Issue Position: Senior Issues

Issue Position

Senior Issues

For too long, the issues facing our nation's seniors have been used as a pawn in political debates while vitally important programs head toward bankruptcy. Even today, efforts to strengthen Medicare for future generations are being unfairly mischaracterized for political gain.

The truth is undeniable: according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund - the fund that pays the Medicare bills - is projected to be exhausted in 2022. I am committed to pursuing and supporting legislation that strengthens and preserves Medicare for current and future generations. I recently introduced a House Resolution that would prevent any changes to Medicare for those 55 and older, and also seeks to reduce the waste, fraud and abuse that is so troubling. This includes legislation ensuring that no changes in Medicare will occur for anyone 55 and older.

Unfortunately the recent changes that have been made to Medicare have been damaging. In 2010, Congress passed and the President signed a government-run health care law that cut more than $500 billion from Medicare. This law also put in place an unaccountable, unelected board of fifteen bureaucrats known as the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), and gave it the power to make coverage decisions on health care which cannot be appealed. We must strongly oppose these cuts in Medicare while implementing market-based reforms that provide more choices for America's future seniors.

The federal government also has an obligation to make good on its promise and pay out Social Security benefits that many depend on and expected when calculating the cost of their retirement. That is why I do not support changing Social Security for today's seniors or anyone that is on the verge of retirement. Instead, we should enact incremental changes to the program for young Americans to ensure that Social Security remains viable for future generations, while giving young workers enough time to adequately prepare for their own retirements.

It will take true leadership in Congress and the White House to save Medicare and face the reality of the situation: if we do nothing, which has been the status quo for years, Medicare and Social Security won't be there for future Americans. I am committed to doing all that can be done to ensure strong and healthy Medicare and Social Security programs for America's seniors.

Source