Social Security, Medicare Preservation Group Endorses Kuster [VIDEO]

The Political Action Committee of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare endorsed Democrat  on July 31 in her race to unseat U.S. Rep. , R-NH, for the Second Congressional District. 

Phillip Rotondi, a representative of the organization, said the group was bipartisan and made up of millions of Americans who want the entitlement programs preserved and strengthened, not cut, changed, privatized, or used for deficit reduction. He stated that Social Security currently had a surplus of $2.5 trillion and current seniors had paid into the program with the promise that their benefits would be a safety net in retirement.

“Before Medicare, 50 percent of seniors did not have health insurance and 35 percent lived in poverty,” he said. “Today, nearly 50 million Americans, 41 million who are 65 or above, have earned the right to this guaranteed healthcare benefit program, regardless of their medical condition or income.”

Rotondi said more than 50 percent of Medicare beneficiaries earn less than $22,500 in income and have less than $53,000 in savings. In New Hampshire, more than 208,000 people received the benefit, receiving about $9,000. The state receives about $1.9 billion from the program, he said.

One of the reasons the group was endorsing Kuster is that Bass, Rotondi said, was an open supporter of the Rep. Paul Ryan budget. Rotondi claimed that Ryan’s plan would “take Medicare in the wrong direction” and would end traditional Medicare, “by privatizing Medicare for the benefit of insurance companies, by making it harder for seniors to choose their own doctors, by cutting prescription drug coverage and free preventative services.” The plan also increases age eligibility to 67, he said.

“That’s why I came up here today to endorse Annie,” he said. “Annie will take to Washington exactly the kind of commonsense leadership needed to protect American families.”

Kuster thanked the organization for the endorsement. She said that she had heard from seniors for many years that had worked hard to pay into the system. Kuster said the seniors “aren’t looking for a handout … what they are looking for are leaders who will protect the benefits that they’ve spent their entire lives earning and paying for.”

Kuster said the issue wasn’t about plans or policies but the choices being made by leaders. She chastised Bass and other House Republicans for approving “a radical budget” that would end the Medicare guarantee, force seniors to take a voucher, and spend money on private insurance.

“And why would Republicans make these deep cuts to Medicare?,” Kuster asked. “So they can give massive tax breaks to millionaires, big oil, and companies that ship jobs overseas.”

Kuster called for “a shared sacrifice” when it came to cutting the deficit and debt. She said she would support ending wasteful spending, saying it was, “the New Hampshire way.” But Kuster said she would vote for any proposal that cuts spending but protects priorities.

“We can’t send the same people, with the same ideas, with the same approach, back to Washington, and somehow expect a different outcome,” she said. “We need a new approach in Washington that is focused on commonsense, bi-partisan solutions that will protect seniors and the middle-class.”

During the question and answer period, Rotondi was asked if the organization had endorsed any Republicans the 2012 election cycle. He said "No," but added that in the past, the group had endorsed Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, two U.S. Senators from Maine. When asked if his organization would support implementing the Social Security tax on incomes above the current cap of around $108,000, he said the org hadn’t come up with a specific position on removing the cap but thought it would be supported.

Kuster was asked what the tax rate should be for people earning more than $250,000, or even millionaires, but she wouldn't come up with a specific tax rate figure. She repeated that she didn’t support tax breaks for companies shipping jobs overseas and said any rate changes would need to be part of a tax reform package.