What to know about Debbie Mucarsel-Powell’s plans if she’s elected to the Senate

The Democrat running to unseat Republican Sen. Rick Scott in November has several plans she says will improve the lives of everyday Floridians struggling to make ends meet in a state that many find unaffordable.

“This is about Florida. This is about families. This is about electing a senator that’s going to be working for every single Floridian, regardless of political affiliation.”

That’s what Debbie Mucarsel-Powell said on NPR’s The Florida Roundup this week as she runs against incumbent Republican Sen. Rick Scott. 

Mucarsel-Powell — who was elected to Florida’s 26th Congressional District in 2018, where she served from 2019 through 2021 — has received encouragement from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in Washington, as well as Democrats across the Sunshine State, in her run for the Senate. She is viewed by many Florida Democrats as their best chance to defeat Scott and help retain control of the US Senate.

But what will Mucarsel-Powell do, if elected? What policies and issues would she prioritize? Let’s take a look at what she’s focused on during her campaign.

Abortion and reproductive healthcare

Mucarsel-Powell believes the decision to have an abortion is one that must be made by a woman, her family, and her doctor — not politicians. She also believes the extreme six-week abortion ban in Florida is endangering women’s lives by increasing the risk of maternal mortality. Mucarsel-Powell:

• Supports Amendment 4 on the November ballot, which would override the state’s six-week ban and prevent the state from restricting abortion before viability (usually around 24 weeks of pregnancy), or when needed to protect the life of a patient after that.
• Is in favor of expanding Medicaid to support reproductive health care.

Economy and taxes

The costs of homeowners insurance, housing, and health care “are out of control and Floridians are fed up,” Mucarsel-Powell told Floricua. She believes the state taxes haven’t been used properly for things such as funding public schools and universities.

“For me, it’s not about raising taxes. For me, it’s about making sure that we are allocating the taxes that we’re already paying to the programs that are meant to be funded,” she said.

Mucarsel-Powell:

• Opposes raising taxes on the middle class and supports investing in job and vocational training to create opportunities for Floridians to establish strong careers. 
• Has vowed to protect Social Security and expand access to Medicare.
• Sponsored legislation to expand Medicare and reduce the price of medication. 

RELATED: Debbie Mucarsel-Powell: ‘Fundamental freedoms are at stake’

Lowering costs

“The affordability crisis is really crippling Floridians across our state, regardless of age, regardless of income level,” said Mucarsel-Power, who has proposed a plan to lower costs. She wants to:

• Lower food prices by fighting against the corporate consolidation of big grocery chains that drive up prices, and back legislation like the Robinson-Patman Act to promote fair competition in the food industry. 
• Crack down on Big Oil price gouging through the Gas Price Gouging Prevention Act to keep prices low at the gas pump. 
• Pass the Lower Drug Costs for Families Act to stop drug companies from raising prices faster than inflation.
• Pass legislation like the bipartisan REBATE Act to allow local governments to receive federal grants to carry out high-efficiency electric home rebate programs that put money back into Floridians pockets.

Climate change and property insurance costs

Mucarsel-Powell’s opponent, Rick Scott, banned the use of the term “climate change” as governor, and dismissed it as “nuisance flooding.” Mucarsel-Powell believes climate change is real and promises to address the climate crisis. 

“Part of the problem — and this is something that we don’t talk about when we talk about the insurance crisis — is that the lack of investment on climate resiliency, the fact that we’re facing higher sea levels, the fact that we’re facing stronger and stronger storms, are directly linked to property insurance rates and the crisis that we’re facing,” said Mucarsel-Powell.

In order to fight climate change, she’s said she:

• Will fight for funding to help Florida build the climate-resilient infrastructure needed to fight climate change that is impacting Floridians, their lives, and their property. 
• Support a US Senate committee investigation into Citizens Property Insurance, which was established as a not-for-profit insurer of last resort. Gov. DeSantis has declared it “insolvent,” warning that the insurer could face bankruptcy if a major hurricane hits.
• Support proposals to cut the cost of property insurance by 25%.

Gun violence prevention

Mucarsel-Powell has also long been outspoken about the issue of gun violence and Scott’s opposition to gun safety laws.

“What we are seeing is a senator who is choosing millions and millions of dollars from the National Rifle Association (NRA), instead of choosing to work to protect the lives of children in our community,” said Mucarsel-Powell.

In the past, she:

• Served in Congress as a Vice Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and, as a member of the Judiciary Committee, helped pass landmark legislation through the House to expand background checks on all gun sales and close loopholes in America’s gun laws that put victims of domestic abuse at risk.
• Worked to increase consistent, long-term investments in community violence intervention programs.

Democracy and Foreign Policy

“We need to put democracy freedom above anything else,” said Mucarsel-Powell, who is concerned about Gov. DeSantis’ encroachment on civil liberties in the Sunshine State, as well as antidemocratic regimes around the world. 

Mucarsel-Powell stands against the dictatorships in Cuba and Venezuela and, as the Senior Advisor to the Summit of the Americas, led the successful push to ban Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela from the Summit of the Americas. 

She has also opposed Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, and has called for aid to be delivered immediately to Israel and to the innocent civilians in Gaza who are suffering under a terrorist organization.

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