This week, Senator Rick Scott released his priorities to be addressed in any potential Phase 4 Coronavirus aid agreement, which include much-needed fiscal reforms and efforts to hold China accountable.

Senator Rick Scott said, “As Congress begins discussions on the next phase of Coronavirus relief, I have two main priorities: First, we must hold China accountable for hiding information and lying about the Coronavirus that originated in its country. Second, we have to ensure we are protecting the poorest families in our country by stopping any fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer funding in previous Coronavirus response packages. 

“My focus has always been on helping those small businesses and individuals that are suffering because of the Coronavirus. If someone can show me additional ways to get help to them – great. But it is not government’s job to bail out the wealthy and big businesses. We also shouldn’t be giving money to states for anything other than expenses directly related to Coronavirus response. Our nation is $24 trillion in debt – the worst fiscal position we’ve ever been in. We have to be smart about how we’re spending our money and make sure it is truly going directly to the people in need. As Congress begins to discuss whether a Phase 4 is necessary, I urge my colleagues to consider priorities that focus on national security, fixing waste and continuing to protect public health.”

The Phase 4 Coronavirus aid agreement must include:

• Senator Scott’s American-Made Protection for Healthcare Workers and First Responders Act:
  • Addresses the current PPE shortage and builds the national stockpile of goods from American-based producers to eliminate our dependence on foreign adversaries’ supply chains during a crisis.
• Measures to hold Communist China Accountable for its role in lying about the Coronavirus and enabling global spread. Senator Scott is focused on ending the reliance on Communist China in the U.S. Government procurement process and supply chain.
• Defunding the World Health Organization (WHO)
  • The WHO helped Communist China cover up information regarding the threat of the Coronavirus, which cost thousands of lives around the world.
  • Under no circumstance should the U.S. taxpayers continue to fund an organization that puts its allegiance to Communist China above global health.
• Improving and Building on the CARES Act
  • Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
    • PPP loans should only be available to businesses that show a “substantial reduction in revenue” due to the Coronavirus. Taxpayer money shouldn’t be going to businesses that haven’t been harmed by this crisis.
    • Banks should not and cannot set requirements that actively withhold help from those in need. Instead, they must process applications on a first come, first served basis.
  • Coronavirus Relief Fund for State and Local Governments
    • The existing CARES Act restrictions must be maintained so that federal dollars cannot be used to balance state budgets.
    • Americans expect that their tax dollars will be used for Coronavirus response, not to backfill decades of bad fiscal policy in certain states.
• Federal Deficit Reduction
• The growing annual deficits and national debt MUST be addressed. This year’s federal budget deficit will be the largest in the history of the nation, in excess of the cumulative deficits for the first 200 years of the country’s existence. The year will end with an excess of $25 trillion in federal debt.
• Any Phase 4 agreement needs to take concrete steps to bring spending under control.
• Increased Health Screening Measures at Airports
  • All passengers should have to go through certain health screening measures, including temperature checks, prior to entering the airport terminal.
  • Rapid COVID-19 testing technology and health screening, including temperature checks, must be provided to inbound international passengers at all major U.S. airports.

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See more of what Senator Scott has been up to this week below.

Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio Urge USDA to Reverse Decision to Allow Citrus Imports From China

Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue urging him to reverse the department’s recent decision to allow the importation of five varieties of citrus fruits from China. Read more, including the full letter, from Senator Rubio’s office HERE.

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Sen. Rick Scott to Gov. Cuomo: You Need to Answer for New York’s Poor Fiscal Management

Ahead of a press conference on the Coronavirus by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senator Rick Scott released the below statement and list of questions the Governor should address in the briefing.

Senator Rick Scott said, “This week, Governor Cuomo used his daily briefing as an opportunity to attack me to distract from the fact that he wants his state bailed out by Florida taxpayers. He also claimed that those of us who care about how American taxpayer dollars are spent are somehow attacking states with significant cases of Coronavirus. That’s a lie and simply meant to distract from the woeful fiscal policies of Governor Cuomo and other liberal governors around the country. Florida has made the tough choices that New York has refused to make for decades and can get through this crisis without a bailout. The federal government should continue to reimburse states and local governments for expenses related to Coronavirus response. But it’s irresponsible and reckless to take money from American taxpayers and use it to save liberal politicians like Cuomo from the consequences of their poor choices. Floridians shouldn’t have to backfill New York’s state budget and pension fund. American families make responsible budgetary decisions every day. Florida’s done it for years. It’s time for New York to do the same.” Read more HERE.

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Senator Rick Scott and Colleagues to President Trump: Reject State Bailouts

Senators Rick Scott, Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, Mike Lee and Mike Enzi sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging the Administration to reject states’ efforts to receive taxpayer dollars for non-Coronavirus related expenses, like bailouts for unfunded pensions or to backfill lost revenue. Read more, including the full letter, HERE.

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Sen. Rick Scott to Airlines: Lay Out Clear Guidance to Keep Passengers Safe

Senator Rick Scott, a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with oversight over the aviation industry, called on U.S. airlines to provide clear guidance on their plans to keep American travelers safe. This week, Senator Scott released his list of priorities for any potential Phase 4 Coronavirus aid agreement, which includes increased health screenings at U.S. airports. On April 1, Senator Scott sent a letter to the President and CEO of Airlines for America and the President of the National Air Carrier Association requesting information on how the airlines plan to protect workers and the steps they are taking to keep Americans safe throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Last month, I called on U.S. airlines to create a plan to protect Americans through the Coronavirus outbreak. Now, I’m calling on all U.S. airlines to clearly lay out how they are going to continue to keep passengers safe as we return to our ‘new normal.’ I applaud the airlines that are already taking important steps, like mandating face masks, to protect health and safety. I encourage every airline to follow suit and provide specific guidance moving forward so Americans can feel safe traveling.” Read more HERE.

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Senator Rick Scott Condemns Joe Biden’s Support of Cuban Regime

Senator Rick Scott released the following statement after Joe Biden claimed he would return to Obama-era policies of engagement with Cuba if elected.

Senator Rick Scott said, “The Cuban people have suffered nearly six decades of atrocities, oppression and misery inflicted by the regime – and Joe Biden’s embrace of Obama’s appeasement policies toward the Castro dictatorship did nothing to help. The violence, instability and chaos we see now in Latin America is directly tied to the oppressive Cuban Regime, which continues to prop up dangerous dictators throughout the region, including Maduro in Venezuela and Ortega in Nicaragua. I’ve repeatedly told the story of Sirley Ávila León, a Cuban woman who was attacked by Cuban security forces in 2015 – after Obama’s failed appeasement policies. They cut off her hand and stuck her arm in mud to make sure it got infected. Her crime? She complained that the regime was going to shut down a school in her neighborhood.

“Now, Joe Biden is doubling down on his support for this ruthless dictatorship, reversing any progress toward freedom in Latin America. That’s not going to fly with the people of Florida and all those who have escaped this repressive regime. Instead of pledging his support for a dictatorship that has denied Cubans their basic rights for far too long, Joe Biden needs to stand with the people of Cuba as they fight for their freedom and opportunity.” Read more HERE.

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 El Senador Rick Scott condena el apoyo de Joe Biden hacia el Régimen Cubano

El senador Rick Scott hizo la siguiente declaración luego de que Joe Biden afirmara que de ser electo traería de vuelta las políticas de la era de Obama de relaciones con Cuba.

El senador Rick Scott dijo: “El pueblo cubano ha sufrido casi seis décadas de atrocidades, opresión y miseria infligidas por el régimen, y el apoyo de Joe Biden hacia las políticas de Obama de establecer relaciones con la dictadura de Castro no ayudó en nada. La violencia, la inestabilidad y el caos que vemos en América Latina están directamente vinculados al opresivo régimen cubano, que continúa apoyando a dictadores peligrosos en toda la región, incluidos Maduro en Venezuela y Ortega en Nicaragua. He contado repetidamente la historia de Sirley Ávila León, una mujer cubana que fue atacada por las fuerzas armadas cubanas en 2015. Le cortaron la mano y luego sumergieron su brazo en barro para asegurar que se infectara. ¿Su crimen? Se quejó de que el régimen iba a cerrar una escuela en su vecindario.

“Ahora Joe Biden está intensificando su apoyo a esta dictadura despiadada, revirtiendo cualquier progreso hacia la libertad en América Latina. Eso no va a sentar bien con la gente de la Florida y todos aquellos que han escapado de este régimen opresivo. En lugar de prometer su apoyo a una dictadura que les ha negado a los cubanos sus derechos básicos por mucho tiempo, Joe Biden debe estar con la gente de Cuba mientras luchan por la libertad y oportunidad”. Lea más AQUÍ. 

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Sen. Rick Scott Releases Daily Update on Coronavirus Growth Rate by State and Florida County  

This week, Senator Rick Scott continued to release updates on the growth rate of cases of the Coronavirus by state, and by county in Florida, according to Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering and Florida Department of Health data. Senator Scott is releasing this information daily to show which states are slowing the growth of Coronavirus. See updates from this week HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.  

Sen. Rick Scott: Don’t Spend Taxpayer Dollars to Save States From Their Bad Decisions

Senator Rick Scott wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal on how taxpayer dollars for Coronavirus response should be used for Coronavirus response, not to bail out states from their poor budget decisions prior to the pandemic or backfill lost revenue. 

In the op-ed, Senator Rick Scott wrote, “We’ve pumped hundreds of billions of dollars into the health-care system, significantly boosted unemployment insurance that directly helps those who have lost their jobs, created a loan program to help small businesses, and provided funding to reimburse states and local governments for coronavirus-related expenses.

There’s more Congress can do, but one thing we absolutely shouldn’t do is shield states from the consequences of their own bad budgetary decisions over the past few decades.…”

Read the full op-ed in the Wall Street Journal HERE.

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Sen. Rick Scott on Fox News: We’re Going to Get This Economy Going Again 
Watch the full interview HERE or below.

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Fox News: Sen. Scott on reopening Florida, war of words with Cuomo on NY's fiscal management

Fox Business: Fastest way to hold China accountable is ‘buy American’: Sen. Rick Scott

Fox News: Rick Scott hits back at Andrew Cuomo for saying NY bails out Florida

Politico: Rick Scott escalates feud with Andrew Cuomo

Fox News: Rick Scott hits back at Andrew Cuomo over bailouts: 'People keep leaving his state'

Fox News: Coronavirus aid can't be used as 'piggybank' for unrelated spending, GOP senators say

Breitbart: Rick Scott: ‘Not Fair’ to Bail Out Indebted States via Coronavirus Bill

Breitbart: GOP Senators to Trump: Reject ‘Blank Check’ Bailouts to State Governments

Fox News: GOP senators warn jobless benefit change will ‘push unemployment higher,’ as many paid more not to work

National Review: Republican Senators Warn of Rising Unemployment Rate as Benefits Outpace Wages for Many

Washington Free Beacon: Senators Probe Whether Banks Denied Coronavirus Relief to Gun, Energy Businesses

The Epoch Times: US Senators Call Attention to Developing Countries Hit by China’s Debt Diplomacy Amid Pandemic

Breitbart: Sen. Rick Scott: Phase 4 of Coronavirus Relief Must ‘Hold Communist China Accountable’

Florida Daily: Rick Scott: Next Round of Coronavirus Aid Needs to Crack Down on Fraud and Waste, Hold China Accountable

Florida Daily: Rick Scott Calls on IRS to Address Improper Payments and Get Money to Americans in Need

Florida Daily: Florida’s Senators Warn State Department, Treasury Against China’s Debt-trap Diplomacy Amid Covid-19 Pandemic

Florida Daily: Florida Senators Urge USDA to Stop China Sending Citrus to U.S.

Alberto News: Rick Scott: Debemos Continuar Cortando Todo Apoyo A Nicolás Maduro Y Su Organización Criminal

Caraota Digital: Rick Scott: "Debemos continuar cortando cualquier apoyo a Nicolás Maduro y su organización criminal”

Senator Rick Scott is committed to keeping Florida families safe and healthy. Following the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Senator Rick Scott released a CARES Act Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document with information on how Floridians can get help amid the Coronavirus crisis and details about the support available to small businesses, individuals, non-profits. 

See the FAQ document HERE or more resources and information available to Floridians by visiting www.RickScott.senate.gov/CoronavirusResources. 

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