Nine Weeks Later: Steelman’s Quiet Support for Ryan’s Medicare Scheme
Jefferson City, Mo.— Exactly nine weeks since Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) unveiled his plan to end Medicare, Sarah Steelman still won’t come clean with Missouri voters about her support for the proposal. Since its introduction on April 5, the Ryan Plan to end Medicare has become one of the most hotly-debated issues in the country, yet Steelman’s silence on the issue has been deafening. Nearly one million Missouri seniors rely on Medicare.
“Rather than trying to tap dance around her support for Paul Ryan’s plan to end Medicare, Sarah Steelman owes it to Missouri voters to make her position explicitly clear,” said Caitlin Legacki, Missouri Democratic Party spokeswoman. “Ryan’s Medicare scheme is wildly unpopular among voters, and with good reason: it ends Medicare as we know it. Unfortunately for Sarah, taking a clear position on this issue is a lose-lose proposition. Either Sarah Steelman wants to take away Medicare from the one million Missouri seniors who rely on it, or she’s putting herself in a position to be immediately disqualified from the Republican primary.”
Steelman’s own advisor, Rick Wilson, has gone so far as to say, “This has become a litmus test with Republican voters. You’re either on the Marco Rubio/Paul Ryan side or the Harry Reid/Barack Obama side.“ [Palm Beach Post, 5/29/11]
Steelman’s primary opponent, Rep. Todd Akin, has been an outspoken supporter of Ryan’s plan to end Medicare.
STEELMAN’S MEDICARE SASHAY
In a recent interview with KCMO’s Gregg Knapp, Steelman danced her way around an actual position on Ryan’s plan to end Medicare:
Knapp: Are you a supporter of what Paul Ryan has put forward? What do you think we need to do to go after Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security to make sure it doesn’t destroy us?
Steelman: “I think there are some good things in the Ryan plan, and I really commend him for coming forward and putting a proposal out that people can discuss. Because it took courage to do that, and you do not see the Democrats doing that. You don’t see anybody in the senate coming forward with any kind of plan. This is supposed to be the most deliberative body in the world, and they have not put anything out.
“There are things in this plan that I like. I definitely like the tax reform approach of flattening the tax, and getting rid of a lot of the unnecessary paperwork, and you know looking at deductions and subsidies…If we don’t do something like that to get our economy going again, we are going to continue to have these high rates of unemployment and businesses are not going to be creating jobs because of all of the uncertainty in the tax code. For example Obamacare, you know I hear that a lot…
“Back to Ryan’s plan… I think there are other areas that I am still looking at in his plan…the Medicare. I don’t like the fact that he actually included the $500 billion tax…uh or, excuse me, cut from Medicare that was in Obamacare in the plan because again that encroaches upon commitments that we have today. I think it’s important for people to understand that we need to protect what our commitments are today and honor those and look at look at how we can reform these programs in the future. Because these people did pay into Medicare.” [KCMO, 5/23/11]
After a stop in Lee’s Summit, today Roy Blunt shows us just why he canceled all those debates.
County Chairman Steve Bough issued this statement:
“Congressman Blunt has shown that he refuses to be honest with Missourians. As a congressman, he did special favors for tobacco companies after he divorced his wife and married a tobacco lobbyist, he got his son hired as a federal lobbyist and he pulled strings to help an undocumented worker who was employed as his housekeeper. Now he refuses to even answer questions about his actions. That is not leadership; that is embarrassing.
Now is the time to speak with your neighbors about Robin Carnahan. The choice is clear – a senator who does special favors for tobacco companies or someone who will fight for Missourians. Please plan on voting for Robin next Tuesday.”
On 45th Anniversary of Medicare, Coats, Vitter, Johnson, Boozman, Blunt, Norton, Buck, Angle, Paul All Want To End Medicare For Seniors In Their States
As Americans across the country celebrate the 45th anniversary of Medicare being signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is attacking nine Republican Senate candidates who want to take Medicare away from their would-be constituents. Medicare, which provides quality health insurance to those 65 and over, has been one of the most successful and popular government programs in American history. While Democrats will fight to preserve Medicare, these nine Republicans candidates will fight tooth and nail to abolish it should they win this November.
“On the 45th anniversary of Medicare, Republican Senate candidates are running to take it away,” said DSCC National Press Secretary Deirdre Murphy. ”Fortunately, voters will have a choice this fall, between Democrats who will fight to preserve Medicare, and Republicans who will fight to abolish it.”
NINE REPUBLICAN SENATE CANDIDATES WHO WANT TO END MEDICARE AS WE KNOW IT
SHARRON ANGLE WANTS TO END MEDICARE FOR 348,168 NEVADANS
Angle On Medicare: “We Need To Phase It Out.” In October 2009, the Review-Journal reported, “As for Medicare, she (Angle) said the entitlement program popular with seniors will eventually grow too costly to maintain… ‘We need to phase it out,’ she said.” [Las Vegas Review-Journal, 10/21/2009]
RAND PAUL WANTS TO END MEDICARE FOR 752,776 KENTUCKIANS
Paul: Medicare Is Soviet Union Socialism. A Courier-Journal review of Paul’s prior statements found he had compared Medicare to Soviet socialism. “Advancing his belief that health care prices should be set by the marketplace, Paul also has attacked having government set Medicare reimbursements for doctors,” the Courier-Journal said. “The fundamental reason why Medicare is failing is why the Soviet Union failed — socialism doesn’t work,” Paul said on Kentucky Tonight on June 16, 1998. “You have … no price fluctuation.” [Courier-Journal, 6/21/2010; Kentucky Tonight 1998 archives]
DAN COATS WANTS TO END MEDICARE FOR 996,966 HOOSIERS
Coats: I Want To Work With Rep. Ryan On His Ideas for Entitlement Reform. In July 2010, Coats praised Rep. Paul Ryan’s ideas for entitlement reform and vowed to work with him on passing them if elected. He said, “Paul Ryan has come up with some very sensible ideas, I have talked personal with Paul I have read his materials and there are many many things in there that I agree with and want to work with him on. UUhh it basically says we are out of money and we are deeply in debt. And if we are going to have a future in this country for our children and our grandchildren and going to have jobs available and be the country of opportunity and be the country that can lead the world and the economy we have to come up with some reforms. And Paul has come up with some very constructive ideas and so have other republicans.” [Greg Garrison Show, 7/12/10]
o Ryan Plan would Eliminate Traditional Medicare. “The Ryan plan would eliminate traditional Medicare, most of Medicaid, and all of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), converting these health programs largely to vouchers that low-income households, seniors, and people with disabilities could use to help buy insurance in the private health insurance market.” [Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 7/07/10]
DAVID VITTER WANTS TO END MEDICARE FOR 677,880 LOUISIANANS
Vitter Endorsed Plan to Privatize Medicare. In September 2009, Vitter endorsed a report from the conservative Pelican Institute that promoted ending the employer-based health insurance system. According to the Times-Picayune, “U.S. Sen. David Vitter has endorsed a new study from a conservative think tank that calls for scrapping the nation’s employer-based health insurance system in favor of individually owned policies and converting the Medicaid program into vouchers for private insurance.” Vitter called the report “an important contribution to the debate.” [Times-Picayune, 9/15/09]
RON JOHNSON WANTS TO END MEDICARE FOR 900,715 WISCONSINITES
Johnson: Rep. Ryan Has Laid Out “Common Sense Approaches” on Entitlement Reform In May 2010, Johnson praised Rep. Paul Ryan’s privatization plan. He said, “You know, in his “Roadmap for America,” [Paul Ryan] starts laying out some possibilities, I think some common-sense approaches, on you know, recognizing the fact that, I mean, when these programs were implemented, life expectancy was far shorter. You know, so, life expectancy has gone on. So I mean, you have to recognize that reality and start making adjustments to the program to figure out how you can keep these things sustainable so they’re around for people.” [Johnson Wisconsin Eye Campaign 2010 Interview, 5/26/2010]
JOHN BOOZMAN WANTS TO END MEDICARE FOR 527,051 ARKANSANS
Boozman Voted to Replace Medicare With a Private Program. In April 2009, Boozman voted for a GOP alternative budget by Rep. Paul ryan that called for “replacing the traditional Medicare program with subsidies to help retirees enroll in private health care plans.” [Star Tribune, 4/03/09; Vote 191, 4/02/09]
ROY BLUNT WANTS TO END MEDICARE FOR 992,968 MISSOURIANS
Blunt Voted to Replace Medicare With a Private Program. In April 2009, Blunt voted for a GOP alternative budget by Rep. Paul ryan that called for “replacing the traditional Medicare program with subsidies to help retirees enroll in private health care plans.” [Star Tribune, 4/03/09; Vote 191, 4/02/09]
Blunt: Government Should Never Have Gotten In The Health Care Business. During a radio appearance on The Eagle 93.9, Blunt suggested that government should never have gotten in the health care business, citing Medicare and Medicaid as examples of government intervening in the health care business “in a big way.” HOST MIKE FERGUSON: What is the proper role of government, and what are the potential impacts of the direction that we’re going right now? BLUNT: Well, you could certainly argue that government should have never have gotten in the health care business, and that might have been the best argument of all, to figure out how people could have had more access to a competitive marketplace. Government did get into the health care business in a big way in 1965 with Medicare, and later with Medicaid, and government already distorts the marketplace.” [The Eagle 93.9, 7/10/09; St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/10/09]
· Blunt: “Medicare Has Never Done Anything To Make People More Healthy.” During a July 2009 campaign event in Hannibal, Blunt said Medicare had never done anything to make people healthier. BLUNT: “We’ve had Medicare since 1965, and Medicare has never done anything to make people more healthy. If there’s any opportunity for more healthy activity, it’s going to be, again, a private, competitive industry…” [Becky Thatcher's, Hannibal MO, 7/25/10; Missouri Democratic Party; Fired Up Missouri, 7/29/09]
JANE NORTON AND KEN BUCK WANT TO END MEDICARE FOR 606,009 COLORADANS
Norton: Government Shouldn’t Be In Health Care Business. In January 2010, Norton called on supporters to sign an online petition “if you agree that the government shouldn’t be in the health care business.” “Health care needs real, common-sense reforms. A government mandated, and government controlled, health care system is not the solution… If you agree that the government shouldn’t be in the health care business, show your opposition by signing this petition today.” [www.janenorton.com, Accessed 1/5/10]
Buck Questioned Federal Government’s Role in Running Health Care Programs. As reported by Politico, “At a March forum, Buck said. ‘The idea that the federal government should be running health care or retirement or any of those programs is fundamentally against what I believe. And that is that the private sector runs programs like that far better.’” [Politico, 6/28/10]
David Frum, the man who coined term “Axis of Evil” while working in the Bush administration, wrote a scathing blog post about the Republican’s strategy (or lack thereof) on healthcare reform. He described the passage of healthcare reform as Republicans “most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s.” It’s hard to argue with him.
The Republican strategy was to obfuscate and deny–repeatedly. Conservatives seem to think they are going to win big this fall on a repeal platform, but even Frum isn’t so convinced.
Yesterday, I attended President Obama’s healthcare reform speech in Iowa City. It’s looking more like Democrats are going to spend the next six months extolling the virtues of the healthcare bill and challenging Republicans on their lack of strategy. As Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and Rush Limbaugh get louder and more vitriolic, some conservatives are sick of the radical right in the media controlling their message.
Naturally, someone in the Republican party has to be listening to this man, right? NOPE. He was fired yesterday. Turns out the Republican strategy behind closed doors is the same as their legislative strategy. Lie and deny.
We shared with you some of the ugliness yesterday by “patriotic protesters”. Today I am wondering if Congressman Blunt will stand against the derogatory and racists behavior displayed yesterday?
The Final March for Reform is going strong — yesterday, OFA supporters made the phones ring off the hook in Congressional offices on Capitol Hill and across the country. But for every member of Congress, there are eight anti-reform lobbyists swarming Capitol Hill — and the upcoming vote is still too close to call.
So in these crucial, final days, we must make sure the voices of constituents break through the lobbyist attacks. And here’s the plan to make it happen:
As the next step in the Final March for Reform, OFA supporters like you will be gathering at volunteer phone banks across the country. We’ll be calling supportive voters in critical districts nationwide, asking them to reach out to their representatives and express their strong support for reform. A local OFA organizer will be on hand at every event, and no experience is required.
Here’s how to join in: First, RSVP for an event near you — there’s one in Independence, on March 17th. Before you go, make sure to invite friends to come with you, or help them find an event in their area on our website. Then join with local supporters at your event and reach out to as many voters as you can — each call makes a vital difference.
As we speak, insurance-industry lobbyists are deploying from their emergency base at the D.C. Ritz-Carlton, banging down the door of every Congressional office on Capitol Hill to derail reform and preserve their ability to jack up premiums and deny care to those in need.
In the old Washington, that would have been an unstoppable barrage.
But thanks to your unprecedented organizing, the lobbyists have finally met their match: the American people.
So let’s get out there, and make sure the people’s voice is heard.
Please sign up to join the Final March for Reform event in Independence, on March 17th:
Jeremy Bird
Deputy Director
Organizing for America
Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee — 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
President Obama has called for the House to vote to move health reform forward as early as next week. Your representative, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, voted for reform last fall, and is a critical ally in our fight. But with insurance company lobbyists pulling out all the stops to block reform and smear its champions, we must speak up right away.
Please call Rep. Cleaver today to say “thank you” — and to report that OFA supporters in Missouri have pledged 146,687 volunteer hours to back up members of Congress like yours who stand up for health reform.
We know the stakes: Coverage for millions of uninsured Americans. Ending insurance company abuses, like denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions and drastically raising premiums. Reining in costs that are bankrupting families and crushing businesses. Putting life-and-death decisions in the hands of patients and doctors, not insurance company bureaucrats.
Everything we’ve worked for depends on winning this upcoming vote in the House of Representatives — and it’s going to be very, very close. If there was ever a time to pick up the phone and make a difference, that time has come.
This video makes me sad. God is not a Democrat or a Republican. If you think God is always on your side of a political fight, then maybe you have made God into your image, not the other way around. God does not strike down Republican or Democratic Senators for their votes on health care reform. The efforts by Republicans to stir up people of faith may indeed “backfire,” as the caller referenced, but it won’t be from God. As we near the celebration of Christmas, my faith tradition tells me to love my neighbor (Republican and Democrat). It is my prayer that on this Christmas that we all can pause from trying to fit God into our politics and that the entire world (Jewish, Muslim or Christian) can experience a little more peace.
As we head into the final stretch on health reform, big insurance company lobbyists and their partisan allies hope that their relentless attacks and millions of dollars can intimidate us into accepting the status quo.
So I have a message for them, from all of us: Not this time. We have come too far. We will not turn back. We will not back down.
But do not doubt — the opponents of reform will not rest. So I need you, the members of Organizing for America, to fight alongside me.
We must continue to build out our campaign — to spread the facts on the air and on the ground, and to bring in more volunteers and train them to join the fight. I urgently need your help to keep Organizing for America’s 50-state movement for reform going strong.
Can you donate $25 or whatever you can afford today?
Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee — 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.
When talking about the health care reform debate in Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Springfield, said: “Missourians want to keep what works and fix what is broken.”
Missouri Democrats could not agree more. Unfortunately, Mr. Blunt and Republicans in Congress really aren’t committed to fixing our broken health insurance system. In their recently released health care plan, nothing prohibits insurance companies from denying people coverage because of pre-existing conditions or serious illnesses.
Additionally, by all indications, the GOP proposal will increase premiums and undermine employer-provided health care. According to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan organization, one of the proposals in the package would increase premiums for 80 percent of small businesses.
While Democrats are proposing real changes, Republicans are looking out for their friends in the insurance industry. Mr. Blunt has received nearly $580,000 over the course of his congressional career from insurance industry insiders. This health care plan is another example of Mr. Blunt putting corporate special interests before the people of Missouri.
Thousands of Missouri seniors, like my mother Betty Anne, rely on Medicare for their health care. However, if Medicare remains on the same course as it is today, it will run out of money by 2017 and seniors may be without coverage.
Additionally, without adequate reforms, Medicare is on track to cut payments to physicians by as much as 21 percent starting next year, which may cause some doctors to drop Medicare patients.
By rooting out more than $400 billion in identified waste, fraud, and inefficiencies, we can make sure Medicare remains solvent for years to come, ensure doctors are paid fairly so that seniors can keep their doctors, and not cut benefits for seniors.
Let me say that again – no Medicare benefits would be cut through these reforms.
Now I know that’s not what we’ve been hearing from recent advertisements and in these new “reports”.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. Those advertisements and “reports” are all coming from the same group – the health insurance industry.
However, despite the billions of dollars being spent to stop health insurance reform, the truth is starting to catch up. Just last month, a tax firm that prepared a recent “report” admitted that they were asked to provide skewed, cherry-picked information.
Ultimately, the assertion that reforms to Medicare would result in cuts is simply not true. The AARP has emphasized that there are no cuts to Medicare in the reform bills and that reform is critical to improving and maintaining Medicare benefits for seniors.
In fact, the most recent version of health insurance reform legislation in the U.S. Senate includes a package of new benefits.
Reforms would protect spouses from being forced to meet poverty requirements in order to access Medicaid home and community-based programs.
Medicare beneficiaries would be newly eligible for free preventative care services, like mammograms and colonoscopy screenings without deductibles, copayments and other cost-sharing fees.
Reform would reduce by as much as 50 percent the gap in prescription drug coverage. Seniors are currently paying an average of $4,080 per year because of the Medicare Part D “donut hole” coverage gap.
Further, by making current programs like the privately-managed Medicare Advantage program more efficient, Medicare could save more that $100 billion over the next ten years.
Medicare Advantage costs on average 14 percent more than traditional Medicare, despite no evidence that care under the program is superior. And although only some beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, all Medicare beneficiaries subsidize that extra cost. It is important to level the playing field and ensure efficiency, as well as excellence, in both the government and private programs.
And we’ve all seen the television advertisements for medical devices subsidized by Medicare, like motorized scooters, which highlight the commercial profit to be made from Medicare payments. While scooters cost suppliers $1,048, Medicare is charged as much as $4,018.
With many opportunities to improve efficiency and root out waste in Medicare as a part of health insurance reform, seniors can enjoy improved benefits and continue seeing the doctors of their choice.
And the best part is that through common-sense reforms, this effective health care coverage will be available to future generations of seniors.
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