Florida Sen. Rick Scott missed Senate votes for private jet trips and Trump rallies

Florida Sen. Rick Scott skipped a vote on the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act and other measures, presumably because he was campaigning for former President Donald Trump. 

Scott, a Republican, is currently seeking a second term in the U.S. Senate. His Democratic opponent will be chosen in an Aug. 20 primary.

Scott was absent from the Senate July 9 through July 11. The Senate was on recess from July 15 to July 22. According to publicly available flight data, a private jet owned by Scott made frequent trips and stops on these dates.

Scott missed three Senate votes on July 9, two for federal judge nominations and one confirming an appointee to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. That evening, Scott spoke at a Trump rally in Doral, FL. Afterward, his private jet flew from Miami to Naples, FL, where Scott has a home.

Scott missed four votes on July 10, including a cloture motion to advance the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act. The bill would create federal protections for abortion access similar to what existed prior to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Scott has previously backed a 20-week nationwide abortion ban and endorsed a Florida law banning abortion at six weeks gestation.

On the morning of July 10, Scott’s jet flew from Naples to Bozeman, MT. In 2020, Roll Call reported that Scott owns an estate in Troy, MT. The following day, Scott missed two Senate votes; a federal judge confirmation and a joint resolution concerning humanitarian aid to Gaza.

On July 16, Scott’s jet flew from Bozeman to Milwaukee, WI where he appeared at the Republican National Convention.

Scott came under fire in May for skipping a Senate vote to attend Trump’s hush money trial in New York City. Former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, one of the Democrats challenging Scott this year, blasted him for his absence.

“Maybe someone should remind Scott that rather than sitting in New York trying to suck up to a defendant found liable for sexual abuse, he should be at work focusing on lowering costs, securing our border and protecting democracy,” Mucarsel-Powell told HuffPost.

A Scott spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.