Republican civil war intensifies: Senator Rick Scott walks away from Mitch McConnell before his speech criticizing his GOP ‘agenda’ that would have ‘raised taxes on half the American people’
- A growing GOP civil war played out at party press conference on Tuesday
- Mitch McConnell slammed Rick Scott’s 11-point policy plan for the midterms
- He said it would raise taxes ‘taxes on half the American people’
- But the chair of the party’s Senate campaign arm was not there to hear him
- Scott finished his own remarks and then left, before McConnell criticised him
- The row is about whether the party should push its own proposals before the fall
- McConnell wants to make the midterms a referendum on President Biden
A growing Republican civil war played out in the public spotlight of a party press conference on Tuesday, as GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell rebuked Sen. Rick Scott for proposing a policy plan that he said would raise taxes on millions of Americans.
But Scott did not hang around to hear McConnell’s criticism.
After he finished his remarks on President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, he stepped away from the lectern and just kept walking instead of listening to his leader take questions.
Perhaps he knew that the first one would be about the policy agenda he has been pushing in recent days.
McConnell, oblivious to the departure, said Scott was behind him and was welcome to address the question.
‘If we’re fortunate enough to have the majority next year, I’ll be the majority leader,’ he continued.
‘ll decide in consultation with my members what to put on the floor.
‘And let me tell you what would not be a part of our agenda. We will not have as part of our agenda a bill that raises taxes on half the American people and sunsets Social Security and Medicare within five years – that will not be part of a Republican Senate majority agenda.
‘We will focus instead on what the American people are concerned about: Inflation, energy, defence, the border and crime.’
GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell rebuked Sen. Rick Scott for proposing a policy plan that he said would raise taxes on millions of Americans during a party press conference
Scott spoke at the press conference after the weekly Republican policy lunch on Wednesday
But Scott didn’t hear the criticism. After delivering his own remarks he turned and left the lectern, and kept walking … leaving the press conference before it ended
The theater of the moment shows a split in the party between those who want to campaign on a positive agenda, and those who believe that Republicans’ position in opposition mean their job is to oppose the Democrats.
Setting out a manifesto now, simply provides targets for attack adverts, runs the argument of McConnell and his allies.
But Scott, who chairs Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, sees his 11-point plan as a conservative blueprint for action if Republicans win back the House and the Senate.
It includes a declaration that there are two genders, shrinking government and limiting most federal government workers – including members of Congress – to 12 years of service.
His plan would also sunset all federal laws after five years and says that all Americans should pay income tax ‘to have skin in the game.’
But that has caused a schism between two of the most important campaign figures in the Senate GOP.
McConnell sees things differently and, judging by his public comments, is keen to turn the midterms into a referendum on Biden – not on Republican policy plans.
Scott’s 11-point plan includes plans to shrink government, sunset all federal laws after five years and limit most federal workers – including members of Congress – to 12 years of service
The same poll released Sunday by ABC News/Washington Post shows of all adults surveyed, 50% want Republicans to control Congress after the 2022 midterms and 40% want Democrats to control Capitol Hill
Scott was given the message during a GOP leadership meeting on Monday, according to Politico, when he was told his plans could expose the party to unnecessary attacks in the fall.
McConnell reportedly told the Florida senator his proposal would give Democrats ammunition for millions of dollar in a attack ads.
In January, the GOP Senate leader was asked what he planned to do if Republicans took back both chambers in November.
‘That is a very good question,’ he told reporters. ‘And I’ll let you know when we take it back.’
Republicans are confident of making gains in November.
On Sunday Biden’s approval rating hit a new low of 37 percent in a poll that also showed 10 percent more American adults would prefer Republicans to control Congress than Democrats.
More than half – 55 percent – of adults disapproves of Biden’s job so far just before the president is set to deliver his first State of the Union address, according to the ABC News/Washington Post poll.
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