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Rick Scott’s Hurricane Hypocrisy: Taking Credit for Disaster Relief that He Voted Against
Today, Rick Scott is touring damage from Hurricane Helene but last week, as Congress passed a government funding bill without critically needed supplemental disaster relief funding, Scott was nowhere to be found. Instead of doing his job and fighting for disaster funds he knew Florida would need, Scott skipped town and didn’t vote to replenish FEMA’s disaster fund and keep the government open. Thanks to Scott’s inaction, FEMA won’t have enough resources to make it through the rest of hurricane season.
“Floridians desperately need disaster relief funding to rebuild from Helene, but Rick Scott wasn’t in Washington to fight for it when it mattered most. Scott wants to be the hero but he can’t change the facts: he’s voted against disaster relief time and time again,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried. “Floridians are sick of Scott’s performances and will hold him accountable in November.”
Scott’s hurricane hypocrisy is nothing new: he has repeatedly voted against disaster relief funding and opposed renewing the National Flood Insurance Program that protects 1.7 million Florida homes. Scott also voted against $1.5 billion in federal funding to make Florida’s infrastructure more resilient to climate change and extreme weather.
See below for more on Scott’s hurricane hypocrisy:
Tallahassee Democrat: Senator Rick Scott Says Florida Needs More Money For Ian Relief, After Voting Against Plan To Keep FEMA, Government Going
Axios: Rubio, Scott Call For Ian Relief As Florida GOP Votes Against FEMA Funding
MSNBC: Florida Republicans Face Thorny Questions On Federal Disaster Aid
WFLA, Tampa Bay: Florida Lawmakers Vote Against Disaster Relief Amid Hurricane Ian
Latin Times: Full List of Republicans Who Voted Against FEMA Relief Before Helene Battered Their Home States
American Independent: Florida Sens. Scott And Rubio Want Disaster Aid But Have Cast Votes Against FEMA Funding
National Memo: Rubio, Scott And DeSantis Want Disaster Aid They Voted Against For Other States
Meidas Touch News: Ted Cruz, Rick Scott, and Other Senate Republicans Voted to Defund FEMA—Now Ask for Federal Aid
American Journal News: Sen. Rick Scott leaves hurricane-ravaged Florida to fundraise and campaign for Trump