Despite a disastrous likely government shutdown tonight, Rick Scott has remained shockingly silent on the issue. As Florida’s Governor during the last shutdown in 2013, Rick Scott repeatedly said the president bears responsibility for a shutdown — even saying “the buck stops with the President.” So far, he has said absolutely nothing about President Trump needing to take any responsibility at all.
Rick Scott on Presidential accountability in 2013:
“The buck stops with the President.”
“The President needs to step up and lead.”
“The President needs to sit down with Congress and they need to compromise.”
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Rick Scott on Presidential accountability in 2018:
[Crickets]
“For a likely U.S. Senate candidate, Rick Scott has been deafeningly silent on the issue of a government shutdown that could devastate Florida’s economy,” said American Bridge spokesperson Joshua Karp. “Back when Democrats held the White House, Rick Scott had no problem pointing fingers. Now, with Republicans controlling the White House, Senate, and House, Rick Scott has conveniently forgotten his outrage. This is exactly the kind of partisan point-scoring Floridians have come to expect from Rick Scott.”
Background:
[Video] 2013: Scott: The Buck Stops With The President. Q: “On the shutdown, do you agree with the Republicans in Washington that have tied the budget issues to delaying or defunding the healthcare law and is the government shutdown going to have an effect on the state government if it continues?”
SCOTT: “Sure. What I agree with is the fact that the buck stops with the President. It’s disappointing he doesn’t know how to compromise and negotiate to get a budget done. I’ve had to do it for three sessions. I’ve had to, I don’t get 100% of what I want. I have to sit down with the House and the Senate and come up with an agreement that works for everybody.” [Rick Scott, Media Availability At the Capitol, 10/9/13]
[Video] 2013: Scott: The President Needs To Step Up And Lead. SCOTT: “Shutdown doesn’t need to happen. He needs to sit down with Congress and get this done. It’s going to adversely affect our economy so the President needs to step up and lead.” [Rick Scott, Alliances Business Expo, 10/2/13]
[Video] 2013: Scott: The President Needs To Sit Down And Negotiate With The House And Senate. Q: “Governor, I’d like to ask you a question about the government shutdown. The state is facing a surplus in the budget next year. Why not use some of those state funds to keep some of those federal programs running, especially those that benefit children?”
SCOTT: “Well first off, the most important thing is the President needs to sit down with Congress and they need to compromise, they need to negotiate, they have to do the same thing we have to do in our state. We have to balance our budget. We have to watch how we spend the money. We’ve got to spend the money wisely. That’s the first thing that ought to happen. We always look at every project to make sure we do the right things for our citizens and we have funding. We’ve dramatically increased funding for education in our state. This is the first time in eight years that we’ve reduced the wait list for those that are on the wait list for developmentally disabled so we’re doing the right thing.” [Rick Scott, American Association of Port Authorities, 10/16/13]
Published: Jan 19, 2018