Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is so far collecting major endorsements from businesses, associations and law enforcement in his bid for a second six-year term on Capitol Hill.In Oviedo Monday, he addressed the Greater Orlando Builders Association at Francisco Park, an M & I Homes development, as well as state and national builder association representatives.He told them, "We've got to continue to figure out a way to make it more affordable. It’s gotten way too expensive to buy a house."While expressing concerns over the cost of home ownership, the former Florida governor said following the Great Recession; he helped builders hire people and generate new business by cutting taxes and streamlining the permitting process to cut regulation and speed construction.While the senator is receiving support from the building industry for reducing regulations, WESH 2 News asked the senator what he's done since he was elected to the Senate to make housing more affordable in Florida.“The biggest thing on the housing affordability at the federal level, at the state level, you know, there are different programs," Scott said. "But at the federal level, it’s HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development). It’s all through HUD. So, what we’re mostly trying to do is get HUD to do their job.”Others in the Senate see it differently.They're sponsoring S. 1557, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act.It would help "finance nearly two million additional affordable (rental) homes over the next decade," according to independent studies first reported in The Hill, citing The Greenberg Center on Geoeconomic Studies and Renewing America.Twenty-nine senators have signed on to S. 1557, including 15 Republicans.But Scott isn't one of them.And as he says he’s “seriously considering” trying to replace outgoing Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell — possibly with encouragement from former President Donald Trump, who he visited with last week — his opponents say voters should be worried.“Rick Scott has become the poster child of extremism," Democrat and former Florida Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell said.Mucarsel-Powell is the Democratic party's preferred candidate.She tells WESH 2 News that Scott would cripple the ability to compromise in the Senate.“I mean, he has become someone who has no interest in sitting with any sort of bipartisan group to find solutions to the challenges that we are facing here in our state," Mucarsel-Powell said.But Mucarsel-Powell is off in some of her claims about Scott when it comes to abortion and women’s reproductive rights.She claims, “What Rick Scott would do is absolutely bring a national abortion ban to the floor.”There's not much to support that claim.Scott has said abortion is a state issue. Though it’s worth noting he did say last year if he were still governor, he would support a six-week ban.“I am pro-life. I am pro-baby. I believe there ought to be reasonable limitations," Scott said.He went on to say this about Mucarsel-Powell:“She supports all of the Biden radical policies. Every Democrat has voted to have abortion up until the moment of birth," Scott said.First, according to Vote Smart, Mucarsel-Powell cast "no key votes" on abortion.Second, two Democrats — Pennsylvania's Bob Casey and West Virginia's Joe Manchin — have voted to limit abortion at various times in the past six years, including voting for a 20-week abortion ban in 2020.Voters are likely to hear much more about this key battleground issue between now and the general election in November.Right now, a dozen people are running for U.S. Senate, including four Republicans who will challenge Rick Scott in the August primary.Following our initial report, the Scott campaign reached out to WESH 2 News to point out he co-sponsored two HUD bills, S. 553 in 2023 and S. 554 in 2023, both of which addressed accountability in HUD-provided housing, including holding employees accountable for misconduct.The Mucarsel-Powell campaign also reached out to us to point out Scott co-sponsored the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” (S. 3275 in 2020, S. 61 in 2021), which would have created a national ban on abortion after 20 weeks gestation, had the measures passed. It would not have created a national ban on all pregnancy terminations.Top headlines:Threat cleared at Orange County high school after reports of suspicious person60 new charges filed against mom's boyfriend in Madeline Soto caseCentral Florida fisherman airlifted to hospital after being attacked by 9-foot alligator