Ellmers: Why her Medicare vote is different from Etheridge

During last fall's campaign Republican congressional Rene Ellmers hammered Democratic Congressman Bob Etheridge for voting to cut Medicare.

But now she is in Congress, Ellmers seems poised to vote for a Republican plan that will end Medicare for people under 55, turning it essentially into a voucher plan.

During the campaign, Ellmers ran a TV ad, that attacked Etheridge for backing the Democrats' health care plan, which makes some future cuts in Medicare.

“Should Congress have cut Medicare a half trillion dollars – to pay for Obama-care?'' said one Ellmers ad. “Renee Ellmers says no. She says Cutting Medicare hurts senior citizens. Bob Etheridge voted yes. He voted with President Obama and cut Medicare half a trillion dollars. As long as Obama's in the White House, we can't let a Democrat represent us in Congress.”

The House is scheduled to vote Friday on a Republican plan that essentially end Medicare for people under 55, converting it a “premium support” system in which participants would choose among private plans and the government would pay the first $15,000 in premiums.

Ellmers said there were major distinctions between what she was supporting and what Etheridge voted for.

“President Obama and Washington Democrats took a half a trillion dollars from Medicare and used it to fund Obamacare,” Ellmers said in a statement.

“The Path to Propserity (The Republican Plan) takes it back and uses it to strengthen Medicare,” Ellmers said. “This budget does not cut Medicare funding. It makes no changes to Medicare for anyone 55 or older. For those 54 or younger it offers options to plans like those that are currently available to those in Congress and other federal employes, resulting in savings to turn a currently unsustainable program into one that will be there for future generations.”