Sen. Rick Scott: Democrats Have Become the Anti-Democracy Party – Senator Rick Scott
WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Senator Rick Scott spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the vote, led by Senate Democrats, to fundamentally change the legislative filibuster and destroy the rights of the minority party in the Senate. Last week, Senator Scott wrote an op-ed for Fox News in response to President Biden and Senate Democrats complete hypocrisy shown in their attempts to end the filibuster rule.
See more in the video or Senator Scotts full remarks below.
Like many of my colleagues, I often speak about my family here on the Senate floor. As most of my colleagues know, I grew up poor and spent years of my childhood living in public housing. I never knew my biological dad, and my mom and adopted father did the best they could for our family with the very little we had. I think that small part of my life is well known, but what may be new to some people is to learn that my parents were Democrats.
Sadly, the Democrat Party my parents belonged to no longer exists. Todays Democrat party would be totally unrecognizable to my parents, just as it is to millions of Americans all across our country right now.
I am a proud Republican, and its no secret that I am trying to expand my party, but I still believe in the benefits of our centuries old two-party system. It makes our nation stronger, pushes us to listen to both sides, work together and leads to progress. Thats why the filibuster is so important.
As a rule, the filibuster embodies what is most essential to the survival of our Republic it weakens the sometimes-attractive nature of tribalism and bolsters the importance of, and need for, consensus when crafting policy. The filibuster protects our democratic process thats why the founders designed the Senate to operate this way as a cooling saucer that could resist the temptation of political expediency that leads our country to wild swings in policy and position.
I make this point not only to highlight the foolishness of doing away with this rule, as my Democrat colleagues would like to do, but to draw attention to the gravely concerning abandonment of democratic principles we see in todays Democrat Party.
I take no joy in saying this, but todays Democrat Party has become the new Anti-Democracy Party. The terrifying examples of this are all around us: packing the Supreme Court, pushing a radical federal takeover of state elections, ignoring our laws on border enforcement and criminal prosecution; and forcing unconstitutional vaccine mandates on American workers. None of these things give more power to the people we are elected to represent.
What these dangerous ideas show is that todays Democrats dont believe the people are capable of getting it right. Democrats dont think their ideas can win enough elections to control a majority in the Senate. Senator Schumer said as much just last week. He said that if the Democrats dont pass their Corrupt Politicians Act, they will lose their majority. A party that once prided itself on being a voice for working Americans is now turning to authoritarian tactics to impose its will on government by force because it does not trust the decisions voters will make.
In trying to pack the Supreme Court, Democrats are saying they do not trust the decisions of state legislatures bodies comprised of the peoples elected representatives.
In pushing their federal takeover of state elections, Democrats are showing that they know their ideas are too radical to win the approval of voters, so they need to leave the back door open for fraud and the dilution of votes to win elections and stay in power. Thats why they want to give non-citizens, those here illegally and who may be dangerous criminals, the sacred right to vote.
In pushing an unconstitutional vaccine mandate, Democrats are making clear that they dont trust the American people to make smart decisions for themselves and their families when it comes to their own health.
In the eyes of todays Democrat leaders, disagreement is intolerable. There are no more opponents, only racists. They allow no room for compromise because all who disagree are evil, bigoted and backward. When the ruling class strips the people of their voice, Democracy dies. When the elites in Washington decide they know better than the families they are supposed to represent, our American experiment fails.
It is a sad day when I think about how unrecognizable todays Democrat Party would be to my parents. Not because it has naturally evolved or modernized, but because its abandoned the principles it once fought so hard to protect. I know these words will upset many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. I hope they do, and I hope it drives them to refocus their party back where it belongs on the needs of American families.
###
Link:
Sen. Rick Scott: Democrats Have Become the Anti-Democracy Party - Senator Rick Scott
- Georgia is dousing the last embers of democracy - The Economist - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- Is Redistricting Ruining Democracy? - The Free Press - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- This Week at Democracy Docket: A Major Win for Democracy and the Coming Attack on Mail Voting - Democracy Docket - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- Five Ways Tuesdays Results Will Affect Voting Rules and Democracy - boltsmag.org - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- Federal Judge, Warning of Existential Threat to Democracy, Resigns - The New York Times - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- How Ranchers and Grassroots Organizers Are Shaping Democracy in Wyoming - The Fulcrum - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- Why Liberals Do Not Understand the Value of Democracy - Hungarian Conservative - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- Ali Velshi: Democracy is built by people who show up even when the odds say they shouldnt - MSNBC News - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- Eagles Keep Democracy Rolling on Election Day - University of Mary Washington - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- Too Young to Vote, Not Too Young to Fix Democracy - The Fulcrum - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that the rise of the far right and increasing antisemitism pose a growing threat to Germany's... - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- The Down-Ballot Votes That Sustained The National Pro-Democracy Wave - Democracy Docket - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- "Courage is the New Currency": Skye Perryman and Democracy Forward - Interfaith Alliance - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- A Polish Jewish Artist Who Embraced Democracy and Explained Scripture to Englishmen - Tikvah - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- Biden touts Dems election wins, says Trump is taking 'wrecking ball' to democracy - USA Today - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- TN State Rep on working in the minority, against the odds: Democracy is built up in the margins - MSNBC News - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- Letter: Mail-in voting key to healthy democracy - Honolulu Star-Advertiser - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- Letter | East Wing emblematic of destruction of democracy - The Cap Times - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- America can rebuild the East Wing, but what about democracy? - The Fulcrum - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- Without Precedent: Lisa Graves on the Supreme Court, Tariffs, Voting Rights & Legacy of John Roberts - Democracy Now! - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- This Week in Democracy Week 42: Trump Pardons Crooks, Ignores Courts, and Threatens War - Zeteo | Substack - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- Retired Navy rear admiral offers thoughts on military readiness and democracy [column] - LancasterOnline - November 10th, 2025 [November 10th, 2025]
- This little-known position in WA is a huge democracy booster - The Seattle Times - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- National dialogue in the DRC: A tool for co-opting opponents or consolidating democracy? - Brookings - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Democracy Watch: The one-year countdown begins to midterm elections with big stakes. Can the nation live up to the ideals it embraced 250 years ago? -... - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Maine Rejects Anti-Voting Ballot Measure, Reaffirms Voting Access - Democracy Docket - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Reimagining Democracy: Lessons and strategies from Asia and Africas battle against backsliding - International IDEA - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Protecting Democracy and the 2025 Redistricting Battles: A Conversation with Xavier Becerra - UCLA Luskin - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- From Mamdani to Prop 50, John Nichols on Election Day Races & the Future of Democratic Party - Democracy Now! - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Newsroom Leaders on Gender, Press Freedom and Democracy - The 19th News - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Speaker Johnsons unprecedented, democracy-thwarting effort to keep the Epstein files secret - Popular Information | Judd Legum - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Information is the lifeblood of democracy - The Durango Herald - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Poll Shows Dissatisfaction With New Democracy, Tsipras Too - The National Herald - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Forget petty bribes, state capture is corruption so deep it is shaping the rules of democracy itself | Kenneth Mohammed - The Guardian - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Preserving Democracy: How CCIJ verified and permanently archived Nigerian election documents - MuckRock - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Who Can Rescue Democracy? Local Funders Have the Edge - Chronicle of Philanthropy - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- This Week at Democracy Docket: First on Voter Suppression News - Democracy Docket - November 3rd, 2025 [November 3rd, 2025]
- An Open Letter to Speaker Johnson: Real Patriots Dont Fear Democracy - The Fulcrum - November 3rd, 2025 [November 3rd, 2025]
- Democracy in transition: Global struggle for governance in a changing world - Latest news from Azerbaijan - November 3rd, 2025 [November 3rd, 2025]
- Aarhus Centres strengthen environmental democracy at annual meeting in Vienna - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe - November 3rd, 2025 [November 3rd, 2025]
- John Burtka III: America needs to be the "Arsenal of Democracy" again - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - November 3rd, 2025 [November 3rd, 2025]
- From arsenal of democracy to arsenal of resilience - The Strategist | ASPI's analysis and commentary site - November 3rd, 2025 [November 3rd, 2025]
- Most Americans see unlimited election spending as a threat to democracy: poll - CaloNews.com - November 3rd, 2025 [November 3rd, 2025]
- Defending Democracy in a Topsy-Turvy World - Global Issues.org - November 3rd, 2025 [November 3rd, 2025]
- Judge Luttig: We the People are the final backstop for American democracy - Yahoo - November 3rd, 2025 [November 3rd, 2025]
- Fake information is all the rage and fanning division across the world. We are facing the question of how we could all defend democracy. We are... - November 3rd, 2025 [November 3rd, 2025]
- This Week in Democracy Week 41: Trump Threatens Even More Troops on the Streets - Zeteo - November 3rd, 2025 [November 3rd, 2025]
- What would you do if democracy was being dismantled before your eyes? Whatever youre doing right now - The Guardian - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- From Copenhagen to Doha: Democracy and the Renewal of the Social Contract - International IDEA - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- News Analysis: Prop. 50 is just one part of a historically uncertain moment for American democracy - Los Angeles Times - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Democracy in Action as Students Use Art to Express Their Hopes - Rutgers University - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- NAACP Backs Virginia Redistricting Effort to Protect Black Representation and Defend Democracy - NAACP - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- In Big Win for Voters and Democrats, Court Blocks Trumps Demand for Voter ID on Registration Form - Democracy Docket - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Democracy at a crossroads: Rule of law and the case for US engagement in the Balkans - Atlantic Council - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Watch Archived Video of My Safeguarding Democracy Project Conversation with Danielle Citron, Brendan Nyhan, and Amy Wilentz on the Media and Social... - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Mamdani of the Midwest: Meet Omar Fateh. Could He Be the Next Mayor of Minneapolis? - Democracy Now! - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Republicans are handling the shutdown like democracy is ending - The Real News Network - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Democracy Experts Issue Red Alert on Trump Leading Slide to Autocracy - The Daily Beast - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Democracy Digest: Hungary and Slovakia Are Biggest Rule of Law Decliners in EU - Balkan Insight - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Beyond the ballot box: Democracy Day returns for fifth consecutive year - The Stanford Daily - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- DHS Sued for Records on Trump-Appointed Election Conspiracy Theorist - Democracy Docket - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- What the 2025 elections mean for the midterms and our democracy - 1A | Speak Freely - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Power without voters: How the shutdown reveals a broken democracy - The Real News Network - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Terry Newman: CTV's unbalanced reporting is what is a threat to democracy - Yahoo News Canada - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Trump Orders First U.S. Nuclear Weapons Tests in 33 Years - Democracy Now! - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- From past to present: The state of democracy - westerngazette.ca - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Prince Andrew Stripped of Royal Titles and Evicted from Royal Mansion - Democracy Now! - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- UM-Flint to host symposium on civic life and democracy - Flint Beat - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Elizabeth Shackelford: The intoxication of power and its consequences on democracy around the world - Chicago Tribune - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- All Voting Is Local Is Building Democracy The Only Way It Works: Locally, Patiently, Together - Forbes - October 31st, 2025 [October 31st, 2025]
- Forget diplomatic niceties: its beyond time Europe denounced Trumps trashing of democracy in the US - The Guardian - October 28th, 2025 [October 28th, 2025]
- How do we reclaim civility and democracy? - Financial Times - October 28th, 2025 [October 28th, 2025]
- Reimagining Democracy in Asia: Addressing the Threat of Backsliding - International IDEA - October 28th, 2025 [October 28th, 2025]
- Europes Housing Crisis Threatens the Foundations of Democracy - Social Europe - October 28th, 2025 [October 28th, 2025]
- Democracy Day to focus on civic engagement beyond the ballot box - Stanford Report - October 28th, 2025 [October 28th, 2025]
- Trump Once Again Threatens Unlawful Third Term - Democracy Docket - October 28th, 2025 [October 28th, 2025]
- Investing in Democracy: Lessons from the Asia-Africa Conference and International IDEAs 30 Years - International IDEA - October 28th, 2025 [October 28th, 2025]
- Honors College 2025 Day 3: Policy, Practice, and the Persistence of Democracy - Stanford University - October 28th, 2025 [October 28th, 2025]
- This Is About Voter Intimidation: Gavin Newsom Is Calling Out Trumps Bid to Control Elections - Democracy Docket - October 28th, 2025 [October 28th, 2025]
- What Zohran Mamdanis rise tells us about the state of democracy in America - Analyst News - October 28th, 2025 [October 28th, 2025]