DNC hits Republicans on health care

The Democratic National Committee today released a new television ad set to run on national and District of Columbia cable stations, and in 10 Republican congressional districts, blasting the Republican Party for voting earlier this year to abolish Medicare and for its decades long hostility towards the health-care program for our nation’s seniors.

As the ad, “Republicans Want to End Medicare” argues, the Republican Party has sought for decades to gut Medicare funding and tried multiple times to kill the program entirely. Just this year, 137 Republicans voted in the House for a budget proposal offered by the Republican leadership which would have ended Medicare for future generations of seniors. “No Friend to Seniors” is running in the districts of U.S. Reps. Eric Cantor (VA), John Boehner (OH), Lee Terry (NE), Patrick Tiberi (OH), Mary Bono Mack (CA), Don Young (AK), Paul Ryan (WI), Michele Bachmann (MN), Jean Schmidt (OH), and Erik Paulsen (MN).

On several key votes in the House, Cantor voted to “end Medicare as it is presently known,” cut Medicare and Medicaid funding by $279 billion. He also supported former-President Bush’s risky plan to privatize social security. Given his record, seniors in Virginia should wonder if Rep. Cantor is actually fighting for them.

“You know that Republican attempts to lie and mislead the public have reached the height of absurdity when the GOP – a party which has worked for decades to kill a program that provides health care to 40 million seniors – tries to portray itself as an ally to this country’s senior citizens,” DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse said.

“The truth is that while Republicans have opposed Medicare since its inception, Democrats have worked for more than 40 years to strengthen the program,” Woodhouse said. “The president’s proposed health insurance reforms would strengthen Medicare by cutting waste, ending special interest subsidies that are undermining the program and closing the prescription drug program’s donut hole. While the President’s plan wouldn’t cut one dime from the benefits seniors are receiving from Medicare, Republicans in the House voted earlier this year to abolish a program that has been vital to seniors, their health and their quality of life for over forty years.

“The Republican Party has opposed Medicare, tried to dismantle Social Security just four years ago and is now opposing plans to strengthen Medicare for generations to come. Republicans are no friends of seniors,” Woodhouse said.