Dear Fellow Floridian,

As I travel across the state, I constantly hear about the devastating loss caused by fentanyl in Florida. This week, I hosted a roundtable with families that have lost a loved one to fentanyl, law enforcement leaders and subject matter experts in Kissimmee, where I heard more heart-wrenching stories about the totally preventable destruction it’s causing in our state and the challenges fentanyl and Biden’s open border create for our law enforcement.

In March, my END FENTANYL Act was signed into law—but we aren’t stopping there. President Biden must do more to secure the border and stop the lethal fentanyl that continues to flow illegally into the U.S. over the southern border he has left wide open and kills tens of thousands of our citizens. 

Joe Biden’s wide open border is intentional, hurts those who want to live the dreams of this nation and allows dangerous individuals and drugs across our border. Too many lives have been lost from fentanyl flowing illegally into our communities. That’s why I’m continuing to fight to SECURE THE BORDER, hold the administration accountable and pass critical legislation to combat this heartbreaking epidemic.

Read more HERE. Watch the full roundtable HERE.

Sincerely,

Rick Scott

United States Senator

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Sen. Rick Scott Attends Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Graduation, Shares Support for Law Enforcement

Senator Rick Scott joined Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister at the graduation of Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Law Enforcement Class 23-06 and delivered remarks congratulating the 48 new HSCO deputies and expressing his steadfast support for law enforcement. Following the ceremony, Sheriff Chronister recognized Senator Scott as an Honorary Deputy for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Senator Rick Scott said, “I’m always proud to join our state’s brave law enforcement officers and thank them for their incredible work to keep our families safe. Every day, our sheriffs, their deputies and all law enforcement officers in Florida are placed in dangerous situations to keep us safe. The current crisis on our southern border is making that job even harder as the Biden administration allows drugs, criminals and terrorists to pour into our country. We must end this crisis by securing the border and stopping the deadly drugs and crime that endanger Florida families and put law enforcement at risk. It was an honor to be sworn in as an Honorary Deputy today by Sheriff Chronister, congratulate these new deputies and reiterate to the entire HSCO team that I am their partner in Washington. I will never stop fighting to support Florida’s law enforcement officers and working alongside them to keep Florida safe.”

Read more HERE. 

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Sen. Rick Scott: Passing the AMERICAN DRUGS Act Will Cut U.S. Reliance on Communist China

Senator Rick Scott issued the following statement urging the immediate passage of his Accelerating Movement of Essential Rx Items to Create Access to National Drug Resources for US Government Services Act (AMERICAN DRUGS Act) to cut U.S. reliance on drugs made in Communist China. Senator Scott’s AMERICAN DRUGS Act will create a strong incentive for companies to invest in domestic pharmaceutical production; address the ongoing and prevent future drug shortages; and shift away from reliance on Communist China. Currently, about 90% of drugs dispensed at U.S. pharmacies are generic drugs that overwhelmingly come from Communist China and India. Senators Mike Braun and J.D. Vance are cosponsors of the legislation.

As Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Subcommittee on Personnel, Senator Scott has repeatedly pressed the Department of Defense to end its reliance on products from Communist China, including pharmaceutical drugs. Last month, in response to questioning from Senator Scott during a SASC hearing, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin agreed that the DoD must ensure that its supply chains “are not vulnerable to manipulation by adversaries. So it’s important to us to make sure that we don’t have elements from our adversaries included in our weapons systems and repair parts and you name it.”

Upon introduction of the AMERICAN DRUGS Act earlier this Congress, Senator Rick Scott said, “During COVID we learned a hard lesson—our medical supply chain relies heavily on Communist China for critical health products like PPE and medicine. It was a wake-up call to bring jobs back home and reignite American pharmaceutical manufacturing and why I’m fighting to pass the American Drugs Act. Americans can’t trust Communist China and can’t allow any reliance on Xi’s evil regime for life-saving medicine.”

Read more HERE.

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Sen. Rick Scott Introduces Bill Supporting Miccosukee Tribe, Opposing Interior Department Takeover of Big Cypress National Preserve

Senator Rick Scott announced the introduction of the Prohibiting Wilderness Designations on Big Cypress National Preserve Act which would codify a request from the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida to oppose a proposed wilderness designation for Big Cypress National Preserve. Congressman Scott Franklin is leading the companion legislation in the House of Representatives. 

This legislation follows a letter Senator Scott sent in March to the Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland expressing deep concern and opposition to any proposed wilderness designation of the Big Cypress National Preserve that impedes the management of the preserve and public access. Stakeholders, such as the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, have raised valid concerns that the proposed wilderness designation would unnecessarily impede the effective management of invasive exotic species and the preservation of native fish and wildlife habitats while also restricting access to the public and tribes. Additionally, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida opposes the designation in areas within the Big Cypress National Preserve. Read more HERE.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Big Cypress is a cherished natural resource, and its proper management is crucial to preserving its ecological integrity while maintaining access opportunities for the public. The Interior Department’s proposal to designate Big Cypress as a wilderness area is a massive overstep by the federal government that would significantly diminish the conservation and recreational activities that those who live on and visit the preserve take very seriously to foster a connection between the public and nature today. I want to thank my colleagues for their support in protecting the integrity of Big Cypress National Preserve, and the Miccosukee Tribe for reaching out to my office to express their concerns. Together, we will continue working to ensure Big Cypress is managed in a way that benefits the public and preserves access for generations to come.”

Read more HERE.

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Sen. Rick Scott Raises Concerns, Demands Objective Reporting & Accountability from Taxpayer-Funded NPR

Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to Laura Ross, Chair of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, raising concerns of declining public confidence in objective news reporting from National Public Radio (NPR). Recently, disturbing allegations of bias in NPR’s reporting, stemming from leadership that has been accused of politicizing the editorial process and favoring liberal narratives, has created a crisis of confidence in public radio’s ability to provide objective, fact-based news to the American public. Senator Scott is urging that public broadcasting services funded by American taxpayers not be politicized and is calling for Chair Ross to take the necessary action to restore and maintain public trust in America’s public radio and television networks.

Read more HERE. 

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Sen. Rick Scott to CISA: Repeated Hacking by Foreign Actors Risks National Security, Demands Accountability

Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to Jen Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), regarding the ongoing hacks by Russian state actors that have exposed sensitive federal communications and the concerning trend of cybersecurity failures within and repeated hacks of the federal government. Senator Scott is disturbed that companies that contract with the federal government to perform key, extremely sensitive services continue to be susceptible to hacks from foreign actors and have not been held accountable following these attacks. The persistent failures to prevent these attacks put our national security at risk and Senator Scott is requesting immediate attention to these grave concerns and the threats to U.S. national security each of these incidents present.

Read more HERE. 

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Sen. Rick Scott Issues Weekly Update on Biden’s Inflation Crisis: Bidenomics is a Bad Deal for American Families

Read more HERE. Lea más en español AQUÍ. 

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The Hill: Rick Scott: Biden now part of ‘pro-Hamas group’ of Democratic Party

Newsmax: Rick Scott: ‘Crisis of Confidence’ in NPR’s Reporting 

Florida Politics: Rick Scott rips National Public Radio ‘crisis of confidence’ 

Miami Herald: Sen. Rick Scott joins Miccosukee Tribe in argument over Big Cypress Preserve protections

Florida Daily: Rick Scott Demands Objective Reporting & Accountability From National Public Radio

The Capitolist: Sen. Rick Scott demands fairness at NPR, alleges liberal bias eroding trust

Senator Scott in Brandon

 Senator Rick Scott joined Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister at the graduation of Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Law Enforcement Class 23-06 and delivered remarks congratulating the 48 new HSCO deputies and expressing his steadfast support for law enforcement. Following the ceremony, Sheriff Chronister recognized Senator Scott as an Honorary Deputy for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

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Senator Scott’s Team in Maitland

This week, Senator Scott’s team attended the Yom HaShoah – the Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust Commemorative event.

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Senator Scott’s Team in Sarasota

Senator Scott’s team also team hosted a U.S. Service Academy Day at Sarasota Military Academy..

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