Rick Scott on Mitch McConnell: ‘He's not representing Republicans’

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Feb 13, 2024 View in browser   By Kimberly Leonard Presented by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., addresses attendees at the Republican Party of Florida Freedom Summit, Nov. 4, 2023, in Kissimmee, Fla. | Phelan M. Ebenhack, File/AP Good morning and welcome to Tuesday. Sen. Rick Scott, a key ally of former President Donald Trump, last year tried unsuccessfully to unseat GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell. That may not be the last of it. Scott, 71, spoke with Playbook in Wesley Chapel this weekend to discuss Trump, his priorities and top issues facing Florida ahead of his reelection bid. During the interview, Scott said the Senate GOP still needs a new leader though stopped short of announcing his own challenge to the 81-year-old McConnell. “I haven't changed,” Scott said when asked about the possibility. “I believe we need to have different leadership.” Pressed as to whether he might want to be that new leader, he replied, “I’m gonna win my reelection first.” It’s still an issue Republicans bring up. This past weekend, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) drew a standing ovation at Florida Republicans’ annual meeting near Tampa when he called for Scott to be the next Senate majority leader, per a video taken inside the room. Gaetz notably is also close to Trump, who famously clashed with McConnell. Several Democrats are vying for the Democratic nomination to challenge Scott, with former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell widely viewed as the frontrunner. Scott, who is one of the wealthiest members of Congress and was governor from 2011 to 2019, has won all his elections only narrowly, but that was before Republicans began outnumbering registered Democrats in Florida. Here are a few more highlights from the interview. On his priorities if Republicans win in November ...   “Whatever it would be that would get people back to work,” Scott said, including cutting regulations and lowering taxes. He brought up the Trump tax cuts, some of which are set to expire at the end of the next year unless Congress acts. He also introduced a bill that would require Congress to get a super-majority to approve new taxes or fees, similar to what he did in 2018 in Florida as governor. On property insurance …  Scott acknowledged it was a major issue for Florida, saying rates had doubled since he left the governorship and highlighting his work in the Senate to try to make flood insurance program more affordable. “Every year, what you have to do is you have to say, ‘What's the most important issue the public has?’ and go try and do your best to just address it,” he said. “Clearly, property insurance is not fixed until it's fixed.” On his abortion stance …  “I don't believe there ought to be a federal limitation,” Scott said when asked about gestational limits on abortion. In 2021 he cosponsored a 20-week abortion ban, but now said his position changed after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, turning the legality of abortion to states. Scott said states, and not the federal government, should create limits on abortion. As governor, he signed a 24-hour waiting period into law and said less than a year ago that he would have signed a six-week abortion ban into law if he was still governor. On Gaetz’s amendment declaring that Trump did not “engage in insurrection” …  Scott didn’t commit to signing on to a forthcoming Senate version of the resolution expected to be introduced by GOP Sen. J.D Vance of Ohio, but said he would read the resolution and added that he thought Trump “clearly didn’t” incite an insurrection. On the committees he’s interested in …   Scott said he wanted to return to the Commerce Committee after losing his seat on the panel in 2023. He accused McConnell of kicking him off as retaliation for running against him. McConnell’s office did not respond to requests to comment. Scott went further and accused McConnell of poor leadership, specifically citing the border and military aid bill that collapsed last week, one Scott rejected because he said it was an "immigration bill" and not a "border security bill." (Trump had urged the GOP to reject the deal, saying it would otherwise help Democrats ahead of the election.) “The way Mitch McConnell is leading the Republican conference, he's not representing Floridians,” Scott said. “He's not representing Republicans.” WHERE’S RON? Gov. DeSantis will be in Cape Coral for a 10 a.m. event focused on retail theft. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com A message from Alibaba: Florida businesses like DS Laboratories and Timberwolf Pet Foods are among thousands of American brands selling to consumers across the world on Alibaba's online marketplace. Over one billion consumers in China shop for U.S. products on Alibaba, generating big sales for these brands and benefiting Florida’s economy. In 2022, sales on Alibaba supported 15,800 local jobs and $1.1B in wages. Learn more about how Alibaba positively impacts Florida's economy.   ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gestures during a campaign event on July 31, 2023, in Rochester, N.H. | Charles Krupa/AP MISSING PIECE — DeSantis bid to trim back insurance bills could be in trouble, reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. “The Florida House will take up its annual tax cut package this week and the proposed bill that lawmakers rolled out on Monday did not include the proposal by the Republican governor to put in a one-year pause on state taxes and assessments charged on insurance policies.” HIGH COURT ON REDISTRICTING — The Florida Supreme Court is rejecting a push to expedite an ongoing challenge to the congressional map that was muscled into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis nearly two years ago. The decision by the court — announced in a brief one-page ruling on Monday — heightens the likelihood that the current map will remain in place for the 2024 elections. DeSantis got the Republican-controlled Legislature to adopt a map drawn up by his staff that dismantled the north Florida seat of former Rep. Al Lawson, a Black Democrat, and ultimately netted the GOP four seats in Florida. The state Supreme Court announced last month it would consider a legal challenge that asserts the map violates voter-approved redistricting standards by diminishing the voting power of Black citizens. The groups suing then asked the court earlier this month to speed up when it would consider the case so that Floridians would not “vote under a redistricting plan of questionable legality.” The request to speed up the case was opposed by lawyers representing the DeSantis administration and the Legislature who called it a “fruitless” endeavor because it was unlikely the court could rule before federal qualifying starts in late April. The lawsuit before the Florida Supreme Court is not the only legal challenge pending against the DeSantis map. Groups including Common Cause and the NAACP have filed a federal lawsuit that asserts the map is discriminatory and unconstitutional. A trial was held in September but the three-judge panel that heard the case has yet to rule. — Gary Fineout  ‘CULTIVATED’ MEAT — Critics say China is happy with Florida's 'fake meat' ban bill, reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. Israel has focused on developing cultivated meat, critics said, but a ban would block companies in Florida from researching the emerging technology with Israel and Chinese newspapers have celebrated that possibility. WORKPLACE SAFETY — “Florida’s outdoor workers want heat safety. Why it’s an uphill battle,” reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Michaela Mulligan. “Another bill proposed this session would ban Florida cities and counties from implementing their own heat protections. Workers’ rights groups say the bill is likely a reaction to a measure in Miami-Dade County that seeks heat protections for some workers.”   DON’T MISS POLITICO’S GOVERNORS SUMMIT: Join POLITICO on Feb. 22 to dive into how Governors are wielding immense power. While Washington remains gridlocked, governors are at the center of landmark decisions in AI and tech, economic development, infrastructure, housing, reproductive health and energy. How are they setting the stage for the future of American politics, policies and priorities? How are they confronting major challenges? Explore these questions and more at the 2024 Governors Summit. REGISTER HERE.     PENINSULA AND BEYOND TROUBLED — “Orange County mayor considering ‘consequences’ for lobbyist over Visit Orlando imbroglio,” reports the Orlando Sentinel’s Stephen Hudak. “Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings branded it a ‘conflict’ for the county’s own lobbyist to draft a bill restricting its ability to cut the funding of the Visit Orlando tourism agency, and said there may be consequences for the advocate’s secretive actions … Demings said lobbyist Chris Carmody’s actions could lead the county to sever its relationship with his employer, GrayRobinson, and may trigger a Florida Bar complaint.” SENTENCED — “Private jets, private schools, credit cards: How Wellington CEO spent COVID relief loans,” reports the Palm Beach Post’s Julius Whigham II. “A federal judge has sentenced a former business executive from Wellington to 2.5 years in prison this week for acquiring about $2 million in fraudulent loans through federal programs designed to help small businesses struggling through the Covid-19 pandemic.” ‘INSANE LEADERSHIP’ — “Pinellas County School Board race heating up,” reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Jeffrey S. Solochek. “Interest in the race to replace Carol Cook on the Pinellas County School Board continues to grow, with a fifth hopeful announcing her candidacy for the seat.” CAMPAIGN MODE AGE OLD QUESTION — “Youngest congressman, Maxwell Frost, defends President Biden against attacks on age, memory,” reports the Palm Beach Post’s Stephany Matat and Antonio Fins. Frost, an Orlando Democrat, urged listeners on recent call to focus on Biden’s record “creating millions of jobs, working to bring inflation down and lowering the cost of prescription drugs.”   A message from Alibaba:   TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP Former President Donald Trump arrives at the Federal Courthouse on Feb. 12, 2024, in Fort Pierce, Florida. | Marta Lavandier/AP CLASSIFIED DOCS CASE — Trump was in federal court Monday to meet face-to-face with U.S District Judge Aileen Cannon for the first time. He arrived at the courthouse with his motorcade at about 9 a.m. and was in the building for just over five hours. He left as supporters blasted his campaign song “God Bless the USA” over loudspeakers. The meeting with Trump’s legal team was intended to present the theories the defense may use at trial. Related ... All four of Trump’s criminal cases reach inflection points this week, POLITICO reported, giving a clearer picture of what it'll look like leading up to the November election. EPONYMOUS — “In Miami, croquetas sell themselves. But one cafe is getting a MAGA boost,” reports the Miami Herald’s Max Greenwood. “The inside of the shop features a collection of Trump-themed merchandise: a life-size, made-for-Instagram cutout of Trump, a red ‘make America great again’ ballcap hanging on a beverage cooler, a bobblehead of the former president. Trump placemats are next.”   YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics.      ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN WOOF — A panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal will hear arguments at 10 a.m. in a dispute about whether dogs should be allowed in bars. — The most expensive home in America is in Florida, per The Wall Street Journal A message from Alibaba: Local Florida businesses such as DS Laboratories, from Miami, and Timberwolf Pet Foods, from Windermere, are currently reaching one billion consumers through Alibaba’s online marketplace. In doing so, they are generating big sales for their home state. Florida businesses are among numerous American brands that collectively achieved $66 billion in sales on Alibaba in one year. These sales positively impact Florida's economy. In 2022, sales on Alibaba supported 15,800 local jobs and $1.1B in wages, NDP Analytics reports. DS Laboratories CEO Dr. Fernando Tamez said, "Sales on Alibaba exceeded expectations by 50% in the first year." The company is hiring marketers, manufacturers, shippers, and more to keep up with the demand. He adds, "At first, Alibaba seemed too good to be true. Now, we jump into every single program they offer.” Explore how Alibaba benefits local businesses and Florida’s economy.     Follow us on Twitter Kimberly Leonard @leonardkl   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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