Senate in Session

>> All unauthorized persons will please leave the chamber. All senators and guests in the gallery, please silence electronic devices. All senators indicate your presence, please. Quorum is present, Mr. President. >> Senate will be in order. Senators and guests in the gallery, please rise for the opening prayer to be given by Reverend John Belmonte, the Diocese of Venice. Reverend Belmonte is sponsored by, of course, Senator Gruters. >> Thank you, Mr. President and Senator Gruters for the high honor to offer this prayer today. Heavenly Father of all, each day with the gift of freedom, you place before us the opportunity to choose. To choose to become great by serving you and others. With your help Lord, help us to pursue greatness in your service and service in all that we do. Help us to distinguish ourselves in virtue, in humility, in kindness, and especially in courage. We need people, Lord, willing to make sacrifices for all that is good. People willing to defend the most vulnerable, people willing to shake off the destructive tolerance of division. God of greatness in life, help us to truly live, to live for you, to live for others. Almighty God, may these leaders live with faith in you, strengthen them to defend the weak, fortify their resolve to preserve the family from all harm, Grant unto them, O Lord, the vision and the courage to be leaders who will make our communities safe, make our schools the best in the world, sustain our farmers, enshrine fairness in our legal system, and the resolve to serve the common good. We are grateful, Lord, for their service. Today, especially, we are grateful for Senator Joe Gruters for his years of dedicated service to this chamber, to the people of Florida, and now our nation. Dear God, give Joe and all assembled here today the grace to continue to answer your call to public service. Let Senator Gruters and everyone in this body lead with compassion, listen with patience, and serve with integrity that those they lead may see your heart and be drawn to follow you. And when, dear Lord, these your servants have reached the mountaintop of success and provided for the common good. If it be your will, Lord, surround them with an adoring family, scores of friends, a comfortable retirement, and if it be your will, a modest condo somewhere near Siesta Key Beach. Amen. >> Amen. >> Amen. Please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance to be led today by Senate Pages Mary Ryan Mitchell, who is the daughter of Senate professional staffer Bettsy Mitchell, sponsored by Senator Simon, Jamila Ogletree of Tallahassee, who is the sister of Senate professional staffer Nia Ogletree and is sponsored by Senator Simon and Andrew Light of Sarasota sponsored by Senator Gruters. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Our Doctor of the Day is Dr. Julia Jenkins of Clearwater sponsored by Senator Hooper. Dr. Jenkins specializes in family medicine. Senator Hooper, you're recognized. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Senators, good afternoon. This is not Dr. Jenkins' first journey to be with us, but I also want to recognize in the gallery that we have Dr. Zack Harrison, a resident family physician who works with Dr. Jenkins on a regular basis. If you would please stand and be recognized, sir. Thank you. >> Senators, any introductions? Senator DiCeglie, you're recognized. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Happy Monday. I want to say, Senators, today is Cannoli Day in the Florida Senate. And when you get back to your offices this evening, hopefully late afternoon, you're going to have a card that reads just like this. And I'm saying this out loud because I want my voice to resonate in your minds as you open up this card this afternoon. The Cannoli Caucus comes bearing gifts, and perhaps an offer you can't refuse. But relax, as Clemenza once said, leave the gun. Take the cannoli. In Tallahassee, we settle our differences with debate, decorum, and dessert. And I hope you all enjoy. And we have our Chair Emeritus, our CFO Blaise Ingoglia here today. But this is by yours truly, Senator Nick DiCeglie, self-appointed, Cannoli Caucus chair, and the one and only Senator Danny Burgess-oni, the self-appointed Italian. So enjoy. >> It's a great day in the Florida Senate. Also, today, I want to point out we have former Senator Ray Rodrigues with us. Thank you for joining us. In case anybody once we get started might call a point of order for having a prop on the floor, we're going to waive those rules today for Senator Gruters. Today, we are recognizing the service of Senator Gruters, the Senator of the 22nd District. Please join me in welcoming Senator Gruters' wife, Sydney. Their children, Spencer, Jack Ryan, and Elizabeth. Twin sister Jackie Coward. Sorry. Sister Kelly Pierce? Sister Sally Posey. And his dad, Terrance Gruters, who's watching from home. Hi, Dad. There we go. Also with us today are Representatives James Buchanan and Fiona McFarland. Here they are. Bear with me on this list. Let's hold our applause till we get. It's a pretty good list. We also have Senator Gruters' district staff, Vickie Keller and her husband, Jordan, Mandy Hill, and her husband, Justin, Jeremy Miller, and his wife, Veronica, seated in the gallery, are the guest of Senator Gruters, former legislative aides, Hunter Flack, J.D. Kerr, AJ Jansen, and Josh Barnhill. Family friends, Kevin and Alyssa Wigan, with their children, Ian and Addie. Now we can applaud. As is customary, senators and guests, we have a video highlighting Senator Gruters' service in the Senate. [MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] Senators, the floor is open to anyone wishing to make marks. Senator Brodeur. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Let me tell you about this guy. So the way I meet Senator Gruters is at the beginning of my first House campaign in 2010, when you get done with the friends and family round of fundraising, you think, who else on Earth is going to support me? If you're in a big seat, you can't just have a bake sale. You got to go out and find some other folks. And a mutual friend of ours, a fraternity brother, in fact, Joe and I are fraternity brothers, not at the same school. I'm a lot older than he is. He said, Joe, you got to meet this guy. Joe calls. He's the head of the Right to Life PAC at the time and says, I'm to give you a full donation. You're a guy. I'm with you forever. And I remember being so heartened that somebody would pick a candidate, make up their mind, and with resolve, be there with him the entire time. And sure enough, he has been. Every single race I've ever had. He's been there one of the first. He was the first out of town donation I ever had my entire political career, which is crazy that we're sitting here 16, 17 years later. Which is why I was so surprised to hear him running his mouth about a triathlon in the majority office. He was promising that he was a great athlete. He could swim, he could run, he could bike, and that he would beat anybody. And I said, even a pillar of fitness like myself, I don't think so. So we decided to have a contest. And when we got there, Sydney and the family came, it was a huge thing. It was in Central Florida. Because I'm so much older, we had to start in different corrals. So he started ahead for the swim portion, and I had friends there. And I said, you got to tell me when Joe gets out of the water because that's the gap I'm going to have to make up on the bike and the run. I thought, for sure, he's going to beat me in the swim, but I got him on the other parts. So I get out of the swim portion, and the friend says, he's not out yet. And I was mad. I said, "You had one job. How do you miss him? There's coming out single file. You had to see him." But sure enough, I get to the bike corral and his bike's still there, so I know I'm ahead of him. Get down to the bike. His bike's gone. So I'm still ahead of him. I get to the outside of the run corral. My wife's standing there. And I said, "How far ahead am I?" I'm now panicking he's going to hide in the bushes and run. And she said, just finish. And I said, that's not helpful at all. Like, at this point, I'm mad at everybody trying to help. They don't see him. They're just telling me to finish. There's nothing. So I finish the run, and I get done, and everybody congratulating him. I said, "Where is he?" And they said, "He fell off his bike and puked. He's halfway back to Sarasota." [LAUGHTER] And I came back. And you know how graceful I am about stuff like this. And so I was wearing him out nonstop, to which he said, well, we got to do another one. Said anytime anywhere. I beat this guy mercilessly. And so we get to the second triathlon, and he shows up with a carbon fiber bike built by NASA. And I'm struck by everybody coming up to say hi to him. There were all his new friends from his triathlon clubs, multiple that he was in. And I thought, Dear God, I have mismanaged this situation horribly. We on the bike section, I'm ahead of him at the start. We're at the Daytona Speedway, so the bike course is around the speedway itself. And we're coming up to the first corner. And Joe is riding upright, going by me, talking trash the entire time. Not tucked, not sweating, not panting, just motoring right by. I thought Well, I'll just keep him in sight and then I'll catch him on the run. Never saw him again. He killed it. And when we met up afterwards, he said, "Well after that first one, I decided that I was going to train every single day so that this would never happen again." And then he did. And I thought, I should have never doubted the guy with so much resolve, who once he made up his mind, said, this is what I'm doing, because every time he says it, he does it. And so it's a funny thing. We're at a farewell, but I don't think it's farewell. I just get a chance to tell funny stories because we'll be around forever. This he's been a great friend. You guys know what a solid citizen he is and what a wonderful legislator he's been over the last couple of years, but I'll tell you, buddy, with your resolve and your stick-to-itiveness, I think you should stick with politics. You'll be okay at one of these times. You're going to do okay. And so, on behalf of all your colleagues over the last couple of years, thanks, buddy. It's been a ton of fun and as memorable as it could be with everything that happens inside these walls and outside. Thanks for being such a good friend. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Gruters. >> Thank you, Mr. President. When I came back to the Senate and found out I was seated in this row by these two guys, Brodeur told me that the most important thing I had to do if I was going to survive in the Senate was I had to acknowledge which one of them was the greatest athlete. And so therefore, every time I tried to get a bill heard by Senator Brodeur I had to write him a big long script saying you were the greatest athlete in the Senate. And, of course, every time I tried to get a bill heard in Fiscal Policy, I had to write him a note saying, you are the greatest athlete in the Senate. There is no doubt about it. It did not, of course, misrepresenting myself was not something that came unnatural to me. I was willing to do it for the sake of getting my bills heard. Neither one of them would hear a bill. You never heard one of my bills. Wait until you're going away. Which can't come too soon. Now, so I'm Mr. President Pro tem. I want to get my bills heard next year. That's fine. Sitting next to Senator Gruters is really an experience because we have these little phones here. Those of you who may be sitting in the gallery don't know we have phones. And here's the thing about these phones. We can get calls. And Senator Gruters, of course, has his cell phone, and I have my cell phone. And so you're sitting close to each other. You overhear a little bit, and Gruters's phone would buzz, and he would pick it up and he would say, just a second, Mr. President. Hang on. I just got to do one more thing. Hang on there, Mr. President. And I know he wasn't talking to him, because he wasn't on the phone. And so he would keep the president of the United States waiting until he shuffled some papers and finally back. What do you need? Of course, I was getting calls, as well. Your laundry is ready, Don, but the fact that we had here in our chamber someone who, no matter how you feel about the president, it is extraordinarily important to this state that we have Joe Gruters who is not just a person who works with the president, but somebody who is a close personal friend of the president. It means a lot. Of course, I'm sure to Senator Gruters. I should mean a lot to his family. And I know that his children as they grow up, I hope you will remember the fact that your father was close to the president of the United States. Not too many people can say that, but it's important to our state, as well. And so I salute you for always standing up for what's good for Florida and for speaking up in the places that you could, in places in rooms that other people don't get to stand up for Florida. And, of course, now I have to make the acknowledgment. Senator Gruters, you are the greatest athlete in the history of the Florida Senate today. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] >> Thanks. >> Senator Burgess. >> Thank you very much, Mr. President. Senator Gruters, I think it's safe to say you're not your average CPA. That's not a knock on CPAs. Let's just say you, sir embody what it means to live life to the fullest. And everything that I was going to speak about, I think, was fully encapsulated in your farewell video. You are about your family and you guys, all your adventures, you do it together. And I think that's the most beautiful thing that you could see in a process as chaotic and frenetic and just uncertain is this you travel together, you do it together. Family is your number one priority, 90% of those photos were you, your kids, and your amazing wife, supportive wife. You guys are blessed beyond measure, and I think I speak for each and every one of us when I say we are just blessed to have known you. We're always excited for people when we see them soar. When we see them succeed, it warms our hearts, but there's something incredibly special about watching you soar, about watching your resolve, as Senator Brodeur said, and seeing where it has catapulted you to this moment. You said it perfectly. This isn't a farewell. This is an epic beginning for you and your entire family. And for me personally, watching where you're going, I almost feel like I'm experiencing it with you. That's how excited I am. You deserve this. You've earned this. Man, the best is yet to come. We love you so much. Thank you for I'm sorry to take this, to a serious direction, but this is amazing, and I couldn't think of a better person to be able to go to this next level than you. Appreciate your brother. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Jones. >> Thank you, Mr. President. It's Joe time. That's our inside joke that me and Jim Boy, every time Joe grabs the mic, that's our little saying since committee. I'll start off by when I got elected, Joe was always cordial, always just been a very nice guy, but when I got wasn't until I got appointed to be the vice chair on Fiscal Policy with him. I was so excited you all. I didn't know what a vice chair was when I was over in the sing. I'm like, I'm getting to negotiate on what's coming on the agenda. I said, Joe, I'm your vice chair. You know how Joe talks. Joe's like," Hey, Shev, pal, don't get too excited over here." But that was the time that Joe and I actually grew a great relationship with each other. Imagine a Democrat, Republican, and we would laugh in committee and not when serious things come about, but if you ever heard Joe laugh, his laugh is infectious. He lights up a room. Look, I wanted to stand up and talk for a couple of different reasons. One, because, Joe, you are a principled guy. When things come up that you don't agree with, you don't support it. But you stand firm in the things that you absolutely support, and you're consistent, brother. And that's what I really appreciate about you. Joe and I really became close when we traveled the state together on the ballot initiative. Joe, I'm not going to tell you that before that happened, I called Jason Pizzo first. You remember Jason? I said, Jason, I said, they just called me and I was like, they want you to go travel with Joe, but we knew each other. He was like, trust me, you'll be fine, Shev. Go. On that trip, I mean, month, week after week, Joe and I, we just gained closer and closer with each other on that trip. As much of the pushback. Big difference, you all. The pushback that I got. Joe, the bond that you and I created is outweighed, brother. And I would have not asked for a better travel partner than you. Sydney, you have a great man. To your children, you have a great father who I now am so happy that I get to call a friend. And I'll end this the same way in a text message you national news make it clear that you were now the chair of the Republican Party. And my word to you remains consistent. They could not have picked a better human being. We probably are totally different when it comes to political differences, but when it comes to it from a human perspective, you are a good man, and just like everyone else have said, I could not be more proud to see where you soar to, my brother. Congratulations to you. [APPLAUSE] >> Leader Boyd. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Hard to follow these folks. Joe, you're smart, you're honest, you're collaborative, and you're loyal. Probably your greatest quality is your loyalty. If Joe tells you he's with you, he isn't budging. And I really appreciate that. We met, I think you and Sydney and I back in 2008 or so when I was running for the House, and you guys were helping Vern Buchanan with his campaign. And so we were all over the place together in our region, and I don't know what I did to gain your favor and your friendship so quickly, but everywhere I went, people would tell me, well, if Joe and Sydney Gruters are with you, we're with you. And you said such nice things about me, most of which I probably didn't deserve in our community, especially in your community in Sarasota, which I represented part. I'll never forget that. You were so helpful to me, and you became such a good friend. We've had so many laughs. We've had so many good times. Joe Gruters is the guy that will always say yes. I haven't asked him to do one thing where he hasn't said yes. Sometimes you probably should have said no, Joe, but you didn't. You said yes, you're always there to help. You're always there to encourage. And it's been an extreme pleasure to work with you in the legislature. I've truly enjoyed every minute of it. I'm like others, so excited that you're at the highest office in our Republican Party right now. What you're going to do you have done, and you're going to continue to do great things for our party. We're really excited about your future and the future of family, but I could go on, but I want to be quick because I know a lot of people want to say things, but your political instincts are incredible. I don't think they're matched by many. I know when I first started running for the Senate, he said, Joe said to me, he says, "I'm super excited you're running. I want to sign a card for you for president." I said, "Well, I'm not even sure that's what I want to do." He goes, "No, you do, and you will and I'm going to sign a card." You signed the first card before I even had cards. It was something that you just wrote down. But that meant a lot to me. And then bringing me along the way in the Senate in that way meant a lot to me, as well. I'll tell you what it means more to me and Sandy than most anything. We've been around Sydney and Jack and Elizabeth and Spencer and you together and watching you as a father, as a family, Sydney, you as a mother with your kids, how they've learned, how they've thrived, the things we talked about sometimes in the car with your kids or a lot of times even over my head, they're so smart, but your parenting and your love for them is more important than anything. So I appreciate you. I respect you and I admire you for that. I'm excited to work the next chapters with you. Don't forget about us down here in Florida. I know you won't we're so excited for what's next for you and Sydney and the family. Thanks a lot. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Hooper. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Good afternoon, Joe. I have a couple of observations watching you paid Darryl and Bettsy a lot of money to take a lot of photos of you, I can see. But a couple of observations that just came to mind watching that incredible series of photos. Them three young'uns are growing up really fast, and before you know it, they'll be gone. Thank you for taking the time to be a dad. That's the most important job you'll ever have. And it occurred to me that Sydney has not aged one minute in any of those photos that we saw. And Senator Brodeur talked about the great race. You and I are in a race. On the top of our heads, we're in a race with which is going to happen first gray or gone. And we're both losing, by the way. So let's slow down on both of those. Senators and guests, he's got this trophy sitting over beside his desk, and he's going to talk about it, but I'm going to talk about it first. Man bought that trophy himself and put it together. And then he throw down a challenge to anybody in the legislature that me and my aide will take on anybody in a golf tournament. His aide is sitting up there, a scratch golfer named Hunter Flack, who could carry any of us to a victory on the golf course. And I was foolish enough to accept the challenge [LAUGHTER] with my aide, and we got spanked. And here's the deal. The minute Hunter Flack left Joe as being Joe's aide and went into the real world, Joe never accepted another challenge in a golf [LAUGHTER] that trophy is going to be his forever because he will never accept another challenge. Because obviously you hired aids based on their political savvy and not their golf skills. The first time that you and I really had a serious conversation, we met in Bradenton, I believe, of all places, and you were not there, but it was Joe, the president, myself, and some lady we were contemplating to help to become Senate president. She's hanging on the wall right there and seated right here. We met at a place in Bradenton and talked to Kathleen, and I think that day, all of us signed a pledge card for Kathleen Passidomo and I knew then Joe Gruters guys pretty savvy. You were talking about stuff that didn't occur to most of us. And you tricked me into even using your firm for my campaign treasurer. And I got no bad reports, so good for you and especially to Fran in your office, who was very helpful. Saw you perform at the Republican National Committee in front of that crowd, you stood up and you pumped that crowd up with such exuberance, and you had the fired up ready to go to war. And we did go to war. And as evidenced by 800 of those photos that had President Trump in them, you're the man. And now the whole nation gets to know who Joe Gruters. And we are most fortunate that you were there, but you were here first. And I think everybody in this chamber loves you. Sydney, thank you for sharing and kids, thank you for sharing Joe. Luckily, you were smart enough to only do two years in the house and get out. But it's been an incredible eight years. I've enjoyed your humor, your serious moments. It's just you're my friend for life, and I love you. Thank you. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Harrell. >> Thank you so very much, Mr. President, and I can't tell you how much I admire Gruters the Great. Let me tell you you have done such phenomenal things for the state of Florida and you're going to do such phenomenal things as the chair of the National Republican Committee, I just cannot wait to see the enthusiasm, the charm, the humor you bring there. And one of the things I admire about you so and I was very active in the Republican Party of Florida many years ago. And when you stood up first and had that Lincoln Day dinner for Donald Trump after what happened at the National Convention in Tampa. And you had that amazing dinner. I knew at that point that there was great things destined for you. When you brought Trump in and we had so many people I came from across the state to come to that dinner, and it was because of your leadership, the amazing talent you have for sensing the right thing at the right time and the political savvy that comes with that. Now, I've known you a while through the Republican Party. But also, I grew up in Sarasota, so we had a lot in common. He could debate Cardinal Mooney. I could debate Riverview High School. And in fact, he came over and went door to door for me. We had lots of conversations about Sarasota. But I just admire you, the political savvy you bring. And I guess maybe people don't know, but you've lost some elections, too, along the way. I've lost actually more than you've lost. But I don't have the political savvy you have to see the future, the brightness that's there, and articulate that in a positive way. I admire you so Gruters is the Great. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator DiCeglie. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I'll put my Senate hat on first. This last four years, Joe, it's been an honor to serve with you in this great Florida Senate. You've been a great leader. You've been someone that I've known for a long time. I'm going to weave. President Trump weaves. I'm going to weave. It's a New York thing. But it's been really great serving with you these last four years and this is a different kind of farewell, obviously, you have a huge responsibility with the Republican Party on a national level. And I'm looking forward to working with you on whatever we can do to help your efforts. And you've been an incredible statesman for the state of Florida, for your district. And so I'm just very excited to always know that I've served here in the Florida Senate with you, but it did not start there. It started back in, I want to say 2010. I was getting very involved in politics, and it was maybe my first or second RPOF event, and it was Orlando and with my Pinellas County buddies, we're walking through the hallway, and I see this guy, this figure. Joe he's a tall guy, taller than me, and he's just got a persona that is very difficult to ignore. And I just remember as we walked past each other, I was like, Man, who is that? My buddy said, That's Chair, Joe Gruters from Sarasota. I'm like, Wow. This guy, you can tell he knows what's going on. Here's good. I met Joe and I met Blaise when he had hair just about the same time. And Joe and I became friends from the get-go. Obviously, he was very focused on the Republican Party. He was focused on the grassroots and making sure that folks like myself who didn't know a lot of people were introduced to many of our friends that we know across the state. Jason Brodeur being one of them, as well at the convention in 2012. And Joe and I have been friends ever since. And so one great story. I fast forward to 2018 on the campaign trail. I have a very competitive primary at the time. And I called Joe. It was risky. It's a primary. We usually want to stay out of it. And I called Joe. I said, Hey, Joe, we got a couple weeks until absentees go out. I'd really love if you would consider doing a robocall for me. And he said, Chairman, absolutely 100%. Our chairmen have to stick together. I chair Pinellas County for four years. And so we talk about loyalty. We talk about someone who will always be there by your side. And I said, Man, this is great. So I called my consultant, Joe's all in. Here's all the information. And about an hour and a half goes by. And I get a call from my consultant. He said, Hey, Joe Chair Gruters did a great job on your robocall, except he has to do it again. And I said, What do you mean? He didn't pronounce your name correctly. So not the first. So I call up Joe, and he said, Nick, what? I just did this robocall. I said, You got to do it again, Joe. Why? You mispronounced my name. He said, You've been telling me I've been mispronouncing your name for the last eight years? I said, Yeah, this is the first time you do the robocall. For me, you got to do it again. And he did. That's just the great guy that Joe Gruters is. And I wish you all the best. You've got a huge responsibility on your hands, and you can always count on Nick DiCeglie to being there for you and your family with whatever it is that you do, whatever you need from me, Joe I'm always here for you. That loyalty goes both ways. And you have a beautiful family. I wish all of you the best. You should be very proud of your husband, Joe, and your dad kids. He's a great human being, and we're really, really proud to have the ability to serve with him here in the Florida Senate. Thank you, Mr. President. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Rouson. >> Thank you very much, Mr. President. And, Joe, the video collage was very telling. You are a family man. But you also appreciate your wife and the role that she plays in raising the family while you're away. And I didn't realize we were spending Valentine's together, but I discovered that night that my wife liked Andrea Bocelli better than she liked me. And we had some fun at that concert. You balance work with family and with playtime. And that balance is very important. I wish you the best of fortune as you carry on and carry forward your work. Good to be serving with you. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Passidomo. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I was thinking about the last eight, for me, it's been ten years. And then thinking about our relationship, and I realized something. Being Senate president is really hard, as President Albritton will attest. And there were times during my presidency where I would hear or you had that great attitude about life liberty and the pursuit of bills. And I knew you had concerns about some of the legislation that we were going to pass on the floor. So I remember coming out on the floor and you'd be sitting there laughing and how your dad jokes a lot. And he said, Well, I'm not voting for that bill. And I'd look you right in the eye and would say, Really? He said, I'll vote for you. I'll vote for the bill for you. And that really means a lot in this process where the friendship and loyalty that we have created over the years is really important. And as I ride off into the sunset and go home, and me and Tucker are going to sit there and watch as you, you're just going to go so far. Keep the integrity that you have that Senator Boyd talked about and Senator Jones talked about. Because we have a rocky road in the future in this country, and it's going to be people like you that'll keep us on the straight path. Keep the loyalty, keep the friendship. And I am so looking forward to seeing where you end up and how you end up, and kids watch the grow. And I hope that when you grow up, you'll be able to look back and say, My dad did that. So congratulations and good luck. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Simon. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Senator Gruters, Joe, we came into the legislature together in the House. And I remember the time we had a little meet and greet before we even stepped foot into the Capitol. And you came up to me, and we started talking, and you said my wife is from your area. As a matter of fact, she and her parents attended the same church you go to, and we were fast friends ever since. A few months later, we were at an event, and you asked me for a ride back to the Capitol. And during that ride, we talked about a lot of different things, but I got the great sense that you were an amazing strategist. And you've continued to prove that to myself, to everybody in this chamber and to our country. But you have the ability, Joe, to make the complex things simple. And so you all don't think he's simple minded, by any way, or stretch. He has the wisdom to break things down. After two years, you got elected to the Senate, and some of us thought, Oh, great, we have a senator we can go to for bills. And when I walked into the room and I saw that trophy, I thought, Oh, that has to be for Joe having carrying the most bills when he first started. And I think most of you know that he did. And a few of those were mine. And I remember that Joe would have somebody from the press call him and talk to him about one of the bills, and he would get me on the phone, and he would say, Representative Masul will explain that bill to you. And it was just it was an amazing time. Joe, you've always been supportive of your friends. You've always gone to bat for them. You've gone out on the limb for them, and that's made you the man you are. I know if you've done that for me, you do that for people. You certainly do that for your family. You love your family. You love your friends. You love your constituents. You love this state. You love our nation. You love what our nation stands for. And as you continue to make Florida great, you certainly make Florida shine. Thank you, Joe. [APPLAUSE]. >> Senator Martin. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Joe, I've known you for a while. And I know Senator DiCeglie shared some sentiments from back in the party days. The party where there really wasn't a whole lot of party was a whole lot of fighting. I got elected as a chairman of Lee County. So two counties south of where you were chairman for a few years before I got elected. And the first time I met you was about a week after I got elected. I didn't even know what RPOF was. I just knew that I wanted to be a party chair in Lee County and help local people get elected. And before I knew it, I was sleeping on a friend's floor because I didn't have time to get a reservation at the hotel for the quarterly in December, where you were running for vice chair. I met you and then from that point on, I got to see you progress as you were a state House member. You moved on up through the ranks. And what I saw in those early years when I was trying to figure out how to transition from academically understanding politics, moving forward to listening to talk radio, and watching TV, and saying, I need to get involved somehow. Watching how you were a couple steps ahead of me and watch how you made that transition definitely helped me get where I am today. So I want to thank you for that and for your leadership. Secondly, the amount of work that you put in as a party chair, blows my mind that you were able to do that and be the vice chair of the RPOF, especially under Blaise. And, did Blaise leave? [LAUGHTER] I was there in January of 2015. I remember very well what was happening on the party. But your leadership and your ability to not just have your finger on the pulse of politics and what people wanted, which is an incredible job, an incredible effort just to do that. But secondly, after the primaries were done, after the wars were fought, and as we all know in this room, when the primaries are done in August, and you got a month before absentee ballots drop in October for the November general election, you got to unify. And there's nobody that I saw unify the party in those critical time periods when Florida was a deep purple state. Nobody unified the party like you did. And so I want to thank you for that because without your ability to lead and show people that, hey, we're on the same side, we're friends. We're all trying to solve the same problems; we would be in a completely different state. Florida would be vastly different than it is right now. So I'm glad that you're moving on to bigger and better things. And it's definitely different as we recognize someone who's finishing up their time in the Senate, but they're doing bigger things than the Senate because I think this is pretty good. This is probably the best thing there is to do in politics in the greatest state and work with some of the best people. But you're taking on a bigger role, and I want to thank you for that. And also, while your kids are here, I won't say some of the things I really want to say, but since they're here to hear this, I also have three little kids. You guys know the kids we've hung out before from Southwest Florida. It's a huge strain to get to Tallahassee from Southwest Florida. But I'll tell you guys this : I know your mom already knows it. Joe, your dad talks about you guys all the time. He talks about the excitement that he's going to have every weekend when he goes home to play golf with you. Frankly, I think he became a better golfer because of you guys. He talks about the family outings that you guys have. He loves you so much. So I know the next eight months are going to be really tough as he's on the road trying to do great things for our country, but just know that he's doing this, not just for him, not for the people in this room. He's doing this for you guys. Just like we're all doing this for our families. But also, as I know, Senator Hooper mentioned the color of your hair or the loss of your hair. That's the only thing that I think aged you. I saw those photos. It looks like you're the only person that somehow has Benjamin Button disease. Like, getting healthier through your time in politics, which I think is odd. I think some of it had to do with your hiring personal trainers to run triathlons for a couple of years, or it could have just been all the golf that you've been playing while you've been up here. But I appreciate the golf you were playing inviting me to play. I know you owe me a lot of money. I don't know if it's legal to pay me all the money that you owe at this point after the gaming bill passed, but I look forward to playing a lot more golf with you, and I hope you have a lot more time to play golf with your friends and important and most importantly, your family. Thank you for your service. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Mayfield. >> Thank you, Mr. President. And I know the members have said some great things about Joe. And the only thing that I want to really just publicly thank you in 2024, we got to go to the RNC convention together. And I know that happened because of our friendship and you helping me get on that list. But Joe and I spent some time together because we had to go up earlier. And that's when we really got to know each other. Even though we've been in this process for a long time, that's when we really got to know each other. And you are principle-driven. And Joe doesn't really talk a lot, but when he starts talking, you better listen because there's something very important that he's telling you. But the leadership that you shown and the leadership at that RNC convention that you did was amazing. I mean, when you spoke, people listen. You energized that crowd. And I can tell you, President Trump cannot have a more loyal person than you by his side to maneuver through that process as you did in Florida and as you will do as you travel around the country. So I'm so proud of you. I'm just humbled to be able to say that you're my friend, and I hope you don't someone else said earlier, don't forget about the little people that's down here as you move up into better things. But thank you, Joe, for all your friendship and what you've done for me. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Wright. >> Here we go. Hey, Joe. Kids, senators, we have sat very close to each other in all the years that I've been here. Always, our seats are, if not right next to each other, one or two seats away. And I remember one day you were looking pretty sad in your seat. Something was bothering you, and I asked you what was wrong. And you were looking at a live video of one of your sons opening up a birthday gift. And you were saying, I should really be there. And I know your heart wanted to be there and your spirit wanted to be there. And yet you're here doing your thing. Being a senator is a full-time job, and somehow you're a senator, the head of the National Republican Party, a father. So I'm not sure how you're doing it. I'm looking forward to finding out how you get 30 hours out of a 24-hour day, because you somehow and then squeeze in golf. When I asked where did he go? He went for three holes, four holes, anything to get away for a little bit of time. But it's really been an honor to serve with you. I look forward to working with you more closely now that I'm going to have more time off to support our party and be able to support your efforts and help you to continue to grow. And I'm going to be using Pizzo's money, just so you know, because he's got extra, but anyway, I just want to thank you very much for all that you've done for me, all the support you've given me as a senator, being brand new to the party, and we both came in at the same time. I didn't even realize that for two years that you and I had come in at the same time. So it was like thinking, I'm the only new guy in the whole block. Well, there was several of us that came in in 2018. So God bless you for what you're doing, what a beautiful family you have, and I know that they mean the world to you, and that's the best thing that I can say is God bless you for having a wonderful family. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Pizzo. >> Thank you, Mr. President. The accolades and the praise you've been hearing for your dad is because and calling him a great at strategy, a tactician, really good at this whole space, is really for one simple reason. He keeps his word. And that is incredibly, incredibly rare in this world. In 2008, some of you remember, a truly humane and respectful moment. There was a woman in a crowd at a town hall back in 2008 when McCain was on the campaign trail. It was only about a month before the election, and a woman came out and said, ''But Obama, he's Arab.'' And McCain said, ''No, no, ma'am. No, ma'am. He's a family man and a citizen. We just have a fundamental disagreement about policy or how this country should go.'' After the 2020 elections, shortly thereafter, a bunch of news outlets came to me and said, what happened? What happened with your party? I said, I don't know, but I'm so tired of this socialism idea and the socialist whatever. And then everybody sort of piled on. And in the greatest profile of courage that I have seen in eight years, I took a chance. To see if Joe Gruters, the rising star and the face and force behind the Republican Party of Florida, would truly keep his word and be the gentleman that I thought he was. And he did. So I go on Twitter and I say, instead of trying to get friends and surrogates and people to vouch for me on my side, I posted on Twitter. I said, hey, Joe Gruters' Republican Party of Florida chair. Am I a socialist? And he wrote back, ''No, Senator Pizzo, you are anything but you're a great senator for your district, you're a businessman, a successful businessperson, and more so just a good person.'' That was the greatest profile. He took so much crap for that. So much for it. And then he texts me later. He goes, Hey I have to say something good about our side, too, so don't get offended. But if Pizzo decides to run, he will get crushed. [LAUGHTER] It was great. It was fine. He was alright. He even gave me a heads-up. It was cool. Eight years, you and I have never had an argument. I mean, we are two of the stronger personality. You and I have never had an argument. We sat right next to each other, and you gave the perfect political answer on SB 168 the first year. I was like, you're like, well, that's the beauty of this hundred piso. It'll be uniform. I go, no. And Galvano sitting up there smirking, because I'm like, Mr. President asked but not answered and you just kept giving the same answer. Listen, we talk about family and all that stuff. I forget which one of you guys was playing on the top bunk this week, about five years ago. One of you split your head open. Your family all had COVID around this time, five years ago in 2021. We both lost a parent in this process. And you reached out to me, and I remember reaching out to you and you didn't forget it. But this session, you really put the part-time in part-time as far as legislation is concerned. And I know you will. Nobody else yet has, but I know you will, and God forbid, something happens to me before I get to one of these. But I really just have to say and really acknowledge Vicki. I got Maggie, Janet, Katie. Senator Polsky's got Shana. We all have our person that makes us who we are, that allows us to be who we are, that does the research and the work and acts as a bodyguard and a body person and a buffer and a calming influence, and stands in and makes us look as good as we want people to think that we really are, as smart as we are, as tough as we are, as strong as we are. And Joe Gruters is not Joe Gruters without Vicki. So you really need to be commended for all the hard work that you put in. [APPLAUSE] I'll close with this. Jeff made a comment about getting on the road. Is it going to be okay? I said, Jeff, Joe Gruters is no BS. Straightforward, tells you the truth. You can rely on it and depend on it. You had a primary. You were running against some whack job, and a few of us were more than happy to call some people off in your primary. And I just want to say, this is the greatest compliment I can give your dad. You shoot straight. You're honest. You are all those aspirations about we can disagree but not be disagreeable. You're just an absolute gentleman. I'm happy and glad to know you. I'll brag about knowing you. And just thank you for being a good friend and a good colleague for eight years. [APPLAUSE] >> Leader Grall. >> Thank you, Mr. President and Joe, I just want to say thank you for making it normal to have your family as engaged in this process as you have. We started 10 years ago together. It was the first time I met you. All these people have known you forever, I guess. And it shows how small Florida is. Even though it's huge, there's just a way in which Florida is so much smaller when you come up here, and you see the connections. And by you having your family involved and me having my family involved, our children have got to know each other. That might be for the purposes of starting a support group one day. I know there's a couple other families that might take advantage of that, too. But you've made Florida smaller for them at a much younger age, in a way in which I think that they will see friends wherever they go, and they will make friends because that's who you are, and that's what you do. And I'm so grateful for that. I'm so grateful for your heart. I'm grateful to have gotten to know the funny side of your kids, not the side that's sitting here, but just miserable, I'm sure, because they're around the same age as mine. But what your dad does is really important. And he's doing that so that you all will do very important things. And that's what I think is also the takeaway for the three of you is that it's not just for what the future of America is, the future of what Florida is. Sydney and Joe, you're investing in that future and the way in which you're raising them up and encouraging other families to do it by making it normal to have children in the room for them to learn by example. And I'll never forget when we started in the Tower together, Joe would get back at the end of a very long day and have a call list a mile long. The first call was usually to Governor Scott to see what he needed right away. And at the end of that day, off the House floor, Governor Scott, what do you need? And then the rest of the list, he was going to make every one of those calls because he knew that he could say yes to somebody; he always says yes, because he tries to figure it out. Whatever somebody needs, he's going to figure it out. It might not be the way we think. It's going to get done. But Joe will get it done. And always with a smile, and I'm grateful for that smile. I'm grateful. I'm going to miss you. I wasn't here long enough with you, and we didn't have a lot of time in the house. But your presence has been so valuable and what you will do for this country, what you will do for your family, and what you've done for those families that you've served for the last 10 years, it's incredible and hug them tight because this is all they know. Ten years goes fast. I saw the baby picture, I know. And hopefully you all will forgive him for the time away. But you should thank him for bringing you, for involving you. And we just know how much he loves you, Sydney, how much he loves you, kids. You are the reason, and we can see it and feel it in all that he does. And so I hope you all always will. And if you need a support group, my kids are always there to commiserate with, and I hope that you'll take them up on that because I'm sure you'll all have some stories that you're never allowed to tell in public. So we'll miss you, Joe. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Burton. >> Thank you, Mr. President. And good afternoon, Senator Gruters Joe. I knew of you before I knew you, like many other people in the room, but certainly known each other since you were elected to the House. I know you left soon, but we've gotten to know each other and spent more time together, even since I was lucky enough to get elected to come and join you in the Senate. And I wanted to say, you've heard a lot of thank-yous. That to me is the best thing you can hear in a moment like this, is thank you from your colleagues. I was fortunate in my first term to sit over there on the side. I was sitting where Senator Bradley is sitting now. And on one side of me, I had Senator Brodeur. Behind Senator Brodeur, we had Senator Boyd, and then right next to him was Senator Gruters. And I want to thank you for the little tidbits that you would whisper or maybe not whisper. A Bill would be up, and you would have a thought, and it would plant a seed for me sometimes. Well, what's he talking about? Well, maybe I've got to turn around and talk to Joe and get more information on that. You taught me, and I want to thank you for teaching me early on. Our offices were next to each other. You taught me early on how thin the walls are. In the Senate office building my office was abutted. You've seen photos of it, Joe's office that had his name all over it. And he would do interviews, and I got to hear a lot. I'd have to lean in really closely to hear all of it, but I got to hear a lot. So I learned to talk softly when you're in your office. And something really important that I want to share that will explain, I think, to some people whose bills did not get heard in health policy over the last four years. One day, you had a bill. Senator Gruters had a bill, and I was going to put it on an agenda. I thought it was a good bill. So I told you, I said, Hey, Joe; I think we were here. I said, I'm going to put this bill up on the agenda. And you said, no. I just filed that bill to file it. I really don't want you to hear it. I'm like, Okay. So almost never again, did I put a bill on an agenda unless I got to speak to the senator who was sponsoring that bill. So it was an invaluable lesson for me because I was ready to put it up. I thought it was worthy, and I thought we would listen to it. So I want to thank you for that. Senator Pizzo mentioned Vicki. Thank you for sharing Vicki with me a little bit, too. Vicki is very close friends with Laura in my office. So I get to see her a lot. And I've appreciated that. And I certainly knew Vicki prior to even your hiring her for your office. So thank you for letting Vicki roam the hallways and come and visit some of the rest of us. But thank you also for showing us, demonstrating to everybody that somehow we can do more than we think we can do sometimes. We can take on more and still be ourselves because you've always been yourself through every role you've ever had. And I appreciate that about you so much. You demonstrate to everybody how to do that, and you do it in a manner. You treat all of us the same. I think we all think we're your friend. And that's a great compliment to you. So I will miss seeing you here. I'm sure we'll see each other again, regardless. But thanks again for being my friend and for everything you've done here for the state of Florida while you've been in office here. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Rodriguez. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I remember when the announcement came out that you were to be the Republican National Committee chairman. And I was so excited. I know everyone in this room was so happy for you. And I said to myself, Oh, my goodness, do you have to stop being a senator to be the RNC chairman? And so when we spoke, you said, No, I'm going to be chairman and be a senator. And I said, Well, Joe, how can I help you? What do you need from us from your Senate family to make this a reality? And you said, Oh, could you present some bills for me? And so I didn't realize that you and I carried Oh, I know how many I carry and I know how many Jonathan carries. I didn't realize you had that many. So my already busy load became even bigger. But I didn't mind doing it because everything you do is something that we all need to support. I make sure that gets over the finish line. So I was honored to do that, and Vicki is just such a breath of fresh air, and we enjoyed working closely with her, and I just want to wish you all the best in this next great big chapter of your life. So we're very proud of you, Joe. Thank you. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Garcia? >> I'm going to be really quick. Basically, everything that everyone has said times two. And then there's a part of Joe Gruters that we have to appreciate even more. There's a side of him that is very genuine, very warm and non transactional. There have been difficult moments when you first step into this process, you just don't know who to trust. You have to trust them based on their actions on what they do. Now when things are good it's easy. When things are good it's when things are tough. And whether it's been questions about finances or just things in general, where him and I didn't see eye to eye, we could disagree, but I knew that he had my back. That we disagreed, and I get you. And the last conversation that we have you just keep fighting the good fight. That's what I like about you guys say I just keep fighting the good fight. So I so appreciate that. They were all talking about all of the things that you had done for all of them, but there was that one part. And the really funny stories about when you and Brodeur went head to head, those stories in the lunchroom were heard. I was just telling your sister, those were hilarious. I'd egg them on and the majority, who won? No, that's a lie. And then there was one particular situation during the Republican Convention where someone from the other chamber wanted to oust me out of my front row seat. I had a little catfight there. But Joe came to the rescue. [LAUGHTER] And I am eternally grateful. [LAUGHTER] I will always be eternally grateful for that and for the fact that it's true what Senator Pizzo said, You're fair, and when you say that you're going to do something, you do. And I appreciate you for that. Thank you, sir. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Bradley. >> Thank you, Mr. President. And, Joe, what a special day. Your political resume is incredible. It's unmatched. Everyone here has spoken today about your savvy, your resolve. And the beautiful part about politics is that your politics is such a microcosm of who you are as a person. You learned so much about yourself going through this process. And I bet there are so many people out there who fill in the blanks in your life because they see how far you've risen. They see that you're the chair of the RNC, and they probably assume that you got there by being cut-throat and tough, not that you haven't had to make tough decisions. But every time we've dealt with each other and I've watched you deal with other people, you come from a sense of true principle. A sense of trying to build consensus. I remember I came to you early after I was in the Senate, and I had a question on a bill, and it was difficult to issue, and you're just so joyful like you always are just infectious. And you said, Janet, how can everybody win? That's who you are. How can we find an answer where everybody wins? Everybody walks away feeling like they moved the ball. And wouldn't it be a beautiful thing if that was and I just appreciate that. I appreciate that sentimentality that you had. I appreciate your joy. Shev is right. Your laugh is infectious. So to the guy we all love to root for, wishing you the best. [APPLAUSE] >> Senator Osgood. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I was sitting here reflecting, I got elected in a special election and actually didn't know I was supposed to report to session in a couple of days that was ending. I remember when I got the call, I was off skiing, so I couldn't make it. I said, at the elections, I take a mental health break. I'm going somewhere. But I came for a special session that was immediately after that. And I was sitting in the corner with Senator Jones, Senator Boyd, and Senator Gruters. And I was trying to figure out if I was in the back because I was in time out with Shev. Shev kind of say stuff sometimes that get him in trouble. But then I realized Senator Boyd and Senator Gruters was in that same corner. So I came to the conclusion, especially after looking around the wall that this was another place where they thought that it was a man's world, but they couldn't do nothing without a woman. So I got that right up front. And then the next session, we had a woman for president. But I just appreciate you, Senator Gruters, in the way that you've interacted with me personally. It was never about being a Democrat or being a Republican. You just always treated me kindly. And whatever you believe in, you're willing to die on the sword for it. I really respect you for that. There's not a lot of people that's like that. And thank you for understanding leadership in a true way. People that understand leadership understands that it's not about power and position, but it's about people giving you permission to lead them. And when you can get me to watch the Republican National Convention, that says a lot. It's just not something that I normally do. Love all y'all that's in the other party, but it's just not something that I actually do. And I'm going to close by making this ask because I know you are climbing up the ladder, and y'all just know I've already asked for my job, and I'm ready to send my resume, whether it's answer, sending the Gruters phone or wherever he's going. So I've already locked that down. But I do have an ask because I think that you can help the president in a significant way. But I don't think you can do it without me. I watched the National prayer breakfast, and I heard the president being inquisitive about him going to heaven. So I need you to get me that meeting with the president so that I can lay hands on the president and pray with him. I want to make sure that he gets that spot in heaven. And I can help you seal that deal. I love you, my brother. [LAUGHTER][APPLAUSE] >> Senator Gruters. The OEG. We got one more. Senator Simon. Come on in. >> I will be brief, because I know I'm looking forward to your comments. I just want to thank you. I want to thank you for your friendship. I get young people all the time, and this will change the older that we get. But they, here I played a little bit of football in the past, and now as you know, who's the most famous person that you know? Who do you have your phone number? And for years, I'd go through the list of folks that are pretty famous in my eyes and guys that I got a chance to play with or coac