Rick Scott announced his long-anticipated bid to replace Mitch McConnell as leader in November. (Getty Images)
Scott stressed the need for transparency among conference members in his appeal, claiming, "There have been far too many backroom deals cut in secret." News of his campaign for leader was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
He criticized the failure of legislation to move through the committee process and the normalization of trillion-dollar spending bills voted on without consideration for amendments. "We are routinely surprised with legislation and asked to vote on it without having had any input or even time to review it," Scott continued.
BIDEN BORDER CHIEF MAYORKAS IN HOT SEAT OVER JORDANIAN NATIONALS WHO TRIED TO BREACH QUANTICO
The Florida senator additionally lamented that the upper chamber GOP rarely works "in concert with Republicans in the House."
According to Scott, the body "far too often passes legislation that is supported by 100% of the Democrats, and only a quarter of our Republican Conference." He claimed this has served to unite Democrats, while simultaneously dividing the Republican senators.
MCCONNELL-ALIGNED GROUP SHREDS SEN BROWN’S ‘HANDOUTS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS’ IN OHIO SPOT
Cornyn, Thune, and Scott are announced leader candidates. (Getty Images)
He was able to garner 10 votes to McConnell's 37 at the time. "We had a double-digit vote against the current leader, and that’s never happened in the time I’ve been here," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, had remarked.
Following McConnell's surprise announcement, Scott said in a statement, "I have been very clear and have long believed that we need new leadership in the Senate that represents our voters and the issues we were sent here to fight for. As everyone knows, I challenged Leader McConnell in 2022. This is an opportunity to refocus our efforts on solving the significant challenges facing our country and actually reflect the aspirations of voters."
UNUSED COVID-19 FUNDS WOULD BUILD BORDER WALL UNDER NEW SENATE BILL
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., speaks during a news conference, Dec. 14, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
However, he didn't reveal his intentions at the time.
The November match-up for Republican leader presents the winner with an opportunity to shape the Republican Party's priorities in the Senate, especially if they snag the majority in the 2024 elections.
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia's reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.
Subscribed
You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rick-scott-senate-gop-leader-race-mitch-mcconnell