Congressional Republicans have been making the rounds in their districts, but there is one topic that they can’t run away from: their vote for the Ryan budget to end Medicare as we know it while shifting costs to seniors.
While the GOP tries to distract from the facts about the Ryan budget, the American people have plenty of other trustworthy sources when it comes to Medicare:
AARP: “By creating a ‘premium support’ system for future Medicare beneficiaries, the proposal is likely to simply increase costs for beneficiaries while removing Medicare’s promise of secure health coverage — a guarantee that future seniors have contributed to through a lifetime of hard work.”
Congressional Budget Office: Health costs for seniors increase by $6,400 under the Ryan budget.
The Hill: “CBO: Policies Would Cut Medicare Benefits”
Republicans don’t want the American people to know they are working to end Medicare’s guarantee to reward millionaires, Big Oil, and companies that ship jobs overseas with more tax breaks:
Tax Policy Center: Chairman Ryan’s budget gives those making over $1 million per year an average tax cut of $394,000.
Joint Economic Committee: “…the Ryan plan gives the largest tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans and will pay for those tax cuts by raising the tax burden on middle-class workers.”
Instead of being honest with their constituents, House Republicans are trying to distract them by telling tall tales about the Affordable Care Act and pointing fingers at Democrats who are fighting to protect Medicare. The Affordable Care Act:
Reduces prescription drug costs for seniors – and more than 5.2 million seniors in the Medicare Part D ‘donut hole’ coverage gap have already saved $3.9 billion on prescription drugs, with an average savings of $600 per senior, because of it.
Strengthens Medicare and extends the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund by 8 years – from 2016 to 2024 – by squeezing waste out of the system and it does so without reducing benefits.
Provides a free Annual Wellness Visit under Medicare and free Medicare coverage of key preventive services, such as mammograms and colonoscopies.
House Republicans can run, but they can’t hide from the truth.