Now in the U.S. Senate for more than a half a year, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., announced on Tuesday that he will donate his Senate salary for that second quarter to Literacy Council Gulf Coast which is active in Southwest Florida.

Scott, who rose from poverty to make a fortune in healthcare and other industries, weighed in on the donation.

“Growing up, my mom taught me that a good education was the foundation for success, and she was right – it’s what gave my wife, Ann, and I a shot at the American dream,” Scott said. “We want everyone to have that same opportunity to live their dreams, which is why, as governor, I invested record funding for our K-12 schools and Ann spent her days as Florida’s first lady promoting literacy and traveling across the state to read with students. Today, I’m proud to support the Literacy Council Gulf Coast, which shares our passion for education and encourages Floridians throughout Southwest Florida to realize their full potential.”

“My favorite thing about being Florida’s first lady was having the opportunity to visit schools and libraries across the state to share my passion for reading with students,” Ann Scott said on Tuesday. “I believe there is nothing more important than investing time in Florida’s children who will one day become our state and national leaders, and I’m proud to support this wonderful organization and its incredible work to promote literacy.”

After his career in the private sector, Scott upset then Attorney General Bill McCollum in the 2010 Republican primary and edged then state CFO Alex Sink to be elected governor. Scott served eight years in Tallahassee before defeating three-term U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., last year.