Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, the past 18 months have been trying for our Nation.

Thankfully, the vaccine has brought normalcy back to the lives of many Americans. In record time, thanks to the hard work of the Trump administration and scientists across our country, we developed a safe and effective vaccine to protect Americans against COVID-19.

These vaccines show us what can happen through cooperation, ingenuity, and hard work. And I am grateful for all those who helped us get here. I got the vaccine and encourage everyone to talk to their doctor and consider doing the same. That is what we all should do: give Americans all the information and data so that they have everything they need to make a good decision for their family.

That is exactly what I did when I was Governor of Florida in the face of life-threatening hurricanes. I made sure Florida families were well informed. I went out and made sure everyone knew exactly what to expect and how dangerous the storm could be, but I didn't issue mandates because that is not what governments should do.

When I was Governor of Florida, we had the Zika healthcare crisis, which impacted newborns. Rather than placing mandates on pregnant women or restricting their travel to areas with local transmission of Zika, we simply informed Floridians, worked to be as transparent as possible, and offered free Zika testing to all pregnant women in Florida.

Unfortunately, the Biden administration has gone in the complete opposite direction. The White House has tried to use the new OSHA guidance to create fear; push another round of trillions of dollars in reckless, wasteful spending; lock down our Nation; close our schools; and kill the economy that so many Americans have worked so hard to preserve and protect.

Americans are sick and tired of the government telling them what to do, and the American people are more than capable of making the right choices to protect themselves, their families, and their neighbors.

As families and businesses in Florida and across the U.S. continue to work hard to recover from COVID-19's devastation, travel is critical to getting our economy fully reopened. America's truckers, shippers, pilots, and deliverymen and -women play an important role in delivering the goods needed to keep our economy going. Everything from gas and groceries to packages from small businesses and department stores, they help keep this country running. They also haven't had the luxury of working from home. For 18 months, they have shown up to work. They have figured out how to be safe without the feds telling them what to do.

But the job-killing Biden White House is now considering requiring those engaged in interstate commerce or interstate travel be vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination and a vaccine passport.

The Federal Government has no business imposing vaccine mandates on the American people and our hard-working businesses. This proposal reeks of a power grab and is another attempt by the Biden White House to control Americans. The Biden administration wants to control Americans through fear and mandates so the Federal Government is touching every single part of your life.

I won't stand for it. Americans won't stand for it. They know that such an order is an overreach of power. Americans should be free to make choices they feel are in the best interests of their own health and the health of their loved ones, and the Federal Government has no business requiring travelers to turn over their personal medical information in order to make a delivery or to catch a flight.

I believe Floridians and Americans across this country know what decisions are best for them. They don't need the Biden administration controlling their lives.

The Supreme Court has already ruled that the Federal Government can't force people to purchase health insurance under the Commerce Clause. Why would President Biden think he could do so with a vaccine mandate?

In December, President Biden promised--promised--he would not require Americans to be vaccinated or require that they carry vaccine passports--promise by President Biden. The new OSHA order breaks that promise. It has been one lie after another with this President.

Today, I am introducing legislation which will prevent unconstitutional vaccine mandates for interstate commerce. I am thankful for Senators Johnson, Lummis, Marshall, and Lee cosponsoring this legislation and for Congressman Dan Crenshaw, who is introducing the companion bill in the House of Representatives.

We are working to make sure that families across our country can travel freely and businesses can conduct interstate commerce without the ridiculous government bureaucracy created by vaccine passports.

This bill would prohibit the Department of Transportation, the Department of Commerce, and other Federal Agencies from requiring proof of vaccination or the use of a vaccine passport to engage in interstate commerce or travel.

It protects people like my dad, who used to drive a truck and would carry goods across State lines. It protects the rights of American citizens, as laid out in our Constitution.

President Biden is trying to upend our way of life and impose his view of health on every American--and I am here to say that I won't stand for it.

Now, I would like to yield to my friends Senator Johnson and Senator Lee, as they will talk about this same bill.

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Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, under no circumstances should the Federal Government attempt to mandate these vaccines and require proof of vaccination in order to conduct business.

Small business owners who are trying to restart their businesses, families trying to take vacations, and truckers who are getting back to work shouldn't have to choose between living their lives and meeting President Biden's demands.

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