Vangie Williams Statement on the GOP Call to Cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security
Date: October 19, 2018
Contact: Sheri Shannon, [email protected]
Fredericksburg, Va. – Democratic candidate Vangie Williams (VA-01) released the following statement regarding Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Kentucky) call to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security:
“Faced with the reality of a return to a $1 trillion deficit as a result of reckless spending and a tax cut that benefited major corporations, Senator McConnell suggested cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security – or ‘entitlements’ as he calls them – to make up the balance.
“Let me be very clear – Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are not entitlements. They are benefits we’ve already paid for out of every paycheck. And we have members of Congress who are electing not to pay for them.
“Hardworking Americans pay into these systems and many depend on them now. Irresponsibility isn’t a bipartisan issue right now. McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan have had two years to balance the budget, but instead led us toward another $1 trillion deficit.
“Enough is enough. Using the debt as an excuse to cut these programs in the name of ‘balancing the budget’ is a joke.
“It was the irresponsible tax cuts that the Republican Party pushed through without bipartisan support, and in contrast to what the American people actually wanted, that landed us here. And Rep. Rob Wittman played a role in making this happen.
“Wittman voted for the massive tax cuts that primarily benefited the wealthy, but offered very little for the 99 percent. He chose to help his cronies in Washington instead of making those at the top from paying their fair share of taxes.
“I’d ask Wittman to take a stand for seniors, but each year his rating with the Alliance for Retired Americans gets worse. His rating for 2017 is a 0.0 percent and his lifetime rating is down to 11 percent. He’s voted against protecting Medicare and Social Security four times and he’s voted against the Affordable Care Act 70 times, even though it included critical funding protection for Medicare.
“Instead of being a real leader and standing up for the people of Virginia’s 1st Congressional District and the country at-large, Wittman is acting like a shill for his party. Rubber Stamp Rob continues to vote against the interests of his own constituents and in favor of corporate interests and whatever his party wants. We won’t be able sustain Medicare at the current rate we’re going, and that’s the height of irresponsibility.
“As your representative, I will fight to protect what you’ve earned and hold Republicans accountable for runaway spending and reckless tax cuts for corporations. I am running for Congress to represent all Americans, not just the super wealthy.”
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