THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PRESERVE SOCIAL SECURITY & MEDICARE
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April 5, 2011

NEWS RELEASE

GOP Budget Plan Destroys Medicare and Cuts Social Security Benefits

Speaking out at a Capitol Hill press conference today, Max Richtman , Executive Vice-President of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare told the audience that House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's budget plan for 2012 forces millions of American seniors to help foot the bill for a budget plan that puts the needs of middle-class Americans far below preserving tax cuts for corporations and wealthy Americans.

"The Medicare provisions, in particular, will send this nation back to a time before Medicare was enacted, when over one-half of the senior population had no health care coverage at all.  The Ryan plan would replace the current Medicare program with vouchers and leave seniors and the disabled - some of our most vulnerable Americans - hostage to the whims of the private marketplace.  Over time, this will destroy the only health insurance program available to 47 million Americans.  Vouchers are designed not to keep up with the increasing cost of health insurance... that is why they save money.   Destroying Medicare and leaving millions of Americans without adequate health coverage is not a path to prosperity for anyone except for-profit insurers and the American people understand that."  Max Richtman , Executive Vice President

That's why nearly 100,000 National Committee members have written letters to their representatives on Capitol Hill reminding them that cutting Social Security and Medicare is not the answer to our budget woes.  Those letters will be delivered to Congress today with a clear message:

"Social Security and Medicare belong to the American people who have paid (and are paying) into these programs in exchange for promised benefits.  I urge you to reject any deficit reduction plans that cut benefits and, instead, support only those proposals that ensure the viability of Social Security and Medicare."

The American people will not support dismantling Medicare in favor of providing vouchers in a privatized system or cuts in Social Security.  These are not the priorities seniors voted for last November.  

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The National Committee, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization acts in the interests of its membership through advocacy, education, services, grassroots efforts and the leadership of the Board of Directors and professional staff. The work of the National Committee is directed toward developing better-informed citizens and voters.

Media Inquiries to:
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