Nelson speaks at military event

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Florida Senator Bill Nelson spoke to a group of retired military officer's Wednesday near Eglin Air Force base.

He offered the group stories about his connection to Florida, and his record in the Senate.

He said 183 years ago the first Nelson ancestor landed on the shores of Florida, accidentally.

“He got off of a boat in Port Saint Joe in 1829,” said U. S. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida.

Nelson said his great-great grandfather fell asleep aboard a ship that traveled from New York to Florida.

Five generations later, Senator Nelson said he wouldn't change his career for another.

“I was taught years ago that public service is one of the highest callings that a person could have. And so had I not been in the Senate, I would be doing some kind of public service,” said Nelson.

Senator Nelson is up for reelection this year, if elected it would be his third term in the U. S. Senate.

He said this year's campaign has gotten nasty.

“They've already spent $15 million of attack ads that all the fact checkers say are totally false, and that's not pleasant ... That's the bad news, the good news is it hasn't moved the needle,” said Nelson.

Senator Nelson is a member of the Budget Committee, whose job it is to draft the federal budget.

He said bi-partisanship in Washington will help solve problems facing the United States.

“Right now it's so balled up in partisan politics all in the crucible of a presidential election, that it's hard to get people to come together,” said Nelson.

Senator Nelson said it can be done, using the passage of the Gulf Restore Act as an example of people coming together for a greater good.

He points out that he filed the Gulf Restore Act bill along with Republican Senators Shelby and Sessions, both from Alabama, It passed 76 to 22.

“I think you will see that again, right after the election I'm very optimistic that we'll be able to tackle the budget problems,” said Nelson.

U. S. Senator Bill Nelson runs against Connie Mack IV in August.