dollars have skin in the game and contribute to our economy.

“The American people want to work. People want to support themselves and their families, and be independent, not reliant on government programs. It’s time to get America back on track and leave the disastrous social and economic policies of Joe Biden and the radical leftists in power in the past where they belong. If we’re going to rescue America, it’s time to get back to work and I’ll be fighting every day to get the Let’s Get to Work Act passed and signed into law.” Read more HERE.

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Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio Honor Surfside Community Ahead of One Year Anniversary of Tragic Building Collapse

Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio welcomed the Senate’s unanimous passage of their resolutioncommemorating one year since the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida that took the lives of 98 people. 

Senator Rick Scott said, “Nearly one year ago, the Surfside community experienced an unimaginable tragedy with the sudden collapse of Champlain Towers South. We lost children, mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers, friends, aunts, uncles and cousins. We continue to pray for and mourn with the Surfside community, the families and loved ones of the lost, particularly members of our Jewish community who were especially affected by this tragedy, and thank all from around the world who came to support the Surfside community when they needed it most. I join Senator Rubio today to recognize this solemn day and remember those lost far too soon.” Read more HERE.

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Sen. Rick Scott: SCOTUS is Right to Protect Life, Respect Federalism & Reverse Roe

Senator Rick Scott released the following statement after the United States Supreme Court ruled in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey to return the authority to regulate abortion to the states. Since the Court ruled in Roe in 1973, more than 60 million unborn children have lost their lives to abortion.

Last year, Senator Scott joined more than 200 of his colleagues in Congress in an amicus brief asking the Court to uphold Mississippi’s law restricting elective abortions of unborn children after 15 weeks.

Senator Rick Scott said, “The importance of today’s decision by the Supreme Court cannot be overstated. For nearly 50 years, our country endured flawed legal reasoning that invented an implied constitutional right to abortion while stripping authority from lawmakers according to the will of the people. Today, the Court correctly interpreted the Constitution, defended human dignity and the foundational principle of federalism, and rightly declared that there is no constitutional right to end the life of an unborn child.

“I firmly believe that life begins at conception and that every child deserves to be welcomed into this world with open and loving arms. Abortion ends a life. It is abhorrent and has no place in our society. While we celebrate the Court’s latest ruling, the fight to protect the sanctity of life is not over. Lawmakers and the pro-life movement have the responsibility to make adoption more accessible and affordable, and do everything in our power to meet the needs of struggling women and their families so they can choose life. We cannot stop fighting until every life, born and unborn, is valued.” Read more HERE.

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Sen. Rick Scott: Senate Bill Not Like Florida Law & Weakens Due Process

As the Senate continues to consider hastily drafted legislation, Senator Rick Scott released the following statement on his objections to the bill’s unacceptably weak language on protecting due process and a provision to automatically restore gun rights to convicted domestic abusers.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Since the tragic shooting in Uvalde that took the lives of 19 children and two teachers, I have heard from many Floridians about the need to support common sense legislation that follows the action Florida took after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. While there are elements of the bill now being considered in the Senate that I support, like the Luke and Alex School Safety Actthat I have been fighting to pass for years, the Senate also unfortunately decided to take action that is not consistent with the aggressive due process protections that I fought for when I was Governor.

“Over the last two weeks, I’ve seen many people compare the bill being considered in the Senate to what we did in Florida. These bills are not the same at all. One was the product of a collaborative, well-defined and transparent process. The other was the result of secret backroom dealings that did not include input from the majority of Republican members, committee hearings, nor opportunities for amendments, giving members barely an hour to read the bill before we were asked to vote on it.

“In Florida, we used a thorough process that included meetings with mental health, education and law enforcement experts to get valuable feedback on our bill. At the conclusion of that process, I signed a bill that improved school safety and has kept guns out of the hands of dangerous people and those suffering with mental illness, all while ensuring strong due process protections that stop unlawful infringement on the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding Floridians. The bill the Senate is considering abandons Florida’s model and allows even the most radical policies, like California’s red flag law, to be implemented and supported with federal funding. Ironclad due process protections are essential to protecting the constitutional rights of Americans and we can NEVER compromise on that.

“This bill also allows convicted domestic abusers to have automatic restoration of their gun rights. People who have been accused, tried and convicted of beating their significant other would automatically get their gun rights back after just five years. I will not support soft-on-crime policies like this. As Governor of Florida, I always weighed past domestic abuse when considering a restoration of gun rights through the clemency process and I do not support efforts to allow someone who has been convicted of domestic abuse to have the opportunity to automatically get a gun.

“I was hopeful the Senate would follow an open and thorough process like we did in Florida. That is unfortunately not the case with the current bill and why I will vote no.” 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 caused by President Biden and Democrats’ reckless government spending and socialist policies.

Senator Rick Scott said, “I hope Joe Biden finally starts to pay attention. Just this week, Fed Chair Powell FINALLY admitted what I have been saying for months: inflation has been skyrocketing higher each month since Biden took office. It is Biden’s reckless policies that are destroying the American Dream for families and he has no plan to fix it. More inflation equals less prosperity—and right now, parents are having to make the tough choice between buying gas to get to work or groceries to feed their kids. That is unacceptable. Today is the day Joe Biden must take responsibility and get this country back on track. Americans deserve better.” Read more HERE.

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El Senador Rick Scott publica una actualización semanal sobre la crisis inflacionaria de Biden

El Senador Rick Scott publicó hoy su actualización semanal sobre sus acciones para abordar la crisis de la deuda de Estados Unidos y el aumento de la inflación causados ??por el gasto gubernamental imprudente y las políticas socialistas del Presidente Biden y los demócratas.

El Senador Rick Scott dijo: “Espero que Joe Biden finalmente comience a prestar atención. Justo esta semana, el Presidente de la Reserva Federal, Powell, FINALMENTE admitió lo que he estado diciendo durante meses: la inflación se ha disparado cada mes desde que Biden asumió el cargo. Son las políticas imprudentes de Biden las que están destruyendo el Sueño Americano para las familias y Biden no tiene ningún plan para solucionarlo. Más inflación equivale a menos prosperidad y, en este momento, los padres tienen que decidir ente poner gasolina para ir al trabajo o comprar alimentos para sus hijos. Eso es inaceptable. Hoy es el día en que Joe Biden debe asumir sus responsabilidad y volver a encarrilar a este país. Los estadounidenses merecen algo mejor”. Lea más AQUÍ.

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Sen. Rick Scott Joins Sen. Rubio and Colleagues in Letter to POTUS: NATO Strategy Must Prioritize Threat of the Chinese Communist Party

Senator Rick Scott joined Senators Marco Rubio and Joni Ernst in sending a letter to President Joe Biden urging his administration to work with our North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to update NATO’s strategic concept to reflect the reality of great power competition with the Chinese Communist Party even as the alliance contends with Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Next week, NATO members will meet in Madrid, where they are expected to release a new strategic concept that will guide NATO decision-making for the next several years. Read more HERE.

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Sen. Rick Scott in the Wall Street Journal: A Plan to Get Americans Back to Work

Senator Rick Scott wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal sharing his newly introduced Let’s Get to Work Act that would encourage able-bodied, working-age Americans to return to the workforce by reintroducing work requirements for those on government benefits like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Public Housing and Tenant-Based Rental Assistance programs. Read more about the Let’s Get to Work Act in Senator Scott’s announcement HERE.

In the op-ed, Senator Rick Scott wrote, “The American dream is rooted in a simple principle: If you’re willing to work hard, anything is possible. What’s troubling is that our leaders have lost sight of this. For our country to thrive, we can’t let their toxic plan of increased handouts and getting something for nothing continue.

…

 I believe in the American dream because I’ve lived it. I grew up poor, lived in public housing, and watched my parents struggle every day to feed our family.

…

 I believe that any able-bodied, working-age adult who receives government benefits ought to work. That means those who receive benefits paid for with taxpayer dollars would have skin in the game and contribute to our economy.

That’s why I’m introducing the Let’s Get to Work Act. This legislation would end the current suspension of work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for able-bodied adults without dependents, which was put in place at the start of the pandemic… [it] would establish work requirements for public housing provided by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, applying the same standards currently in place for SNAP, plus the new standards I’ve outlined here, to all HUD housing and tenant-based rental assistance programs.

…

Let’s talk about who isn’t included in what I am proposing. Parents of children under 6, those who care for incapacitated people, and those over 60 wouldn’t be subject to work requirements for the federal benefits I’ve outlined. I am not proposing getting rid of any current federal benefits…

…

These are common-sense proposals, but I can already hear those on the left shouting them down. The same people who oppose work requirements decided that paying people more to sit at home than to go back to work was the best way for our economy to recover from the pandemic. This was the left’s boldest move in its government-backed war on work.

…

For the country to thrive, we need every American who can work to do so. We need as many Americans as possible to have skin in the game, participate in our great system, pay taxes, and not sit at home waiting for a government check.

…

Americans want to support themselves and their families. They don’t want to rely on government handouts.

…

If we’re going to rescue America, it’s time to get back to work.” Read more HERE.

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Newsmax: Rick Scott’s Warning: Senate Gun Bill Not Like Florida’s Law

AP: ‘Inadequate’: Florida Senators oppose bipartisan gun violence bill in Senate

The Hill: Rick Scott says he’ll vote no on gun legislation

Washington Times: NRSC Chair Rick Scott declares ‘I will vote no’ on bipartisan gun bill

The Epoch Times: ‘Weakens Due Process’: Sen. Rick Scott Announces Opposition to Gun Control Bill

Huff Post: Rick Scott Calls Bipartisan Gun Deal ‘Soft On Crime’

Daily Caller: GOP To File FEC Complaint Over Dems’ Alleged ‘Illegal Activities’ In Colorado

Forbes: ‘The Biden Administration Is Just Tone-Deaf’: Rick Scott Takes Aim At POTUS

Forbes: Rick Scott: ‘Joe Biden And The Democrats Have A War Against Work’

Miami Herald: Florida Senators Rubio, Scott vote ‘no’ on bipartisan gun bill

WFLA: Sen. Rick Scott proposes changes to SNAP, welfare eligibility

WFLA: Senator Rick Scott Speaks Out Against Bipartisan Gun Bill

WFLA: Rubio, Scott praise unanimous passage of Surfside commemoration in Senate

WESH: ‘We won’t go back’: Florida leaders react to US Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade

WTVJ: Florida Lawmakers React to Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision

WTSP: Florida lawmakers react to SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade

KGPE: Florida, Georgia leaders react to Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade

The Floridian: Rubio, Scott Sponsor Bill Aimed at Stopping the Export of Oil to China

Florida Daily: Florida Delegation Rallies Behind the Defending Domestic Orange Juice Production Act

Florida Daily: Rick Scott on NDAA: ‘Great Win for Florida’s Military Communities, Families and Our National Security’

Florida Daily: Florida’s Senators Back GOP Bill to Stop Political Emails From Automatically Being Classified as Spam

NTN24: “Hay preocupación con la victoria de Gustavo Petro, es un socialista radical”: Rick Scott

Sen. Rick Scott Visits Surfside Ahead of the One-Year Anniversary of the Tragic Surfside Building Collapse

Ahead of the one-year anniversary of the tragic Surfside building collapse, Senator Rick Scott, along with Senator Marco Rubio, met with Jewish community leaders in Surfside and joined them in honoring the 98 lives lost too soon. Senator Scott met with the local and international teams of first responders who were deployed in the aftermath of the devastating collapse. He also joined Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger and local officials to pay their respects at the Surfside memorial site.