Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has a five-step plan to fix Washington, and he's not shy about saying so. On Saturday, in a post on X, Scott wrote, "We need to rescue America from Washington's corruption to lower costs and make people believe in the American Dream again!"

He then outlined five priorities: "Create jobs. Enact term limits. Cut big government regulation. Hold Washington accountable. Balance the budget."

That's a lot of heavy lifting packed into one social media post, but it captures a mood. Politicians across the spectrum are competing to convince voters they're the ones actually serious about cutting costs and cleaning up the system.

Schiff and Paul Criticized Government Spending

Last week, veteran investor Peter Schiff argued that prices would continue rising unless Democrats cut government spending, blaming Federal Reserve financing of budget deficits and government programs for higher costs.

In October, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) warned that increased government spending could worsen the cost-of-living crisis, urging lower taxes and limited government to ease pressure on struggling families.

Democrats Accuse Trump of Favoring Wealthy Donors

Last month, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) accused President Donald Trump and his family of gaining more than $3.5 billion while Americans faced rising electricity and health care costs. She blamed AI data centers and health care companies benefiting from the administration for driving up household expenses.

In September, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg criticized corporate influence in politics, accusing Congress of favoring wealthy Americans through tax loopholes while neglecting wages and child poverty. He also blamed gerrymandering and congressional support for a "foolish war" for leaving Americans "paying more at the pump."

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) warned that alleged corruption under Trump could cost Americans jobs, raise prices and reduce consumer choices. He raised concerns that the Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger could lead to job losses and higher streaming costs, while fraud-related pardons could deprive victims of restitution.

So the debate continues, with everyone agreeing that something is broken and disagreeing loudly about who broke it. Scott's answer is term limits, deregulation, and a balanced budget. Whether that gets through Congress is another question entirely.