U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) is calling out MAGA-aligned U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) for what Massie characterized as reversing his position on balancing the federal budget. The Kentucky congressman is amplifying a video of Scott telling Charlie Kirk (in May 2025) that he was going to vote against President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
As seen below, Scott told Kirk: “Oh absolutely I’d vote no. If they brought it to the floor right now there’s not a chance it would get to 51 votes. We all know we have to balance the budget. We all know it’s getting harder to sell our treasuries.”
Listen to Rick Scott talk tough about the Big Beautiful Bill a year ago and how he was a No vote because it didn’t balance the budget or even get close. He demanded spending cuts. What did he do? He caved like they always do, and now we have high inflation and interest rates. https://t.co/V3C70sZ1wS
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 27, 2026
Massie wrote today: “Listen to Rick Scott talk tough about the Big Beautiful Bill a year ago and how he was a No vote because it didn’t balance the budget or even get close. He demanded spending cuts. What did he do? He caved like they always do, and now we have high inflation and interest rates.”
[NOTE: Scott ended up voting in support of Trump’s signature tax break and spending cuts legislation, which needed Vice President JD Vance’s vote to pass, 51-50. According to some estimates, the bill adds $3.25 trillion to deficits over 10 years.]
When one X user replied to Massie, “He negotiated cuts, then backed the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ July 2025, saying it returns to pre-pandemic spending and reins in waste,” Massie asked Grok “have Trump and the Republican Congress returned to prepandemic (pre 2020) federal spending levels? What was total federal government spending in 2019 and what is it this year?”
Grok replied: “**No.** FY2019 total federal outlays: **$4.447 trillion**. FY2025: **~$7.01 trillion**. CBO projects **$7.4 trillion** for FY2026. Spending remains far above pre-pandemic levels, driven primarily by mandatory programs (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid) and rising net interest on the debt.”