Saturday, February 15, 2020

FLORIDA - SENATOR RICK SCOTT'S WEEK IN REVIEW 02/14/2020

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This week, Senator Rick Scott and Senator Marco Rubio introduced a resolution honoring the 17 victims of the senseless attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018. The resolution passed the United States Senate by unanimous consent.


Senator Rick Scott said, “Today marks two years since the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the 17 lives we lost far too soon, and I’m proud to introduce this resolution honoring them with Senator Rubio. Over the past two years, I’ve worked closely with the families of the victims to make our schools safer and prevent future tragedies. We passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act while I was Governor and now I’m fighting for improvements on the federal level, including the Luke and Alex School Safety Act. While our hearts are still heavy with loss we cannot undo, we must do everything in our power to honor the memory of the victims and ensure no family has to go through this pain again.”
Also this week, Senator Rick Scott introduced:
  • A resolution applauding the University of West Florida Argonauts football team for its National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II national championship victory;
  • Legislation to close a loophole that has allowed U.S. technology companies to sell products to Huawei, which the U.S. Government has determined to be a national security threat; 
  • The Taiwan SOS Act, which would allow diplomats and service members in the Taiwanese military to display their flag and wear their uniforms while in the U.S. on official businesses; and
  • The Medical License Verification Act to prevent fraud in the healthcare system.
See more of what Senator Scott has been up to this week below.
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Senator Rick Scott applauded President Trump for including $250 million for Everglades Restoration in his Fiscal Year 2021 budget requests to Congress. This follows the letter Senator Scott and Senator Rubio sent to President Trump requesting the $250 million.

Senator Rick Scott said, “I applaud President Trump for working with the Florida delegation to commit to fight for $250 million in federal funding for Everglades restoration projects this year. This funding builds on the $200 million in construction funding for the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration we fought for and secured last year, as well as the $2 billion in state funding invested in restoring the Everglades throughout my time as Governor. Everglades restoration is critically important to the State of Florida and enjoys broad bipartisan support in Congress. I applaud the Administration’s commitment to protecting Florida’s natural treasures for generations to come.” Read more HERE.
Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) urging the WHO to do its own in-depth analysis on the extent of the Coronavirus. Since Communist China cannot be trusted to coordinate in a transparent and efficient manner when it comes to combatting the threat of the virus, every resource must be available to contain the disease and keep Americans healthy. Read more, including the full letter, HERE.
Senator Rick Scott released the following statement calling on General Security of the Communist Party Xi to hold four members of Communist China’s military accountable after the Justice Department charged them with the massive Equifax data breach in 2017.

Senator Rick Scott said, “China continues to steal our intellectual property and personal information. While General Secretary of the Communist Party Xi claims that his goal is to improve relations between our two countries, his actions send another message. If he’s serious about working with the United States to improve our relationship, he should immediately extradite the military officials that were charged by the Justice Department for the Equifax breach in 2017. If General Security Xi and Communist China fail to do so, it will just be another sign that their promise of improved economic and political relations was more empty rhetoric from an adversary intent on competing with the United States on a global scale.” Read more HERE.
During a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs roundtable on global pandemics, Senator Rick Scott questioned experts regarding the threat of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Senator Scott continues to work with the administration to protect the health of American families. Watch video from the roundtable HERE or below.
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Senators Rick Scott, John Cornyn, Chris Van Hollen and Catherine Cortez Masto introduced the Medical License Verification Act to prevent fraud in the healthcare system by requiring the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to verify that an applicant’s medical license is valid and in good standing prior to issuing them a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number, which is required by healthcare providers to bill for insurance. 

Under current law, CMS issues NPI numbers without verification of the licensure information submitted, which allows non-physicians to obtain NPI numbers and opens up the possibility that they may fraudulently bill commercial health insurance.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Under our current system, loopholes exist that have allowed non-doctors to fraudulently bill health insurance companies to the tune of millions of dollars, which ultimately gets passed along to the consumer. This is unfair and it has to stop. The Medical License Verification Act is a small and commonsense step to address this weakness and prevent bad actors from defrauding families.” Read more HERE.
Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Ted Cruz and colleagues in introducing the Taiwan Symbols of Sovereignty (Taiwan SOS) Act, which would allow diplomats and service members in the Taiwanese military to display their flag and wear their uniforms while in the United States on official businesses.
 
Senator Rick Scott said, “As Communist China continues to try to crack down on Taiwan’s freedoms, it’s more important than ever that the United States stand strong with our ally. Taiwan is an incredible reminder of the power of democracy around the world, and I’m proud to co-sponsor this important bill to support our friends in Taiwan.” Read more from Senator Ted Cruz's office HERE.
Senator Rick Scott introduced legislation to close a loophole that has allowed U.S. technology companies to sell products to Huawei, which the U.S. Government has determined to be a national security threat and continues to be a bad actor across the globe. U.S. exports to Huawei have been banned, but some U.S. companies are finding ways around the blacklisting, including supplying Huawei through subsidiaries or partners in foreign countries. 

Senator Rick Scott said, “We know Huawei is supported and controlled by the communist regime in Beijing, which continues to violate human rights and steal our data, technology, and intellectual property. Companies in the United States should not be allowed to sell to Huawei, and my legislation will further restrict their ability. I look forward to all of my colleagues and the Administration joining in support of my proposal to crack down on U.S. exports to Huawei, protect our national security and the security and growth of the U.S. technology industry.” Read more HERE.
Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following the FDA’s recent decision to remove the agency’s inspectors of Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities from the country in response to the Chinese Coronavirus outbreak. Senator Scott is focused on making sure that all products being imported from China are safe for American families. Read more, including the full letter, HERE.
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Come Visit Us at Mobile Office Hours! 
The staff of Senator Rick Scott will be holding Mobile Office Hours to assist Floridians with federal services, including help with federal agencies and veterans' resources. See a full list of federal services HERE. Next week's Mobile Office Hours will be held at:
Dixie County
Tuesday, February 18, 2020

9:00AM - 12:00PM
Dixie County Public Library
6328 SE Hwy 19
Cross City, FL 32628



Hillsborough County
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
12:00PM - 3:00PM
Bruton Memorial Library
302 W McLendon Street
Plant City, FL 33563

 

Miami-Dade County
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
10:00AM - 1:00PM
CAMACOL
1401 West Flagler Street 
Miami, FL 33135

 

Orange County 
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
11:30AM - 1:30PM
Excellence Senior Living
2250 S. Semoran Blvd
Orlando, FL 32822

 
Collier County
Thursday, February 20, 2020 
12:00PM - 2:00PM
Everglades City Hall
102 N. Copeland Avenue
Everglades City, FL 34139

 

Hardee County
Friday, February 21, 2020
9:00AM - 12:00PM
Hardee County Public Library
315 North 6th Avenue
Wauchula, FL 33873

 

Jefferson County
Friday, February 21, 2020
12:00PM - 2:00PM
Monticello City Hall 
245 S. Mulberry St.
Monticello, FL 32344
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WASHINGTON, D.C.716 Hart Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5274
TALLAHASSEE111 N. Adams Street, Suite 208Tallahassee, FL 32301Phone: (850) 942-8415Fax: (202) 228-4535
TAMPA801 North Florida Avenue, Suite 421Tampa, FL 33602Phone: (813) 225-7040
NAPLESCollier County Government Center 3299 Tamiami Trail East, #106 
Naples, FL 34112
Phone: (239) 231-7890
WEST PALM BEACH415 Clematis Street, Suite 201
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: (561) 514-0189
ORLANDOLandmark II Building
225 East Robinson Street, Suite 410
Orlando, FL 32801 
Phone: (407) 872-7161

KISSIMMEE 
1 Courthouse Square, Suite 300
Kissimmee, FL 34741
Phone: (407) 586-7879
PENSACOLA 221 Palafox Place, Suite 420
Pensacola, FL 32502
Phone: (850) 760-5151


MIAMI 
901 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Suite 505
Miami, FL 33134
Phone: (786) 501-7141

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