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Val Demings Seems to Be Just Fine With Pork-Filled Relief Packages

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  October 03, 2022 8:00 PM

In her quest to seek higher office, Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) already appears to be using her opponent's words against him, and with some help from favorable media outlets. The congresswoman, who is attempting to unseat Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), tweeted a clip of the senator's remarks from CNN's "State of the Union," which aired on Sunday.

The 12-second clip shows host Dana Bash asking Rubio "are you telling me that if Hurricane Ian relief contains anything that smells like pork, you will vote no," to which he replies "sure, I'll fight against it having pork."

That's it, that's the tweet, and it's not even damning towards Rubio, since Demings' clip includes the clarification from Rubio he's against pork. It's worth wondering, then, if Demings is for pork, and if it's something she's proud of.

The clip was not even part of a thread, though Demings did tweet before and after the clip, insinuating that Rubio was engaging in "partisan politics."

Demings was given cover by Caleb Ecarma over at Vanity Fair, not long after her tweet went up. He also referenced Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), both which are frequent targets of Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media. "VAL DEMINGS SCOLDS MARCO RUBIO FOR BALKING AT DISASTER RELIEF FOR HIS OWN STATE," the headline blared. 

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There's no mention in Ecarma's reporting of Rubio's remarks during "State of the Union" in which he said he opposes relief packages that are in reality filled with pork.

Here's the more complete context of Rubio explaining to Bash he's against pork:

BASH: But, in any event, my question is about the future. Are you telling me that if Hurricane Ian relief contains anything that smells like pork, you will vote no?

RUBIO: Sure. I will fight against it having pork in it. That's the key. We shouldn't have that in there, because it undermines the ability to come back and do this in the future.

Here's what happens. And people need to understand it. We can do it, it's possible to do it without loading it with these other things, because, otherwise, you will have people in the Senate, in the House that are going to vote against disaster relief because they view these disaster relief bills as ways for other people to get their pork and their pet projects done.

BASH: Yes.

RUBIO: And it undermines the ability to go back to do it in the future.

But I have consistently voted for disaster relief for all parts of this country. And I have never even insisted on it being paid for, like some people do, which they want -- cut somewhere else in the budget. I think disaster relief is something we shouldn't play with. We are capable in this country, in the Congress of voting for disaster relief for key -- after key events like this without using it as a vehicle or a mechanism to -- for people to loaded up with stuff that's unrelated to the storm.

Rubio also appeared on ABC's "This Week," where he similarly discussed his opposition to pork filled packages with host Jonathan Karl.

KARL: You and Senator Rick Scott have already said that Congress is going to need to step up, allocate money for this relief effort. That’s, of course, not surprising.

Back in 2013, you voted against the relief bill for hurricane -- for Superstorm Sandy. You said that it included extraneous materials, extraneous items that have nothing to do with emergency relief. It included pork.

Will you make the same stand here? Will you insist that this emergency bill include only money to deal with this catastrophe?

RUBIO: Well, I said at the time, and, by the way, since Sandy, we've had multiple votes for emergency votes for emergency relief all over the country, including wildfires and I supported all of them. In fact, I supported them without pay-fors. Like other people say they want the money paid for.

What I won't support is things that are not emergency relief. What we're going to ask for Florida is what we supported for every other state in the country that’s been affected by -- by natural disasters, and that is emergency relief designed to be spent immediately to help the people affected now.

What happened with that bill back in 2013 is it wasn't just emergency relief. It included funding that should have gone through the funding process -- cars for DHS, you know, roof at the Smithsonian, fisheries in Alaska. Maybe very -- meritorious projects but that should go to the normal process. This is about emergency relief.

So, I think what we will fight for, the money as we supported for other states that is needed for emergency relief. Money that’s going to be spent now, not money that’s going to be spent five years from now on projects that may be very worthy, maybe very necessary, but that should go through the normal process, not the emergency process.

That's what we'll ask for Florida. That’s what we’ve always supported.

Rubio also assured Karl that "it won't come to that" where he'll have to vote against an emergency bill for his state, "because it's our state." During crosstalk with Karl, he again emphasized not only his opposition to pork, but that Florida would not be requesting a pork-filled bill. 

Gov. DeSantis has also been a frequent target from Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media when it comes to how as a congressman he voted against a 2013 relief package. As Leah reminded last Friday, though, again, it was because of all the pork included that DeSantis voted against it. 

Forecasters consider the race to favor Rubio, as it's regarded as "Lean Republican" or "Likely Republican." Decision Desk HQ similarly regards the race as "Likely Republican," and gives Rubio an 86.1 percent chance of winning. RealClearPolitics also gives an edge of +3.6 for Rubio in the polls.