Rubio: Stimulus failed, repeal health bill

Senate candidate and former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio termed the Recovery Act a failure and called for the repeal of the recently passed healthcare legislation while delivering the weekly Republican address on Saturday.

“Today, the American dream is threatened by out of control politicians in Washington, who think that more government deficit spending is what it takes to grow our economy,” Rubio said. “That has never worked anywhere it’s been tried and it won’t work now.”

{mosads}The son of Cuban exiles and darling of the Tea Party movement is locked in a tight three-way race to represent Florida in the Senate with Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek and incumbent Gov. Charlie Crist, who dropped out of the Republican primary to run as an independent.

Rubio said Republicans “must prevent the massive tax hikes set to take effect at the end of the year,” saying they would be the largest tax increases in history. He also said policy proposals such as cap-and-trade and card check have made employers think twice about adding to their payrolls.

“Like most Americans, Floridians are frustrated with arrogance in Washington. And they have had enough of the failed stimulus, of record deficits, of reckless spending and of economic policies that are killing jobs,” he said.

Rubio called on Congress to stop deficit spending and use the remaining stimulus dollars to pay down the national debt. He also urged lawmakers to “repeal ObamaCare and replace it with a plan that will lower health insurance costs for Americans without bankrupting the nation.” He said the new system should promote competition, allow people to keep their current coverage and give individuals the same tax breaks businesses get for insuring employees.

“We are truly at a crossroads. Our children will either be the most prosperous Americans ever, or they will be the first to inherit a diminished country,” Rubio said.

“If we stay on the road Washington has us on right now, we will lose our exceptionalism and our country will become no different than any other country in the world.”