Sun Sentinel
Op-Ed: Sen. Rick Scott
March 19, 2021

When I was elected as Florida’s U.S. senator, I knew Washington was dysfunctional. Two years in and it’s worse than you can imagine. People don’t talk to each other in the halls. The concept of bipartisanship is dead on arrival. President Biden’s disingenuous calls for unity fell on deaf ears as his administration and the Democrats refused to negotiate on even the most common-sense issues.

Instead of doing what Americans want and deserve, like securing the border, getting schools open, tackling the out-of-control national debt, and promoting the capitalist principles our nation was built on, it’s a hard left turn in D.C.

Instead of meeting in the middle to actually pass legislation that gets targeted relief to American families and businesses still struggling from the coronavirus pandemic, what are Americans hearing out of Washington? Racist Dr. Seuss books. Men in women’s sports. Closed schools. Open borders. Socialism. $2 trillion spending bills that pass in the dark of night, with no one knowing what’s in them.

It’s pretty bad. But I’m an optimist, and not for one second do I think Washington can’t be reformed. I campaigned on a platform to Make Washington Work for American families and I will never stop working to change this place. I came to Washington after completely turning Florida’s economy around during my eight years as governor. We can turn our entire nation around and uphold the ideals that make America the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family – but first, we have to change Washington.

That starts with term limits. Career politicians who care more about their next election than helping American families won’t bring the change we need, which is why I’ve proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow members of the House and Senators to serve only twelve years — two terms in the Senate and six terms in the House.

Second, if Congress can’t do its most basic job – pass a budget – members of Congress shouldn’t get paid. My No Budget, No Pay Act is common sense, and two weeks ago it received a vote in the Senate. Sadly, Senate Democrats rejected it, but I won’t stop fighting because Americans across our nation don’t get paid if they don’t do their jobs, and neither should politicians in D.C.

Third, I was proud to join Sen. Braun this month to propose a permanent lobbying ban for former members of Congress, and an end to lucrative taxpayer-funded pensions. Members of Congress shouldn’t be using their elected position to get rich – period.

Recently, Sen. Ron Johnson was criticized for making sure that Democrats’ 600-page, massive spending bill was actually read before members voted on it. The Democrats fought against this effort for transparency in order to rush through and pass a $2 trillion bill that devotes less than 10 percent of its funding to COVID-19. For them, the more Americans are kept in the dark, the better. That’s wrong and why I introduced legislation to make sure members of Congress are accountable to the taxpayers and actually read the bills they are voting on.

Finally, to Make Washington Work, we have to end government waste. America is in a $30 trillion debt crisis and so many in Washington, namely the Biden Administration, couldn’t care less. So, it should come as no surprise that Democrats want to bring back earmarks and encourage pork barrel spending. Earmarks breed corruption. Sen. Dick Durbin recently admitted as much when he quipped to the press that reinstating earmarks is needed to get to 60 votes and create, “much more bipartisan appropriation bills.” What he means is that earmarks are a way to bribe someone for their vote. It’s disgraceful and only leads to more spending and more debt.

Here’s what they don’t want Americans to know — as reckless spending continues to increase the federal debt, inflation will rise with it. For American families that means rising costs on everyday necessities, like groceries and gas. I grew up in public housing and watched my parents struggle to find work and make ends meet. I never want a family to go through what mine did growing up and I know that the last thing hurting families need to worry about is higher prices on our most essential goods. We simply cannot waste any more taxpayer dollars and expect our nation to be on a successful and sustainable path.

This is pretty basic stuff, but members of Congress don’t like my plan to reform Washington. Shocking, right? They say these ideas aren’t possible. But I don’t buy it.

As your senator, it’s my job to keep you informed of what’s going on in this unusual place and keep you updated on every step I am taking in my fight to make Washington work for Florida’s families. I plan to do just that.

Republican Rick Scott represents Florida in the United States Senate. He is the former governor of Florida.