U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers joined 40 other freshmen Republican today in urging President Barack Obama to take the politics out of discussions about Medicare reform and other entitlement programs.
“We ask you to stand above partisanship,” the letter read.
Ellmers, of Dunn, focused on entitlement reform during many of her town hall meetings during the recent congressional recess, holding PowerPoint presentations about the proposed Medicare changes in the Republican 2012 budget proposal for people now under 55 years old.
Today’s letter was organized by U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois.
The letter says that Obama recognized the Republican Medicare reform as a “serious proposal,” but that Democrats are demonizing the idea. The letter asks Obama to condemn the Democrats’ attacks and work with the GOP on cutting entitlement spending.
“As the freshman class, we have the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and fulfill the mandate set by the people to strengthen our country for future generations – not continue the petty politics we have seen in the past, which only creates an environment of stalemate,” the authors wrote.
“As new members of Congress, we are committed to having a fact-based discussion immediately,” the letter says.
Some of the House GOP freshmen are scheduled to talk with reporters Wednesday morning about the letter. Ellmers, though, has a scheduling conflict and won’t be on the call, according to her office.
Read the full letter here.
Comments
Seriously N&O
May 10, 2011 - 2:54pm — gregishereEllmers voted to end Medicare as is and replace it with a program that basically says, here's a subsidy go buy your own insurance. Because old people are, well, old, that means that no seniors would be spending a lot of their own money buying insurance... which actually means that a lot of sick people wouldn't have health insurance, which really means that old people would just become indigent patients and the costs would be passed on. The right-wingers are trying to hide the fact they almost every Republican voted to end Medicare. That was not only politically stupid, but it was fiscally stupid. Republicans were doing the bidding of their Ideological masters -- which somehow says that we can't spend money on things -- other than defense and rich people. Republicans are just afraid that -- OMG -- a poor person somewhere just might be okay using "their" money.
N&O, do your homework. I have no idea who this person is that wrote this post, but facts don't have points of view. Ellmers can say she does or doesn't want medicare (she voted to say she doesn't) but she can't have it both ways or say that somehow the president isn't serious about reigning in health are costs. The CBO numbers show this -- Ryan's budget is a fraud -- N&O, just do an internet search and find out. In fact, without the savings from basically making indigent old folks pay for their health care -- the budget is TRILLIONs out of balance -- why? because Ryan is just another snake oils salesman doing the bidding of the wealthy elite -- many of whom just don't want to pay for anything. They all need to read their adam smith.