The Republican Party Platform is the Test for Florida RINOs - FNR Editorial

The Republican Party Platform is the Test for Florida RINOs 

By now, you are well familiar with the term “RINO.” When a person espouses being a Republican, but doesn’t uphold the Party Platform, they earn the moniker RINO. The RINOs’ deception destroys the brand of the GOP and reduces its ability to be a viable voice against the assault of the Left and the Democratic Party.

Here in Florida, when we think of that description, we mostly think of our “representatives” in Washington, D.C. 

But taking a look on the state level, we find RINOs in the Florida legislature - 

and RINO legislature leadership stalling pro-Party Platform bills through two methods. 

How the GOP Leadership kills Republican Party Platform Bills

The first method is to send the bill to a committee to be scheduled for a legislative hearing. The Chairman/Chairwoman has the power to withhold putting it on the agenda to be heard, allowing it to “die in committee.” It’s a simple way of disposing of Republican Party Platform bills. 

The second is to send the bill to a committee chaired by a Democrat, who will never schedule it to be heard, letting it “die in committee.” Simple disposal of party platform bills with the added bonus of blaming Democrats for blocking the bill. 

Both strategies are regularly implemented in Tallahassee against pro-Republican Party Platform legislation. 

How in the world, one might ask, has any Democrat gotten appointed as Chairman of any committees with a Republican majority in the Florida House and the Florida Senate? 

Every session, the Florida Senate President and the Florida House Speaker appoint at least one Democrat to chair a committee thus creating a shell game for scrapping “inconvenient” Party Platform bills. How long has this been going on? Do Democrats also do this? 

Let’s take a look at the pro-life issue which is a cornerstone of the Republican Party Platform. How does Florida stack up? Shockingly, Florida has been among the states with the highest number of abortions in the country, in line with New York, New Jersey and Maryland. Abortion has been legal in Florida up to 24 weeks and most often performed by dismemberment. 

This year Florida Republicans finally passed what they considered to be a “reasonable” limit to abort babies: 15 weeks. They were likely shamed into action after twenty three states passed “heartbeat legislation,” which will go into effect this summer with the Supreme Court decision for Dobbs v. MIssissippi. It is predicted that decision will kick the issue of abortion back to individual states to decide. With that opinion, Roe would be overturned and twenty three states are positioned to immediately outlaw abortion completely. 

But Florida won’t be among them. 

Even with a Republican majority in both the Florida House and Senate. It will be at that moment that the Florida legislature will look like pro-abortion radicals compared to the 23 states who have chosen to protect life and uphold the Republican Party Platform. Not Florida Republicans.

One has to ask, is the Florida Republican Party even pro-life? 

There have been multiple pro-life bills introduced in the Florida legislature every session. But in at least the last four sessions, the GOP leadership has had a gentlemen’s agreement to pass only one pro-life bill per year. ONE. 

Last year, the “Parental Consent” was their pro-life bill de jour after three decades of allowing underage girls to obtain abortions without their parents’ consent. How many of them were coerced by their rapists, pimps, or traffickers to have abortions, destroying the evidence of crimes against underage girls?  The Parental Consent bill was introduced every year from 2018 until 2021 when it was finally passed. Imagine how many young women could have been protected in the past three years had the Florida legislature put the protection of minors above their agreement to only pass one pro-life law per session.  

These are the actions of Chamber of Commerce-type Republicans who treat their elected positions like a business, instead of representing the People of Florida.  

Why We Must Stand Against RINOs Within the Party

The GOP Platform issues define the Republican Party. The Preamble of the Platform says, “With this Platform, We, the Republican Party, reaffirm the principles that unite us  in a common purpose.” 

Read the full Republican Party Platform here: https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/docs/Resolution_Platform_2020.pdf

Republicans loyal to the Party must take action. At political forums, club meetings, and other events where candidates appear, Republicans must be prepared by having first researched the incumbent representative’s voting record, and second, by being prepared by demanding an answer for any votes against the Party Platform. 

Florida District 16 Congressman Vern Buchanan’s record of voting against the Party Platform is staggering. Buchanan has voted against the Republican Party Platform time and time again every single year he’s served in the U.S. House. Buchanan has voted in favor of gun control violating his oath of office and breaking with his constituency. 

See page 20 for the Party Platform on Gun Rights: https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/docs/Resolution_Platform_2020.pdf

The second example reveals Buchanan has voted in favor of every budget increase, further skyrocketing the national debt. Adding to the national debt is in direct opposition of the Party Platform. 

See page 16 for the Party Platform on National Debt:  https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/docs/Resolution_Platform_2020.pdf

Because of his voting record, the conservative non-profit, Heritage Action, gives Buchanan a 60% lifetime score on his votes compared to the average House Republican at 89%. You can view Buchanan’s voting record for each congressional session at https://heritageaction.com/scorecard 

Up for re-election this year, Buchanan is campaigning at events and clubs.  Be ready to ask him the hard questions about his voting record against the Republican Party Platform. Find more information on how other Florida legislators have voted: 

• The American Conservative Union Foundation, Florida: http://ratings.conservative.org/people?state=FL

• Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida Scorecard:  https://rlcfl.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-RLCFL-Scorecard-FINAL-v5-2022-0404.pdf

It is up to us, Republican voters, to remove RINOs from office. Simply having an “R” behind their name does not qualify them. Only supporting the Party Platform does. It’s time to purge the Party of RINOs.