Republican Senator Says ‘Somebody Will Stop’ Trump From Making Illegal Payments

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) offered a less-than-reassuring response regarding a Medicare payment scheme proposed by President Donald Trump.

On Friday, Trump announced he would give $90 to certain Medicare recipients through the Medicare Improvement Fund, which he referred to as a “Slush Fund.”

“I am pleased to announce that my Administration will, immediately, begin sending ‘Checks’ of nearly $100 to over 20 MILLION wonderful Seniors to help pay for their Medicare Part B premiums, which we have already reduced by significant amounts,” he wrote on Truth Social. “This money will come from the Medicare Improvement Fund, a pointless “Slush Fund” that has only been used by Dumocrats in Congress to pay for the Waste, Fraud, and Abuse for their Special Interest friends, and drive up Healthcare costs.”

A White House press release said that “the federal government will be making one-time payments of $90 per person to help more than 20 million enrollees pay for their Medicare Part B premiums.”

“Payments will be made from the Medicare Improvement Fund, which has been given $2 billion by Congress for the purposes of making improvements to the Medicare fee-for-service program, but has never before been utilized,” the release added, stating that most recipients would receive the payments by direct deposit this month.

Scott appeared on Monday’s edition of The Lead, where CNN’s Jake Tapper asked about the plan.

“The payments come from this $2.2 billion Medicare Improvement Fund, which, as you know, the Congressional Budget Office says is supposed to be used to make improvements to Medicare’s hospital and medical insurance programs,” Tapper noted. “Do you have any concerns about using the funds the way that President Trump is suggesting?”

The senator replied by saying that if the scheme is not executed “the right way,” an unidentified someone will stop the president.

“Well, I’m sure it’s gonna have to be used the right way, or they’re not gonna be able to do it,” Scott replied. “Somebody will stop them. But look, we’ve got to figure out how to get healthcare costs down. Healthcare shouldn’t cost what it costs. We’ve got to, you know, more government involvement in healthcare has always caused everything to go up.”

Trump has also said that if Republicans prevail in the midterms, he will send every adult U.S. citizen $5,000.

Watch above via CNN.

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