Scott touts term limit plan in speech

Gov. Rick Scott brought his campaign for the U.S. Senate to Altamonte Springs on Saturday, where he touted his idea of term limits for members of Congress while speaking before hundreds of fellow Republicans packed into a hotel ballroom.

“We have to get rid of career politicians,” said Scott at the Lincoln Day Dinner, a $150-a-plate event hosted by the Republican Party of Seminole County. “We have to send new ideas to D.C. We have term limits for governors. We have term limits for the president. Why don’t we have them for Congress? If you want a different result, do you do the same exact thing year after year? No. We have to make sure we get term limits.”

However, putting in place 12-year term limits for members of Congress, as Scott proposes, would require an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That would require approval by twothirds of Congress before being approved by three-fourths of the states.

Scott undoubtedly will face a close and tough race against Democrat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson before the Nov. 6 election.

It’s a contest that many political experts say may end up being one of the most expensive and important political contests in the country this year, as the GOP clings to a majority of only one seat in the U.S. Senate and President Donald Trump’s approval rating continues to hover around 43 percent.

A recent statewide poll by Florida Atlantic University showed Scott with a four-point lead over Nelson. The survey was conducted May 4 to 7 among 1,000 registered voters. Sixteen percent said they were still undecided.

Voters said the most important issues this election year are immigration, followed by healthcare, the economy and gun control.

At Saturday’s event, Scott also praised his mother for instilling in him a strong work ethic and a “can do” attitude that has made him a successful businessman.

“I believe anything is possible,” Scott said. “I had two things going for me, my mom and this country… and in this country, everything is possible. Every child that grows up in this country should have the same chances as every other kid … it doesn’t matter what zip code you’re from. It doesn’t matter what country you came from. You should have the same opportunities as everyone else.”

In the hotel lobby, Alison Holman, of Longwood, and her 14-year-old son, J.J. Holman, protested Scott’s cuts to Medicaid and other health programs as governor. J.J. Holman is confined to a wheelchair because he has cerebral palsy.

“He’s cut all the programs that people with disabilities depend on,” Alison Holman said.

Scott has been using his personal jet to crisscross the state almost daily to attend campaign events. And his campaign has started blanketing television airwaves with commercials, including some in Spanish, most notably about Scott’s support for Congressional term limits.

Nelson’s campaign has been sending mass mailings to Florida voters that tie Scott to Trump.

On Saturday, Nelson visited the Pulse nightclub site and toured the recently unveiled memorial. Earlier in the day, he canvassed in Lake Mary.

Both candidates also have been reaching out to the Puerto Rican community in Central Florida. Many Puerto Ricans in this area have relatives in the island still feeling the effects of last year’s Hurricane Maria. The region continues to see an influx of evacuees.

Scott has visited Puerto Rico five times since the devastating hurricane struck on Sept. 20, and Nelson has traveled to the island three times, to meet with residents trying to put their lives back together.

Saturday’s Lincoln Day Dinner was held at the Hilton Orlando Altamonte Springs on Northlake Boulevard, just south of State Road 436 and east of Interstate 4.

Before the dinner, attendees could attend a private reception with the governor by contributing $300 toward the party.