Clay Says Republican Budget Betrays Senior Citizens, Ends Medicare
Press Release
Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri blasted the proposed House Republican Fiscal Year 2012 budget as "A complete betrayal of the greatest generation that will harm seniors, destroy American jobs and weaken the middle-class. Under the guise of deficit reduction, the House Republican budget would end guaranteed Medicare benefits, gut Medicaid and create a fast-track to assault Social Security," said the Congressman.
Mr. Clay continued, "We have to restore fiscal sanity to the federal budget by reducing spending and paying down the national debt. I absolutely support that effort. And there should be no sacred cows in this discussion, including defense spending and ending tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. But we will never achieve a balanced budget and a strong economy by punishing seniors and the weakest among us while rewarding huge corporations and oil companies with more tax breaks and subsidies while they ship American jobs overseas."
According to a just-released report by the National Council on Aging, "The Ryan Medicaid proposal takes us from neglecting the least among us to targeting them -- threatening the lives, dignity and future of poor, vulnerable seniors, children and people with disabilities," said Howard Bedlin, vice president for public policy and advocacy for the National Council on Aging. "Medicaid recipients needing the most expensive care will be at greatest risk of being targeted for harmful cost-containment strategies."
The Republican budget plan, as proposed by Congressman Paul Ryan (R) Wisconsin, rewards the rich and harms the poor. After extending the Bush tax cuts permanently, it would cut the top rate for individuals and corporations from 35 percent to 25 percent. The Ryan budget then slashes Medicaid, Pell Grants, food stamps, and low-income housing. These critical programs make a huge difference to moderate income families, especially during these difficult economic times.
"It's outrageous to try to balance the budget on the backs of those who suffer the most, while giving more tax breaks to the very few who have accumulated tremendous wealth, even while most working families are struggling to recover their economic security," said Mr. Clay.
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