GOP rep claims responsibility for bill she never backed — again

28 February 2024

In December, CBS News investigative reporter Jim DeFede confronted US Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) about an event the GOP leader "presented a check for $650,000 to help small businesses at Florida International University," and posted to social media.

DeFede said to Salazar, "You voted against the bill that gave the money that you then signed a check for and handed and had a photo op."

The confrontation came after the Sunshine State leader had tweeted, "I’m proud to have secured funding that will create hundreds of jobs and help dozens of businesses grow" in her Florida district, including "photos of her signing a large mockup of a check for $650,000, and standing holding it up.

She added, "Today, I launched the BizGap program with [Florida International University] which will help small businesses with coaching, marketing, websites, and more!"

The Republican leader, according to MSNBC's Steve Benen, "issued a press statement this month claiming that she 'secured over $1.4 million' in federal funding for a children’s hospital in Miami," and "even appeared in person at the hospital for a photo-op, delivering oversized checks, and then promoted the event via social media."

However, Benen reports what Salazar "did not note is that, according to her own press statement, the funding for the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital was 'part of the Fiscal Year 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act,' which the Florida lawmaker "voted against the Fiscal Year 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, along with nearly every other member of the GOP conference."

When Salazar first took credit for backing the bill last year, HuffPost noted, "What’s strange is that Salazar is not just trying to take credit for money that she voted against, she openly cites where this funding came from — and it’s very easy to look up her vote on this bill. It’s as if she is just hoping nobody notices."

Benen's report is available here.

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