US Senator Rick Scott’s Week in Review 12/18/23
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Dear Fellow Floridian, As your U.S. Senator and a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) member, I am proud to fight for our incredible military community and U.S. national security. Florida is the proud home to 21 military bases, three unified combatant commands, nearly 64,000 active duty members, 38,000 reservists, and more than 1.5 million veterans. Every year, when Congress works to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), I am focused on securing big wins for Florida and our nation’s service members and veterans. I was also proud to support Senator Rand Paul’s vote to remove the extension of FISA Section 702 from this bill. While our effort was not successful, I am fully committed to ensuring major changes to 702 happen when we return next year to prevent the FBI from spying on Americans. This year’s wins include a 5.2% pay raise for service members and the approval of my American Security Drone Act of 2023 to ban federal agencies from purchasing drones made in Communist China – which have proven to present a grave threat to U.S. national security. Other important wins included:
And more! For a full list of NDAA wins click HERE. Florida families hired me to work for THEM every single day, and I am proud to say we did just that in this year’s NDAA. 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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Three pro-China and CCP-owned state media outlets are attacking Senator Rick Scott for a recent letter he sent to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo urging the Department of Commerce to investigate the food safety of garlic grown in Communist China following reports that the garlic is being grown in human sewage, then bleached and harvested in abhorrent conditions often with slave labor. In response to the Communist Chinese propaganda, Senator Rick Scott said, “If you didn’t think the dangers of Communist China’s sewage garlic – reportedly grown in raw human sewage and feces – was a problem before, this is proof that you should be worried. All of Communist China’s state-controlled media is attacking me and I wear that as a badge of honor. If Communist China thinks they can scare me with bogus editorials from a self-proclaimed ‘pro-communist-Chinese pundit’ they better buckle in for a big fight.” See examples of Pro-China and CCP-owned media attempting to defend Chinese sewage garlic below:
Read more HERE — Sen. Rick Scott: Harvard Should Lose Federal Funding Over Failure to Condemn Antisemitism Following Harvard’s refusal to take action against President Claudine Gay after her disgusting testimony in the December 5th House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing, Senator Rick Scott is demanding an immediate vote on the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act. This bill would rescind federal education funding for colleges and universities that peddle antisemitism or authorize, fund or facilitate events that promote violent antisemitism. It is led by Senator Tim Scott and cosponsored by Senators Rick Scott, Marsha Blackburn, Katie Britt, John Cornyn, Joni Ernst, Cindy Hyde-Smith, James Lankford and Ted Budd. Senator Rick Scott said, “Last week, millions of Americans were disgusted to see the leaders of America’s elitist universities bow to Hamas-sympathizers and completely fail to condemn the raging antisemitism that is rampant on their campuses. That’s why I am currently fighting to prohibit colleges and universities that allow violent antisemitic events on campus from getting a single cent of your tax dollars through federal education funding. I am demanding an immediate vote on the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act to do just that. The weakness of these so-called leaders and their inability to condemn calls for genocide of the Jewish people was beyond disturbing. I’m glad that University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill did the right thing by resigning, but Harvard has chosen to lean into the horrific terrorist-sympathizing we all saw last week and protect its incompetent president that even Joe Biden’s White House was forced to condemn. I am sick and tired of seeing Jewish students be afraid to walk through their own college campuses and be targeted by Hamas fanatics at their homes, businesses and in their classrooms. We need to pass this important bill now in light of this ridiculous display by Harvard so all taxpayer grants, funds… every single cent Harvard receives from the U.S. taxpayers is revoked.” Read more HERE. — Senator Rick Scott and Senator Marco Rubio announced the introduction of their U.S. Senate Resolution congratulating the Florida State University football team for its undefeated season and victory over the University of Louisville Cardinals to earn the title of 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) champions under ACC Head Coach of the Year Mike Norvell. Read more HERE. — Senator Rick Scott announced his No Budget No Pay Act has been listed on the 13th annual National Taxpayers Union’s (NTU) “No-Brainers” list. The annual “No-Brainers” list includes ten pieces of legislation that have garnered bipartisan and widespread support. Senator Scott’s legislation would mandate that Members of Congress must fulfill their basic job requirements and pass the annual budget resolutions and appropriations bills on time, or forgo their taxpayer-funded salaries. Joining Senator Scott in the introduction of this legislation are Senators Mike Braun, Jacky Rosen, Joe Manchin, Maggie Hassan, Shelley Moore Capito, Marsha Blackburn and Katie Britt. Read more HERE. — Senator Rick Scott reintroduced his No Taxpayer Dollars for Communist Chinese COVID Tests Act, a bill that would prohibit the use of federal funds to purchase at-home tests for COVID-19 that are imported from, manufactured in, or a subsidiary of a company in Communist China. Senator Scott was joined by Senators Roger Marshall, Josh Hawley and Mike Braun. Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger is leading the charge in the House of Representatives. Senator Rick Scott said, “There is absolutely no reason that this administration should be buying COVID tests made in Communist China instead of working with American manufacturers to support domestic production. I have been clear that we need to stop giving Communist China our money and buy American-made. Unfortunately, instead of supporting American manufacturing, the Biden administration is again bowing to a murderous communist regime and handing hundreds of millions of your tax dollars to CCP-controlled companies in Communist China. The Biden administration’s willingness to fund the Communist Chinese economy, instead of the American economy, is a disgrace.” Read more HERE. — Following the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Senator Rick Scott released the below statement highlighting the need to implement substantive fiscal reforms to end the ongoing inflation crisis fueled by the Biden administration’s reckless tax-and-spend agenda. November’s CPI data shows that there has been a significant rise in inflation during Biden’s presidency, with CPI increasing 3.1% over the year in November 2023. Since Biden took office, inflation is up 17.4%. Senator Rick Scott said, “For almost three years, Joe Biden’s inflation crisis has forced families into making tough decisions, and it isn’t getting any easier—especially during the holidays. The toll that Biden’s skyrocketing inflation is having on America’s poorest families, like mine growing up, is heartbreaking. As a kid who grew up in public housing, I watched my mom struggle to get us through the holidays and it makes me furious to know that Biden’s horrific inflation is putting millions of Americans through that same hardship. Since Biden took office, Americans have lost $11,400 worth of buying power, the average car payment has reached a record high, the national credit card debt has reached over $1 trillion, the national debt has surpassed $33 trillion, and the interest on our debt is costing taxpayers $981 billion this year. President Biden has put America in a terribly weak fiscal position and it is not just devastating for our country, but for every hardworking American family.” Read more HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott Slams Fed Chair Jay Powell for Trillion-Dollar Loss, Disgraceful Leadership Senator Rick Scott released the following statement, reiterating his calls for Chair of the Federal Reserve Jay Powell to resign ahead of the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting scheduled to begin today. During his time as Chair, Jay Powell has overseen a wildly unaccountable Fed, which has grossly mismanaged U.S. monetary policy and grown its balance sheet to an unsustainable $7.7 TRILLION, hurting millions of hardworking American families with skyrocketing interest rates and inflation and losing $1.3 TRILLION of taxpayer money just last year. Senator Rick Scott said, “Under the failed leadership of Jay Powell, the Federal Reserve is accountable to no one and dangerously manipulating U.S. markets and growing its balance sheet to an unsustainable $7.7 TRILLION. While Joe Biden’s inflation keeps knocking hardworking Americans to their knees, Powell’s botched leadership and rate hikes are kicking them while they’re down. Here’s what else the American people should be furious about: Jay Powell’s reckless decisions have cost taxpayers more than $1 TRILLION. It is a failure that is totally unprecedented in the history of the United States, and yet Jay Powell is still doing next to nothing to fix it. He has failed to meet his own weak goals of balance sheet reduction. He has failed to implement meaningful accountability measures at the Fed. Worse still he has failed to display the competence required to do his job and best serve the needs of the American people. It is time for the press to do its job and demand answers for these failures and broken promises. Jay Powell should make just one announcement at tomorrow’s press conference: that he will immediately resign in disgrace.” Read more HERE. — Senator Rick Scott joined Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ben Cardin (D-MD) in leading a bipartisan group of 27 colleagues in a letter condemning the inaction of the United Nations (UN) regarding Hamas’ widespread sexual violence, including mass rape and mutilation, against women in Israel on October 7, 2023. The senators urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to open an independent investigation into Hamas’ acts of sexual violence and to hold the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)—the organization dedicated to ending gender-based violence—accountable for its failure to immediately and unequivocally condemn Hamas’s atrocities against women. Read more HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott: PPI Inflation Report Shows High Prices Are Still Crushing Small Businesses Senator Rick Scott released the below statement following the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which showed inflation continued to rise over the year. Since Joe Biden became president, PPI has risen 17.4%. Senator Rick Scott said, “As small businesses prepare for this holiday season, there is one thing I keep hearing from folks in Florida: how the heck are we going to afford it? Right now small businesses and hardworking families in Florida are struggling just to make ends meet and unless we stop Bidenomics, there is no end in sight. While the Biden administration continues to lie about inflation, Florida families and small businesses are paying the price: forking over $1,069 more every month just to keep up the way they did before Biden got elected. I grew up poor, lived in public housing, and watched my mom struggle to make ends meet. It makes me furious to see so many going through that same hardship, especially during the holidays. We need fiscal sanity now and I won’t stop fighting until we end Washington’s wasteful, reckless spending sprees that keep fueling Biden’s inflation nightmare.” Read more HERE. — Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) to introduce the Trusted Foreign Auditing Act to protect U.S. investors and capital by requiring Chinese companies to use independent auditors not controlled by the Communist Party. Senator Rick Scott said, “Companies controlled by the CCP operate in complete secrecy with no transparency into their books or business dealings. The Trusted Foreign Auditing Act is a good step in the right direction to ensure that when Americans invest their dollars on domestic financial exchanges, there will be accurate information regarding their investments. I am proud to stand with my colleagues to introduce this important legislation that will force accountability and protect American investors.” Read more HERE. — Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), along with 16 of their colleagues, to introduce a resolution condemning the slogan, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free.” 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, including 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. Read more HERE. — The Senate has unanimously passed bipartisan legislation led by Senator Rick Scott and Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Jon Tester (D-MT) to strengthen federal efforts to expand domestic manufacturing of semiconductor chips. The senators’ Securing Semiconductor Supply Chains Act – which was approved by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in May – would direct the U.S. Department of Commerce’s SelectUSA program, in collaboration with other federal agencies and state economic development organizations, to develop strategies that would attract investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturers and supply chains. The senators’ bill would help address the ongoing global shortage of semiconductor technologies that have disrupted a range of industries in recent years. Companion legislation led by Representatives Greg Pence (R-IN) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in July. Read more HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott Secures Big Wins for Florida with Passage of National Defense Authorization Act Senator Rick Scott, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and ranking member of the SASC Personnel Subcommittee, released the following statement following the final passage of the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (FY 24 NDAA) by both the House and Senate. Each year, Senator Scott has fought as a member of the SASC to secure provisions in the NDAA that bolster Florida’s military installations, support U.S. service members, veterans and their families and protect America’s national security. The U.S. military is incredibly important to Florida, which is home to 21 military bases and three unified combatant commands, nearly 64,000 active duty members, 38,000 reservists and more than 1.5 million veterans. This year’s wins include a 5.2% pay raise for service members and the approval of Senator Scott’s legislation to ban federal agencies from purchasing drones made in Communist China – which have proven to present a grave threat to U.S. national security. — Sen. Rick Scott to FDA: High Lead Levels in Consumer Products Must be Investigated Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf urging the FDA to investigate the food safety of herbs and spices, like cinnamon, following reports of high levels of lead and heavy metals when sourcing products from untrustworthy countries like Communist China. High lead or heavy metal levels in spices, such as cinnamon, typically come from three potential sources: either high levels in the soil the product was grown in, potential contamination in the supply chain during processing, or economically motivated tactics such as a producer adding lead chromate to increase the product’s weight. Recent statements by the FDA show that the high lead levels may have come from economic adulteration of the product along the supply chain and Communist China has a history of engaging in economic adulteration. Senator Scott is requesting information regarding the FDA’s existing policies to ensure that heavy metals are not in these common products available to American consumers, and ensuring children have access to proper nutrition. — Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo reiterating his request for the immediate termination of a 2019 suspension agreement. This agreement has allowed Mexico’s tomato exports to continue flooding the domestic market without accountability from the Department of Commerce. This practice, known as dumping, is hurting local farmers and forcing them to close down their farms. Senator Scott is requesting duties to be placed on Mexican tomato imports and is also requesting a call with Secretary Raimondo to discuss this matter. This letter is a follow up from June 2023 when Senator Scott made the initial request. — 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 Labor Statistics (BLS) releasing Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) numbers for November, which showed inflation continued to rise over the year. Since Joe Biden became president, both CPI and PPI have risen 17.4%. |
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Newsmax: Sen. Rick Scott: Ban Chinese-Made COVID-19 Tests Newsmax: Sen. Rick Scott to Newsmax: NDAA Prohibits Purchase of Chinese Drones The Osceola: CFP responds to Sen. Rick Scott, cites two factors in ranking FSU at No. 5 The Floridian: Scott’s Budget Bill Makes the 2023 ‘No Brainers’ List The Floridian: Scott’s Semiconductor Bill Passes Unanimously in the Senate The Floridian: Rubio, Scott, and Fellow Senators Seek Assurances Prior to Renegotiation of Iran Nuclear Deal Tampa Bay Times: Why Sen. Rick Scott wants answers on Florida State football playoff snub Tampa Bay Times: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Rick Scott Intro New China Bill: ‘American Investment Accountability Act’ West Orlando News: Rubio & Scott Introduce Bill to Protect U.S. Schools from China’s Influence Florida Daily: Rick Scott Reintroduces the No Taxpayer Dollars for Communist Chinese COVID Tests Act Florida Daily: Rick Scott Doubles Down on Call for Fed Reserve Chairman to Resign Florida Daily: Rick Scott: Harvard Should Lose Federal Funding Over Failure to Condemn Antisemitism |
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Senator Scott’s Team in Bonita Springs
This week, Senator Scott’s team was given an award from the Make-A-Wish Southern Florida organization for service to their Advisory Board since 2017 and as the Chair of the Board from 2019-2023. — Senator Scott’s Team in Port Canaveral
Senator Scott’s team also attended the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the Coast Guard Multi-Mission Building in Port Canaveral. — |
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