Senator Rick Scott on “The Sandwich Generation”

MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ARE PROVIDING CARE FOR BOTH THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN AND AGING PARENTS. THEY'RE CALLED THE SANDWICH GENERATION. FORBES ESTIMATES THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE UNPAID CARE THEY PROVIDE TO BE MORE THAN 600 BILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR TO RAISE MORE AWARENESS AND SUPPORT FOR THE SANDWICH GENERATION. US SENATOR RICK SCOTT OF FLORIDA RECENTLY CHAIRED A SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON AGING. WGCU’S TEDDY BYRNE SAT DOWN WITH THE SENATOR TO LEARN MORE. >> WELL, FOR MORE ON THE EFFORTS TO ASSIST SANDWICH GENERATION CAREGIVERS, WE ARE JOINED BY SENATOR RICK SCOTT. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON AGING. SENATOR SCOTT, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TALK WITH US. THANKS TO BE WITH YOU. SO NOW AT A RECENT CONGRESSIONAL HEARING, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL AND FINANCIAL BURDEN FOR CAREGIVERS. WE'RE DEALING WITH BOTH THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR AGING PARENTS. NOW YOU'RE PROPOSE TAX CREDITS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THIS PREDICAMENT AND A REDUCTION IN THE PAPERWORK FOR ACCESS TO FEDERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. WHY HAS THIS BECOME SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE MADE AWARE OF? >> BUT FIRST TIME I SAW THIS AS A KID WHEN MY MY GRAND MOTHER WAS BASICALLY BED REST OF MY HOUSE FOR QUITE A WHILE. AND MY MOM WAS STRUGGLING TO TAKE CARE OF 5 KIDS AND THEN TRY TO TAKE CARE OF MY GRANDMOTHER WHO WAS SICK. IT'S TOUGH. IT'S IT'S IT'S TOUGH ON A LOT OF PEOPLE. SO WE SEE A LOT OF IT RIGHT NOW. WE SEE A LOT OF IT IN THE UNITED STATES WHERE PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING, HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR PARENTS OR AN AUNT AND UNCLE AND AND AND ALSO TAKE CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN. SO I THINK WE OUGHT TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO HELP THEM. I THINK THE RIGHT THING TO DO IS PROVIDE SOME TAX RELIEF. ALSO, THERE'S A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT COULD BE HELPFUL TO THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT. SO I'M TRYING TO GET THAT RE AUTHORIZED TO MAKE SURE THOSE PROGRAMS CONTINUE. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF LOT OF AMERICANS AND A LOT OF FLORIDIANS THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH THIS AND LET'S PROVIDE WHATEVER RELIEF WE CAN. >> NOW, ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS I WAS LOOKING AT WAS THE SENIOR ACT WHICH LOOKS TO DEAL SENIOR LONELINESS GETTING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. SO IN AN AREA LIKE FLORIDA WHERE OUR SENIOR POPULATION IS CONSTANTLY GROWING AND GETTING LARGER, HOW DOES THIS HELP AN AREA WITH SUCH AN ABUNDANCE OF WHAT AGING AMERICANS? >> WELL, AS HELP, IT HELPS A LOT OF PROGRAMS IN FLORIDA AROUND THE COUNTRY THEN DO THE DO THE HARD WORK OF TRYING TO MAKE SURE THEY CONTINUE TO GET SENIORS ACTIVE IN INVOLVED SO THEY DON'T END UP LONELY. WE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WAY WHAT WE SEE OFTEN IN FLORIDA AND AND I'M SURE AROUND THE COUNTRY AS WE SEE OLDER AMERICANS THAT HAVE LOST THEIR LOVED ONES AND THEY DON'T HAVE FAMILY LIVE CLOSE TO HIM ARE SOMETIMES THERE AND THEY'RE NOT THE OTHER HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR LOVED ONES. AND SO A LOT OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED THIS WAY, YOU KNOW, HELP HELP THE SENIORS. AND SO AGAIN, WE ARE TO BE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN IN GOVERNMENT TO HELP THOSE THAT WE CAN HELP. >> AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS WAS IS AM CAREGIVERS CREDIT ACT, WHICH YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $2000, 2 INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN THE SITUATION WHERE THEY HAVE TO DEAL FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS IS THAT ENOUGH OR IS THERE MORE THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN BE DOING BECAUSE AS COSTS ON EVERYTHING GO UP AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN THERE. IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THIS MAKES A BIG DENT. IT SURELY HELPS BUT MAY NOT BE ENOUGH FOR FAMILIES THAT ARE STRUGGLING ON TIGHT BUDGETS DEALING WITH NOW 2 SEPARATE ISSUES WHERE YOU'RE DEALING WITH CHILDREN ON ONE HAND AND PARENTS ON THE OTHER. >> WHICH PROBABLY FOR A LOT OF FAMILIES IS NEVER ENOUGH. SO BUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO UP HERE IS YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD BECAUSE IT IS YOUR MONEY THE WAY I ALWAYS LOOKED AT WHEN I WAS GOVERNOR IN THIS JOB IS IS WE'RE USING YOUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO TO PROVIDE THESE PROGRAMS. AND AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE RUNNING TO TRAIN ALL YEAR DEFICITS. WE HAVE ALMOST 40 TREY DOLLARS IN DEBT. AND AS YOU KNOW, INFLATION IS UP AND INFLATION IS ALL CAUSED BY GOVERNMENT SPENDING WHEN GOVERNMENT SPENDS MORE THAT IT TAKES IN. SO WHAT YOU GOT TO DO IS SAY, WHAT CAN WE DO? BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO ALLOCATE HOW YOU SPEND THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT TAXPAYERS ARE WILLING TO GIVE US AND MATTER. THAT HELPS THE MOST PEOPLE YOU CAN. >> AND THEN SPEAK OF THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE IN FEBRUARY. I WAS READING UP ON YOUR OP-ED YOU WROTE ABOUT ON GENERIC DRUGS, LOOKING AT THEM AS A COST-EFFECTIVE, POTENTIALLY LIFESAVING ALTERNATIVE. BUT NOW SHOULDN'T THERE BE MORE PRESSURE PUT ON PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES TO HELP DRIVE DOWN THE COST OF NON GENERIC DRUGS? BECAUSE MANY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO REACH THAT AREA. AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE INSULIN WHICH ARE SEEING SPIKES IN THE PRICE COST. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ON THE MEDICAL SIDE TO HELP FAMILIES THAT ARE DEALING WITH SUCH AN INCREASE IN MEDICATIONS ON A MONTHLY BASIS. >> BUT I THINK WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO IS IS WE'VE GOT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE HAVE INNOVATION. SO WE WANT THE FARM. SO COMPANIES CONTINUE IN THE VEIN, COME UP WITH NEW DRUGS ARE GOING TO SAVE OR LIES OR IMPROVE OUR LIVES. BUT THEY'VE GOT THEY'VE GOT A PRICE OR THEY'RE THE PRODUCT OF AT A FAIR PRICE. IT WITH THAT WE CAN AFFORD. AND ONE THING I'VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY THE PRICE OF INSULIN IS A WAY TO SINCE WAS BEEN AROUND FOR WHAT NOW? 100 YEARS. SO IT'S NEVER MADE ANY SENSE TO ME. WHY COSTS AS MUCH AS IT COSTS. ONE THING I'M TRYING TO DO ON TOP OF THAT IS MAKE SURE YOU DON'T RELY ON CHINA FOR YOUR DRUGS BECAUSE IF WE EVER HAVE A CONFLICT IN CHINA, THOUGH, DO WHAT THEY DID DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC WHERE FIRST OFF, THEY LIED TO US. STAY WHERE IT WAS STARTED. WHO IS CLOSE STARTING THE LAB NUMBER 2, AND THEY HELD BACK. PPP. SO RIGHT NOW ABOUT 80% OF DRUGS, AMERICAN SAKE OR GENERIC, ABOUT 90% OF THOSE AS GENERICS THE INGREDIENTS COME FROM COMMUNIST CHINA AND SO THEY CAN. FIRST OFF, WE KNOW IT'S NOT SAFE. NOTHING COMES FROM CHINA IS SAFE. SO WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE AMERICANS ARE NOT DEPEND ON THAT. SO I HAVE A BILL CALLED THE CLEAR LABELS ACT THAT WE ACTUALLY GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION OF WHERE YOUR GREENS COME FROM FOR ANY DRUG YOU MIGHT BE TAKEN AND WHERE ITS MANUFACTURER, SO YOU CAN MAKE A BETTER CHOICE AND A SAFER CHOICE. >> BUT THEN HOW DOES THAT GET TO THE AMERICAN CONSUMER THAT BECAUSE IF THEY ARE STILL LOOKING FOR THAT COST-EFFECTIVE PRICE, THAT SEEMS TO BE OVER WHAT'S IN YOUR INGREDIENTS. IT'S NOT SO MUCH AS WHAT IS THE BEST OPTION OUT THERE, BUT IT'S WHAT CAN AFFORD AND BUDGET. SO ISN'T THERE STILL RESPONSIBILITY OF NOT JUST KNOWING WHAT YOUR INGREDIENTS ARE, BUT HELPING GET THOSE COSTS DOWN? SO MAYBE THEY'RE ON MORE LEVEL WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUGS THAT ARE COMING FROM OVERSEAS MANUFACTURERS. >> AND THE NUMBER ONE, WE DON'T WANT ANYBODY TAKE A DRUG THAT'S UNSAFE. SO I DON'T CARE WHAT THE PRICES OF ITS UNSAFE, IT'S CHEAPER AND UNSAFE AND PUT YOU IN THE HOSPITAL. THAT'S NOT A GREAT DRUG. THERE'S A STUDY OF THE UNIVERSE OF INDIANA. THE SAYS THAT IF YOU TAKE TAKE IN THE INDIAN OR CHINESE GENERIC DRUG, YOU HAVE OVER. IT'S A 60% CHANCE OF HOSPITALIZATION OR DEATH. SO NUMBER ONE, YOU SHOULD BE TAKING GENERIC DRUGS FROM INDIA OR CHINA. THERE'S NOT GREAT INSPECTIONS SEPARATE FROM THAT. WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO IS WORK, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT TO CREATE A SYSTEM WHERE WE HAVE AS MUCH COMPETITION AS POSSIBLE. GOVERNMENT IS NOT GREAT PRICE CONTROLS. WHAT THEY DO WITH PRICE CONTROLS HIS OLD WAY. THEY RESTRICT ACCESS. PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO PRODUCE. THANKS. WE'VE GOT TO DO IS CREATE AS MUCH COMPETITION AS POSSIBLE. COMPETITION IS WHAT DRIVES DOWN PRICED ON GOVERNMENT. >> AND ONE THING WITH COST DOWN HERE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAS BEEN OUR STATE BUDGET. AND RIGHT NOW, GOVERNOR DESANTIS LOOKING AT CALLING A SPECIAL SESSION IN REGARDS TO THE ELIMINATION OF PROPERTY TAXES. WHEN YOU WERE GOVERNOR, YOU RAN FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND A LOT OF THAT WAS INCLUDED, I BELIEVE GETTING ABOUT 10 BILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT. THAT WAS REMOVED OFF OUR STATE BUDGET. WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE PROPERTY TAXES THAT BRINGS IN MUCH-NEEDED INCOME AND HELP SUPPLY A LOT OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY EFFORTS AND COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT. DO YOU FEEL THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE A FOCUS ON THE STATE RIGHT NOW? JUST WANT TO GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS FORMER GOVERNOR OF FLORIDA. >> WITH THE EVERYBODY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEIR TAXES GO DOWN WHEN I WAS GOVERNOR, I CUT TAXES AND FEES. I THINK OVER 100 TIMES. AND SO WHAT DO WITH PROPERTY TAXES? WE TRY TO REDUCE THE MILLAGE RATE ON PROPERTY TAXES AT THE RATE THAT YOUR VALUES WENT UP. SO I'D LOVE. I LOVE TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN GET REAL PROPERTY. TAX ESTATES ARE JULIE FUNDED ONE OF 3 WAYS INCOME PROPERTY OR SALES TAX. WE DON'T HAVE A PERSONAL INCOME TAX IN FLORIDA AND WE DO NEED REVENUES TO PAY FOR SCHOOLS, TRANSPORTATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I KNOW THE I KNOW THE GOVERNOR HAS PUT HAS PROPOSED SAID HE'D LIKE TO SEE PROPERTY TAXES COME DOWN. I'VE NOT SEEN THE PROPOSAL. I LOVE TO SEE A PROPOSAL BECAUSE I DO WANT ANOTHER TAX TO GO UP AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL THE MONEY WE NEED TO MAKE SURE KIDS GET A GREAT EDUCATION. MAKE SURE WE HAVE MONEY FOR OUR ROADS. MAKE SURE WE HAVE MONEY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. AND THEN IF I CAN GET YOU ON THIS QUESTION. >> FLORIDA'S ORANGE PRODUCTION. MANUFACTURING HAS BEEN DOWN FOR SOME TIME. I KNOW THAT YOU CENTER ASHLEY MOODY HAVE INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO HELP THE FUNDING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ORANGE INDUSTRY IS BIBLE FOR FLORIDA'S FUTURE. UNFORTUNATELY, HERE IN LEE COUNTY, OUR LARGEST GROWER HAD FOLDED IT CITRUS OPERATIONS IN ORDER TO MOVE INTO LAND DEVELOPMENT. I WAS JUST WANTING TO GET AN UPDATE ON YOUR LEGISLATION. IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ON A FEDERAL LEVEL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GROWERS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA ARE KEEPING OUR ORANGES AS PART OF AN INTERNAL PART OF OUR STATES. >> I THINK IN THE LAST 20 YEARS WE'VE GONE FROM PRODUCING OVER. I THINK 240 SOME MILLION BUSHELS OF ORANGE IS THE YEAR TO 12. SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO THE THING THE PIES YOU RIGHT NOW IS THE EPA. I WORKED WITH THE PA TO GET A NEW TREES APPROVED IN JUST HAPPENED. I THINK IN THE LAST 2 OR 3 WEEKS. AND MINDS AND ORANGE GROVES, OUR STATE ARE PLANNING TO PRODUCE OVER. 2 MILLION ARE PLANT ANOTHER 2 MILLION TREE. SO HOPEFULLY THIS NEW VARIANT WILL BE THE SOLUTION BECAUSE WE'VE HAD YEARS AND YEARS OF THIS GREENING. SO AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE FUND A LOT OF RESEARCH. WE'VE DONE THE SAME THING AT THE FEDERAL I CONTINUE TO FUND THAT. BUT HOPEFULLY WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THIS NEW VARIANT THAT ARE ORANGE GROVES ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO USE AND THE WAY THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TAKE CARE THAT THE TREES WITH A A A WAS A I THINK IT'S CALLED I THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE THE EXISTING TREES. WE'RE GOING TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE. OUR ORANGE PRODUCTION. WE HAVE THE BEST ORANGES IN THE WORLD. I HOPE YOU GET BACK TO BEING THE BIGGEST PRODUCER IN THE WORLD. SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS AFTERNOON. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE RESEARCH, BUT ALSO NOW HOPEFULLY THIS IS GOING TO OUR ORANGE GROWERS ARE GONNA START PLANTING TREES AND WE'LL SEE A BIG RUSS AGAIN. >> ALL RIGHT. WELL, SENATOR RICK SCOTT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPEAK WITH US. ALL RIGHT. HAVE A GREAT DAY. BUT BY THAT.