MAST AND RUBIO HAVE UTTERLY FAILED US — THEY DO NOT DESERVE REELECTION
Have you heard Rep. Brian Mast and Sen. Marco Rubio say how honored they are to serve us in Congress? They may be "honored," but a look at their voting records belies the claim that they have "served" us.
In fact, Mast and Rubio have wasted the last two years opposing virtually every piece of legislation that is benefitting us on the Treasure Coast. It is the Democrats, instead, who have delivered an unparalleled record of relief to a country that was left reeling by the lawlessness, dishonesty, and incompetence of a twice-impeached ex-president -- a disgraced man whom Mast and Rubio continue to embrace.
In November, we voters have the opportunity to evaluate two Democrats on the ballot who have served alongside Mast and Rubio in the U.S. Congress -- and their records are starkly different.
Consider the signature accomplishments of Congress and the Administration the past two years: lowering prescription drug prices and health care costs, tackling the climate crisis, cutting energy costs, creating good-paying jobs, rebuilding our infrastructure, reducing the deficit, having the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share. Republicans Mast and Rubio have shamefully voted "no" on every one of those good ideas. By contrast, the two Democrats -- Rep. Charlie Crist (our candidate for Governor against the odious Ron DeSantis) and Rep. Val Demings (our candidate for Senator against the feckless Rubio) -- have stellar voting records.
Addressing Climate Change. The Inflation Reduction Act makes the most substantial investments to address climate change in our nation's history; these investments are projected to cut pollution and improve America's energy security. The Act also creates good-paying jobs making solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles across the country. Good ideas, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Capping Prescription Drug Costs. Mast and Rubio sided with Big Pharma in opposing this! But healthcare provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act will cap out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors and empower Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices. Specifically for Florida, the Act will cap out-of-pocket expenses on prescription drugs at $2000/year for 4.8 million Medicare beneficiaries, reduce health insurance premiums for millions of Floridians by about $590 per year on average, expand coverage to about 543,000 Floridians, and cap insulin co-payments at $35/month for the 232,000 Florida Medicare beneficiaries that use insulin. Good ideas, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Creating Jobs. Today the unemployment rate matches the lowest it's been in more than 50 years, and more people are working than at any point in American history. The American Rescue Plan created 6.6 million jobs in Pres. Biden's first year in office. The bipartisan Infrastructure Law will create more than one million additional jobs per year over the next decade. Good ideas, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO on both bills; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Distributing COVID Vaccinations. The American Rescue Plan put more than 300 million shots in arms in the first 150 days after Pres. Biden took office, saving countless lives. Good idea, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Expanding Health Care. The Inflation Reduction Act extends subsidies for Affordable Care Act premiums, helping 2.7 million Floridians who receive coverage through the Marketplace. Good idea, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Getting Our Classrooms Up and Running. The American Rescue Plan provided resources to get our students and teachers back in the classroom safely. Good idea, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Incentivizing High-Tech. The CHIPS Act, another once-in-a-generation investment, will enable America to expand its leadership in high-tech industries. By ensuring that more semiconductors will be made in the U.S., it will increase domestic manufacturing, lower costs for families, and strengthen national security by making us less dependent on foreign sources of semiconductors. The Act also includes important guardrails to ensure that companies receiving taxpayer dollars invest in America, and that union workers will be building new manufacturing plants across the country. Good ideas, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Lowering Our Energy Bills. The Inflation Reduction act will save families $500 per year on energy bills. Good idea, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Making Big Corporations and the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share. Big profitable corporations have gotten away with paying no federal income taxes for years even as they have made billions of dollars in profits. By establishing a minimum corporate tax, the Inflation Reduction Act will ensure that big corporations and the wealthiest 1% pay their fair share in taxes. No one making under $400,000 will see their taxes go up one penny, and middle class families earning less than $100,000 will see net tax cuts. Good ideas, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Preventing Gun Violence. Mast and Rubio sided with the National Rifle Association in opposing this! The first major gun-violence prevention legislation in decades, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act will help protect victims of domestic violence, keep schools safe, and strengthen background checks to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. Good ideas, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Protecting the Everglades. Thanks to Pres. Biden's historic commitment to the Everglades, the world's largest eco-restoration project has received $1.5 billion in federal funds, including a $1.1 billion investment through the bipartisan Infrastructure Law -- the largest federal investment ever made in Florida's River of Grass. Good ideas, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Providing Relief to Working Families. The American Rescue Plan delivered essential and timely relief to working families. Good idea, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Rebuilding Our Infrastructure. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is providing a once-in-a-generation investment in our water, transportation, and digital infrastructure, and will create more than one million jobs per year over the next decade. Good ideas, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Reducing Inflation. The price of gasoline has come down now for two straight months thanks to Pres. Biden's actions directing: the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to release one million barrels of oil a day; and U.S. oil companies to increase their production. The Inflation Reduction Act will lower health care, prescription drug, and energy costs for millions of Floridians. Meanwhile, the CHIPS Act will make cars and computers cheaper and will lower the cost of everyday goods. Good ideas, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Reducing the Deficit. The Inflation Reduction Act will reduce the deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars in the coming years. Good idea, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES.
Last but certainly not least, there are two more important pieces of legislation that separated pro-Choice supporters Val Demings and Charlie Crist from Brian Mast and Marco Rubio; they passed in the House of Representatives, but failed in the Senate because of the outdated, undemocratic filibuster rule:
The Women's Health Protection Act and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act. In the wake of the egregious U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down the constitutional right to an abortion, the House passed bills that would have: codified the original pro-Choice ruling in Roe v. Wade as the law of the land, overruling state laws outlawing abortion; and ensured that no person could prevent, restrict, or otherwise retaliate against a person traveling across state lines for lawful abortion services. Good ideas, right? Mast and Rubio voted NO; Crist and Demings voted YES. These bills could be reexamined by the U.S. Senate with a larger Democratic majority -- a great reason to elect Val Demings to replace Marco Rubio, who has one of the most extreme records in the Senate when it comes to restricting women's rights to control their own bodies and get the health care they need.
So when Mast and Rubio claim they are honored to represent us, you are justified in wondering which "us" they are talking about.
We have some better ideas for you when you head to the polls:
Brian Mast is running for reelection to the House of Representatives against Corinna Balderramos Robinson, who would have voted with Val Demings and Charlie Crist had she been in Congress. She has served the country as a soldier in the U.S. Army, as Legislative Affairs director in Iraq, and as a leader of the Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection Directorate at the Pentagon; she is also a professor at a local college. Brian Mast has not served the people in this district at all, and he does not deserve reelection; Balderramos Robinson should be elected to replace him so that we can have someone truly represent the people of the 21st Dist.
Marco Rubio is running for reelection to the Senate against Rep. Val Demings, who was the first female Chief of Police of Orlando. She is an extraordinary person and candidate who has earned your vote against Rubio -- an empty suit who was humiliated by Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign for president but kowtows to him today.
And Charlie Crist, our former governor, should be elected to a new term as governor to replace the hateful and despotic Ron DeSantis, who has worked to limit the rights of Floridians, and has turned our state into a national punch line.
Now that you have the facts about their voting records, the choices are clear: elect Charlie, Val, and Corinna. Good idea? Right!
-Ellis Bromberg