Senator Rick Scott asked Congress to reallocate funds under the Inflation Reduction Act for the Internal Revenue Service to make them available for schools to hire armed officers across the country.
Scott suggested that the $80 billion received by the IRS to hire 87,000 agents over the next ten years be used for schools. Fox News reports that this was Scott’s plan when he was Florida’s Governor.
Scott said that the tragedy in Nashville had shown Scott that more must be done to protect schools.
He said that Washington spends money every day on wasteful ideas and that the massive expansion of the IRS was one such example.
Scott’s program was created in response to the Parkland shooting which left 17 dead. It implemented stricter gun control measures and expanded firearm access to teachers and school staff. Additionally, it allowed for training in armed safety at public schools.
Scott said that he worked hard to ensure more security in schools following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland.
He stated, “Today every Florida public school has an armed police officer or sheriff deputy or someone who has undergone our rigorous training through The Guardian Program. ”
Senator’s bill will provide money for private and religious schools, as well as public schools. It also allows for funding for the hiring of school officers. This was not true for Covenant School, a private school where the Nashville shooting took place.
“All schools must have access,” Scott said that the funding was provided specifically to increase security at Jewish Days Schools in Florida after they had been subject to an influx of threats.
The former governor said that “our religious schools should be protected” and promised that all schools would be allowed to use the funds.
The Republican suggested recently an “automatic death penalty for school shooters” and said on Twitter that these “deranged Monsters” don’t deserve to live in prison.
