Senator Rick Scott, R-Fla., Argues that President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief plan, which provides for a $ 350 billion “bailout” for state and local governments, “makes no sense.”
Senator Rick Scott, R-Fla., Argued on Sunday that President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief plan, which provides for a $ 350 billion “bailout” for state and local governments, “makes no sense.”
“We shouldn’t have taxpayers from Florida bailing out New York” and other blue states for their past problems, he emphasized.
Scott made the comments on Fox & Friends Weekend three days after Biden revealed a $ 1.9 trillion stimulus proposal for the coronavirus that was designed to boost the nation’s economy and accelerate the distribution of vaccines to control the deadly pandemic .
Biden wants to provide state, local and territorial governments with $ 350 billion in emergency funds to help keep employees on the front lines and help with vaccine distribution, COVID-19 testing, school reopening and “maintenance of others vital services “.
Funding for state and local governments has emerged as one of the most controversial issues during nearly half a year of relief talks between Democrats and Republicans, who have condemned the proposal as a “blue state bailout”. Unable to reach agreement on the issue, lawmakers eventually decided to exclude state and local government aid from the $ 900 billion aid agreement they approved in December.
Scott called funding for state and local governments, specifically New York, “liberal retribution.”
He made the comments after Senator Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., allegedly said the state could get up to $ 2 billion more in emergency money from FEMA for the coronavirus pandemic through Biden’s massive relief plan. .
Under Biden’s plan, $ 30 billion will be invested in FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund and part of that will cover the cost of a 100% federal refund for COVID-19 emergency responses by state and local governments, he said. Newsday, citing Biden’s transition team. Therefore, states like New York, which has been declared a COVID-19 emergency disaster area, will not have to cover 25% of the costs, which is usually the case for most FEMA emergency disaster funds.
CORONAVIRUS MASS EXODUS PUTS NYC IN ‘VERY FRAGILE SITUATION’: LANGONE OF DOMESTIC DEPOSIT
In a telephone interview, Schumer called the venture “good news” for New York, adding that “it will mean $ 2 billion for New York between state and local governments,” reported Newsday.
Scott said that the additional financial relief for New York is “Joe Biden saying, ‘Chuck Schumer, you helped me, [New York City Mayor Bill] de Blasio you helped, so here’s $ 2 billion from FEMA. ‘”
Scott noted that the money, which was allocated by Congress, “must go to hurricanes, floods, forest fires and other natural disasters”. But instead, Scott said, Biden wants to give it to Blasio and New York governor Andrew Cuomo “and say, ‘Here … I know you can’t live with your possessions, I know that other states have paid for it. but we’ll only give you some money just because we like you. ‘”
“This is wrong,” said Scott. “We shouldn’t have Florida taxpayers bailing out New York. New York cannot live with its means.
DISCOVER FOX BUSINESS ON THE MOVE BY CLICKING HERE
“We cannot rescue these states from their previous problems,” he added, noting that billions of dollars have already been allocated to states and local governments for relief from COVID-19.
“We should help relieve COVID, I want help directed at people, but rescuing these blue states doesn’t make sense,” emphasized Scott.
A spokesman for Biden’s transition team did not immediately respond to Fox Business’s request for comment.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE STORIES ON FOX THE BUSINESS
Fox Business Megan Henney contributed to this report.