Your Words: 'What has Rick Scott done to deserve our vote?'

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Photo courtesy Rick Scott/Senate.gov

To the editor:

Why would we want Rick Scott re-elected as our Florida Senator? What has Scott done during his tenure to deserve our vote?

As a senator in 2022, Rick Scott proposed his "Plan to Rescue America." Among his ideas: "All federal legislation sunsets [must be renewed] every five years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again." His plan included Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and veterans' benefits. Both political parties called his rescue plan unthinkable and dangerous.

This is a big problem. Why would Rick Scott think it's a good idea to gamble the Social Security income and Medicare health insurance of millions of seniors on a five-year congressional renewal? We know from history partisan budget issues have shut down the government. Scott should be thinking of ways to preserve Social Security and Medicare, not end it.

In 2020, Sen. Rick Scott served as chairman of the Senatorial Election Committee. His efforts were called "a total failure of leadership, and when things went bad Scott blamed anyone else but him" [by Ward Baker, then-leader of the National Republican Senatorial Committee]. The failure was further proven during the 2022 midterm senatorial elections, as the Republican Party severely underperformed. 

We should be reminded of Scott's CEO role with Columbia/HCA, one of the largest megabillion-dollar hospital and medical providers in the country. Scott led the corporation into the then-largest Medicare and Medicaid fraud in the history of the United States. The corporate result was a $1.7 billion fine and being found guilty of 14 felonies. His defense was he would have stopped the fraud if only "somebody told me something was wrong." Scott pleaded the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination 75 times.

Rick Scott wants to shut down the federal Department of Education. He believes education should be a state function. Under his plan there would be no agency to coordinate national education standards. One state may approve a 12-year-old student's reading skill at a second-grade level, and another expect the 12-year-old student to read at a fifth-grade level. What if the family moves to another state? Based on reading skills, will some children of the same age be graduating high school while others are still in junior high?

As a senator, Rick Scott stated if he was still governor he would have signed the Florida six-week abortion ban. Dr. Bruce Shephard, a retired Tampa OB/GYN who delivered over 7,500 babies over a 40-year career, stated women typically find out about abnormalities and genetic conditions at their 18-week ultrasound. The doctor called the six-week abortion ban "archaic, dangerous, and a nightmare." 

In June of this year, Rick Scott voted against the Right to Contraception Act, along with 38 other GOP senators. Scott led 22 of these senators in a statement they felt the bill "infringes on the parental rights and religious liberties of some Americans." Religions have their own rules, and politics should have theirs. Contraceptives are a means of birth control, and a responsible alternative to unwanted pregnancies and abortion. 

Sen. Scott has declared his intention to become the new leader of the Republican Senate with more power to implement his intentions. His ideas jeopardize Social Security, Medicare, public schooling, safe abortion, women's health, birth control and more.

At 70 years old he is one of the wealthiest members of Congress, with an estimated worth of over $260 million. Unlike many of us, Scott doesn't rely on Social Security to pay his monthly bills. Rick Scott has failed to show reasonable, rational and responsible understanding of how to govern in our best interests. Vote NO to re-elect Rick Scott.

— Bill Summerfield, Ocala