Tell House Republicans: Hands off Medicare!

Rep. Paul Ryan's 2012 budget proposal was one of the most brutal attacks on the social safety net in decades. And almost all the Republicans in the House joined in by voting for it.

Paul Krugman called Rep. Ryan's budget bill both "ludicrous" and "cruel." "Ludicrous" because the budget projections were pure fantasy, "cruel" because it proposed massive spending cuts for programs that mainly help children, the poor and the elderly, while slashing taxes for corporations and the ultra-rich.¹

One of the main programs targeted by the Ryan budget was Medicare, which under the proposal would be destroyed in all but name, and replaced by a voucher program for seniors who'd be dumped into the private insurance market. And if the vouchers didn't cover the cost of insurance, too bad.

Tell House Republicans: Hands off Medicare.

There is no doubt that something needs to be done to control the increasing cost of Medicare. But the Ryan proposal does nothing to actually control costs.

All the Ryan plan does is shift the cost of health care onto the backs of seniors. And, in fact, by forcing seniors into the inefficient private insurance market, it would actually drive up the cost of providing health care to them.

During the last few weeks, a number of Republicans who voted for the plan have tried in one way or another to walk back or downplay their vote.

But the key thing to keep in mind is that they have not changed their position on this issue, they have simply sought to avoid the political consequences of their extremism.

The House Republicans voted to destroy Medicare. With both the 2012 budget and the debt ceiling fights looming, they need to hear that in doing so they crossed a line. And they need to know that they will be held accountable by their constituents for supporting such extreme proposals.

Tell House Republicans: Hands off Medicare.

Please note, we will only deliver petition signatures from constituents of members of Congress who voted for the Ryan budget. That includes all Republicans in the House except for Reps. Walter Jones (NC-03), David McKinley, Ron Paul (TX-14), Denny Rehberg (MT-AL) and Rep. David Reichert (WA-08). The first four Congressmen voted against the Ryan budget, while Rep. Reichert did not cast a vote on the budget.

Footnote:
¹"Ludicrous and Cruel," Paul Krugman, New York Times, April 7, 2011.