Republicans

Sen. Rick Scott Clarifies Exemption of Social Security, Medicare in ‘Rescue America’ Plan

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Sen. Rick Scott Clarifies Exemption of Social Security, Medicare in ‘Rescue America’ Plan
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 23, 2021. (Erin Scott/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Gary Bai
2/17/2023
Updated:
2/17/2023
0:00

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) updated his 12-point “Rescue America” policy agenda on Friday, clarifying that the plan would exempt social security or medicare from the plan’s federal legislation renewal requirements.

Scott’s Rescue America plan included a proposal to “sunset” federal legislation every five years, subjecting all federal legislation to review before renewal.

“All federal legislation sunsets in 5 years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again,” reads the sixth point of the original plan, which Scott rolled out in February 2022 as the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

This sixth point was updated on Friday to include “specific exceptions of Social Security, Medicare, national security, veterans benefits, and other essential services” in its proposed renewal requirements.

“Note to President Biden, Sen. Schumer, and Sen. McConnell – As you know, this was never intended to apply to Social Security, Medicare, or the US Navy,” the proposal continued in bolded letters.

Scott’s proposal came under the spotlight last week when President Joe Biden alleged in his State of the Union address on Feb. 7 that “some Republicans” intended to cut federal funding for social security and medicare.
“Some of my Republican friends want to take the economy hostage unless I agree to their economic plans. All of you at home should know what their plans are,” Biden said. “Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset.”
On Feb. 9, Biden made the same point, specifically pointing to Scott’s “Rescue America” proposal, in a speech delivered to students at the University of Tampa, Florida.
Republicans, including Scott and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnel, have objected to this assertion. The minority leader told Congress reporters this week that cutting social security and medicare was not on Senate Republicans’ agenda. Scott, days after Biden’s State of the Union speech, introduced a bill to bolster protections for Social security and Medicare and said in a statement that he has been “100 percent committed to protecting [senior entitlements] from the start.”
Scott reiterated this on Friday. In an op-ed in the Washington Examiner, the senator said he “never supported cutting Social Security or Medicare,” and that “[to] say otherwise is a disingenuous Democrat lie from a very confused president.”

“I proposed that we sunset federal programs every five years so that Congress is forced to review ridiculous spending programs, analyze whether they’re working or not and reauthorize the ones that are,” Scott continued. “It’s common sense to every single person in the country except the politicians, bureaucrats and lobbyists who get rich off the government gravy train that’s led to $32 trillion in debt.”

In the same article, Scott criticized Biden for supporting cutting medicare and social security in Biden’s previous life as a senator.

“In 1975, Joe Biden proposed sunsetting all federal programs every four years. In 1984, Joe Biden proposed freezing all federal spending, including Medicare and Social Security benefits. In 1985, Biden suggested freezing all federal spending for two years,” Scott wrote.

“In 1995, Biden said, ‘When I argued that we should freeze federal spending, I meant Social Security as well. I meant Medicare and Medicaid. I meant veterans’ benefits. I meant every single solitary thing in the government,’” Scott wrote, adding a link to a video of Biden’s speech delivered in Congress in 1995.

Scott’s clarification came two days after former President Donald Trump cautioned him not to cut social security and medicare funding.

“Bad news for Senator Rick Scott of Florida! Club for NO Growth just announced they are going to back him, and without my backing them, an Endorsement from them is the kiss of death,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Feb. 15, after advocacy “Club for Growth” endorsed Scott. “Be careful, Rick, and most importantly, fight for Social Security and Medicare. THERE WILL BE NO CUTS!”