McConnell slams Rick Scott over 12-point agenda, claiming it could cost him reelection
Cami Mondeaux
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) hit out against Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) over the Florida Republican’s proposed agenda for the party, calling it a “bad idea” that could cost him reelection in the Sunshine State.
Scott announced the 12-point “Rescue America” agenda nearly a year ago, ahead of the midterm elections, a move that raised eyebrows as he broke with McConnell and other Republican leaders who declined to release a blueprint for how they would govern if they retook the majority of either congressional chamber. The Florida Republican then used that agenda to mount a leadership bid against McConnell last month.
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“[Rescue America] is a bad idea,” McConnell told radio host Terry Meiners on his podcast. “I think it will be a challenge for him to deal with this in his own reelection in Florida, a state with more elderly people than any other state in America.”
McConnell’s comments come as Democrats have sought to weaponize Scott’s agenda against him, particularly a provision that would sunset all federal legislation after five years. President Joe Biden highlighted that measure during his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, arguing it would be used to cut Medicare and Social Security benefits.
Scott’s plan does not specifically name Medicare or Social Security, but Democrats have used that as an attack against the GOP throughout the midterm election cycle.
Republican leaders have repeatedly vowed not to cut Medicare or Social Security spending, especially as both parties tangle over how to address the debt ceiling crisis. Biden has accused Republicans of seeking to defund the two programs, with GOP lawmakers accusing the president of lying.
“Speaker McCarthy said Social Security and Medicare are not to be touched, and I’ve said the same,” McConnell said. “And I think we’re in a more authoritative position to state what the position of the party is than any single senator.”
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The Florida Republican responded to McConnell’s criticism over his 12-point agenda, arguing it would not cost him reelection.
“Lol. Rick Scott knows how to win Florida a hell of a lot better than Mitch McConnell does,” Scott spokesman Chris Hartline wrote in a tweet. “Some DC Republicans can keep parroting Democrat lies, but that won’t stop Rick Scott from fighting for conservative principles instead of caving to Biden every day.”