NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY/MEDICARE BACKS PETERS OVER BILBRAY

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October 9, 2012 (San Diego) -- The National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), one of the most trusted, independent and effective advocates for these programs in the country since 1982, has endorsed Scott Peters for Congress, the Peters campaign announced today.

 NCPSSM President and Chief Executive Officer Max Richtman said they are endorsing Peters over Bilbray because they trust Peters to protect Medicare and Social Security, while Bilbray has voted repeatedly to cut these critical programs which protect many of America’s seniors from living in poverty.

In a letter to Peters, Richtman said the organization “enthusiastically endorses your candidacy,” because, “our nation needs your leadership, vision and determination to fight for working families and older Americans.”

“I will absolutely fight to protect and preserve Medicare and Social Security today and into the future,” Peters said. “These are benefits seniors have earned over a lifetime of hard work. My opponent has voted to allow Social Security to be risked in the stock market, and to cut Medicare 10 times throughout his career. Our seniors deserve someone who will stand up for them.”

Most recently, Bilbray voted twice for the Ryan budget, which essentially ends Medicare. In fact, the American Association of Retired People said this about the plan in a letter to Congress: “this proposal simply shifts these high and growing costs onto Medicare beneficiaries, and it then shifts even higher costs of increased uninsured care onto everyone else…the proposal is likely to simply increase costs for beneficiaries while removing Medicare’s promise of secure health coverage -- a guarantee that future seniors have contributed to through a lifetime of hard work.” [AARP Letter, 3/21/12]

Bilbray has accused Peters of also supporting cuts to Medicare and Social Security; Peters has countered that Bilbray distorted his meaning, as ECM previously reported.  But the facts speak for themselves.  Bilbray has voted to slash funds for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. He voted to create a voucher program to replace Medicare and voted to cut Social Security benefits and raise the retirement age, as you can see at these links to his voting record provided at www.StrenghtenSocialSecurity.org.

 Peters is running to unseat 12-year-incumbent Brian Bilbray in the newly drawn 52nd Congressional District.  The hotly contested race is drawing national attention; most recently, National Journal called Bilbray “the most vulnerable incumbent” in California.

BACKGROUND:

2011: AARP: Ryan’s Plan (That Brian Bilbray voted for twice) Would Increase Health Care Costs for Older Americans. AARP CEO Addison Barry Rand wrote to Members of Congress on House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget resolution. In the letter, Rand wrote: “this proposal simply shifts these high and growing costs onto Medicare beneficiaries, and it then shifts even higher costs of increased uninsured care onto everyone else. […] By creating a ‘premium support’ system for future Medicare beneficiaries, the proposal is likely to simply increase costs for beneficiaries while removing Medicare’s promise of secure health coverage -- a guarantee that future seniors have contributed to through a lifetime of hard work.” [AARP Letter, 3/21/12

2011: Ryan Budget Would Affect Those 55 and Over by Increasing Their Prescription Drug Costs. In 2011, it was reported that the Ryan Plan would affect seniors 55 and older by increasing their costs for prescription drugs. “The policies in the House GOP budget, if enacted, would begin affecting millions of seniors almost immediately by increasing their costs for prescription drugs and probably long-term care.” [National Journal, 6/6/11]  

2011: Bilbray Voted for the House Republican Budget Which Would Cost Seniors More Than $6,000. In 2011,Bilbray voted for the Republican plan to “significantly increase the out-of-pocket costs of health care for Medicare beneficiaries. In fact, out‐of‐pocket health care costs will more than double under the Republican plan. Based on estimates from the non‐partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the typical 65-year-old’s out-of-pocket health care costs will increase from $6,154 to $12,513 in 2022—or an extra $6,359.” [Congressional Joint Economic Committee, 5/20/11; H. Con. Res. 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11; Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11]

2012: Brian Bilbray Voted for House Republican Budget That Would Give People Making Over $1 Million Per Year a $394,000 Tax Cut.“New analysis by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center (TPC) finds that people earning more than $1 million a year would receive $265,000 apiece in new tax cuts, on average, on top of the $129,000 they would receive from the Ryan budget’s extension of President Bush’s tax cuts.” [Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/27/12; see also Tax Policy Center, Table T12-0078 and T10-0132; H Con Res 112, Vote #151, 3/29/12]

2012: Congressman Bilbray Voted to Slash Medicare, Give Tax Breaks for Millionaires, Encourage Companies to Ship Jobs Overseas. On March 29, 2012, Congressman Bilbray supported a budget that would end Medicare’s guaranteed benefit, protects $40 billion in tax breaks for big oil, provides people earning more than $1 million a year with an average tax cut of $394,000, and provides incentives for corporations to shift profits and jobs overseas. [H Con Res 112, Vote #151, 3/29/12; New York Times Editorial, 3/20/12; Center for American Progress, 3/20/12; Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/12/12; Tax Policy Center, Table T12-0078 and T10-0132; Citizens for Tax Justice,3/22/12]


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