Conservative tears apart Rick Scott’s plan to raise federal income taxes on half of US workers

On February 22, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida — who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee — released his “11-Point Plan to Rescue America.” And a proposal to raise federal income taxes on roughly half of U.S. wage earners — specifically, the lower half — has drawn vehement condemnation from Democrats, who are using anti-Scott messages in their ads.

But some conservatives are calling Scott out as well, including the National Review’s John McCormack.

In an article published by the Review on March 4, McCormack lays out some of the flaws in Scott’s argument in favor of raising taxes on lower wage earners.

Scott, in his plan, wrote, “All Americans should pay some income tax to have skin in the game, even if a small amount. Currently, over half of Americans pay no income tax.”

The 69-year-old Florida senator, NRSC chairman and former Florida governor isn’t talking about raising federal income taxes on someone with an annual salary of $200,000 or $300,000. As Scott sees it, someone making $13,000 or $14,0000 a year isn’t paying enough taxes.

“Scott was acting on his own accord, but he is the National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman, and he’s gotten a lot of blowback,” McCormack observes. “Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell said, at a press conference this week, that he opposes Scott’s plan.”

Scott defended his proposal to raise taxes in an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal on March 3, writing, “I went out and made a statement that got me in trouble. I said that all Americans need to have some skin in the game. Even if it is just a few bucks, everyone needs to know what it is like to pay some taxes.”

McCormack, however, points out that lower wage earners are already paying a variety of taxes.

“Most Americans who do not pay federal income taxes already do pay thousands in Medicare and Social Security taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, etc.,” McCormack notes. “But what’s really baffling about Scott’s defense of his plan is his assertion that Americans who do not pay taxes now might only have to pay ‘a few bucks.’ Does anybody believe that raising an American’s income-tax liability from $0 to $3 is going to change how that American views federal spending? Does three dollars really count as ‘skin in the game?’”