Florida senator slams Biden as Social Security, Medicare 'hypocrite' ahead of visit
Biden travels to Florida on Thursday, expected to speak on Sen. Rick Scott’s federal program sunset proposal
Sen. Rick Scott accuses Biden of using tax loophole, calls for president to resign
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., discusses Biden's 'hypocritical' comments on social services during his days in Congress, and why he's accusing the president of cheating on his taxes.
Just one day after Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott aired an ad alleging President Biden cheated on his taxes, Biden departed to the Sunshine State, where he is expected to rail against the GOP senator’s Social Security and Medicare sunsetting plan.
"He accuses Republicans, that they want to cut Medicare and Social Security, I've never suggested that. I said we've got to preserve them," Scott said Thursday on "Varney & Co." "But he wants to accuse us of something he's done, he's tried. He had a bill that would do it, and he's fought and fought and fought to cut Medicare and Social Security."
As Democrats and Republicans continue to hash out debt ceiling negotiations, Scott has proposed a plan calling for all federal programs to sunset and require renewal every five years. Scott's plan did not specifically mention Social Security or Medicare, but they are included given that they are federal programs.
Congressional footage recently resurfaced of then-Sen.Joe Biden from 1995, claiming an argument to "freeze federal spending" included social services.
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"When I argued that we should freeze federal spending, I meant Social Security as well. I meant Medicare and Medicaid. I meant veterans. I meant every single solitary thing in the government. And I not only tried it once, I tried it twice. I tried it a third time, and I tried it a fourth time," Sen. Biden had said on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., left, called President Biden a "hypocrite" and "complete failure" by accusing Republicans for wanting budget cuts to Social Security and Medicare, on "Varney & Co." on Thursday. (Getty Images)
Scott called the president a "hypocrite" for recently coming after Republicans on this similar issue.
"This guy ought to resign. He's a complete failure and he's lied about these things," he said.
The Florida senator’s comments come as a political ad runs in his home state claiming the president cheated on his taxes. The ad begins by stating that Biden cut $280 billion from Medicare and plans to hire tens of thousands of IRS agents, then takes a personal turn.
"But what you don't know is that Joe Biden also cheated on his taxes and got away with it. Biden improperly used a loophole to dodge half a million dollars in taxes that should have gone to Medicare," Scott says in the ad. "Now that Biden has ripped off Medicare for half a million dollars, he wants to close the loophole and raise your taxes."
Biden heads to Florida after accusing GOP of attacking social security
FOX Business' Edward Lawrence reports from the White House, where President Biden is departing for Tampa, Florida, to argue against Republican Sen. Rick Scott's Social Security proposal.
Scott doubled down on his accusation Thursday, alleging Biden is now trying to close the same tax loophole he once used.
"He used a loophole to not take the income in that would require him to pay a portion and pay a Medicare tax on that," Scott said. "Then now he's trying to change that loophole. I mean, I don't know anybody else is doing that. He did it just to not pay the additional Medicare taxes."
The ad is reportedly targeting the Tampa area, where Biden is traveling on Thursday as he’s expected to highlight Scott’s plan and claim Republicans want to cut the entitlement programs, FOX Business’ Edward Lawrence reported. The president made similar accusations in Tuesday’s State of the Union speech.
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Republican lawmakers push back after Biden says GOP wants to cut Social Security, Medicare
President Biden rallied union workers near Madison, Wisconsin, after his State of the Union Address.
In a statement to Fox News, White House spokesman Andrew Bates acknowledged that Scott's proposal was for putting all federal programs up for renewal, but claimed, "Senator Scott’s ad only cements that congressional Republicans are targeting Medicare."
"Repealing the AARP-backed Inflation Reduction Act, as Scott’s now calling for, would impose the biggest cut to Medicare benefits in decades," Bates continued. "Every time Rick Scott opens his mouth, he proves the President’s point. The man who got rich overseeing the biggest Medicare fraud in history is protesting too much — again."
Fox News’ Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.