Peoria Public Radio - Federal Programs Draw Lingering Partisan Tensions

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By Amanda Vinicky

About a year ago, a fight over the federal budget led to a government shutdown. Partisan tensions remain over what to do about popular, but expensive, programs.

Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, and one of the party's nominees for Congress, former Judge Ann Callis, called a press conference Monday.

The theme? The effects of their respective opponents', Republican State Sen. Jim Oberweis and Congressman Rodney Davis, fiscal plans.

Here's Callis:

"I was in Calhoun County at a pig roast, and a woman came up to me and she grabbed my arm and she said 'Please, do everything you can to protect Medicare and Social Security."

Durbin says that includes fending off Republican initiatives, like raising Medicare's eligibility age, and moving it to a voucher system.

"So they want to turn seniors lose to the mercies of health insurance companies. Most people know … that that is not a comfortable, or a confident position to be in."

Oberweis has proposed raising Medicare's eligibility age to 67; he's also suggested means tests to limit Social Security benefits for the wealthy.

Davis's campaign manager says he's working to protect Social Security and Medicare, with changes that will exempt seniors close to retirement.

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