Senator Rick Scott’s (R-FL) bipartisan Disaster Contract Improvement Act has passed both chambers of Congress and is headed to President Joe Biden’s desk. The bill intends to refine the disaster contracting process at federal, state, and federal governments following natural disasters and when waste, fraud, and abuse need to be mitigated. It also looks to ensure the protection of victims if these events through quicker response times from our governments.
Sen. Scott stated that despite Florida‘s resiliency, the state still encounters waste, fraud, and abuse.
“This hurricane season brought devastation to families and businesses across the state, but thankfully, Florida is resilient because of the intense preparation that goes into our disaster readiness planning. Sadly, even when we prepare, all too often we have seen waste, fraud and abuse following storms. It hurts our families, local governments, and the American taxpayer,” said Sen. Scott.
He continued by saying his bill, which he led alongside Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) would aim to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used effectively.
“Our bill, the Disaster Contract Improvement Act, will help stop this waste and make sure that every dollar is spent with care, preserving resources for future disaster response efforts. I want to thank Representative LaLota for leading the charge in the House of Representatives and my colleagues in the Senate for its bipartisan passage earlier this Congress. The Disaster Contract Improvement Act is a win for American taxpayers and I look forward to President Biden signing it into law,” concluded Scott.
According to Sen. Scott’s press release, the Disaster Contract Improvement Act will:
- Establishes oversight on debris removal through the creation of an advisory working group comprised of representatives from FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, states and local governments, the USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Service, as well as subject matter experts, including those in the debris services contractor industry.
- Requires the FEMA Administrator, no later than one year after the bill’s enactment and in consultation with the advisory working group, to develop and implement guidance and procedures with respect to the oversight and costs associated with debris removal contracts entered into under the public assistance grant program.
- Requires the FEMA Administrator to conduct training and outreach to State, Tribal and Local Governments on any new guidance developed under this program.
- Requires the GAO to conduct further study on the Debris Removal Advance Contracting process to improve oversight and prevent fraud, waste and abuse across the entire system.
Furthermore, Sen. Scott recently appeared on Newsmax to discuss the status of Hegseth’s appointment, as some senators have shared their hesitancy to vote for his confirmation.
We need a leader at the Pentagon who puts preparing our troops over pronouns.@PeteHegseth is the man for the job! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/dM7yDERGlM
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) December 10, 2024
“He’s going to get confirmed. Let's look at his background. As people get to know Him, they want to support him. Here's a guy that's a combat veteran. He's led the troops into battle. He knows what it’s like to lead troops into battle. He knows what it's like to know somebody that lost their life, knowing somebody that's been injured. He's been an unbelievable supporter of our veterans since he got out of the service,” said Sen. Scott. “He loves, like the President said, he loves our military.”
With the recent declaration of support from Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) who was initially on the fence about Hegseth, the prospect of his nomination could be gaining steam.
