Republicans planning cost curbs on health benefits (Medicare, Medicaid and perhaps Social Security)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ANDREW TAYLO

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Republicans will "lead with our chin" and offer politically explosive cost curbs this spring on programs like Medicare, Medicaid and perhaps Social Security, the party's point man for curbing crippling budget deficits said Thursday.

Even then, Rep. Paul Ryan acknowledged, the government's budget still won't balance for quite some time.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, the Wisconsin lawmaker and chairman of the House Budget Committee said the House Republicans' budget proposal for the 2012 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 will propose fundamental changes to Medicare and Medicaid, the giant health care programs that cover 100 million Americans and whose combined costs rival the defense budget.

Ryan offered no specifics, saying details are still being hashed out.

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20110311/D9LSO1780.html

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In this Feb. 14, 2011, file photo House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., gives the GOP response to President Obama's budget submission for Fiscal Year 2012, on Capitol Hill in Washington. House Republicans will "lead with our chin" and offer politically explosive cost curbs this spring on programs like Medicare, Medicaid and perhaps Social Security Ryan said on Thursday, March 10, 2011. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

[somone]

1. WTF - another goddamn Repug from Wisconsin

[HowHasItComeToThis]

5. THEY ARE A DISEASE

[indepat]

22. They are a rampant and virulent malignancy eating away the nation's well-being

:patriot:

[bluestateguy]

2. I don't give a flying shit about balancing the budget

At least not if it comes at the cost of hurting hundreds of millions of people.

[msongs]

3. have congressional dems got their surrender package ready yet lol nt

[PSPS]

4. Social Security is not a "cost." It's not even part of the federal budget.

[DesertFlower]

8. i was just going to say that.

they stole from the fund for years. are they afraid they might have to pay it back?

if social security is in trouble there's a very simple answer. take away the cap, but no we can't have the rich pay more, can we?

i'm disgusted with our government.

[Lint Head]

6. His forehead proves that Neanderthals survive today.

[somone]

7. Yep

[JDPriestly]

12. someone, the resemblance is just amazing in your SOTU Rebuttal Doppelgangers

[Scottybeamer70]

9. LMAO

:rofl:

[Auntie Bush]

19. Those hollow vacant eyes show he has no compassion or understanding.

[savalez]

10. va va va veto!

that is, if it ever makes it out of the senate.

[Liberalynn]

20. The Senate won't pass it I hope

because I am sorry to say I don't know for sure that Obama would veto it if it came to him. IMHO. He seems to be willing to "compromise" with the other side more often than I would like him to, so I am not confident he would stand firmly against this either. I thought that Payroll tax holiday was a truly awful idea. I don't accept the arguments that it will be paid back and won't hurt SS.

[earcandle]

11. Ignore these fucking criminals and do business in action asap....

[bemildred]

13. I thought pubbies didn't like price controls. nt

[Doctor_J]

14. They don't. They LOVE benefit controls though

[Marthe48]

15. Workers and employers paid into SS

and Medicare, Medicaid. Too much to expect to cap the cost of health care rather than take away the rest of peoples' futures. I hate these bastards and I hope the whole party goes down hard, soon and forever.

And let's quit spending all of our money killing people in other countries. Jesus Christ, if we weren't in Iraq and Afghanistan, we wouldn't be broke.

[Doctor_J]

16. I have a Fox News-addicted senior friend

who last year availed himself of medical procedures that would cost a working stiff around $300,000, but were completed covered by Medicare. As soon as he came out of his coma and was able to turn on the TV he started bitching about socialism taking over the country. Should I forward this article and tell him to start praying he doesn't need more critical care?

[Roland99]

18. hell yeah!

[nalnn]

17. Can someone clarify this for me?

Isn't this the same thing that the panel the president had formed said should be done?

[Zorra]

21. No surprise. Hurting large numbers of innocent people for money is what republicans do.

Simple fact.