Rick Scott Backs Marco Rubio's and Jeff Miller's VA Bill

Even as his bill empowering the secretary of the VA to fire and demote problem employees is stalled in the Senate, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continues to push his legislation and now he is getting the backing of Gov. Rick Scott.

After the U.S. House voted overwhelmingly to pass companion legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., earlier in the week, Rubio attempted to get the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to move on his bill on Thursday. But U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the chair of the committee, insisted the bill needed an in-depth hearing and deferred an immediate vote on it.

Rubio took to the floor of the Senate on Thursday to urge the chamber to pass his bill, noting the VA department is currently facing criticism for reports of secret waiting lists at VA medical facilities across the nation.

On Friday, Scott thanked Rubio and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who is co-sponsoring the bill.

I would like to thank the efforts of Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson for their cooperation and leadership to support legislation holding VA employees accountable for the mismanagement of our VA hospitals, Scott said. Its disappointing, however, that other members of the U.S. Senate blocked progress on this bill.

I appreciate the leadership of Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller as sponsor of this legislation in the House, and the House leadership on both sides of the aisle for their leadership in passage of this bill, Scott added. U.S. senators should ensure our fighting men and women receive the medical care they earned and fought for. They should not have gone home from Washington to celebrate our freedoms and remember the sacrifice of our veterans over Memorial Day until they passed this critical legislation.

For more on Rubio's and Miller's bill and how the VA is impacting the Florida gubernatorial race, keep an eye on Sunshine State News this weekend.