Menendez Vows to Fight for Seniors, Medicare at Thorofare Town Hall

The regular seniors’ meal at Thorofare Fire Hall had the usual staples of beans and corn and bread Monday, but there was a side of politics and federal budgets, as Sen. Robert Menendez dropped in to talk Medicare with a few dozen locals.

In the impromptu town hall, Menendez argued House Republicans are trying to end Medicare as current seniors know it, and vowed to wage the battles in the Senate needed to preserve the program.

“It’s paid for on the backs of seniors,” the senator said. “It’s unacceptable when there are other options.”

Menendez quoted a flurry of statistics from the Government Accountability Office, referencing billions of dollars in extra prescription costs for seniors under the House’s plan, and said the hits in New Jersey would be worse than average, with an $80 million rise next year in prescription drug costs, among other costs.

“It puts seniors at risk,” he said.

That risk was immediate and personal for those gathered to listen at their lunch.

Richard Dyal, 69, of Woodbury, rattled off a list of specialists he sees regularly, thanks to a heart condition.

“I can’t afford private insurance,” he said.

And given his heart condition, cuts in prescription drug coverage would hit even harder.

“I take 12 pills every morning, and the doctor tells me, ‘You’re in pretty good shape,’” Dyal said.

Menendez spoke of the personal effects cuts can have, and described his mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s late in life.

“Medicare was…her health care security in those twilight years,” he said.

Assemblywoman Celeste Riley, who has weathered recent battles at the state level about rising health care costs, echoed the idea of needing to provide security for health care.

“There are too many lives involved–we cannot fix government, our debt, on the backs of seniors,” she said.

Rather than slashing Medicare and the degree of security it gives seniors, Menendez said, the government should consider finding savings elsewhere, like wiping out tax breaks for the five biggest oil companies in the country, which, combined, should see profits of about $144 billion this year.

“I think the last thing they need is $21 billion in tax breaks,” the senator said.

Menendez also pointed to a need to pull back from Iraq and Afghanistan, which have had staggeringly high costs, into the trillions.

Fred Axelrod of Runnemede, another senior at the lunch, questioned why the country continues to send foreign aid, instead of looking toward home. He also raised concerns about past raids on Social Security, which Axelrod said left him concerned about whether he’ll continue to see the benefits he paid into all his life.

“Why should we suffer because they’re spending money like crazy?” he said.

Menendez said he and other Democrats will do what it takes–including filibustering the budget resolution–to preserve Medicare, and exhorted seniors to take the concerns to New Jersey’s House members.

His West Deptford stop is one of dozens planned around the state, specifically to get seniors involved.

“Generating local knowledge and reactions is important,” Menendez said.

Riley said the senator’s South Jersey stop is indicative of exactly how important the issue is, and how important it is to keep people informed.

“I truly believe everyone deserves to have quality health care available to them, and access to it,” Riley said. “It’s like having the right to an education anymore–you should have the right to good health care.”