Duval Times

Senator Rick Scott has penned an op-ed for the Washington Examiner, focusing on rebuilding America's labor force and reestablishing work requirements for federal welfare programs. In his article, Scott argues that voters have shown strong support for the American dream by electing Donald Trump and Republican majorities in Congress. He believes this indicates a desire to reverse policies that have negatively impacted full-time jobs and opportunities across the nation.

Scott criticizes President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Congressional Democrats for relying too heavily on welfare systems instead of promoting private-sector job creation. He states, "Under the cover of the pandemic, the Biden-Harris administration massively ramped up federal welfare payments to the point that people can make more from government checks than a company paycheck."

The Senator highlights data indicating that nearly 25 million able-bodied adults receive taxpayer health benefits without working and over 50 million people aged 16 to 64 are not part of the workforce. He points out that there are over 7 million open jobs in America that could be filled by those currently on welfare.

Scott calls for collaboration between Congress and Trump to enact reforms like his proposed "Let’s Get to Work Act," which aims to end work exemptions abused by states. Citing Florida's policy change in 2016 regarding food stamps, he notes a significant drop in program participants who returned to work across various industries.

He concludes by emphasizing potential savings from universal work requirements and reducing welfare fraud, estimating these measures could save taxpayers up to $1.5 trillion over ten years—a crucial step as national debt continues to rise.

For further details, readers can access the full op-ed in the Washington Examiner.