Salazar is either negligent about historic pieces of legislation, or arrogant enough to lie directly to voters – Both are disqualifying traits for a Member of Congress
“Liar.”
“Phony.”
“Hypocrite.”
“If ‘see what had happened was’ was a person.”
“The national poster-child for misleading Republicans.”
María Elvira Salazar’s careless game of voting against bills that help businesses and the local South Miami economy, then lying to take credit for new projects is finally catching up to her.
Salazar was lost for words, claiming to not remember her votes – a blatant lie to avoid exposing herself as a fraud.
Jim: “At the same time that you’re taking credit for money that you bring back to the district, in Washington you’re voting against these projects on party-line votes.”
Salazar’s response to Jim? “I cannot really remember right now.”
DCCC Spokesperson Lauryn Fanguen:
“María Elvira Salazar either has a suspiciously short memory when it comes to key votes about funding local projects, or she’s a bold-faced liar. Either description falls short of the hard working and honest representation South Miami deserves.”
The media was quick to blast Salazar for her catastrophic interview:
“First of all, liar liar pants on fire. She totally remembers. And it’s so obvious she remembers. Her body language. This is just so damaging to a political candidate when they’re this phony.”
“Miami Congresswoman María Salazar got a case of amnesia when asked about her vote against legislation, including the Chips and Science Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. Spending she publicly took credit for in her community… if ‘see what had happened was’ was a person.”
“‘I need to ask my staff,’ because sounding uninformed about your own work is better than sounding like a hypocrite who’s claiming credit for things that they opposed. Politics has plenty of hypocrisy, I’ve told you that. But this is pretty bad.”
Miami Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar — a former journalist who should know that facts matter — owes the voters of District 27 a major apology for blatantly lying to them about her voting record.
On many occasions — in press releases, letters to constituents, and public appearances — Salazar has misrepresented her no-votes on millions of dollars of key government funding, taking credit for bringing to the largely Hispanic district millions in Biden-issued federal funds
The truth: Those projects were funded by bipartisan votes — despite the efforts by Salazar and other Trump Republicans to torpedo Biden’s attempts to wrestle with the economy and rebuild after the COVID pandemic.
After years of lying about her abilities to obtain funds to voters who don’t know better, in minutes of riveting political television on Sunday, Salazar became the national poster-child for misleading Republicans.
Salazar couldn’t adequately answer Defede, resorting to claims of amnesia about the nation’s most-talked about bills of the Biden years.
Salazar joined almost every other House Republican in voting against the $1.7 trillion government funding bill in 2022. She told DeFede, however, that she could not recall the vote.
“Right now, you have to give me more details,” she said. “But I do know that every time I have an opportunity to bring money to my constituents, I do so. I just did $400,000, but look—”
DeFede interrupted to confirm that she had voted against the CHIPS and Science Act, which, in part, authorized a slate of programs and activities of federal science agencies.
“Listen, I— right now, I need to, I need to ask my staff,” Salazar said. “Why don’t we look at the $40 million that I have brought to this community. Aren’t you proud of me?”
DeFede pushed back, telling Salazar that the sum at times came from bills she had voted against. Salazar rejected the CHIPS and Science Act but had celebrated the South Florida Climate Resilience Tech Hub that the act created, DeFede noted. She also voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provided funding for a wide variety of infrastructure projects such as public transit, but lauded the “impressive facilities” at the Miami International Airport that the bill supported.
“At the same time that you’re taking credit for the money that you bring back to the district, in Washington, you’re voting against these projects on party-line votes,” DeFede said.
Salazar said again that she couldn’t remember those votes.
”Listen I, that was, I think, last cycle. I cannot really remember right now,” she said. “But just look at the Americas Act, which is what I’m—”
“So you don’t want to explain why you voted against things?” DeFede interjected.
The Florida representative replied that she couldn’t explain at that moment.
Asked why she sought credit for spending she voted against, Maria Salazar suggested that she couldn’t recall what she’d supported and what she’d opposed.
Americans tend to like investments that improve their local economies, so members of Congress tend to put a lot of effort into directing as many federal funds as possible to their states and districts. The trouble comes when Republicans celebrate — and too often, take credit for — investments they voted against.
“You voted against the bill that gave the money that you then signed a check for and handed and had a photo op,” DeFede explained to the congresswoman.
Again, the Florida Republican, in her fourth year on Capitol Hill, could’ve simply said, “While I opposed these bills, I nevertheless worked to direct these funds to worthwhile local projects.” That wouldn’t necessarily have been persuasive, but it’s at least what congressional hypocrites usually say.
Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) on Sunday got called out for routinely taking credit for delivering money to her district — after opposing the bills that provided that money.
“You voted against the bill that gave the money that you then signed a check for and handed and had a photo op,” said DeFede, the host of CBS’s show “Facing South Florida.” “The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, right?”
Salazar said she couldn’t remember that vote.
“But you voted against the CHIPS and Science Act, right?” DeFede interrupted.
“Listen, I— right now, I need to, I need to ask my staff,” Salazar said.
“So you don’t want to explain why you voted against things?” DeFede asked.
“I understand. But it’s, it’s — OK. Sometimes I vote and sometimes I don’t,” the Florida congresswoman finally said.
On Sunday, Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida was asked about federal funding she’s been bragging about bringing to her Miami-area district. It didn’t go so well.
In an interview with CBS Miami on Sunday, host Jim DeFede asked Salazar about her votes against three bills: an omnibus bill to fund the government for 2023, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
But in the interview, Salazar indicated several times that she did not recall how she voted on all three of those bills.
At one point, Salazar grew frustrated with the line of inquiry from DeFede.
It’s part of a broader pattern of what Democrats have dubbed “vote no, take the dough” — Republicans bragging about or celebrating government funding or other programs that they actually opposed when it was up for a vote.
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) said Sunday she could not recall how she voted on two key pieces of legislation that she has since touted as victories that she brought home for her district.
Throughout the interview, Salazar said she did not remember how she voted, said she needed to consult her staff, and tried to redirect the conversation to focus on other bills she introduced.
You voted against the CHIPS Act and yet you praise the fact that the south Florida climate resilience tech hub is going to be started in Miami, right? You voted against the infrastructure bill and you talk about all the money that comes back to the airport,” the anchor said.
“Last month you were at FIU, and you presented a check for $650,000 to help small businesses at FIU, but you voted against the bill that gave the money that you then signed a check for and handed and had a photo op, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, right? You voted against that bill,” the anchor said.
