FLORIDA - SENATOR RICK SCOTT'S WEEK IN REVIEW 12/04/2020

 

This week, as Congress worked to negotiate a government funding bill before the December 11 deadline, Senator Rick Scott led a group of bipartisan, bicameral colleagues in urging Congressional leadership to include his No Budget, No Pay proposal in any budget negotiations for the end of the year government funding bill. His No Budget, No Pay legislation simply says that if Congress cannot work together to fund the government, they should not get paid. Washington is completely dysfunctional, and the unwillingness to work together has caused multiple government shutdowns. That’s unacceptable and unfair to hardworking Americans across the country who are still struggling to recover from the coronavirus. Senator Scott’s proposal holds Washington politicians accountable, and ensures that they don’t get to fail at their jobs and still collect a paycheck. Read more HERE. See more of what Senator Scott has been up to this week below.

Sen. Rick Scott to Florida Board of Governors: Do Not Raise Tuition on Florida Students Senator Rick Scott released the following statement after reports that the Florida Board of Governors is considering a tuition increase for state university students. As Governor, Senator Scott fought to hold the line on tuition by vetoing tuition increases, eliminating automatic inflationary tuition increases, freezing tuition, greatly limiting tuition differential, and appointing leaders who share his goal of providing an affordable higher education to Florida students and families. As Senator, he is working to keep higher education affordable and make sure students are prepared to get good-paying jobs. Senator Rick Scott said, “Raising tuition on families is a tax increase. And, it’s a tax increase that harms Floridians’ ability to achieve the American dream of earning a higher-education diploma. As families are still struggling to recover from the coronavirus, leaders in Florida should absolutely not consider raising tuition. "Over the last six years of my term as Governor, we held the line on tuition. I asked every person interviewing for appointments to our universities and colleges if they would support a tuition increase. If they said yes, I didn’t appoint them. And if they went against their word, they were not re-appointed. The federal government has spent almost $14 billion in the CARES Act to give higher education institutions the support they need during the coronavirus, and with more classes moving online, university operations costs should be lower. Businesses and families around the country are having to navigate this difficult time – our universities have to do the same and live within their means instead of taking the easy way out and passing the costs on to students. The opportunities and dreams of future graduates are at stake, and we owe it to them to continue our fight against the tax increase of rising tuition." Read more HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott: Congress Should Once Again Reject Bailouts for Mismanaged States As Congress considers additional coronavirus relief measures, Senator Rick Scott released the following statement rejecting bailouts for liberal states that want to use taxpayer money intended for coronavirus response to backfill their poorly-managed budgets and pension plans.  Senator Rick Scott said, “I’m very disappointed that a proposal from some of my colleagues today apparently includes provisions that spends hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer money to bail out wasteful states when we don’t even know how much is still unspent from the previous coronavirus response packages that Congress passed earlier this year. I’ve reached out to every Governor to learn exactly how this money has been spent, and most have refused to give us any information. It’s time we get serious about where taxpayer money is going, and reject unnecessary state bailouts. "The liberal Governors who refuse to open their states or spend taxpayer money wisely are seeing high numbers of unemployment. But what they don’t want you to know is that state and local governments’ projected revenue shortfalls due to the coronavirus have not come to fruition – which is a great thing. Revenue collections in many states exceeded their initial projections, and most states will be in a strong position to get through this pandemic without more federal aid. Again, that’s great news for our country." Read more HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott: Release of PPP Loan Recipients Shows We Need Reform to Prevent Fraud and Help Small Businesses Senator Rick Scott released the following statement after the Small Business Administration (SBA) released detailed loan information for millions of borrowers under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The new data shows that as of August, more than half of the $522 billion in the program went to bigger businesses, and only 28 percent of the money was distributed in amounts less than $150,000. Senator Rick Scott said, “For months, I’ve been calling on the SBA to be as transparent as possible about how American taxpayer money is being spent within the PPP program, including releasing a list of all PPP recipients. I’m glad this information is finally out. We know there was widespread fraud and abuse throughout the program, and tens of thousands of companies received PPP loans when they shouldn’t have. Now, as Congress considers additional relief for individuals and small businesses, we have to make sure ANY extension of the PPP program includes common sense reforms. This money was supposed to be spent to help small businesses, not bail out huge corporations. We need to fix this and make sure loans only go to businesses that have shown a substantial reduction in revenue due to the coronavirus. I will keep fighting to make reform and ensure the small businesses and individuals that have been harmed can get the help they need.” Read more HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott Fights to Protect National Security and Diversity in Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act Senator Rick Scott released the following statement after the Senate voice voted and passed the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act (S.386/H.R.1044), which eliminates the per-country numerical limitation for employment-based immigrants. Senator Scott fought for amendments to protect American jobs and national security, and create more diversity by allowing more immigrants that do not possess an H1B visa the opportunity to receive a green card. His reforms were included in the final bill. Senator Rick Scott said, “I know many of my Senate colleagues have spent years working on this measure, and I appreciate their hard work. My top priority is protecting American jobs and American workers, especially as our nation continues to struggle because of the coronavirus. I also wanted to make sure we weren’t creating an unfair system that favors certain countries over others, or hurts immigrants that do not happen to be from these nations – like those from Latin America. I fought for months to find a solution that makes sense for Florida, and while the final bill is not perfect, I’m glad it includes my amendments to protect American jobs and national security, and make sure that the many deserving immigrants who do not possess an H1B visa have the opportunity to receive a green card. This is a positive step, but the bill still doesn’t go far enough to resolve the concerns of so many in Florida, and I voiced my opposition to it. I know how critical it is that we have a legal immigration system that is fair and allows people from all corners of the world to come here to live their version of the American Dream, and I will never stop fighting for reforms that support Florida’s economy and the diversity that we’ve worked so hard to protect." Read more HERE. — El Senador Rick Scott lucha para proteger la seguridad nacional y la diversidad en la “Ley de Equidad para Inmigrantes Altamente Calificados" El Senador Rick Scott hizo la siguiente declaración luego de que el Senado votara y aprobara la Ley de Equidad para Inmigrantes Altamente Calificados (S.386/ HR1044), que elimina la limitación numérica por país para inmigrantes basados en empleo. El Senador Scott luchó por enmiendas para proteger los empleos americanos y la seguridad nacional, y crear más diversidad al permitir que más inmigrantes que no poseen una visa H1B tengan la oportunidad de recibir una tarjeta de residencia conocida como “Green Card”. Sus enmiendas fueron incluidas en la versión final del proyecto de ley. El Senador Rick Scott dijo: “Sé que muchos de mis colegas en el Senado han pasado años trabajando en esta medida y aprecio su arduo trabajo. Mi principal prioridad es proteger los empleos y trabajadores americanos, especialmente ahora que nuestra nación continúa luchando contra el coronavirus. También quería asegurarme de que no estábamos creando un sistema injusto que favorece a ciertos países sobre otros, o perjudica a los inmigrantes que no son de estas naciones, por ejemplo, las personas de América Latina. Luché durante meses para encontrar una solución que tuviera sentido para la Florida, y aunque el proyecto de ley final no es perfecto, me alegro de que incluya mis enmiendas para proteger los empleos americanos y la seguridad nacional, y asegurarme de que los tantos inmigrantes que merecen poseer una visa H1B tengan la oportunidad de recibir una tarjeta de residencia. Este es un paso positivo, pero el proyecto de ley aún no va lo suficientemente lejos para resolver las preocupaciones de muchos en la Florida por lo que hice escuchar mi oposición. Sé lo crítico que es que tengamos un sistema de inmigración legal que sea justo y permita que personas de todos los rincones del mundo vengan aquí para vivir su versión del Sueño Americano, y nunca dejaré de luchar por reformas que apoyen la economía de la Florida y la diversidad que hemos trabajado tanto para proteger”. Lea más AQUÍ.  — Sen. Rick Scott joins Sen. Tom Cotton and Colleagues in Bill to Prevent Targeted Attacks on Government Workers Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Tom Cotton, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senators Kelly Loeffler, David Perdue, Marsha Blackburn and John Boozman in introducing the Public Servant Protection Act, a bill designed to protect government workers, officials, and appointees from being targeted at their homes. The Public Servant Protection Act gives all government employees, elected officials, and appointees at all levels the right to have their home addresses and phone numbers—or the home addresses and phone numbers of their immediate family members—removed from any publicly-displayed website. Senator Rick Scott said, “I’m proud to sponsor the Public Servant Protection Act to protect hardworking public servants and their family members. These individuals dedicate their lives to serving the American people, and it’s disgusting that they would have to live in fear of targeted harassment, harm or violence in their own homes, just for doing their jobs.” Read more from Senator Tom Cotton’s office HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott: I’m Fighting Any Attempt for Taxpayers to Bail Out States Senator Rick Scott released the following statement after sending a letter, co-signed by Senator Ron Johnson, to U.S. Governors asking for more information about how they have allocated the $150 billion in taxpayer money from the CARES Act and other federal coronavirus response measures. In June, Senator Scott wrote a letter to the Governors about the use of these funds, and only 10 states responded. Senator Rick Scott said, “Today, I’m reaching out to every Governor again so they can tell us exactly how they’ve used the $150 billion in taxpayer money already given them to respond to the coronavirus. Under no circumstance should state and local governments receive additional taxpayer dollars without telling us how they’ve spent this money, and under no circumstance should American taxpayers be responsible for the excesses of wasteful states like New York and California. We’re seeing data now that clearly shows state and local governments’ projected revenue shortfalls from the coronavirus didn’t happen. We also know that the states that have opened their economies and focused on getting Americans back to work are showing promising unemployment numbers compared to liberal states like California and New York, which continue to impose restrictions on their economies." Read more HERE.

Sen. Rick Scott in the New York Times: Don’t Get Duped by China’s Call for Cooperation Senator Rick Scott wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Times in response to a recent op-ed by a former vice foreign minister of China encouraging the United States and China to cooperate as allies on the world stage. In the letter, Senator Rick Scott wrote, “...The Chinese Communist Party is committing a genocide. The United States is the world’s best and loudest advocate for human rights, and our founding principles have shaped the world’s understanding of liberty and democracy. … We can no longer pretend that Communist China is an ally with good intentions, merely a partner with customs and a political system that we don’t fully understand. Communist China is a totalitarian regime bent on world domination, and as long as its officials refuse to tell the truth or respect human rights, they will be treated as such." Read the full letter to the editor in the New York Times HERE. — Fox News: Sen. Scott: How will Biden differ from Obama with identical Cabinets? The Hill: Republican senators introduce bill to protect government workers from being targeted at home Tallahassee Democrat: Sen. Rick Scott opposes tuition increases at Florida’s public universities Nexstar: Florida Sen. Rick Scott promises uphill battle for Biden’s Cabinet picks WINK: Sen. Scott talks COVID-19, stimulus package Newsradio WFLA: Sen. Scott Criticizes Companies That Oppose China Labor Bill Florida Daily: Florida’s Senators Mull Over Bipartisan Proposal for $908 Billion Coronavirus Stimulus Florida Daily: Rick Scott: ‘Raising Tuition on Families is a Tax Increase’ Florida Daily: Rick Scott Calls for National Voter ID Laws, Pushes Vote-By-Mail Proposal The Capitolist: Rick Scott wades into tuition debate El Impulso: Rick Scott: La China comunista conoce las atrocidades que Maduro le hace a su pueblo #30Nov

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