Debbie Mucarsel-Powell’s Plan to Lower Costs for Floridians

The cost of living is skyrocketing in Florida – and our Senator is doing nothing about it. 

As an immigrant who worked my way through high school and college at minimum wage jobs, I’m running for the U.S. Senate because I know firsthand that we need to do more to support hard-working Floridians who are struggling. From the rising costs of homeowners insurance to housing to health care, prices are out of control and Floridians are fed up. 

To make matters worse, we have a Senator in Rick Scott who is completely out of touch with the real problems that so many in Florida are facing. Our affordability crisis began while Rick Scott was Governor, and as Senator, he has done nothing to lower costs for working families in our state. In fact, Rick Scott wrote the plan to raise taxes on middle class families and steal seniors’ hard-earned benefits. All the while, he has enriched himself, increasing his own wealth by hundreds of millions of dollars since first taking office. 

In the Senate, I will tackle rising costs head on. Unlike Rick Scott, I oppose raising taxes on the middle class. I also support investing in good-paying jobs to create opportunities for Floridians to achieve success right here in Florida.

As your next U.S. Senator, I will:

• Make Florida Affordable for Working Families By:

•  Lowering Everyday Costs

• Expanding the Child Tax Credit

• Stopping Floridians From Being Priced Out of Their Neighborhoods

• Take On The Homeowners Insurance Crisis & Extreme Weather Driving Up Prices

• Create Good-Paying Jobs in Florida

 

— DMP

MAKE FLORIDA AFFORDABLE FOR WORKING FAMILIES

LOWER EVERYDAY COSTS

Florida faces the highest rate of inflation in the country, meaning Floridians are working harder and getting less in return. From the cost of groceries to the cost of gas, Florida families are struggling to afford everyday items. As Senator, Debbie will support common sense solutions to lower costs for Floridians.

• As grocery stores continue to rake in record profits at the expense of hardworking Floridians, Debbie will fight against the corporate consolidation of big grocery chains who drive up prices and back legislation like the Robinson-Patman Act to promote fair competition in the food industry. 
• Debbie will back bills like the Shrinkflation Prevention Act to ensure Floridians get what they pay for.
• Debbie will crack down on Big Oil price gouging through the Gas Price Gouging Prevention Act to ensure Floridians aren’t breaking the bank at the gas pump. 
• As Senator, Debbie would support the Lower Drug Costs for Families Act to stop drug companies from raising prices faster than inflation.
• Debbie would support legislation like the Affordable Insulin Now Act of 2023 to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable insulin. 
• In the Senate, Debbie would back legislation like the Bipartisan Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act for seniors. The Affordable Connectivity program has already helped over 1.7 million Floridian households save $52.5 million total in monthly internet bills. 

CHILD TAX CREDIT

Rick Scott wrote the plan to raise taxes on working families and push 7.2 million American children into poverty in 2020. As Senator, Debbie would proudly support expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to raise American children out of poverty. Debbie would support legislation that would help the families of an estimated 1,004,000 Florida children receive a fully refundable $2,000.00 Child Tax Credit. 

STOP FLORIDIANS FROM BEING PRICED OUT OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS

In major cities across Florida, rising costs are pricing hard-working Floridians out of their neighborhoods. In the Senate, Debbie will fight to ensure Floridians can afford to stay in their homes.

• Debbie will fight to preserve the home and cultural center of Little Haiti in Miami-Dade, keeping Haitian Americans from being pushed out of their homes and introducing bold legislation to address sea level rise that could push Haitian Floridians out of their community. 
• Debbie will support policies that increase housing supply and renter protections, to prevent displacement in Florida neighborhoods.
• Debbie will back legislation like the End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act to stop hedge funds from driving up the prices of homes and edging out Floridian homebuyers. 

TAKE ON THE HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE CRISIS & EXTREME WEATHER DRIVING UP PRICES

Florida is facing a homeowners insurance crisis that started under Rick Scott. Today, Floridians face insurance prices three times the national average. Debbie is committed to tackling the high cost of homeowners insurance and fighting to stop climate change and extreme weather events that only hurt Florida’s economy and drive up prices.

• As Senator, Debbie would join proposals to cut the cost of property insurance by 25% and support lowering the amount of insurance needed from once-in-a-130-year storm to once-in-a-50-year storm. 
• Extreme heat continues to drive up electricity bills, but Florida has only tapped about 2% of its rooftop solar potential. Debbie will push to expand solar panel power in Florida and lower the cost of Floridians’ electricity bills. 
• Debbie would support 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.
• While Rick Scott voted against over $1 billion in infrastructure resiliency funding, Debbie will fight to bring federal investments to Florida to address flooding.
• In the Senate, will work to support the fishing industries in Florida recover from “Red Tide Rick,” who presided over record fish kills.  

CREATE GOOD-PAYING JOBS IN FLORIDA

As an immigrant who worked her way up from a minimum wage job at a donut shop to serving in Congress, Debbie is committed to protecting the American Dream and the economic opportunities that allowed her to be here today. 

• In the Senate, Debbie will champion legislation to promote buying American – unlike Rick Scott. 
• As Senator, Debbie will fight to protect American jobs from being shipped overseas and will stand up against the Chinese Communist Party. 
• Right now, China controls 80% of the world’s supply chain for solar panels. Debbie will fight to create good-paying jobs to increase solar panel production in Florida and lower the cost of energy in the state.