Steny Hoyer: "We need to address Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security"

[somone]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/47899.html

Advocates react to Steny Hoyer’s Medicare warning
By BRETT COUGHLIN

Medicare advocates are saying enough is enough to the news that House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer thinks Medicare may need further “adjustments.”

Asked by POLITICO whether Democrats could be counted on to protect Medicare benefits and act to control premium increases, Hoyer said this week that the political reality is that the program may need to save more money.

“It is our belief that you can – as was done in 1983 on Social Security – and as we are committed to doing, we can adjust Medicare provisions, and we can adjust those in the future, and perhaps we can make some adjustments for present recipients,” Hoyer said.

“We want to make sure that the benefits that are available to recipients, which they need, are protected, so within that context, just as we did with Social Security in 1983, we need to address Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, to ensure their continued availability and sustainability over the long term.”

The reference to 1983 means a lot to Barbara Kennelly, the chair of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare...

[Jackpine Radical]

1. BO

HICA

[Bigmack]

7. Oh... I'll not be bending over on this one... nt

[emulatorloo]

14. Even teabaggers think cutting Social Security for deficit reduction is a bad idea

http://socialsecurity-works.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/SSSCHighlightsofElectionPollonSocialSecurity.pdf

Highlights of 2010 Election Voters’ Opinions About Social Security
Based on Lake Research Partners Survey, 10/31‐11/2, 2010


Opposition to cutting Social Security benefits in order to reduce the deficit

•Overall: 82% oppose cuts, 15% support cuts
•By Party: Democrats (83% to 15%), Independents (78% to 17%), Republicans (82% to 15%), Tea Party Supporters (74% to 13%)

[Jackpine Radical]

16. Here is one of those cases where both the R & D bases agree,

and the leadership of both parties could give a shit less what the people want, as long as the keep their corporate bosses happy.

[Laelth]

19. Neither party serves the people.

As I argued here: http://laelth.blogspot.com/2010/12/kissing-butt-and-taking-names-obamas.html

-Laelth

[Jackpine Radical]

27. I just read your essay & left a comment.

Excellent, excellent piece.

[Laelth]

28. Thank you. n/t

-Laelth

[villager]

2. so when will people finally get off their asses and "adjust" themselves into the street...

...to stand up to the long, slow mocking demise the elites have in store for them?

[DJ13]

4. Saturday would be good

Theres nothing worth watching on TV.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Wow, this thread is underwater on recs.

Shovel all the dirt you want on top of this one; it ain't gonna stay buried.

[villager]

6. why, that's not Democratic collaboration with a GOP agenda you see! No sireee!

And if we don't talk about it, or see it, or hear it -- why, it's even less collaboration!

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[emulatorloo]

10. Hoyer's a conservadem. What does Pelosi say? She's the Democratic leader

[displacedvermoter]

5. But, but, but...

he's only the Minority Whip, so he doesn't have any power. Let's all wait and see what happens before we get all excited.....!!!

[bemildred]

8. Well, I think Steny and his ilk are the problem we need to address.

All they did in 1983 is jack up the FICA tax and blow the money on the Pentagon and corporate welfare like always.

[Demeter]

11. [phone] 0000000000000 00000000000000

[leftstreet]

20. +1

[Better Believe It]

12. Another big dose of "health care" change and "reform "we can believe in is on the front burner.

500 billion in Medicare savings (cuts) over the next decade just won't be enough!

[pacalo]

13. We need to address ALL military operations NOW!

[Octafish]

15. No, Steny. We need to address the immoral, illegal, unnecessary and disastrous wars for empire.

For Pelosi's sake.

[WinkyDink]

22. War-mongers are immoral. War criminals prefer the illegal. War profiteers find wars necessary.

[Urban Prairie]

17. Not quite enough for the global corporate capitalists and their Congressional enablers

to completely pluck and de-feather, then starve the geese that once laid golden eggs.

Have to cut their heads off, too.

Better hope that the Chinese peasantry quickly and willingly take to become their next generations of clueless mass-consumers.

[Laelth]

18. Vomit. With Democrats like these, who needs Republicans? n/t

-Laelth

[WinkyDink]

21. When a Democrat uses obfuscatory language, there's only one reason.

[Hawkowl]

23. One of the reasons I know longer call myself Democrat

Hoyer is corporate whoring DINO, and I refuse to be associated with said ilk.

[kenny blankenship]

24. The "Health Care Reform" fiasco cracked open the gates

Can you really blame them for thinking, "Hey we got away with it once, let's do it again"?

[Shandris]

25. Medicaid is state-run.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels just announced he's putting in a 'businessman with a critical eye for cost cutting' to oversee 'shrinking' our Medicaid. First up, dental and vision procedures, OUT! Took him all of about 2 days to come up with that one.

[Selatius]

26. We could fund Medicare and Medicaid in their current state if we cut funding on the wars.

It is as if they are purposely wasting money in order to invent an excuse to attack social programs.

[TBF]

29. No, I think we'll discuss the Dep't of Defense budget instead. nt