Politics & Government

The Super-Committee Clock is Ticking; Medicare and Defense Spending on the Chopping Block

With a Nov. 23 deadline looming, Congress' super-committee looks to reduce deficits by at least $1.2 trillion over a decade; local Congresswoman DeLauro addresses Medicare concerns among area seniors.

On Nov. 7, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro-D spoke before a packed house of who gathered to hear what she had to say about Medicare and possible cuts that the service could be subjected to in the near future. Will these seniors see changes to this social service if the Congressional super-committee could not trim the fat before their Nov. 23 deadline?

The 12-person, evenly split democrat-republican super-committee is in somewhat of a stalemate over the cuts with the democrats looking for more robust tax increases for the rich and the republicans looking to change what they call entitlement expenditures. Last week’s Christian Science Monitor article sums up the contentious debate with highlights and concerns.

Should the super-committee fail to find the $1.2 trillion, ABC.com reports “back-up plan cuts” of $109 billion would come from slashing defense spending. “Medicare would be cut by a maximum of two percent,” according to the report, “or about $11 billion in the fiscal year 2013 budget.” Fifty-five billion in yearly cuts, ABC reports, is unknown. They state that a report by the Federal Funds Information for States shows that some of these cuts could come from reducing public education and child welfare services.

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As the deadline looms, DeLauro took the opportunity to meet with area seniors at the in Branford to hear their concerns about the potential of losing Medicare or seeing it change as a result of the super-committee action or inaction.

DeLauro addressed the group with the support of Judy Stein, Director of the Connecticut-based Center for Medicare Advocacy.

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“You are the epitome of the American dream. You created the American dream for our generation,” said DeLauro. “Social security did not cause the deficits we have today.” She added, “We shouldn’t be threatening the programs that have been the backbone of the system.”

Commonly called entitlement, Stein told the group, “I call on you to never use the word entitlement to describe Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. Entitlement is the Bush tax cuts.”

Stein them presented a six-point solution to the super-committee’s deficit reduction challenge, which you can read about on the Center for Medicare Advocacy’s website.

In the attached photo gallery, you can read the questions seniors asked DeLauro and find how she responded.


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