Senate Democrats: We Will Not Let GOP Cut Medicare

WASHINGTON -- Medicare benefits should not be cut as part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling, Senate Democrats said on Tuesday, drawing a firm distinction with Republicans who have called for major changes to the program.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) rebuked Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for his hard-line stance on Medicare after the top Republican senator said he will only support a final debt ceiling deal if it makes changes to the program.

McConnell and all but five senate Republicans voted in support of the House budget plan written by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), which transforms Medicare into a voucher-like program for future seniors.

"Basically [McConnell] is saying that if he can't dismantle Medicare all at once, he wants to do it in pieces," Schumer said. "We will not let him succeed."

Republicans have already said that tax increases, or even ending subsidies, cannot be part of the deal to raise the debt limit, with the Treasury Department estimates must be done by Aug. 2 to avoid default. A bipartisan group from the House, Senate and White House is working on a deal to raise the debt ceiling, perhaps by more than $2 trillion, in exchange for trillions in cuts.

"Not matter what we do in these budget talks we must preserve the program in its current form, and we will not allow cuts to seniors' benefits," Schumer said.

Without taxes or cuts to Medicare benefits, though, there are questions about how they can reach that final figure.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declined to comment when asked whether he would support Medicare cuts if Republicans agreed to end certain subsidies or raise taxes.

Still, Democrats said that any changes to Medicare would be in the form of delivery reform to avoid cutting benefits for seniors, along the lines of the Medicare reform made in President Barack Obama's health care reform last year.

"Today we are here to say to the Republicans we will not allow them to balance the budget on the backs of seniors," said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "It is time to take the benefits of seniors that they rely on off the table."

Comments

[MrNativecolor]

05:53 PM on 06/18/2011

WHAT ABOUT MEDICAID ? ? ?

[Philclock]

10:15 AM on 06/17/2011

"Not matter what we do in these budget talks we must preserve the program in its current form, and we will not allow cuts to seniors' benefits," Schumer said.

Without taxes or cuts to Medicare benefits, though, there are questions about how they can reach that final figure."

Democrats: what a bunch of hypocrites!! No wonder national debt almost doubled since 2008, from $9 to 14 TRILLION!!

Throw the bums out, let 'em sit on the sidelines for awhile wallowing in their own magnificence, as Republicans have done since 2008; once they've learned a little humility, maybe they're ready to come back and do what WE want, not what THEY want to cram down our throats!!

[joeThibo]

07:23 AM on 06/16/2011

TO: "JLFL"

RE: "In 2.5 years, this POTUS has already exceeded the job creation numbers of the previous POTUS, who was in office for 8 years."

===That is incorrect check the records Under Bush there were 4.8 Million jobs created. Obama is still negative 4 million in 2009 alone see the link
http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2010/01/08/over-4-1-million-jobs-lost-for-2009-the-most-for-any-president-since-1940/
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2008/10/22/31116/bush-created-48-million-jobs-while-tax-and-spend-clinton-created-23-million/
If Obama runs on jobs bye bye Obama

[bigabe5553]

05:50 PM on 06/15/2011

I think the only good thing the Republicans can do is have a nice chicken dinner and all should choak on a bone no great loss

[joeThibo]

07:02 AM on 06/16/2011

Typical response allowed by the huff post all while they block conservative comment. Now do some see the problem with reality

[been2there]

05:26 PM on 06/15/2011

Don't weasle-mouth! The Ryan plan is not a "voucher-like" plan, it is a voucher plan. Period.
And I hope to God the Democrats hold firm!

[LesleyAnne]

05:31 PM on 06/15/2011

Republican Tom Coburn is challenging the Repubs on their no tax increase policy. He says that the Grover Norquist plan is not going to be used as a blueprint for Repubs any longer. If he can get others in his party to drop the dumb no new taxes pledge, there will be a way to increase taxes or at least drop unexcusable tax subsidies.

[joeThibo]

04:21 PM on 06/15/2011

TO: "JShankel"
RE: "So, take a stand here, if you support cutting Medicare costs, what exactly is your objection to Obama's HCR reductions (which also appear in Ryan's budget?)

===Just where in Ryan's plan is the 500Billion in cuts as supplied by the LSD HCR Ryan's plan supplies no change to the current Medicare plan. His plan only effects those 55 Years of age or younger. Some people need to find reality the HCR claims to be deficit neutral and also cutting medicare at the same time. Which is it the standard double counting of the same dollars by the govt. The Obama care plan claims 500Billion in medicare cut to apply to regular health care and now the libs make claim that Obama didn't cut Medicare. You libs can't have it both ways it's either a cut or it's not deficit saving and revenue neutral. The LSD already cut Medicare Rayan'splan does not cut Medicare it saves Medicare for the future.

[nmcanopus]

05:47 PM on 06/15/2011

You don't "save" Medicare by converting it from a real health care plan to a discount coupon plan with private insurance companies. This is the Ryan plan. In his plan the current 3% overhead rate with Medicare goes to the 30% or more overhead/profit margin of private insurance companies. It would greatly enrich private insurance companies at seniors expense probably forcing many of them out of the system. You "save" Medicare by making it a Medicare for all system perhaps using supplemental private insurance which works pretty well in the current era. You also keep Medicare cost containment in place. Medicare has held down costs by only paying a certain amount for a given procedure. This has worked well enough that Medical providers are uncomfortable with it. Some have treatened to quit Medicare, but few have since they need the money.

[joeThibo]

06:38 PM on 06/15/2011

What some didn't know that Medicare is a basic 80/20 plan with co-pays and deductible that the seniors need a supplement plan to cover all that Medicare doesn't cover. Some also didn't know that The LSD cut 500 billion from Medicare. Wow!! And guess what the Medicare plan is broke and will be extinct in 10 Years. Ryan's plan save Medicare. The liberals destroyed the plan with cuts and waste fraud and abuse.

[PurpleTomato]

04:05 PM on 06/15/2011

Republicans and the insurance industry have been opposed to Medicare since it's creation in 1965.They have been using the same worn out arguments against it since then.They want to privatize the system so they can further enrich themselves.

[alilje]

02:19 PM on 06/15/2011

I'm hoping that the dems aren't going to say they are going to make a stand and then cave to the will of the rerubs. As a dem I have been really disappointed in their performance so far. It seems that those things that normal people need for a reasonable life get dumped if the repubs and "non-
natural" people (corps) want something else

[thatswhatshesez]

02:13 PM on 06/15/2011

Everyone talks about it only affecting future seniors, what is the difference between the seniors of today and the seniors of tomorrow? I am 52 and am the sole breadwinner of my family. My husband has ALS and is totally disabled. I have worked at my current job for 12 yrs and they do not offer health insurance. I tried getting it on my own but was turned down due to pre-existing, (crazy since I work anywhere from 9 to 12 hr days), now I have to worry about not having medicare available to me when the time comes. A hardworking future senior!

[thatswhatshesez]

02:05 PM on 06/15/2011

So the GOP made clear that no tax increases and no cuts to subsidies will be part of the debt ceiling but medicare is their deal breaker? First off, lets get real here, tax increases and cuts to subsidies would not hurt the rich. Also gotta love the GOP for saying the taxcuts that were suppose to be temporary is called a tax increase! If they are serious about the debt then nothing should be off the table. It is a sorry bunch that would try to lower the deficit by taking from seniors who have paid into this system for years but instead give another taxcut to the rich.

[Truth Purveyor]

01:54 PM on 06/15/2011

We are in dreamland if we think that the medicare program will remain intact as is when the boomers hit it in full stride. Its going to have to be modified.

[nmcanopus]

02:01 PM on 06/15/2011

Yes. Medicare for all! Use the 30%plus overhead/profit of medical insurance companies for actual health care. What a concept.

[Truth Purveyor]

02:37 PM on 06/15/2011

So in your opinion, government needs to be the insurer, and they will be more efficient? Explain to me how this works, so that I can understand. How does the government control the prices?

[joeThibo]

07:07 AM on 06/16/2011

There is no 30% plus overhead that's a liberal lie.

[gsainc]

01:16 PM on 06/15/2011

Even before Obamacare, Medicare was already on an unsustainable path. According to the most recent Trustees report, Medicare’s hospital program (Part A) is already running a $66 billion current account deficit, while the doctor program (Part B) and drug program (Part D) pay out $216 billion more in benefits than they take in premiums. If these trends continue, the Medicare Trustees report that the Medicare Part A trust fund will go bankrupt by 2016. If that happens doctor’s can expect a 10% cut in their Medicare reimbursements. Obamacare has no plan to stop these cuts. Or others

[nmcanopus]

01:22 PM on 06/15/2011

It is the Affordable Health Care Act. Why do you refer to it with Republican propaganda terminology?

[joeThibo]

07:08 AM on 06/16/2011

Because it is not going to be affordable. The plan was built on a liberal socialist lie of information and is unconstitutional.

[bcrnbs]

12:35 PM on 06/15/2011

to hell with medicare.
i want my free health care obama promise me when he ran for president.
the same health care plan he has.....

[PurpleTomato]

12:44 PM on 06/15/2011

The President never promised free health care.

[joeThibo]

07:10 AM on 06/16/2011

No health care is free it cost big bucks to supply health care

[radmo]

12:31 PM on 06/15/2011

Just more meaningless mutterings from elected officials. By all means, let's continue to spend like a drunken sailor on shore leave (with apologies to Navy personnel) without even considering the ramifications. The debt ceiling is too low? Raise it!!! It does not mean anything anyway. What's the fuss? Want more ignorantly conceived, poorly implemented and incompetently run programs? Sure.....why not?

[tqmek]

12:13 PM on 06/15/2011

Democrats and Obama, if you want to win next election: stand your ground.

[bcrnbs]

12:32 PM on 06/15/2011

yea stand your ground and we will have 4 million lost jobs istead of 2 million...
way to go obama stimulas.....

[JLFL]

06:24 PM on 06/15/2011

Well, let's see, job creation stalled in 2006, when we hit an officially declared recession. The economy started shedding jobs in 2007, and by the time your favorite POTUS left office in February of 2009, the economy was losing more than 750,000 jobs per month.
In 2.5 years, this POTUS has already exceeded the job creation numbers of the previous POTUS, who was in office for 8 years.

Is it that you didn't know, that you deliberately blocked it from your mind, or that you're just trying to make the current POTUS appear worse than what he actually is?

I recognize that the economy is in the hands of this POTUS now, but without the past, we wouldn't have the present, and these problems started with the previous POTUS.