The Senatorial candidate debate between Rep. Val Demings (D-FL-10) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) saw vicious back and forth between the two, but Sen. Rubio arguably has the upper hand. His strong response to Rep. Demings' accusation of voter suppression pairs with a counterattack of his own: Demings' support of the 2018 "People's Budget."
The People's Budget is part of the THRIVE Agenda, itself a facet of the Green New Deal. The Budget describes itself as advancing "our commitment to efficient renewable energy and green jobs." Additionally, the budget "allows states to transition to single-payer health care systems." Lastly, the Budget seeks to make "debt-free college a reality for all students." As such, Rubio denounces this budget plan as "crazy," "socialist," and "a liberal wishlist on the American people."
His denunciations are not without some merit, as he details what these initiatives really mean. For instance, the tax rate would increase by $65,000 per household, a total of $8.2 trillion per year. This will go to a $9.5 trillion increase in spending on "wasteful green energy projects," while slashing defense spending by $1 trillion. Further sources of income for this ambition would be a $10.25 tax per barrel of oil, making gas prices even higher. Finally, the People's Budget also includes funding for sanctuary cities, the same sort of places that don't actually want the migrants they claim to shelter, as evidenced by the Martha's Vineyard affair in September.
Speaking of illegal migrants, while Demings claims not to engage in the demonization of Border Patrol agents, she did vote against a bill funding them. H.R. 3354 not only includes funds for Border Patrol, but also would "“provide humanitarian relief to unaccompanied alien children and alien adults accompanied by an alien minor where they are encountered after entering the United States.”
Needless to say, the 6-point lead Rubio holds over Demings earlier this October has surely climbed.
