A feud within Senate Republican leadership over Sen. Rick Scott’s “Rescue America” policy plan was on full display Tuesday as the Florida senator walked away from a press conference just before Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blasted some of the elements in the proposal.
“If we’re fortunate enough to have the majority next year, I’ll be the majority leader. I’ll decide in consultation with my members what to put on the floor,” McConnell said.
McConnell has made clear that he does not intend to release a policy agenda for what Republicans plan to do if they take back the Senate majority in 2022. But Scott, who is chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, released an 11-point Contract-with-America-like plan last week that could provide a blueprint for Republicans in 2022, which he touted at the Conservative Political Action Conference over the weekend.
RICK SCOTT FLAG-SALUTING, WALL-BUILDING, COLORBLIND POLICY VISION HAS SURPRISES
Finer points within the plan prompted attacks from Democrats and Republicans to balk. It suggested that “all Americans should pay some income tax to have skin in the game, even if a small amount,” noting that half do not pay income tax.
McConnell took those points on directly.
“Let me tell you what would not be part of our agenda: We will not have as part of our agenda a bill that raises taxes on half the American people and sunsets Medicare and Social Security within five years. That will not be part of a Republican Senate majority agenda,” McConnell said.
When asked about Sen. Rick Scott’s agenda, @LeaderMcConnell: “We will not have as part of our agenda a bill that raises taxes on half the American people and sunsets Social Security and Medicare within five years. That will not be part of the Republican Senate Majority Agenda.” pic.twitter.com/XN7q9Kc6b4
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 1, 2022
Scott conspicuously walked away from a Tuesday Senate Republican leadership press conference after delivering a statement about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and right before a reporter asked McConnell about Scott’s plan.
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He released his plan not through the NRSC apparatus but through his own campaign, even though he is not up for reelection this cycle. But that distinction did not stop McConnell from reportedly tearing into Scott over his agenda in a leadership meeting when the Senate returned this week.
“We will focus instead on what the American people are concerned about: inflation, energy, defense, the border, and crime,” McConnell said at the press conference.
