Johnson emphasized that his choice for that position will be Rick Scott, current Senator and former Republican governor for the state of Florida. The others running are John Thune and John Cornyn, but Scott has been the choice of MAGA pundits as he is more sympathetic with Trump and the administration's policies. Ballots will be cast in secret and it was McConnell's decision to elect a new leader prior to the new term beginning, in which more Republican senators will be coming in.
Johnson said that his reasons for voting for Scott on Wednesday include Scott's business experience, which is greater than his political sense. Scott, he said, has experience in and sympathy for the private sector. Instead, Johnson said that senators, representatives and bureaucrats often see those private sector businesses as their "cash cow," or something that needs to be regulated.
"Very few have even been part of a functioning organization," Johnson said. The qualities of a functioning organization, he said, include having a mission statement, annual goals, and those within the organization understanding the role they play in achieving those goals. "That's not Congress, not at all," he said.
Johnson has known Scott since he came to the Senate in 2019 and respects his business acumen and successes. "I've had the privilege of being his ally here in the Senate," Johnson said. "He's a perpetual motion machine. But again, he has all that private sector experience, all that success. He's obviously fun functioning organizations, and he would turn the United States Senate into a functioning organization, one that respects the private sector, the golden goose that really powers our economy."
"He'd be an extraordinary leader," he said, before joining in and suggesting that voters call their senators and let them know that Scott is their Senate Majority Leader of choice.
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