Biden 'Congratulates' Republican for Backing off Social Security and Medicare Plans
Florida lawmaker reverses course after weeks of political headaches
President Biden “congratulates” a prominent Republican senator for dropping his plan to “sunset” Social Security and Medicare.
Sen Rick Scott, of Florida, had publicized a plan in which Congress would have to reauthorize all federal laws — including those which underpin the popular federal Social Security and Medicare programs — or otherwise expire.
Scott this week explicitly exempted the federal retirement and health coverage programs from that plan after Biden called out the plan in his State of the Union address earlier this month.
After taking relentless fire from Biden, Democrats and even fellow Republicans, Scott has amended Point Six of his plan, which includes the sunset proposal, to make “specific exceptions of Social Security, Medicare, national security, veterans benefits, and other essential services.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked to react to Scott's change of plans during Friday's press briefing.
“So I have a couple of things to say to the senator. So I’ll first say this, that the president congratulates Senator Scott on joining the post-State of the Union red wave — as we have seen from Republicans — acknowledging that they are in fact, been attempting to put Medicare and Social Security on the chopping block, because that’s what they are actually saying, that they were indeed attempting to do that,” Jean-Pierre said. “The past year, [Scott] has explained the absence of an exception [for Social Security and Medicare] by saying, 'If it’s worth keeping, we’re going to keep it.’ But make no mistake, his true colors are undeniable and on the record. They have been speaking at both sides of their mouths here.
“That’s what Republicans in the Senate and Congress more broadly have been doing. Cutting Medicaid and Social Security benefits is a long-standing passion of Senator Scott’s as it for the majority of the House Republicans who comprise the Republican Study Committee and many of his Senate colleagues, ranging from John Thune and to Ron Johnson,” she added. “And so, for example, in 1990s, Senator Scott supported fully privatizing Medicare. And let’s not forget, just weeks ago, they all said and were saying that they wanted to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act. By doing that, you certainly do — it would be one of the biggest cuts to Medicare benefits if you were to do that. And let’s not forget, the Inflation Reduction Act actually cuts down the deficit by $200 billion. So we thank Senator Scott for continuing to share his heart with the world and we — with that, I’ll just leave it there.”
Please consider supporting our work …
Also, please subscribe…