July 23rd, 2009, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today called upon seven House Democrats that signed a Blue Dog Democrat coalition letter against proposed government-run socialized medicine legislation to “stand up for seniors and Baby Boomers whose health coverage will be put at risk under the cruel Obama plan to cut Medicare to pay for his welfare program.”
House Democrats have claimed that their proposal will cut the growth of Medicare spending by $500 billion over ten years. At Wednesday night’s news conference, Barack Obama elaborated on his plans to cut Medicare to pay for his overall plan by allowing an “independent group of doctors and medical experts” to determine how to cut the program tens of millions of seniors now depend on for medical care.
“What every single member of Congress needs to do is go home to their districts and tell those 65 years old and older, and those who soon will be, that the plan is take their health care away to pay for somebody else’s,” said Wilson. “And that’s especially so for those Blue Dogs on Energy and Commerce who are being told by Nancy Pelosi and Henry Waxman to vote for the Medicare rationing board.”
Today, a markup session of the House Energy and Commerce committee was again canceled because of opposition to the legislation by Blue Dog Democrats on the committee. The committee also canceled a markup session on Tuesday for the same reason.
“Henry Waxman doesn’t have the votes yet on the committee,” Wilson explained.
The committee is expected to meet again tomorrow to consider the proposal by the Obama Administration that, according to Politico, will “empower an outside body, like the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, to make binding recommendation for cost cuts in government-run health care programs.”
Wilson said it is “not surprising” that according to James Carville’s Democracy Corps polls, a full 54 percent of seniors now oppose the Obama nationalized health care plan. According to the poll conducted last month, 41 percent of seniors strongly oppose the Obama plan and only 14 percent strongly favor it.
“Senior citizens and Baby Boomers have figured out for themselves what the Obama plan is really all about—the government-imposed rationing of health care,” said Wilson. “And they know what that means for those who are no longer considered ‘productive citizens.”
“As government health care under the Obama plan becomes more and more expensive and less and less available, are seniors going to be consigned to ‘Soylent Green Rationing Rooms’ where government technocrats insert the euthanasia needles?” Wilson asked.
“Seniors have some serious questions—and someone needs to answer them now,” Wilson said.
On Tuesday, Barack Obama lobbied lawmakers on the Energy and Commerce committee to support what Wilson termed a “sick and twisted rationing board to help government reduce life expectancy to reduce medical costs paid on behalf of the elderly.”
“The seven Blue Dogs on the House Energy and Commerce committee need not only be concerned about the unsustainable entitlement they will be creating with the so-called public ‘option’ but that they risk alienating Baby Boomers and senior citizens in their home districts,” said Wilson.
According to The Hill, Congressman Ross, the Chairman of the Blue Dog Health Care Task Force, claims to have 10 House members on Energy and Commerce committee that can block the bill.
“Last time I checked, it took seven Democrats to stop a bill in Energy and Commerce,” Ross said.
Wilson believes that the pressure on the House Blue Dog Democrats will be overwhelming. “Telling seniors that their care is going to be cut to pay for a foolish, unsustainable welfare program is an outright insult to the generation that defended this nation, brought about the fall of communism, and built America,” Wilson concluded.
Interview Availability: Please contact Alex Rosenwald at (703)383-0880 or at arosenwald@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.
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