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Florida’s U.S. Senate race pits incumbent Republican Rick Scott against Democratic challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
Scott, a former health care industry executive, was elected to the Senate in 2018, after serving as Florida’s governor. Mucarsel-Powell, whose family immigrated to the U.S. from Ecuador, served in the U.S. House from 2019 to 2021 after a career in academia and the nonprofit sector.
AARP asked both candidates about issues important to older Floridians. Mucarsel-Powell answered some questions during a phone interview and others in writing; Scott submitted all answers in writing. Their responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
AARP studies show that 48 million family caregivers provide at least $600 billion in unpaid care a year, many helping their older loved ones continue to live independently. If elected, how would you support family caregivers, many of whom are juggling work and family?
Mucarsel-Powell: This really hits home for me. My mother lives with me, so I’ve personally seen the burden and really the responsibility [of caregiving].... One of the things we can do is provide tax incentives to families that have to take care of an elderly parent.... We also need to provide better services and expand Medicaid ... So if the senior needs someone to come to their home to help them ... they should be able to receive that.
Scott: I am honored to serve on the [Senate] Special Committee on Aging, where I fight to support Florida’s great seniors and their families. We must continue to bolster the health care workforce so American families have access to quality care for their aging family members. I was proud to support an amendment to the Supporting Older Americans Act [of 2020] that provides funding for programs like Meals on Wheels, senior centers and affordable housing for seniors.
Social Security is expected to see a shortfall in approximately 10 years. If Congress doesn’t act, millions of Americans who are counting on Social Security may see cuts to the money they’ve earned. If elected, how would you protect Social Security benefits for the future?
Scott: Right now, Social Security is at risk because of decades of Washington’s reckless and wasteful spending. I introduced the Protect Our Seniors Act to protect vital programs like Social Security and Medicare from going insolvent. I am fighting to bolster Social Security and protect seniors from skyrocketing inflation we’ve seen by getting government spending under control and paying down our national debt.
Mucarsel-Powell: I’ve had multiple conversations with people living in the state of Florida that asked me specifically to not raise the age [for full Social Security benefits].... What we cannot do is reduce the benefit, eliminate the benefit or privatize the benefit.
Medicare provides critical health coverage for older Americans. If elected, how would you protect Medicare from benefit cuts, and how can the program be improved?
Mucarsel-Powell: One of the things I did in Congress is write a bill to expand Medicare coverage while we were going through the pandemic.... So not only do we need to protect it, but ... we need to expand the coverage we currently have.... We need to figure out ... [how to include basic] dental and optical [in Medicare].
Scott: I’m working to make sure we preserve and protect … Medicare and have proposals to do so, like my Protect Our Seniors Act.
Americans pay some of the highest prescription drug prices in the world. If elected, how will you lower prescription drug prices for all Americans?
Scott: We need to address the soaring costs of prescription drugs right now. I introduced the American Drugs Act that would end our reliance on prescription drugs made in communist China and incentivize American manufacturers to make prescription drugs in the United States. This would bolster the American supply chain and allow manufacturers to produce prescription drugs cheaper here at home.
Mucarsel-Powell: I will always stand up to drug companies and ensure that families in Florida ... can afford their prescription drugs. I support legislation like the Lowering Drug Costs for American Families Act, which expands the Inflation Reduction Act’s drug price negotiation program to all Americans ... and increases the annual number of prescription drugs selected for negotiation.
Millions of American workers have no way to save for retirement through their employers. If elected, what steps would you take to help American workers save for their retirement?
Scott: Americans are struggling to save for retirement thanks to skyrocketing inflation.... We need to get our spending under control and lower prices…. I’m fighting every day to lower costs …. And I’m working to make it harder for politicians to raise taxes so Americans can save more.
Mucarsel-Powell: I would support legislation that requires employers that don’t offer traditional pensions to contribute to employee 401(k) accounts, with exemptions for small businesses that might not have the ability to cover such costs and stay afloat.
If elected, what will you do to improve the lives of older Americans and their families?
Mucarsel-Powell: We all have to make sure that our seniors are treated with respect [and] have high-quality health care.... We need to protect Medicare and Social Security. We need to ensure Social Security payments [match] inflation. We need to expand Medicare coverage .... It’s a holistic approach.
Scott: I will continue to push for meaningful legislation that will benefit Florida seniors, including the Protect our Seniors Act to protect Medicare and Social Security from going insolvent at the hands of Washington’s reckless spending; the Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act that establishes standards and requirements to help prevent unnecessary delays to critical care under Medicare Advantage [and] the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act to prevent American seniors from being exploited for financial gain.
—Interviews by Drew Jubera
Find more information on the candidates at rickscott.com and debbieforflorida.com.
As a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, AARP does not endorse candidates or make political donations.
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