In response to Senator Mitch McConnell announcing he will step down as Republican Senate Leader, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a Florida Democrat running for U.S. Senate, released a statement warning against Rick Scott in leadership.
The Democratic candidate hit the incumbent Republican Senator on key political issues like abortion, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, taxes, public safety, and even support for Putin and China.
Florida Senator Scott previously challenged McConnell for the Senate Republican leadership, but only garnered small support from the other Republicans in a 37-10 vote.
“An extreme Republican Senate caucus led by Rick Scott would be disastrous for working families in Florida and across the country,” said Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. “Self-serving Rick Scott won’t hesitate before pushing his extreme agenda to sunset Social Security and Medicare, raise taxes on middle class families, and force a national abortion ban. Florida families can’t afford another term of Rick Scott, and our country cannot afford a fraudulent Senate Republican Leader who jeopardizes our border, our economic opportunities, and our national security interests.”
According to Florida Democrats, Senator Rick Scott in Senate leadership would be disastrous for Americans for many reasons, including these provided by Debbie Mucarsel-Powell:
Rick Scott will force a national abortion ban, criminalizing health care providers.
- Scott has already cosponsored a national abortion ban in the Senate. [S.3275, 2/11/20]
- On Florida’s dangerous six-week abortion ban with hardly any exceptions, Rick Scott said “I am 100% pro-life and if I was still governor, I would sign this bill.” [The Hill, 4/13/23]
- As NRSC chair, Rick Scott funded and endorsed candidates who oppose access to contraception. [Business Insider, 5/7/22]
Rick Scott will make our communities less safe.
- Rick Scott launched a comprehensive policy plan that could have put an end to federal programs supporting law enforcement, forcing devastating cuts in federal aid to local police. [Miami Herald, 2/22/22]
- Rick Scott voted against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – the most significant federal gun safety measure in three decades supported by 15 Republican Senators – saying he “will not support soft-on-crime policies like this.” [News4Jax, 6/24/22]
- Rick Scott cosponsored a joint resolution to overturn regulations cracking down on homemade ghost guns – which would have allowed anyone to buy unserialized gun kits without a background check. [S.J.Res.45, 5/22/22]
- Rick Scott pushed for legislation that would’ve made it possible for extremely dangerous weapons like machine guns to be sold without a completed federal background check. [S.632, 3/2/23]
Rick Scott will sunset Social Security and Medicare, leaving millions of families uninsured and ripping away seniors’ hard-earned benefits.
- McConnell on Rick Scott’s plan to eliminate critical programs: “Unfortunately, that was the Scott plan, that’s not a Republican plan.” [The Hill, 2/9/23]
- “‘I think it will be a challenge for him to deal with this in his own reelection in Florida,’ McConnell quipped, adding that it is ‘a state with more elderly people than any other state in America.’” [The Hill, 2/9/23]
- Rick Scott tries to run from his record, but Americans know where he really stands. “That’s not true, Senator.” [CNN, 2/9/23]
- While Rick Scott lies to seniors on his record, his extreme agenda to eliminate critical programs has raised doubts with 75% of voters. [Global Strategy Group, 8/11/23]
Rick Scott will raise taxes on middle class families.
- “You recently put out an 11 point plan to rescue America. […] So that would raise taxes on half of Americans and potentially sunset programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Why would you propose something like that in an election year?” [Fox News, 3/27/22]
Rick Scott will put political games before our national security interests, furthering Putin and China’s agendas.
- “U.S. Sen. Rick Scott criticized his own caucus’s leadership for the situation, and may be laying groundwork for a leadership campaign.” [Florida Politics, 2/6/24]
- Rick Scott is a member of the Senate “Breakfast Club,” a group of hard-right Republican senators who strive only to obstruct the Senate process. [The New York Times, 2/9/24]
- “Referring to the uprising against McConnell, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), said ‘we now have a Freedom Caucus in the Senate who is unafraid of calling for the removal of their leader.’” [Politico, 2/23/24]
Ultimately, Republican Senators will decide their leadership and, first, Florida voters will decide if Rick Scott will even have the opportunity to serve Florida again, let alone serve in Senate leadership.
