Will Senate Democrats protect Medicare and Medicaid?
There is a petition going around to get Senate Democrats to commit to a position on cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. So far, many have been tight-lipped about their stance on the subject. This is one of the biggest problems with the Democrats. They are too weak to take a position. The Republican party and, their illegitimate child, the Tea Party, may be bat shit crazy but they have resolve.
Tell your Senator to answer the question: “Will you support cuts to our Medicare or Medicaid benefits? Yes or no?”
Earlier this month, we hand delivered a letter to the offices of Democratic and Independent senators asking this very question. But we haven’t heard back yet from many of them.
It’s a simple question that should be easy for senators to answer. Cutting benefits of these wildly successful programs would be as unpopular as it is unnecessary. And we cannot let Democratic senators use the Jobs Bill or coming super committee negotiations on deficit reduction as an excuse to avoid taking a stand.
But Democrats in the Senate already removed the elimination oil subsidies as part of the Jobs Bill, which would have saved over $40 billion dollars.
We know what they might give up next, unless we shore up a solid block of support for Medicare and Medicaid, right now.
It’s no wonder President Obama can’t get as much done as he’d like to when there is no support from the supposed like-minded politicians on his team. Even before Obama was elected, during Bush’s second term, the Democrats had both houses and still were struggling to make things happen. The Republicans have said publicly they will not entertain the idea of repealing the Bush tax cuts for only the wealthy and have stuck to their guns every time. Even when it came to the possibility of the government being shut down, both during the debt ceiling debate earlier this year and the tax cut renewal debates at the end of 2010, Republicans just didn’t give a damn. They have said they won’t compromise and haven’t.
In a time when the oil companies are raking in record profits, Americans are stuck with the highest per gallon gas prices we’ve seen, the economy is in the toilet and searching for revenue, big oil is still getting subsidies the industry doesn’t need and avoiding revenue America does. Yet when eliminating the subsidies is on the table the Democrats back down. Again. Wusses.
Medicare and Medicaid will effect everyone in the nation. Every legal working person in the country has paid into the system for themselves and fellow American. That money and those benefits take care of current and future American citizens.
Before Medicare, only 51% of people aged 65 and older had health care coverage, and nearly 30% lived below the federal poverty level.
Needless to say it is an important system relied on by millions. Yet, there needs to be a petition circulated in order to get the Democrats to take a stand on the issue? This is where citizens and the nation lose out. The Democrats may look out more for the people in their ideals but are too soft to stand their ground. The Republicans care less about the general public and are firm in their position. Giggity. The Democrats need to get it together. Obama and the plans he proposed are what the people voted for in an overwhelming majority. He needs all the support he can get in order to carry out those promises in the face of opposition that isn’t hiding the fact that they will oppose even the smallest idea he tries to push forth. Lack of solid unyielding support will force him and those ideals into positions of compromise at every turn. Of course for the government to work and represent all Americans, not just one viewpoint, there needs to be compromise and everyone must work together. However like the wise philosopher sage Kenny Rogers taught, “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away and know when to run.” The Dems need listen to
the Gambler.
Can you point them out by the state they represent?
Additional:
http://www.credoaction.com/campaign/mm_answers/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_%28United_States%29
Jaylon Carter is a blogger, social media marketing consultant, former Congressional Campaign Media & Communications Director, national labor union vice block leader, and a Hip Hop artist who performs under the stage name Timid (@timidmc).
Recent Comments