As chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, he's in a position of influence and seen as a rising star with higher ambitions, whether it's a future presidential run or vying for leadership in the U.S. How can Scott with a straight face say he and his party "believe in science," when it comes to gender identity? And wasn't this the guy who, as governor, banned state agencies from using the term " climate change" in a state facing hurricanes, flooding and salt-water intrusion?" But, hey, why let the facts get in the way of a good rant? The platform contains ideas that, in our view, are at best unreasonable: requiring Congress to re-enact laws every five years, extending term limits to government civil servants, banning government policies that address race and ethnicity, going after non-existing "sanctuary cities" and voter fraud provisions that border on the nonsensical. Within 24 hours of introducing his platform, Scott began walking back the idea that every American should pay the tax. Republicans who normally eschew any talk of raising taxes also criticized the idea. His idea drew immediate criticism from Democrats who pointed out such a plan would hit the poor and seniors particularly hard. Scott thinks all Americans should have "skin in the game," by paying some form of income tax, no matter their incomes. An estimated 57% of Americans pay zero income taxes, according to the Tax Policy Center, although that figure is expected to drop as temporary tax benefits expire and the economy rebounds. The income tax is a progressive tax, which means the greater the income, the greater the tax. The one idea that drew bipartisan condemnation was the senator's idea of having all Americans pay income taxes. Mandating that schoolchildren recite the Pledge of Allegiance, building the border wall, implementing term limits for government workers, "re-funding" the police, banning abortion, limiting gender identity to "male" and "female," defending gun rights - it's all there, along with fostering trepidation that the so-called militant left is "redefining America and silencing their opponents." Scott's "An 11-Point Plan to Rescue America" is the type of manifesto you'd expect from a conservative Republican in the Trump era. I’m willing to say exactly what I’m going to do. There’s things that people would rather not talk about. "Because when we get the majority, I want to get something done. “Hopefully, by doing this, we’ll have more of a conversation about what Republicans are going to get done," Scott told Politico. Scott put his dubious party platform down on paper for all the world to see. No fear of exposing the party as wrong-headed, inhumane, hypocritical, what have you. He did what his colleagues are reluctant to do. The ideas of America's leaders should be widely shared and considered, something many in the Republican Party seem reluctant to do.įrom the Editorial Board: Florida Senators Marco Rubio, Rick Scott on wrong side of voting rights issueįlorida politics podcast: DeSantis, lawmakers defund school districts, OK abortion ban
Voters should never accept silence for governance. Keeping mum may be a way for a political party to gain and hold power but it's hardly a recipe for leading a democracy. His response is consistent with his party's vague 2020 presidential platform, which emphasized support for then-candidate Donald Trump over taking stands on issues.
No wonder Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell demurred when asked by a reporter if he would release an agenda of Republican priorities before the elections.
It's his judgment that has been called into question. So, he came up with a plan, an 11-point platform that comes with a warning: "This plan is not for the faint of heart." Rick Scott believes America needs to know what Republicans will do if given the chance to govern, an idea most would find reasonable. Rick Scott, R-Fla., listens during the committee's business meeting where it will consider new subpoenas in the "Crossfire Hurricane"/Burisma investigation on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Sept. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee member Sen.