Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott told the Daily Caller in an exclusive interview that he does not “support taking tax payer dollars and bailing out large companies.”
“We don’t have unlimited tax dollars. I want to focus on the workers.”
President Donald Trump is backing a $50 billion bailout measure the airline industry has requested to help them get through the downturn in travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“You go from having the best year they have ever had to having no passengers because of what we have had to do to win this war – and it’s a war,” Trump said Tuesday. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Quarantined Sen. Rick Scott Says Congress Needs ‘To Do More’ To Help The Economy)
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responded to the bailout measure by speaking from the Senate floor Tuesday, “If we are going to follow up the House bill with another major economic stimulus package, which we must, our major focus cannot be based on bailing out airlines, cruises and other industries.”
And congressional Democrats like Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey have reportedly said there need to be stipulations in place, in order for airlines to receive this bailout.
The Senate will convene at 10 am Friday to go over proposals like $1,200-$2,400 checks for individuals based on income, $300 billion in federally granted loans and $200 billion for struggling industries like the airlines.
In total, the GOP proposal includes $1 trillion in economic aid, but not all members of the GOP agree with this stimulus package.
Scott addressed his reservations saying, “It’s not free, this is somebody’s tax dollars. Whatever we spend, somebody is going to pay that in tax dollars back, so I want to be fiscally responsible.”
“Let’s start with the small businesses and the hourly workers and who got hurt, and let’s help them.”