DeLauro Tells Branford Seniors Solution to the “Fiscal Cliff” Can’t Be Cuts in Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid

Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid Cuts Would HarmThose in CT, Nationwide

NEW HAVEN, CT—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro(CT-3) met with Branford seniors today to discuss the "fiscal cliff"negotiations currently taking place in Congress and stress her opposition toSocial Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefit cuts. DeLauro was joinedby Judy Stein, Executive Director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, whichadvocates for and educates seniors and the disabled.

"Raising taxes on the middle class andslashing spending could derail our economic recovery," DeLaurosaid. "We need to come to a balanced agreement on deficit reduction thatfocuses on growing the economy, rebuilding the middle class, creating jobs andprotecting seniors. We should let the Bush tax cuts for the wealthyexpire and return to the Clinton-era rates, not slash into the benefits ofprograms like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid that millions of Americansrely on. That should be off the table.

"Unfortunately, many of the Republicansin Congress want to protect the wealthy from paying higher taxes while reducingbenefits to seniors under Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. This isunacceptable."

In the 1950s, more than 30 percent ofelderly Americans lived in poverty; thanks to Social Security that number isnow about ten percent. Two out of three seniors currently rely on SocialSecurity as their main source of monthly income, including three-quarters ofelderly women. In 2008 alone, 153,000 Connecticut residents were savedfrom living in poverty thanks to Social Security.

Before Medicare became law, only half ofAmericans over the age of 65 had health care coverage; now virtually alldo. One out of six Connecticut residents receives health insurancethrough Medicare, nine out of ten of whom are 65 or older. And millionsof Medicaid beneficiaries, including the 586,713 in Connecticut, use their coveragefor vital needs like long-term care, disability services and mental healthcare.

Stein said: "The Center for MedicareAdvocacy works to keep Medicare strong for current and future older anddisabled people. That means supporting Congresswoman DeLauro and other decision-makerswho believe in maintaining Medicare as a cost-effective public program, andrejecting unfair cost-shifting to beneficiaries and their families."

DeLauro is the senior Democrat on thesubcommittee responsible for funding the Health and Human Services Department,Social Security Administration and other agencies. She is a longtimesupporter of ensuring seniors are not pushed back in to poverty, as was sooften the case before the passage of Social Security. And DeLauro is aleading voice in Congress for ensuring Medicare and Medicaid meet the healthneeds of seniors and those struggling to get by.