Congressman Discusses Devastating Impact Of GOP's Budget Plans
On Medicare and Other Important Services

NEW YORK – Over 7,000 seniors in the 15th Congressional District participated in a hour-long telephone town hall meeting hosted by Congressman Charles Rangel on Tuesday morning, April 12, 2011.

"There is a lot of fear out there about how recent federal budget cuts will affect seniors, especially how Republican plans for 2012 look to cut important programs like Medicare and Medicaid," said the Congressman. "Today's tele-townhall not only helped address these concerns, but also allowed my constituents to weigh in their opinions from the comfort of their homes."

Rangel reiterated his belief that GOP's 2011 and 2012 budget proposals risked impeding the country's economic recovery by cutting funds to pay for important social service programs, including Medicare.

"The proposed budget introduced last week by House Republicans slashes federal health coverage funding over the next 10 years in New York by $190 billion,' said Rangel. "They are trying to change Medicare into a system that provides vouchers as a partial payment for private health insurance premiums. In short, they are abandoning the promises we have made to seniors and people with disabilities by reducing nursing home and long-term care and by ending Medicare as we know it."

Callers from the households in living in the Northern Manhattan neighborhoods of the Upper West Side, East Harlem, Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill expressed their dissatisfaction with the direction that Republicans wanted to take the country in.  They encouraged Rangel and Democrats to stand firmly behind targeted investments in education, health and job training initiatives. Rangel encouraged constituents to stay involved and to get their local spiritual leaders also behind the effort.

"A budget is a not just about items on a spreadsheet. It's about morals and how we treat our fellow brothers and sisters," said Rangel. "While Republicans are extending huge tax cuts for America’s richest people, they are cutting back on Medicaid, Pell Grants, food stamps, and low-income housing. They are cutting the lifeline for people who need it the most. This makes no sense and reflects cruel and misplaced ideological priorities. There is a moral element to this discussion that has to be carried by our pastors, our ministers, our rabbis and our imams."

Tuesday's tele-town hall was the second in a series of conversations that Rangel is having with Northern Manhattan residents.  On March 15, nearly 12,600 residents joined the Congressman in discussing wide range of issues from the GOP's budget plan, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the union battles around the country. Participants also expressed their concerns about local issues such as education, healthcare, housing, and unemployment.