Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said that he would not be attending President Biden’s State Of The Union because he doesn’t have time to take a COVID test.
Rubio told reporters:
Rubio says he won’t attend Biden’s State of the Union address tomorrow because of the COVID testing requirement.
“I don’t have time to go take a COVID test today. I only take a test if I’m sick,†he says
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— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) February 28, 2022
Unlike working people, Marco Rubio does not have to go to the local drug store or clinic to take a COVID test. As a US Senator, he has some of the best medical care in the country at his disposal.
Rubio could get a COVID test in a few minutes. It would take him no time to be tested and get the results back, so Sen. Rubio’s excuse that he is too busy to attend the State Of The Union because of the COVID testing requirement is nonsense.
Marco Rubio is facing what could be quite the reelection fight against Rep. Val Demings (D), and it appears that he is trying to earn some points with Florida Republican voters by not attending the SOTU.
COVID tests aren’t tyranny or even an inconvenience, but Rubio’s refusal to get one is an example of how Republicans turned a public health crisis into a partisan political talking point.
No one is going to say that the State Of The Union wasn’t the same without Marco Rubio, but it is disrespectful to the presidency and to the traditions of the country for Rubio to come up with such a lame excuse.
Florida deserves a senator who shows up for the SOTU.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
