Older Americans & Seniors

Democrats are steadfast advocates for America’s seniors, their peace of mind, and the issues they care about— including retirement security, Medicare, and the high cost of prescription drugs. While Democrats strongly support Social Security and Medicare and oppose efforts to privatize them, President Trump and Congressional Republicans are proposing to drain the Medicare Trust Fund and undermine Social Security.   For years, Democrats have worked to ensure the strength and long-term solvency of those vital programs, so that they can support not just today’s seniors, but the generations to come. Democrats improved and modernized the Social Security program by investing in technology to enable the Social Security Administration to more efficiently process the increasing number of retirees and claims, and by improving the speed and quality of services for retirees. Last Congress, Democrats in Congress helped reauthorize the Older Americans Act, which provides help to seniors including funding vital programs like Meals on Wheels.   Democrats also consistently fight to strengthen the Medicare program and help ensure that seniors can see their doctors. The Affordable Care Act extended the fiscal solvency of the Medicare program, while improving Medicare benefits, nursing home care, and chronic disease coverage, and reining in waste, fraud, and abuse. The law also lowers prescription drug costs for seniors by offering discounts of up to 50 percent on prescriptions for those in the Part D coverage gap, and closing the coverage hole completely over the next several years.   In contrast, President Trump and Republicans in Congress supported legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a plan that would discriminate against older Americans, forcing millions off of their coverage and drastically increasing health care costs for millions more.  TrumpCare also cut Medicaid by $800 billion, jeopardizing access to long-term care for seniors in nursing homes, as well as home- and community-based health care services.   Democrats’ priorities stand in stark contrast to the Republican budget that makes the wrong choices and attempts to balance the budget on the backs of seniors. We are committed to protecting and strengthening programs that assist seniors and support a balanced approach to deficit reduction that will strengthen the solvency of our entitlements and protect America’s seniors.
Older Americans & Seniors Related
Rick Perry Echoes Congressional Republicans on Social Security

We here in the Democratic Whip Press Shop will leave the political analysis of last night’s Republican debate to the pundits, but a few comments from the current Governor of Texas certainly stood out.

House Republicans Fail to Live Up to Pledge

Republicans took the House majority six months ago and have done little to live up to the promises in their Pledge to America.

Hoyer Statement On 45th Anniversary of Implementation of the Medicare Program

Forty five years ago today, President Johnson launched the Medicare program, providing safety and security to generations of America’s seniors. This bedrock program has provided coverage and retirement security to millions of seniors, including an estimated 39 million seniors in the program today.

Medicare By the Numbers: A Look at Health Care Security for Americans 45 Years after Launching

Since launching the Medicare program on July 1, 1966, Democrats have fought to improve health care security for America’s seniors by ensuring reliable and affordable health care coverage. For forty-five years, Medicare’s guaranteed set of benefits and affordable premiums have improved health care coverage and quality of life for seniors substantially.

Six-Month Progress Report: Republican Agenda Thin on Jobs, Abandons American Priorities and Values

When Republicans took the House majority, they pledged to focus on creating jobs and growing the economy. But after six months, they still haven’t put forward a comprehensive jobs agenda. While Democrats are focused on the Make It In America agenda, a plan to support job creation and boost working families, Republicans are pursuing a partisan agenda that has the wrong priorities.

Republicans on Jobs: Rhetoric Doesn’t Match Actions

It’s clear Republicans haven’t lived up to their pledge to focus on job creation in the past, but we hope, for the sake of the American people, that this summer is different. Democrats stand ready to work with Republicans so that we can create jobs, grow the economy and enact a plan to reduce the deficit.

Republicans Double Down on Plan to End Medicare, Raise Costs for Seniors

Yesterday, House Republicans voted in lockstep to deem the Republican budget passed. Their budget makes the wrong choices—ending Medicare and raising costs for seniors while giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.

Just the Facts: Republicans Want to End Medicare

After this week’s stunning electoral upset in Western New York, Republicans have gone into overdrive trying to defend their misguided budget plan to end Medicare as we know it and more than double costs for seniors.

Hoyer Statement on Senate Vote on Republican Budget

Last night, voters in Western New York sent a clear message that the Republican plan to end Medicare as we know it is the wrong choice. But today, Senate Republicans chose to ignore that message and instead voted for the Republican budget that does not balance and puts insurance company bureaucrats in charge of seniors’ health care – a move that will more than double seniors’ health care costs.

Republicans Press Forward With Budget that Makes the Wrong Choices: Ends Medicare As We Know It, Raises Costs for Seniors

This week, Senate Republicans vote on the Republican budget that makes the wrong choices for how to address our nation’s deficits: it ends Medicare as we know it, raises costs for seniors, and gives tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans.