Rick Scott Reflects on Florida’s Comeback and the Importance of Opportunity in America

Washington, D.C.-Florida’s economic collapse in the late 2000s was no small matter. With more than 832,000 jobs lost over just four years and housing prices cut in half, many Floridians were watching their version of the American Dream disappear. According to U.S. Senator Rick Scott, much of the blame lay in what he called an “impossible regulatory environment” and a government more focused on fees and red tape than helping people succeed. 

“They didn’t raise your taxes, but they raised every fee they could,” Scott said. “And who gets hurt the most? The poorest families.” 

Before his time in the Senate, Scott served two terms as Florida’s governor, running for office in 2010 on a platform of deregulation, fiscal responsibility, and job creation. But his story began much earlier, with a single mother raising five children in public housing, a strong faith in God, and a belief that education and hard work could lift anyone out of poverty. 

“My mom told me, ‘Get a good education, go to church, and work your butt off,’” Scott recalled. “She didn’t have a formal plan, but she had values.” 

Scott’s first business was a donut shop. Later, he built what became the largest hospital company in the country, employing nearly 300,000 people. His journey from poverty to CEO to public office, he says, is proof of the American Dream, and why protecting it matters now more than ever. 

“The job growth in this country doesn’t come from big corporations. It comes from small businesses,” he emphasized. “Government’s job should be to set the table and then get out of the way.”  

Building on the theme of limited government, Scott also stressed the need for fiscal responsibility, pointing to his own record in Florida where he paid down a third of the state’s debt and balanced the budget every year of his governorship. “We’ve had a 53% increase in federal spending in just five years,” he warned. “It’s not sustainable.”  

 He argues that when the federal government spends recklessly, it drives up debt, inflation, and taxes, making it harder for families and small businesses to get ahead. That’s why fiscal responsibility, he says, is key to keeping the American Dream within reach.  

For Scott, defending the American Dream requires more than policies, it requires people. His message is simple: get involved. “Register, vote, stay informed, and help someone run. Elections are won by people, not just money,” he said. “You can change the world with your story.”