On Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) argued that Senate Democrats’ so-called climate, tax and health legislation was “a war on Medicare.”
Partially transcribed as follows:
MARGARET BRENNAN: Whatever it may not be looking like, there is a way to stop what is expected to be a very big win here for the Democrats. And I know you’re against it, but I want to push you on it because expanding access to Medicare is not good for a state like yours, which has more residents who depend on the Affordable Care Act than any other. state, and Republicans like deficit reduction. The CBO says this will cut $100 billion over the next decade. Aren’t there good things in here for you too?
SCOTT: Well, Margaret, here’s the way I see it. At this point, this bill should actually be called an act of war on the elderly. I mean, this is a war on Medicare. If you look at this. This is a $280 billion cut to Medicare. Well, what’s going to happen is that Medicare is going to be cut, and there are going to be seniors who are not going to get life-saving drugs because –
BRENNAN: -reducing Medicare costs is not the same as benefits though, you- you know that.
SCOTT: Margaret, that’s $280 billion that would have been spent. It was expected to be spent. It is not going to be spent now. And pharmaceutical companies that would do more research won’t be able to spend the money on research. There will be lifesaving drugs that the elderly will not take. Plus, I mean they’re going to raise taxes by over $700 billion. And let’s remember, corporations don’t end up paying the taxes. Shareholders pay the taxes, lower income for workers who paid the taxes, less investment pays the taxes. So that $700 billion will really hurt the economy. And then, while gas prices are $2 higher than they were when Joe Biden took office, there’s an excise tax on gas. So why; you know, we’re in a recession. Why would you raise the cost of government? We are raising taxes.
BRENNAN: So the Committee on a Responsible Federal Budget called your claim there, which you just repeated about Medicare spending, completely misleading. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that only about 1% of new drugs will be affected by changes there in drug development. So how do you answer this?
SCOTT: Margaret, 1 percent. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. If your grandmother is not 1% significant, if – if it affects – it affects a life-saving drug that we could do now, we shouldn’t be – we shouldn’t be cutting Medicare like that. I don’t think so and by the way, we should never raise taxes, but especially in a recession. And why raise gas taxes right now when they are $2 higher than they were when Joe Biden took office. This will continue to lead us into a further – bigger recession than we are. Look where we are right now. The low rate of participation in the work, the wages we do not say with inflation, the two quarters of the negative GDP. I mean – we – this is – Joe Biden pushed us and these plans are pushing us into recession. So, I think we should stop raising taxes. We need to make it easier for businesses to build their businesses, to compete and we will find more jobs.
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