Deutch: Republican Budget Privatizes Medicare, Endangers Seniors

Statement

State Senator Ted Deutch, the Democratic nominee for Congress in Florida's 19th District, released the following statement in reaction to the Republican budget plan to privatize Medicare:

"South Florida's seniors should be outraged by the new GOP budget that proposes a risky new privatization scheme for Social Security. I reject this plan and call on all candidates for Congress in the 19th District denounce such efforts. In addition to replacing Social Security with risky private accounts, the new Republican budget privatizes Medicare by providing seniors with a voucher to buy private health insurance. This voucher does not even keep up with skyrocketing health care costs, so while Republicans claim to save the government money, it is only because they shift more costs to seniors who already can barely get by in this economy. I believe that rather than dismantling these vital programs, we should be strengthening and improving them for our seniors. This is why I support ensuring cost of living increases for Social Security every year, and allowing Medicare to negotiate for cheaper prescription drug prices. The residents of Florida's 19th district need a voice in Congress who will put their needs ahead of reckless partisan ideology."

This latest attack on Social Security and Medicare comes from the GOP's ranking member on the House Budget Committee, Rep. Paul Ryan. Rep. Ryan's budget, developed with the Republican leadership, saves the government money, but does so at great costs to America's retirees. The Republican plan increases the retirement age for Americans from age 65 to age 69, delaying eligibility for both Social Security and Medicare benefits, and replaces Medicare benefits with a voucher for private insurance that would result in enormous out of pocket costs for seniors.

Senator Ted Deutch's commitment to protecting the health and financial security of America's seniors is evident in his legislative record. In the Florida Senate, Deutch led an effort to prevent insurance companies from dropping seniors from longterm care policies, and also successfully secured funding for a new state-of-the-art senior center in Delray Beach. Deutch's campaign for Congress was recently endorsed by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, an organization with 220,000 members in Florida dedicated to protecting these vital programs.

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