Senator Rick Scott: ‘We shouldn’t let Florida taxpayers bail out New York’

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., Argued Sunday that President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief plan, which calls for a $ 350 billion “bailout” for state and local governments, “no ‘makes no sense’.

“We shouldn’t let Florida taxpayers bail out New York” and other blue states for their past problems, he said.

Scott made the comments on “Fox & Friends Weekend” three days after Biden unveiled a $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus proposal designed to jumpstart the nation’s economy and speed up vaccine distribution to control the disease. deadly pandemic.

Biden wants to provide state, local and territorial governments with emergency funding of $ 350 billion to help them keep frontline workers employed and to help with vaccine distribution, COVID-19 testing, reopening of schools and “maintaining other vital services”.

Funding for state and local governments has emerged as one of the most controversial issues during nearly half a year of relief negotiations between Democrats and Republicans, who decried the proposal as a “state bailout.” blue”. Unable to compromise on the issue, lawmakers ultimately decided to exclude state and local government aid from the $ 900 billion relief deal they made in December.

Scott called the funding of states and local governments, especially New York, a “liberal payback.”

He made the comments after Senator Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., reportedly said the state could get up to $ 2 billion in additional emergency money from FEMA for the coronavirus pandemic through the plan. massive relief from Biden.

As part of Biden’s plan, $ 30 billion will be invested in FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund and a portion of that will cover the cost of a 100% federal reimbursement for emergency responses to the COVID-19 by state and local governments, Newsday reported, citing Biden’s transition team. As a result, states like New York, which has been declared a COVID-19 emergency disaster area, would not have to cover 25% of the costs, which is typically the case for most emergency funding from the United States. FEMA.

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In a telephone interview, Schumer called the development “good news” for New York, adding that “it will mean $ 2 billion in New York between state and local governments,” Newsday reported.

Scott said the extra financial relief in New York was “Joe Biden saying, ‘Chuck Schumer, you helped me, [New York City Mayor Bill] de Blasio that you helped out, so here’s $ 2 billion on FEMA. “”

Scott noted that the money, which was allocated by Congress, is “supposed to go for hurricanes, floods and wildfires and other natural disasters.” But instead, Scott said, Biden wants to give it to de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo “and say, ‘Here … I know you can’t live within your means, I know d ‘other states have paid for it, but we’re’ just gonna give you money just because we love you. ‘ ‘

“It’s wrong,” Scott said. “We shouldn’t let Florida taxpayers bail out New York. New York cannot live within its means.

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“We cannot bail out these states for their past problems,” he added, noting that billions of dollars have already been allocated to states and local governments for COVID-19 relief.

“We should help with COVID relief, I want targeted help for people, but bailing out these blue states doesn’t make sense,” Scott said.

A spokesperson for Biden’s transition team did not immediately respond to Fox Business’s request for comment.

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Megan Henney of Fox Business contributed to this report.