Duval Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Rick Scott recently wrote an op-ed for The Hill criticizing Senate Democrats for not ensuring that appropriations bills are ready for debate and amendment on the Senate floor before the funding deadline on September 30th. As the U.S. federal debt nears $35 trillion and inflation remains 20% higher than when President Biden took office, Senator Scott is advocating for spending cuts to restore fiscal responsibility in Washington.

In his op-ed, Senator Scott states, "With America’s national debt about to climb above $35 trillion, and the 20 percent rise in inflation since January 2021 continuing to plague families, you would hope that the Senate Democrats would be eager to craft a spending plan that tackles these issues. Unfortunately, with just five session weeks until the federal government runs out of funds, Democrats in the Senate have so far totally failed to do their job."

He continues by highlighting that none of the 12 appropriations bills have been passed with only five weeks left until the government runs out of money. "There are few things that more clearly expose Washington’s dysfunction than our broken government funding process," he asserts.

Senator Scott also criticizes Senate Democrats for sitting on appropriations bills despite efforts from Republicans on the Appropriations Committee. He remarks, "Anyone opposing the swift passage of this reckless spending is labelled by Democrats and the Washington establishment as an obstructionist who is trying to shut down the government."

Emphasizing a need for change in Washington, he argues that fiscal sanity must be restored: "It’s time to force a change in Washington that brings back fiscal sanity and makes Congress chart a path for the federal government to live within its means."

Scott proposes passing a continuing resolution free of earmarks and liberal policy riders while prioritizing national security spending focused on lethal fighting power through bipartisan support.

He concludes by urging action against what he views as Democrat-led big government policies: "We have two options before us: Dramatically change the way Washington functions or accept the status quo and lose our country to massive debt — and the instability that it will create."

The full op-ed can be read in The Hill.

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