Republicans who wanted to cut Medicare are suddenly denying it

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     February 9, 2023 President Biden is still riding the high from his State of the Union [zinger]( on protecting Medicare and Social Security. In fact, he gave a [whole speech]( about it today in Tampa. Sensing that Americans don't like the notion of being denied the retirement benefits they've paid into their entire lives, Republicans are trying to argue that they never threatened the programs in the first place. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who looked enraged when Biden mentioned Republicans' plans to cut Medicare and Social Security at the State of the Union, issued a [statement on Twitter](: "I am aware of NO REPUBLICAN—in either House of Congress—who has suggested any modification of Social Security as a condition for raising the debt ceiling." The White House sent Politico a [convenient list]( of news articles in which Republicans do just that. (Never mind that Lee himself once said, "It will be my objective to phase out Social Security—to pull it up by the roots and get rid of it.") And we're finally hearing a mealymouthed rebuttal from Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), architect of an apparently unpopular plan to sunset federal legislation—including Medicare and Social Security—every five years. On CNN, Scott said, "I’ve been clear. I’m not gonna do it," before launching into a debate with the reporter over whether [reducing prescription drug spending]( qualifies as a cut to Medicare. (It doesn't.) Still, it's unclear whether the comments from Scott, who served as governor of Florida before Ron DeSantis, will sway voters in the Sunshine State, where Trump scored an even bigger margin of victory in 2020 than he did in 2016. Biden's speech in Tampa suggests that he certainly hopes so. —Abigail Weinberg Advertisement [UC Press - Barbas]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( ["We Need Every Child. There's Only So Many of Us."]( A Native woman fought for years to gain custody of her granddaughter. Now the case is before the Supreme Court—and could have consequences beyond child welfare. BY JULIA LURIE SPONSORED CONTENT BILL PRESS PODCAST   David Corn, Washington bureau chief, Mother Jones "I've watched, listened to, and read Bill Press for decades, and I can attest that he is one of the sharpest political observers in the business. Bill and his all-star guests provide unique and important insight and analysis that you cannot find elsewhere.” [Listen to The Bill Press Pod]( [Trending] [The Christian groups fighting against the Indian Child Welfare Act]( BY KIERA BUTLER   [Republicans swing and miss on Hunter Biden and Twitter]( BY DAN FRIEDMAN   [How the case of arrested FBI agent Charles McGonigal is tied to a Russia-linked influence effort]( BY DAVID CORN, DAN FRIEDMAN, AND HANNAH LEVINTOVA   [For female scientists, Antarctica can be a sexual harassment hellscape]( BY CHRISTIAN ELLIOTT Advertisement [UC Press - Barbas]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [Bolsonaro is Living the American Dream: Retired in Florida and Posting on TikTok]( His account offers a (sad) glimpse of the former president’s ordinary routine. BY ISABELA DIAS [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755