FLORIDA - SENATOR RICK SCOTT'S WEEK IN REVIEW 02/12/2021

 

This week, Senator Scott spoke on the Senate floor and introduced a resolution to honor the 17 innocent lives lost on February 14, 2018 during the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. We will never forget them. Senator Scott also continued his work on behalf of Florida families by introducing his Set Testing and Objectives Plan (STOP) COVID-19 Act which sets distribution reporting and transparency standards to keep Americans informed and healthy and his World Health Organization (WHO) Accountability Act to hold the WHO accountable and withhold American taxpayer dollars from the organization until significant reforms are made.   See more of what Senator Scott has been up to this week below.

Sen. Rick Scott Introduces Resolution Honoring the Victims of the Shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School In recognition of the third anniversary of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018 in Parkland, Florida, Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio introduced a resolution honoring the 17 innocent lives lost that day, which was unanimously adopted by the Senate. Senator Scott also spoke on the Senate floor this week on this resolution and to honor the lives of the victims. Watch his speech HERE or below. — Sen. Rick Scott: Biden Must Stand Up for Human Rights; Reject Rejoining UN Human Rights Council Senator Rick Scott released the following statement after the Biden Administration announced it will reengage with the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council. Senator Rick Scott said, “Time and time again, the UN Human Rights Council has contradicted its own mission and refused to promote and protect human rights around the world. They have proven to be nothing more than a UN sanctioned club that spends most of its time targeting our ally, Israel. The council has also refused to hold the Cuban regime accountable, given Nicolas Maduro, a murderous dictator who is committing genocide against his people, a seat at the table and ignored Communist China’s campaign of genocide against the Uyghurs. As I’ve said before, their actions don’t match their rhetoric, and re-engaging with them in any capacity would be a tragic mistake. The Biden Administration must make it absolutely clear that the United States stands for human rights and reject engaging with an organization that turns a blind eye to genocide.” Read more HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott: Biden debe defender los derechos humanos; Rechazar la reincorporación al Consejo de Derechos Humanos de la ONU El Senador Rick Scott hizo la siguiente declaración luego de la decisión de la Administración Biden de reincorporarse al Consejo de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas (ONU). El Senador Rick Scott dijo: “Una y otra vez, el Consejo de Derechos Humanos de la ONU se ha contradicho ante su misión y se ha negado a promover y proteger los derechos humanos alrededor del mundo. Han demostrado que no son nada más que un club autorizado por la ONU para perseguir y promover una campaña en contra de nuestro aliado, Israel. El Consejo también se ha negado a responsabilizar al régimen cubano, le ha dado a Nicolás Maduro, un dictador asesino que está cometiendo genocidio contra su pueblo, un lugar en la mesa y ha ignorado la campaña de genocidio de la China comunista contra los uigures. Como he dicho antes, sus acciones no siguen su retórica y reincorporarse al Consejo en cualquier capacidad sería un error trágico. La Administración Biden debe dejar absolutamente claro que los Estados Unidos defienden los derechos humanos y rechazar regresar a una organización que ignora el genocidio”. Lea más AQUÍ. —  Sen. Rick Scott: $15 Minimum Wage Will Kill 1.4 Million Jobs and Devastate U.S. Economy Senator Rick Scott released the below statement after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report on the disastrous economic impacts of the Biden Administration’s proposal to increase the federal minimum wage to $15.   Senator Rick Scott said, “I spent my life in business, and I know what it’s like to have to make payroll and make the tough choices to succeed. President Biden continues to push his job-killing agenda, including a $15 minimum wage, despite all evidence showing that it will devastate our economy and small businesses. Just last week, Senate Democrats overwhelmingly joined Republicans in voting against raising the national minimum wage to $15 during the pandemic. We know that enacting a $15 minimum wage now would be catastrophic for small businesses and the jobs they provide families and now we have data showing its impacts would stretch far beyond our battle against COVID-19. A new report from the CBO confirms that raising the minimum wage to $15 will increase the national debt by $70 billion and eliminate 1.4 million jobs. That is unacceptable. Instead of making every attempt to kill the American Dream and destroy small businesses, Democrats should work on creating a strong economy so every family has the opportunity to succeed." Read more HERE. — Sens. Rick Scott and Josh Hawley Introduce WHO Accountability Act to Address Inaction and Lies About the Coronavirus Pandemic Senators Rick Scott and Josh Hawley introduced the World Health Organization (WHO) Accountability Act to hold the WHO responsible for its role in helping Communist China cover up information regarding the threat of the coronavirus. The WHO Accountability Act withholds U.S. taxpayer dollars from the WHO until the organization replaces its leadership, as of January 1, 2020, and accepts Taiwan as a member state. It also limits U.S. funding to the same or less than the top contributor nation to the WHO each year.  Senator Rick Scott said, “The mission of the WHO is to get public health information to the world so every country can make the best decisions to keep their citizens safe. The WHO not only failed its mission, but it failed the world when it comes to the coronavirus. They served as a puppet for the Chinese Communist Party – parroting misinformation and helping Communist China cover up a global pandemic. Last February, I called on the WHO to do its own in-depth analysis on the extent and origins of the coronavirus. It took them nearly a year to take action and we still have no answer. They have even dropped their investigation into whether COVID-19 leaked from Wuhan lab. Their inaction has grave consequences. “The WHO also needs to answer for its refusal to include Taiwan in its membership, meetings, and information, especially in the face of the coronavirus. They are complicit in Communist China’s effort to isolate Taiwan. There is no reason U.S. taxpayers should be spending hundreds of millions a year, more than any other country, to fund the WHO without significant reform. I’m proud to introduce the WHO Accountability Act to withhold American taxpayer dollars from the WHO until they start actually caring about public health, stop acting like a puppet for the Communist China and allow Taiwan as a member.” Read more HERE. — Senator Rick Scott Joins Senator Marco Rubio and Colleagues in Resolution in Support of Interim President Guaidó and Condemning Venezuela’s Fraudulent Legislative Elections Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Marco Rubio and colleagues to introduce a resolution condemning last year’s fraudulent legislative elections by the Maduro regime. The resolution also denounces the lack of free, fair, and transparent elections in Venezuela, as well as the continued erosion of the nation’s democracy and the rule of law.  Senator Rick Scott said, “I am proud to join my colleagues today to send a clear message to Nicolas Maduro: the United States will never stop fighting for the people of Venezuela. The appearance of democracy is not democracy and the world knows that Venezuela’s election, coordinated by the Maduro regime, is nothing more than a sham. Maduro is a ruthless dictator that murders and oppresses his own people. The United States and freedom-loving countries around the world must continue their unwavering support of interim President Juan Guaidó and denounce Maduro’s murderous regime. As Florida’s U.S. Senator, I’ve made fighting for freedom in Latin America and across the globe a top priority and I will not stop until the people of Venezuela see a new day of democracy." Read more from Senator Rubio’s office HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott Reintroduces STOP COVID-19 Act  Senator Rick Scott reintroduced the Set Testing and Objectives Plan (STOP) COVID-19 Act to set vaccine distribution reporting and transparency standards for states and create a program for cities and counties to increase testing, contact tracing and transparency efforts in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Senator Rick Scott said, “We’ve made incredible progress on developing the vaccine and getting doses to states, but there is still a lot more work to do when it comes to ending the virus. All levels of government must work together to quickly distribute the vaccine so every American who wants one can easily get one. We also need to implement transparent, efficient and measurable ways to contain the spread. The STOP COVID-19 Act sets vaccine distribution reporting and transparency standards for states and creates a program for cities and counties, using metrics-based incentives, to ensure communities are doing everything possible to keep residents safe. We must keep working to end the coronavirus and give Americans as much information as possible, so we can get back to our new normal." Read more HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott: Democrats Ignore the Facts in Continued Push for Wasteful Blue State Bailouts Senator Rick Scott released a statement ahead of the House Oversight and Reform Committee’s meeting on Friday, February 12, during which members will consider allocating $350 billion in taxpayer funding to bail out wasteful, liberal states like New York, California and Illinois for their decades of financial mismanagement. The meeting comes as the State of Illinois announced that it was able to pay down more than $700 million in debt and reduce its overall budget shortfall by $2.5 billion thanks to a stronger economic performance than expected in 2020. Senator Rick Scott said, “The Democrats just don’t know when to stop. First, California announced its 2020 revenues were so good that the state was putting more than $22 billion away in reserves. Now, Illinois is seeing similar good fortunes and has reduced its overall budget shortfall by $2.5 billion. But liberals in Washington can’t be bothered by the facts. House and Senate Democrats insist on moving forward with their radical plan to award wasteful bailouts for failed politicians in states like New York and California. Congress has already allocated more than $4.5 trillion to address this crisis, including roughly $400 billion for state and local governments. As more and more data makes clear, this bailout is nothing more than a liberal payback to governors who helped elect them. Democrats need to return to reality, remember their obligation to the American taxpayer, and stop using American tax dollars to backfill their friends’ mismanaged pensions and state budgets.” Read more HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott: Biden’s Reversal on Communist China Crackdown is Short-Sighted and Dangerous Senator Rick Scott released the following statement after a number of measures by the Biden Administration signal a much weaker approach when it comes to Communist China, including: Rolling back the plan for the sale of TikTok’s American operations; Tossing a proposed rule that would have required U.S. universities and K-12 schools with foreign exchange programs to disclose any financial ties or other connections to Chinese state-run Confucius Institutes; Suspending an order blocking Chinese components in the U.S. power grid; and Refusing to firmly commit to keep Huawei on the Department of Commerce’s “no-entity” list – an essential move for national security.  Senator Rick Scott said, “It is no secret that Communist China’s plan is world domination. The easier we go on Communist China, the quicker General Secretary Xi will swoop in and take advantage. President Biden’s moves to roll back actions taken under President Trump to hold Communist China accountable are reckless and show just how far he will go to appease the authoritarian regime. Failing to stand up to General Secretary Xi has absolutely devastating consequences for our national security and for that of our allies. We don’t need nice phone calls or another task force to study what’s going on with Communist China. We need to employ a proactive, aggressive and strategic approach to combat the Chinese threat – and that includes banning TikTok, cutting ties with Confucius Institutes at universities and schools, keeping Communist China out of our power grid, ending threats against our peaceful ally, Taiwan, keeping Huawei on the blacklist, and setting strong policy that shows the world where we stand." Read more HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott to Colleagues: Inflation from Unsustainable Federal Debt Hurts American Families Senator Rick Scott wrote a letter to his colleagues in Congress urging them, once again, to join him in addressing the nation’s massive and unsustainable debt. For too long, Congress has spent with reckless disregard for the consequences of a growing national debt and its effects on inflation, which directly impacts American families and businesses. Senator Scott’s letter comes as the CBO reported that the federal debt would reach 107 percent of GDP in 2031, the highest level in U.S. history. Read more, including the full letter, HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott: Biden’s Failure to Call Israeli PM Netanyahu is Unacceptable Senator Rick Scott released the below statement following disturbing reports that President Biden has yet to call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Senator Rick Scott said, “President Biden’s failure to call Prime Minister Netanyahu is unacceptable and sends a deeply troubling message on the priorities of the United States under his Administration. It is unconscionable that Biden would restore aid to the Palestinians, who openly support terrorism, wage war against Israel and do not recognize its existence, before having a discussion with Israel’s prime minister. President Biden must apologize for this grave mistake and immediately make clear his commitment to uphold the longstanding and special partnership between the United States and Israel. “Israel is our partner in every sense of the word and one of America’s most valued allies. In the Middle East, Israel shines as a beacon of democracy and for decades the United States has proudly supported and defended our great ally against our adversaries. As both Governor and Florida’s U.S. Senator, I have travelled to Israel several times and met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israeli leaders. Israel is an important partner in trade and we have no greater ally than Israel in our efforts to ensure peace in the Middle East, and around the world. It is unbelievable that President Biden would call Communist China’s General Secretary Xi, a dictator and adversary, before connecting with our ally, Israel. The call should happen today." Read more HERE. — Sen. Rick Scott Outlines Priorities in Letter to Treasury Secretary Yellen Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to Secretary Janet Yellen outlining his expectations for the U.S. Department of Treasury to commit to working with Congress to promote economic growth, address America’s $27 trillion debt crisis and hold brutal dictators accountable through strong economic sanctions. Read more, including the full letter, HERE.

Sen. Rick Scott on Fox Business: The WHO Failed the World on COVID – They Must be Held Accountable  Watch the full interview HERE or below. — Washington Examiner: How to overcome America’s big debt problem Fox News: Hawley, Scott introduce bill to withhold taxpayer money to WHO until reforms made Fox Business: Sen. Scott rips Biden over WHO support, China: ‘Have some standards before you just give in’ Fox Business: WHO needs to stop being ‘puppet’ for China’s Communist Party: Sen. Rick Scott Breitbart: Sen. Steve Daines Leads 47 Senators in Pledge to Block Pro-Abortion Bills Homeland Preparedness News: Measure targets COVID-19 vaccine distribution, transparency standards WFLX: How Florida’s senators are responding to Trump’s impeachment trial NewsRadio WFLA: Sen. Rick Scott: China Covered Up Virus Threat WCTV: Florida Senator Rick Scott outlines priorities to Department of Defense Secretary Florida Daily: Rick Scott Continues the Fight for the STOP COVID-19 Act Florida Daily: Rick Scott Warns Congress About the Rising National Debt Florida Daily: Rick Scott, Josh Hawley Want to Hold China Accountable for COVID-19 by Ending WHO Funds Florida Daily: Florida’s Senators Champion Resolution Condemning Maduro Regime’s Handling of Elections in Venezuela Florida Daily: Florida’s Senators Oppose Biden Administration’s Push to Rejoin UN Human Rights Council

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