WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, Senator Rick Scott wrote an op-ed for Fox Business outlining why U.S. taxpayer dollars should not be used to bail out large corporations that have enjoyed years of growth and prosperity, and what steps the federal government should take instead to support Americans affected by the Coronavirus, especially small businesses, hourly workers and individuals whose livelihoods depend on tips.

Read more below from the Sun Sentinel Column, Sen. Rick Scott says Trump, Congress should not bail out big business. He’s right.

“…In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, Sen. Rick Scott speaks up for the little guy.

… He wants Congress to boost federal assistance to state unemployment insurance programs and to change the rules so that those workers temporarily laid off or had their hours reduced get immediate assistance.

He also wants a 60-day moratorium on mortgages, rent, fees and utilities for individuals who earn less than $75,000 a year and small businesses with fewer than less than 250 employees. The money would be paid back over 12 months.

Scott makes a strong case that these actions would be ‘the most effective, and most fiscally responsible way to get money to the people who need it most.’

… He is pushing hard for a national plan to place mobile coronavirus testing sites in each of the nation’s more than 3,100 counties. That should be a priority so that the country can find the hot spots for the virus outbreak and target its limited public health resources.

Florida and the rest of the nation faces two major challenges: Controlling the spread of the coronavirus in the short-run and helping those most hurt by the economic fallout.

By ending the coronavirus threat, workers in the restaurant, cruise, hotel and airline industries, to name a few, can get back to normal and open their doors again.

But as Scott argues, Congress cannot be handing out billions of dollars in relief to big businesses.

… Said Scott: ‘The proposals being debated in Congress right now include giveaways to big corporations, mandates that will shut down small businesses, and policies that I fear won’t help the people that need it most.’

The former Florida governor is taking the right approach in dealing with this unprecedented public health crisis and the devastating impact on our economy. The rest of Congress and the White House should listen to him.”

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