During a recent appearance on The View, Florida Rep. Val Demings (D) expressed some campaign points that she is addressing as she looks to challenge Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R). Ana Navarro, a political commentator, and strategist questioned Rep.Demings on the GOP message that Democrats are embracing Socialist ideals, mentioning the likes of Fidel Castro and Daniel Ortega. In response, Demings shared that it “offended” her that Rubio would “use the pain and suffering of people” to advance his political career.
In recent weeks, GOP members of the House and the Senate have voiced their concerns over the political turmoil in Nicaragua. Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R) has championed the bipartisan Renacer Act, which sanctions the Ortega regime in Nicaragua. Specifically, it “requires classified reports on corruption in the Ortega family and Russian involvement. In Nicaragua and unclassified reports on human rights abuses and the Ortega regime’s persecution of independent media in Nicaragua.”
In speaking to Navarro, Demings made a distinction between Democrats and Socialists, arguing that she wants “to hear Rubio talking about what’s happening in Nicaragua where at least five opposition leaders were jailed and the government was weaponized against them.”
“Rubio, what do you think about that?” she questioned.”
However, Demings suggested that Americans would likely never hear an answer because “we’re talking about someone who stood next to and supports a president who weaponized the Department of Justice against his perceived political rivals and the media.”
It appears as if Demings did not know, or was not briefed that Sen. Rubio did respond to what is happening in Nicaragua back on June 6.
“As the Ortega regime continues to undermine Nicaragua’s democracy, the United States must take swift and meaningful steps to hold all individuals involved in this blatant abuse of power accountable. The Biden Administration must respond to the continued apprehension of opposition candidates by imposing sanctions as established by the NICA Act. The Senate should also pass the bipartisan RENACER Act to make clear the United States will not tolerate another dictator in our hemisphere. The future of our hemisphere’s democratic order is at stake; the time for action is now.”
The comments come after Rubio called on the Biden administration to pressure the Ortega regime, expressing in a statement that the Renacer Act “requires sanctions against officials in the Ortega regime and a full investigation into the money the Nicaraguan Armed Forces have invested in the United States.”
“Now that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved my bill, we will work to get it passed in the full Senate as soon as possible,” Rubio concluded.
Rubio is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues, and has equated Demings as being an "honorary member" of the Progressive "Squad" in the House of Representatives.
Val Demings votes with👇 over 90% of the time https://t.co/BUPlVcmlgk
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) June 9, 2021
