GOP Sen. Scott revises 'sunset' plan to exclude Social Security, Medicare

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott has revised his plan to "sunset" all federal legislation after five years to exclude Social Security and Medicare amid fierce criticism from his Democratic detractors.

The revisions, he wrote in the Washington Examiner, include "specific exceptions of Social Security, Medicare, national security, veterans benefits, and other essential services." The Florida Republican has contended that the plan was never intended to cut either Social Security or Medicare.

"That plank of my Rescue America plan was obviously not intended to include entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security — programs that hard-working people have paid into their entire lives — or the funds dedicated to our national security," Scott asserted.

President Joe Biden and other Democrats, however, have repeatedly claimed that Scott sought to end the programs, an interpretation Scott says the general public understood to be false.

"Everyone outside of Washington perfectly understood what my plan was trying to accomplish, but that hasn’t stopped Washington politicians from doing what they do best — lying to you every chance they get," he said.

Scott went on to highlight Biden's 1975 proposal to sunset legislation after four years, which would have included both programs. He further pointed to other instances of Biden backing plans that would have frozen federal funds to both.

"When I argued that we should freeze federal spending, I meant Social Security as well. I meant Medicare and Medicaid. I meant veterans' benefits. I meant every single solitary thing in the government," then-Delaware Sen. Biden said in 1995, Scott noted.

The Florida Republican went on to assert that his plan was a necessary move to address runaway federal spending and reduce the national debt.

"I put out my Rescue America plan because we can’t keep doing what we’re doing. We need change. We need new ideas and a new vision. The establishment in Washington has failed and they’re the only ones who don’t realize it," he wrote. "Read my Rescue America plan and decide for yourself. Can we keep going down the path we’re going or do we need a new direction?"

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.