Mucarsel-Powell Torches 'Rick Scott's Affordability Crisis', Promises to Help Struggling Floridians

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Democratic Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell hosted a Zoom press conference to discuss Florida's mounting affordability crisis, blaming incumbent Republican Senator Rick Scott for seniors struggling to afford rent and rocketing gas and food prices statewide.

"Seniors should be able to retire with dignity," Mucarsel-Powell told reporters Wednesday, blaming "Rick Scott's affordability crisis" for what researchers say will be "prolonged" until incomes increase to match rising rents, with South Florida's rental affordability crisis being the worst in the nation.

More and more Florida seniors are populating homeless shelters, a startling trend likely founded on rising rents, the lack of affordable housing, and relatively low fixed incomes.

"This affordability crisis started under Rick Scott when he was Governor...And he's continued to lead the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act," Mucarsel-Powell said, stressing that Florida leads the nation in Affordable Care Act enrollments, which provides healthcare to over 4 million Floridians.

She touched on her own affordability plan—revealed Tuesday—in which she would introduce a Senate version of a House bill aimed at lowering property insurance rates, wants to reduce Chinese influence on solar panel creation, and would expand child tax credits.

Mucarsel-Powell turned to Scott personally, attacking his Medicare fraud scandal in which he led one of the nation's largest for-profit hospital chains before it ousted him to settle the highest healthcare fraud fine in history: $1.7 billion.

"He took that money to buy his seat for the Governor's mansion and then bought it for the Senate," Mucarsel-Powell claimed, alleging the "dirty" money was ultimately used on his campaign. "He has increased his wealth by hundreds of millions of dollars since taking office, all while Floridians continue to struggle."

Lastly, she addressed staggering inflation rates that have rocked Floridians at grocery stores and gas pumps alike.

"Floridians are struggling—they can't afford to live here...I'm the only one in this race that knows the cost of milk at the grocery store," she said, taking a shot at both multi-millionaire Scott as well as her independently wealthy opponents for the Democratic nomination, rocket scientist Stanley Campbell and former Congressman Alan Grayson.

Florida's year-over-year inflation rate hovers around 3.99 percent, far higher than the national average of 3.5 percent, putting the Sunshine State almost directly on par with California's, which sits at 4 percent exactly.

"I wonder when it was the last time that Rick Scott actually put gas in his own car," she mused, claiming she always searches for the cheapest gas rates. "We deserve leaders here in our State that are going to stand up to this corporate consolidation of big grocery chains. We need to fight back against big oil that continues to raise the gas prices."