AHL’s Top Story: House Democrats Tell Obama To Resist GOP’s Proposed Medicare Cuts
In a meeting with President Obama at the White House yesterday, House Democrats urged the administration to stand firm against Republican proposals to reform entitlement programs, including Medicare, in legislation that addresses the nation’s fiscal problems, the Los Angeles Times reports. Obama met with the House Democratic caucus to discuss the fiscal issues, one day after he hosted a similar meeting with the House Republican caucus. The two sides are at an impasse over a deficit-reduction deal that would facilitate an increase to the federal government’s borrowing power (Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 6/2). The two meetings primarily were focused on the Medicare overhaul proposal by House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) that would change Medicare from a fee-for-service program to one that would have beneficiaries purchase coverage on the private market (American Health Line, 6/2). Yesterday, House Democrats and Obama acknowledged that spending cuts are necessary, but they cannot be implemented “on the backs of seniors and [the] middle class,” a Democratic aide said (Los Angeles Times, 6/2). They also agreed that revenue increases must be part of a deficit-reduction agreement (“2chambers,” Washington Post, 6/2).
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