Today, the Tampa Bay Times reported that Rick Scott still maintains his support for expanding access to affordable heath care to nearly one million Floridians, saying his position hasn’t changed since coming out in favor of the proposal in early 2013. But this just raises more questions.

• Why, if Rick Scott truly supports expanding health care, has he never lifted a finger to fight for it?

• Why has he refused to even discuss the matter for over a year as the 2014 session came and went? 

• Why did he sit idly by while continued efforts to expand health care were sabotaged by Republicans in Tallahassee? 

• Rick Scott now has another opportunity to help suffering Floridians, will he finally show an ounce of leadership now by calling on the legislature to expand access to health care while they are in special session, or will he continue to pay lip service to nearly a million Floridians?

“With the legislature in special session right now, the opportunity has arisen for the third time in two years for Rick Scott to show leadership and take action to expand access to affordable health care to a million Floridans that are suffering every day,” said FDP Chair Allison Tant. “Talk is cheap, and for this governor to continue to play politics with an issue where thousands of lives are on the line is simply outrageous.  

“While Rick Scott is trying figure out who to pander to next, Floridians are dying. We need action. We need leadership. The time to expand access to health care is now, and the legislature is in a position to do so. The ball is in Rick Scott’s court. He can either stand up for the people of Florida, or he can continue his tired act of only pretending to care when it’s politically convenient.”