Sen. Rick Scott on Florida's response to Isaias
Former Florida Gov. Rick Scott joins 'Fox & Friends' with insight.
Democrats “just want to waste your money,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday, two days after talks on phase 4 coronavirus relief stalled in the Senate as boosted unemployment benefits expired.
Senate Republicans unveiled the “HEALS Act,” their version of a fresh round of coronavirus relief last week. HEALS stands for the package’s focus on Health, Economic Assistance, Liability protection and Schools.
The $1 trillion Republican bill is the alternative to the House’s “Heroes Act,” the $3 trillion relief legislation passed in May. The “Heroes Act” was the most expensive legislation approved by that body in history and includes $915 billion in state and local aid that could prevent layoffs of public workers, like first responders and teachers.
“I would like to get something done,” Scott said on Sunday. “I know the Republicans in the Senate want to get something done.”
“Let’s help those that have lost their jobs, get this economy open. Let’s help our small businesses get going again, but unfortunately Democrats, they just want to waste your money,” he continued.
Scott then noted that Democrats now “want to spend another $3 trillion” on top of the “at least a trillion that has now been spent.”
“They want Florida taxpayers to pay for New York or Illinois or California’s prior pension problems, prior bad budgets and stuff like that,” Scott said. “I mean this is just a grab bag for Democrats taking advantage of a crisis and trying to spend every dime you have.”
“Somebody is going to pay for this down the road,” he continued. “I want to make sure we take care of people, but don’t waste your money.”
Lawmakers will return to Capitol Hill on Monday to resume negotiations on the next coronavirus relief bill.
“Clearly we need to get something done,” Scott said, adding that “the Democrats have no urgency.”
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He then pointed out that “last week they [Democrats] blocked an extension of the unemployment benefits at the current level and they also blocked a proposal to say we’ll compensate people at 2/3 their compensation.”
“They blocked both of those so the Democrats have no sense of urgency,” Scott said.
Speaking on “Sunday Morning Futures” Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson made a similar point.
“I was on the floor of the Senate on Thursday, offering to pass something on a unanimous consent basis to extend federal plus-up of unemployment, not the $600 level that has been very disincentivizing for people to reenter the workforce,” Johnson said, adding that Democrats “said no to that.”
“Then [Arizona Republican Sen.] Martha McSally, so we wouldn’t leave anybody in the lurch, offered to just extend the current $600 for a week so we could negotiate and they said no to that,” Johnson continued.
“I think their obstruction, their unwillingness to really work with us in good faith … speaks volumes.”
On Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the two sides can't even agree on the basics. She did not seem willing to compromise on the extra $600 a week.
Lawmakers reported progress on the huge coronavirus relief bill Saturday after Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin took part in a rare three-hour weekend session as political pressure mounts to restore the expired $600-per-week supplemental unemployment benefit and send funding to help schools reopen.
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Prior talks had yielded little progress and Saturday's cautious optimism was a break from gloomy private assessments among GOP negotiators. The administration is willing to extend the newly expired $600 jobless benefit, at least in the short term, but is balking at other Democratic demands like aid for state and local governments, food stamp increases, and assistance to renters and homeowners.
Fox Business’ Evie Fordham and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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