CNN: See how Rick Scott responded after Biden attacked his plan in speech

Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) talks with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on the ongoing partisan battle over funding Medicare and Social Security following President Biden’s annual State of the Union address. #CNN #News

Transcript

In his State of the Union address, President Biden accused some but not all Republicans of wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare. Some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security sunset. I’m not saying it’s a majority. You can see Kevin McCarthy there shaking his head that led Republicans in the chamber to bo

President Biden and call him a l The president did not name names on Tuesday, but yesterday he was in Wisconsi and he identified the Republican lawmakers that he was referencing reading directly from their prop Well, I’m glad you said I got his brochure right here. I has a plan.

Here’s what he says in his plan. Let me get over it up here. Sorry. He says all federal legislation sunsets every five years. If the laws were keeping, Congress can pass it again. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. The president there was referring to Senator Rick Scott. And today he is going to Senator

Scott home state of Florida, where he’s set to give a speech on Social S and Medicare in Tampa. So joining us now for his perspe is that Senator Senator Rick Scott of Florida. Thank you so m For joining us this morning. I think my first question has to

Given the fact that the presiden is now using this as an attack l Was it a mistake to propose this No. First off, nobody believes that I want to cut Medicare or Social Security. I’ve never s I’ve never said in that same pla I said Congress aides to once a

Tell the American public how they’re going to make sure those programs don’t go bankrupt because in the verge of bankrupt And here’s a difference. Screen Joe Biden to me, I have never proposed it in 1975 he has a bill a sunset b and it says it requires every pr

To be looked at virtually at lea every four years. Not not just cost but worthiness And Kaitlyn he said when I argued that we should freeze federal spendin I meant so security as well I met Medicare Medicaid veterans benefits. I meant every single solitary thing in government. So here’s the difference.

I’ve never proposed it. He proposed it in the bill and he fought for it. Year after year after year. You’re talking about what he proposed back in 1975 is almost 50 years ago. But you have said he’s twisting your words. But isn’t that the same thing that what you’re proposing now,

What you rolled out last summer. Mine says mine says clearer my size clearer. You know, if it’s worth keeping, we’re going to keep it in his case. Maybe he proposed a bill that just sunset everything. I’ve I’ve never done that. I’ve been very clear. I am not for cutting Social Security, Medicare.

And that quote says he’s clearly He proposed a year after year after year to reduce Medicare and Social Se year after year. I’ve never done that. I don’t believe in that. I think we’ve got to preserve those benefits. You say he’s twisting your words but he said, quote, Some Republicans want Social Sec

And Medicare to sunset. You wrote, I suggested following all federal legislatio sunsets in five years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again. You are Republican. Medicare and Social Security are federal legislation. And you said it’s worth keeping. Congress can pass it again. But but no one.

I don’t think has confidence that if something comes up for a every five years, that Congress is going to be abl to make sure it stays, especially something that vitally important to so many I’ve been clear. I’m not going to do it in Congre Let’s remember just what, a few months ago,

All Democrats voted in Joe Biden signed a bill to cut $280 billio out of Medicare to $80 billion cut out of Medicare. That’s not true. Senator, we talked about this. The other day when you were on the program that that was passed in the Inflation Reduction Act. Reducing drug spending is not

Cutting benefits to Medicare. Okay. Let me just read you something Jake Tapper said. This is back when Republicans are proposing reducing the cost of Medicaid. He said, Jake Tapper said, I know the Trump administration is excited that Medicaid will go back to th where they have more control

And can experiment and be more e But without question, $880 billion is a cut. So he said, is it a cut? When you when Republicans do it, but not when Democrats proposed saying what you’re referencing Senator, I looked into this because we talked about it the o

And even the senior VP for a AAR government affairs said this has been fact checked repeatedly and shown to be a lie In fact, this bill saves Medicare nearly $300 billion by lowering the price of drugs. Our drug companies, only drug companies would say that saving people money is a ba

But what about what Jake Tapper I mean, for Jake Tapper said was Jake Tapper due to the Inflation Reduction A I don’t think he was. He was referring to a reduction in costs in Medicaid. So that’s how does it have to do with what what Democrats passed last fall?

This is about lowering allowing to negotiate the prices of drugs Basically, if you’ve budgeted and you’ve go and you go and buy a card, it no costs $12,000. That doesn’t mean you only have It means you just did not spend all $15,000. Right. Caitlin, two things. First off, what they did

This fall is going to reduce life saving drugs. But the Republicans propose was not a reduction in Medicaid It was a cut in. Jake Tapper said that is a cut. So CNN says it’s not a cut if Democrats do it. It is a kind of Republicans.

So I mean, what else can you say I mean, that’s exactly what you’ You know, I see what you’re sayi How, you know, have you talked to Jake Tapper? Why did he say he was a kind of Republicans do Senator I’m not sure that what Jake Tapper said is relevant to what

This particular point is, what you’re claiming about the cost of drugs costing and therefore being a cut. Everyone else has said that is n It’s been fact-checked multiple And they say that that’s simply But okay, so if they if the Senate did the same fact checkers

Go back and look at what Jake Tapper said. I mean I mean, I don’t get I don’t get why if one party proposes efficienci that’s a cut. But if the other party does, it’ not a cut. I mean, unless reducing cut to $90 billi the same is cutting benefits. Correct. Okay, Wolf, look,

It actually is what they did last fall is going to reduce life saving drugs in life saving I understand you’re saying as an impact on dr That is different, though, than saying that they cut Medicare when they’re saving money on the of what those drugs cost to Amer

Okay. But and then why didn’t Jake Tap said that? $88 billion cut Medicaid is a cu I’m sorry, Senator. I don’t think that’s the defense that you think it is. But I want to go back to this po in your proposal on Medicare and Social Security, because you’re saying that that

What your intention was with your proposal last fall. But even Republicans, it came back and came out agains including Senator Mitch McConnel who said we will not have as part of our a bill that raises taxes on half the American people and Social Security and Medicare wit

Even within five years, even Rep If that’s what you were suggesti So let’s first off, I think I cu more than almost any Republicans Taxes and fees 100 times as gove I’ve never supported a tax or fee increase. That’s why number two and I won’t support any. Number two is I’ve been clear,

I will not reduce Social Security, Medicare benefi All right. I been clear and I was clear in my plan that Congress needs to fix Medic I mean, make sure that Medicare and Social Security survive. I said we got to tell them what we’re going to do. All the recipients,

How we’re going to do it. Does that sound like somebody that wants to cut Medicare and Social Security? But in contrast, we have a presi that proposed it time and time time again. And we’ve got Democrats that hav just in the last few months. Senator, if that wasn’t your int

Why didn’t you put an exemption for Medicare and Social Security in your plan? Well, I was I was very clear. It’s my plan. I wrote it. I’ve told people all along what I believe. I fought for Medicare and Social the entire time I been up here. And I’m going to continue

To fight for it. And look, Joe Biden has proposed and he wants to say I have done No, actually, did I oppose it in I didn’t. I wrote to fight it. I wrote the I mean, you didn’t write your pl I wrote the plan. And I’ve been clear about it.

Anybody asked me what I meant. I’ve been very clear. Nobody believes that I have a goal of reducing I don’t know any Republicans that want to cut Medicare Social Security benefits, but I know Democrats that have d and you’ve got a president that proposed it time and time a

Okay. So let’s live in reality. Let’s we are living in reality. And let’s say your plan passes and this happens and then every five years, it’s up for a vote. We’re watching what’s happening with the debt ceiling right now and how some Republicans in your party are trying to use it as leverage

So wouldn’t it basically subject Social Security and Medicare to these potential extortion tac by Republicans down the road? We have 31 half trillion dollars of the debt. If you care about preserving Medicare and Social Security, we will figure out how to start living within our means because there is come

There will be a day in time that we can’t borrow more money. I want to make sure we balance o and preserve Medicare and Social Security. I’ve been clear all along. So what I want to do is get rid of wasteful programs that we never review up here.

They just they just we they get Nobody ever looks at them.

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