On the recordNovember 26, 2018
Madam President, I intend to be giving a number of speeches over the course of the next couple of weeks to comment on various matters on which I have had the privilege of working. I want to say, with regard to the election, that things turned out a little differently than Grace and I had expected, but let me say that I have been very, very blessed. That is because I have had the privilege of serving the people of Florida and our country for most of my life, and I don't think anyone could have been more honored by having a lifetime of public service. I was not victorious in this race, but I still wish to strongly reaffirm the cause for which we fought: A public office is a public trust. First, I want to say thanks to all who have rallied to our cause, both here in the Senate and in Florida. You knocked on the doors, you walked the precincts, you made the phone calls, and you contributed your time and your resources. With an optimistic heart, I wish to say something else: We may have been heavily outspent, but we were never outworked. To all Floridians, I say to you this, whether you voted for me or for my opponent or you didn't vote at all: I ask that you never give up this fight. A public office is a public trust, and there are a lot of other things that fall under that category of public trust. You must fight to protect the fundamental right to healthcare and against any attempt to roll back our progress on things like preexisting conditions.…





