TAMPA, Fla. — President Joe Biden made a visit to the University of Tampa on Thursday afternoon, highlighting his plans for Social Security and Medicare.
Biden touched down in Tampa around noon, with his remarks beginning at about 2:00 p.m. at UT's Plant Hall.
During his remarks, the President made it clear if anyone tries to make cuts to Social Security or Medicare, he's going to stop it. Biden said he wants to strengthen and protect both programs and lower healthcare costs for Americans.
“Look, I know that a lot of republicans, their dream is to cut Social Security and Medicare," Biden said Thursday. "Well, let me say this: if that’s your dream, I’m your nightmare."
President Biden said he came to Florida to talk about his plans to give families and seniors a little more breathing room to lower healthcare costs. Biden said that's especially important in Florida, which he pointed out has the highest percentage of seniors than any other state in the country.
Biden said people on fixed incomes rely on Social Security and Medicare to get by. While looking to lower the cost of healthcare, the President said the United States pays more for prescription drugs than any country in the world.
“Many drugs, like expensive cancer drugs, can cost up to $10, $12, $14,000 a year," Biden said. "Well, as of this year, they can be charged no more and they can pay no more than $3,500 no matter what drug they get, and next year, it goes down to $2,000 maximum they have to pay for drugs.”
Under his Inflation Reduction Act, Biden highlighted that the amount seniors have to pay for insulin will be capped at $35 per month per prescription and that seniors will have access to more free vaccines.
"We're often told that democrats and republicans can't work together," said Biden. "But as I told my republican friends on Tuesday, if we could work together, the last Congress, and we did, there's no reason we can't work together to get things done as well in this Congress."
Tampa was Biden's second stop following his State of the Union address on Tuesday, where he accused some republicans of wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare. The comment led to some people shouting things like liar and booing.
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Biden was referring to a proposal from Florida Senator Rick Scott that calls for all federal legislation to be renewed every five years. He didn’t mention Scott by name on Tuesday, but during his stop in Wisconsin on Wednesday, he did.
"I remind you, Rick Scott from Florida, the guy who ran a U.S. Senate campaign, has a plan. I’ve got his brochure right here. It has a plan. Here’s what he says in his plan. Let me open it up here. He says all federal legislation sunsets every five years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again. Social Security and Medicare, Medicaid," Biden said.
In a Tweet Wednesday, Senator Scott said he doesn't have a bill to sunset Medicare and Social Security and pointed to a bill Biden introduced as a senator in 1975 that he said has similarities.
It’s also important to point out that President Biden was already planning to discuss Social Security and Medicare in Tampa before all the reactions to his statements during the State of the Union.
Biden and his cabinet are expected to visit around 20 states this week.
