Rick Scott Gets Brutally Busted As He Falsely Claims Democrats Are Cutting Medicare

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) tried to claim that Democrats are cutting with their reconciliation bill but was called out on Face The Nation.

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Transcript via CBS’s Face The Nation:

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MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, I- you know, no matter what, it does not look like there is any way to stop what is expected to be a very big win here for Democrats. And I know you’re opposed to it, but I want to press you on that because isn’t expanding Medicare access good for a state like yours, which has more residents reliant on the Affordable Care Act than any other state, and Republicans like reducing the deficit. The CBO says this will reduce it by $100 billion over the next decade. Isn’t there some good stuff in here for you, too?

SEN. SCOTT: So, Margaret, here’s the way I look at it. Right now, this bill actually ought to be called the war on seniors act. I mean, this is a war on Medicare. If you look at this. This is a $280 billion cut in Medicare. So, what’s going to happen is Medicare is gonna get caught and there’s gonna be seniors that don’t get life-saving drugs because the–

MARGARET BRENNAN: –reducing Medicare cost is not the same as benefits though, you- you know that.

SEN. SCOTT: Margaret, it’s $280 billion that would have been spent. It was anticipated to be spent. It’s not going to be spent now. And the drug companies that would be doing more research are not going to be able to spend the money on research. There will be life-saving drugs that seniors will not get.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget called your claim there, that you just reiterated in terms of Medicare spending, completely misleading. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that just about 1% of new drugs would be affected by the changes there on drug development. So how do you respond to that?

Scott was trying to claim that allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices is a cut to Medicare. Fact-checkers have already shut this nonsense down.

It is dishonest to the point of hilarity that Rick Scott, who is running around telling anyone who will listen that Republicans are planning to cut Medicare and Social Security if they get control of the Senate, is claiming that Democrats are cutting Medicare.

Margaret Brennan wasn’t playing along and letting Scott get away with spreading lies.

It is rare on a Sunday show to see a host who doesn’t let Republicans say whatever they want and let it slide but is prepared with a fact check and a pushback.

Rick Scott knows that the GOP Senate effort that he is leading into the midterm is failing, so he is making up anything to scare voters about the Inflation Reduction Act.

Jason Easley

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