Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage throughout Florida’s gulf coast, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with the Florida Farm Bureau as well as local agricultural producers, farmers, and growers to discuss the storm’s impact. Photos are courtesy of...
Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage throughout Florida’s Gulf Coast, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with local officials and volunteers from the barrier islands to discuss the storm’s impact and current recovery efforts. Photos are courtesy of...
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm, causing catastrophic damage along Florida’s Gulf Coast. It’s crucial for the federal government to expedite state-requested resources and authorize key policy flexibilities in order for Floridians to make a swift...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host two in-person events to assist constituents affected by Hurricane Helene and help navigate applications for FEMA assistance. Food, water, and additional resources will be available at the events. Event...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host in-person and virtual Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with federal casework issues in their respective local communities. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of...
Following the impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Debby, some local governments in Florida face looming budget shortfalls that could disrupt disaster recovery efforts. If these local governments receive reimbursements for past hurricanes from the Federal Emergency...
More than they have in decades, states are turning down federal money because of the burdens that go with it (see below). Yet the feds then turn around and give the money to other states, which makes little sense with a deficit this year of $1.65 trillion.
So we’re happy to report that Congressman Denny Rehberg of Montana and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida have introduced legislation requiring the federal government to dedicate all unspent grant money from states to federal debt retirement. The Refund Act would give states greater incentive to return dollars to Washington, assuring state taxpayers that returned funds wouldn’t merely be shipped to less frugal states.
The perversity of the current incentives was highlighted by a political spat this year in Montana between the Republican legislature and Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer. The legislature voted to return $120 million in federal funds for such programs as food stamps, home energy assistance and collecting patient medical care records under ObamaCare. The lawmakers worried that federal “maintenance of effort” rules would make it harder to cut spending in the future.
Mr. Schweitzer refused to return the money. The Helena Independent Record reported: “The governor said it makes no sense for Montana to turn away the federal money because it will just be reallocated to other states and won’t reduce the federal deficit at all. ‘We get less, and they get more,’ Schweitzer said.”
That incentive would be reversed under the Rehberg-Rubio bill. “It’s really very simple,” says Mr. Rehberg. “If a responsible state like Montana tightens its belt to save tax dollars, we shouldn’t be rewarding irresponsible states like California by adding those savings to their take.”
Montana never did return that money to the Treasury and now we’re all $120 million greater in debt. Congress has long rigged the budget rules to encourage more taxing and spending. It’s time to change those incentives.