Senator Rubio tells his views on Medicare through the story of his parents who were immigrants that relied on Medicare for healthcare:
Here
are some highlights:
“America needs Medicare. We need it to continue without any benefit reductions for those like my mother currently in the system. And we need it to survive for my generation and my children’s generation.
But Medicare is going bankrupt. Anyone who says it is not is simply lying. And anyone who is in favor of doing nothing to deal with this fact is in favor of bankrupting it. Medicare will go broke in as little as nine years. No one likes this news, but it is the undeniable truth. And the sooner we begin to deal with it, the better off we are all going to be.”
Rubio then tells America what type of Medicare legislation he will support:
“My goals are simple. First, I will not support any plan that changes Medicare for people like my mother who are currently on the plan. We cannot ask seniors to go out and get a job to pay for their healthcare.
Second, any solution must solve the problem. We need to save Medicare, not simply delay its bankruptcy.
And third, any solution cannot hurt economic growth. At a time of high unemployment, Americans cannot afford to pay more taxes.”
Coincidentally, that is the blueprint for Paul Ryan’s budget as it changes nothing whatsoever for anyone age 55 and older, then puts Seniors on the same healthcare system members of Congress enjoy, and raises the retirement age which reigns in the deficit. You may not agree with his plan, but it is the only one out there because the Democrats have failed to produce one. Rubio asks:
“Where is the House Democrat plan to save Medicare? Where is the Senate Democrat plan to save Medicare? Where is President Obama’s plan to save Medicare? They have no plan to save it, and they do not plan to offer one. They have decided that winning their next election is more important than saving Medicare for my mother and retirees like her.”
Who’s really pushing Granny off a cliff here? Rubio also said how “disgusted” he was by the reality that Washington has too many people who think their personal political careers are more important than our country’s future. This is exactly why Harry Reid informed Democrats it would be “foolish” to pass a budget – all Democrats care about is reelection. Paul Ryan could care less about reelection.
Ryan says if taking up Medicare reform causes him to lose his house, then so be it:
"Now is not that time to be worried about political careers. Sincerely, I will be fine if I lose my House seat because you know what? I will know I did what I thought was right to save this country from fiscal ruin."
Our nation’s fiscal restoration depends on leaders like Rubio and Ryan. If Democrats have it their way, Medicare won’t be the only thing that goes bankrupt.