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This week, Senator Rick Scott joined Senators Marco Rubio, David Perdue, Johnny Isakson, Richard Shelby and Doug Jones to pass a resolution honoring the victims of the tragic shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola on December 6th, 2019. Senator Scott also honored the victims in a speech on the Senate floor.
Watch Senator Scott’s speech and read his full remarks as prepared for delivery below.
Today, we come together to honor the courage of our brave men and women in uniform – our heroes – and to remember the victims of the tragic terrorist attack that took place at Naval Air Station Pensacola on the morning of Friday, December 6th.
I’d like to thank my colleagues, Senators Rubio, Perdue, Isakson, Shelby, and Jones for standing with me today as we honor the sacrifice and memory of the 3 victims and their families: Airman Mohammed Sameh Haitham, known to friends and family as “Mo,” just 19-years-old from St. Petersburg, Florida, a great athlete who loved to make others laugh. Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson of Enterprise, Alabama, a 23-year-old natural born leader and selfless volunteer who lifted others up. Joshua died a hero after giving first responders information on the shooter’s location while he was mortally wounded. And Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters of Richmond Hill, Georgia, just 21-years-old with a contagious smile whose dream was to serve his country. Our sailors and law enforcement officials showed heroism and bravery in the face of evil as they ran towards the shooter that day, saving lives. And our first responders, who came to the swift aid of those in need: thank you. Today, the State of Florida stands united around the community of Pensacola and the families of the victims as we pray for healing. And I join my colleagues as we do everything we can to prevent future terrorist attacks. Thank you. | ||||||
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Over the weekend, Senator Rick Scott joined a bipartisan Senate delegation to Belgium and Luxembourg to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. On Monday, the Senators joined members of the House of Representatives at an official ceremony at the Mardasson Memorial near Bastogne, Belgium to mark the occasion. Senator Scott also joined his colleagues in introducing a resolution honoring the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, which passed the Senate last week.
Senator Rick Scott said, “Seventy-five years ago, American soldiers – including my father – joined our Allies to fight evil and free Europe from the yoke of tyranny. It was an honor to join my colleagues in Belgium and Luxembourg to honor the sacrifices made by so many freedom-loving people in support of this cause. We will never forget their sacrifice, and the United States will always stand up for freedom and democracy.” Read more HERE.
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Senators Rick Scott and Gary Peters introduced the K-12 Cybersecurity Act of 2019, bipartisan legislation to implement stronger cybersecurity protections for K-12 educational institutions across the country.
Senator Rick Scott said, “The safety of our schools is always my top priority, and that includes protecting the information of our students and teachers. I’m proud to sponsor the K-12 Cybersecurity Act of 2019 to further protect our schools, students and educators, and give them the resources they need to stay safe.” Read more from Senator Peters' office HERE.
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In the wake of the tragic terrorist attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola, and calls from Navy pilots to change current policy, Senator Rick Scott released the following statement.
Senator Rick Scott said, “It defies logic that our men and women in uniform, who we train to operate multi-million dollar pieces of military equipment and trust to keep our country safe, are not allowed to carry firearms on U.S. military bases. It’s time for this policy to change. The terrorist attack at NAS Pensacola shows that it’s more important than ever for our men and women in uniform to be in a position to defend themselves. I will work with the leadership of the Armed Services Committees and the Department of Defense to see what needs to be done to change this policy and allow military officers to carry firearms on U.S. military bases.” Read more HERE.
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Senator Rick Scott released the following letter to the editor in response to The Global Times’ recent editorial attacking him for defending freedom and democracy in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Senator Scott submitted the letter to the editor of The Global Times, a news outlets under the control of the Communist Party of China, but has so far not heard back. We’re not holding our breath.
Read Senator Scott’s response to “US intimidation in Taiwan Straits scares no one” HERE.
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Senator Rick Scott applauded the Senate’s final passage of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes:
Senator Rick Scott said, “I’m glad Congress made our men and women in uniform a priority by finally passing the NDAA, which includes nearly $750 billion to fund our military and gives them the resources they need to defend our nation. I fought to include more than $1.5 billion in funding to rebuild Tyndall Air Force Base and a pay raise for military members, as well as my proposals to hold China accountable and prohibit the DOD from doing business with anyone that supports the oppressive Maduro regime. I’m incredibly proud these priorities were included in the final NDAA, and I will always do everything I can to support our military and its mission to protect our nation, support our allies and stand up for freedom across the globe.” Read more HERE.
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Senator Rick Scott released an episode of his series in partnership with the Heritage Foundation: How Washington Wastes Your Money. See previous Washington Waste Wednesday features HERE.
This week's episode focuses on what happens when Washington gets involved in the arts – waste and misuse of taxpayer dollars. We all can support research and appreciate the arts, but the federal government spends $300 million a year on arts and humanities, including funding expensive projects that don’t provide any return on investment for taxpayers. For example, this year’s spending bills include $25 million for the “operation, maintenance and security” of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and a $7.25 million increase in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, the largest increase in a decade. These spending increases might be nice to have, but with $23 trillion in national debt, Congress needs to make some tough choices. See more in the video HERE or below. 
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Senator Rick Scott released the following statement after the Moffitt Cancer Center announced that several members of its leadership team resigned after connections were discovered with Communist China’s Thousand Talents Program. This investigation was the direct result of a letter Senator Scott sent this month to Florida university presidents urging them to protect national security by safeguarding U.S. research from Communist China.
Senator Rick Scott said, “I applaud Lee Moffitt and the board of directors of Florida’s H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute for their proactive leadership in taking swift and decisive action against these individuals, who had an improper and undisclosed relationship with the Communist Chinese government. According to the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee, the Thousand Talents Program ‘incentivizes individuals engaged in research and development in the United States to transmit the knowledge and research they gain here to China in exchange for salaries, research funding, lab space, and other incentives.’ We should all be very concerned about the threat of Communist China and its attempts to steal U.S. research and intellectual property. We have to remain vigilant and proactive, and I will to continue to work with universities, hospitals and businesses to make sure they are protected.” Read more HERE.
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Senator Rick Scott released the following statement after the House vote on impeachment.
Senator Rick Scott said, “The House Democrats just spent a month confirming that the President did nothing wrong and that this impeachment circus is nothing but partisan politics. This vote solidifies how little the Democrats care about what’s really important to the American people. It’s clear all they care about are political games. This is sad and embarrassing, but I came to Washington to get something done for the American people. I look forward to getting back to working on all the things that aren’t getting done, like passing No Budget, No Pay, securing the border, and lowering drug prices for American families.” Read more HERE.
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Senator Rick Scott joined Senators Marsha Blackburn, Marco Rubio, John Cornyn and Tom Cotton in a letter to Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration leadership asking them to protect national security and stop using drones made in Communist China. Read more, including the full letter, from Senator Rubio's office HERE.
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Senators Rick Scott and Josh Hawley wrote a letter to the Chief Executive Officer of NBC Universal and the President of NBC Olympics urging them to put human rights over profits by requesting that the International Olympic Committee re-bid the 2022 Olympics, which is being hosted in Communist China, or refuse to air the 2022 games. Read more, including the full letter, HERE.
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On the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, Senator Rick Scott joined Senators Hawley, Cornyn, Rubio, Tillis, Markey, Cruz, and Young in a letter to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, urging him to raise the issue of Communist China’s violations of human rights and its destruction of its documentary record in his discussions with member states and at the U.N. Human Rights Council and the U.N. Security Council. Read more, including the full letter, from Senator Hawley's office HERE.
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Senator Rick Scott wrote an op-ed for National Review about the $1.4 trillion, 2,313 page-long spending package that Congress voted on this week.
In the op-ed, Senator Rick Scott wrote, “This week, Congress is set to vote on a giant spending package — 2,313 pages long — that was just released, was negotiated in secret, spends $1.4 trillion, and is chock full of member projects and special-interest giveaways.
To put that number in context: Without any opportunity to read the bill, Congress will vote to spend more than $4,200 for every man, woman, and child in America. That’s on top of the $23 trillion in debt we’ve already accumulated, not to mention that the federal government is already running a trillion-dollar deficit, every year.… And let’s not forget. This bill spends $1.4 trillion, with no cuts or reforms. This is not how Washington is supposed to work.… But one simple idea that we can get done right now is No Budget, No Pay. If Congress can’t pass a budget and appropriations bills in a timely and orderly fashion, members of Congress shouldn’t get a paycheck. You don’t get paid if you don’t do your job. Why should Congress? It’s time to stop the madness. How many more trillions of dollars do we need to spend before we wake up to the danger of our national debt? We need to reform the way Washington works, and we need to do it now.” Read the full op-ed in the National Review HERE.
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Senator Rick Scott and Senator Kyrsten Sinema led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Congressional leadership urging them to pass No Budget, No Pay to prevent members of Congress from getting paid if they don’t pass a budget.
Read more in the Fox Business article, Lawmakers from both parties rally around 'no budget no pay' ahead of deadline: “Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are once again rallying around the idea of ‘no budget, no pay’ before a stopgap spending bill expires on Friday.… Scott urged his fellow lawmakers to pass "No Budget, No Pay" legislation in a Fox News op-ed written with Republican Sens. Steve Daines, of Montana, and Mike Braun, of Indiana, last week. "’If Congress can’t do its most basic task, then members of Congress shouldn’t get a paycheck,’ they wrote. ‘Not only is this common sense, it's moving through Congress with bipartisan support. It was approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee in June, and is included as part of the End Government Shutdowns Act…’” Read the full article in Fox Business HERE.
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Philadelphia Inquirer: U.S. senators urge NBC to refuse to air 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
Pensacola News Journal: Sen. Rick Scott calls for military officers to be allowed to carry guns on bases
Florida Daily: Rick Scott: Time for a Senate Hearing on How Foreign Nationals Vetted Before Training at Military Bases
Florida Daily: Rick Scott Part of Congressional Delegation Honoring 75th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge
Infosecurity Magazine: US Senators Introduce Bill to Protect Schools Against Cyber-Threats
Homeland Preparedness News: Republican senators target Chinese drone threats
Orlando Sentinel: U.S. Sen. Rick Scott to NBC: Don’t air the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
Florida Daily: Rick Scott to NBC: Don’t air 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
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Mike Esmond of Gulf Breeze, went above and beyond to help fellow Floridians stay warm this winter by paying the electric bills for 36 local families - thank you for your selfless actions, Mike!
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Congratulations to John Sterling and his small business, Pudgee's, on opening a second location in Brooksville! Read more about Pudgee's and its success HERE.
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CAMACOL hosted its 34th annual Holiday Basket Distribution food drive in Little Havana this week, serving holiday meals to nearly 3,000 families in South Florida. Thanks for all that you do!
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This week, more than three dozen children found their forever homes during the 15th annual “Home for the Holidays” event at the Duval County Courthouse in conjunction with Family Support Services of North Florida. Thank you to the volunteers, new parents, and everyone who helped make this event such a success!
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