- February 15, 2023
Rick Scott and Social Security | Opinion
Social Security was enacted to create a safety net for hard working Americans who pay into the Social Security system over their working years. Without Social Security, 37.8% of older adults nationwide would have incomes below the poverty level. Cutting Social Security would directly affect 21.6% of Floridians. Now that many of our aging Americans are approaching the age where they count on Social Security benefits, some in Washington have advocated for sunsetting the program. We need to be doing more for our seniors, not less.
Most Floridians believe in protecting these benefits due to our large senior population, but not Senator Rick Scott. He’s quick to take money from Americans and this is just another instance where he cannot be trusted. While I am in favor of reforming many of the so called “entitlement programs,” it is important to protect programs like Social Security because unlike the other programs, recipients have pre-paid for their benefits. This isn’t a handout, it’s a return on our investment. Social Security is a promise made to workers by our government and our nation must keep its promises. Rick Scott is untrustworthy and I’m not surprised that he is trying to sunset Social Security because this is exactly what you should expect from someone with his history.
Senator Rick Scott has demonstrated that if you put him in charge of something money will go missing and the program will not go well. He has an unfortunate and irrefutable pattern of being irresponsible with other people’s money. One clear example was his fast and loose approach to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). He inherited record-levels of cash and quickly squandered those funds. His “leadership” was so tragic, that the GOP called for an audit to see how he managed to lose the midterm red wave we deserved. Right before the midterms, he released a statement looking to sunset social security. Don’t let his attempts to flip-flop mislead you: “sunset” means to cut the program by setting it for automatic expiration. This statement alone could have cost us several elections. Scott’s plan to cancel social security has become the favorite talking point of President Biden and other leftists. Scott’s irresponsible and out of touch suggestion that we end such a crucial program is a huge error that one could wonder if he intentionally handed the midterms to the Democrats. It is almost unthinkable that I could agree with Biden on anything, but we agree that Rick Scott’s plan to cut social security is a terrible idea.
It is almost unthinkable that I could agree with Biden on anything, but we agree that Rick Scott’s plan to cut social security is a terrible idea.
Even the leadership of our party has reached their limit with Scott. Senator McConnell made clear that Scott’s personal ambitions and in-fighting cost him his role on key committees. How can he do Floridians any good when he is denied a seat at the table?
Republican leadership distanced themselves from Scott, clarifying that cutting social security is not a Republican plan, it is a Rick Scott plan. Our party leadership doesn’t trust him, and with good reason. How can he do Floridians any good when he is denied a seat at the table. You know someone has screwed up when Biden and the Republican leadership all agree that he is incompetent.
Scott has become ineffective and has alienated the party. How will he accomplish anything for Floridians when he is out peacocking, jumping in front of every news camera he sees and shilling for his own ego? He continues pillaging his depleted war chest by buying national ads like he is running for president while trying to take social security benefits from the hardest working among us. He vacations on yachts while drafting plans to cancel retirement benefits for seniors. This is not how a responsible representative of the people behaves. He is always out “demanding answers” in press releases but when the cameras aren’t on, he isn’t working.
We deserve more than someone who only pretends to work, someone who says many of the right things but accomplishes nothing. My grandfather told me that actions speak louder than words. I see Rick Scott’s actions, so do the leaders of our party, and I think everyone knows that Floridians deserve better. It is time we send a message to Washington that we will replace ineffective people. We don’t tolerate poor performance and we have no place for Rick Scott’s destructive policy ideas.
Now that he has been called out by the news, by the president and the GOP leadership, Scott is backtracking as quickly as possible. Initially, he doubled down on his reasoning for canceling Social Security, now he has turned 180 degrees and is pretending like he doesn’t want to touch senior’s retirement plans. Do you trust him? If you collect social security, donated to the NRSC, used an HCA network hospital, or live in Florida, you shouldn’t.
Keith Gross is a conservative businessman and attorney from Panama City, Florida. He is the Executive Director of Advancing Florida, an organization founded to advocate for freedom the Florida way.
Press Inquiries: press@advancingfl.org