Apr 19, 2012
Republican Leaders Pushing an End to Medicare and Social Security Back Maggie Brooks
Maggie Brooks, the Republican candidate in NY-25, is being rewarded today by Washington Republicans who are determined to end Medicare and privatize Social Security. Brooks is being inducted into the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Young Guns program designed to bolster the candidates who share Washington Republicans’ values and agenda. Republicans voted for a plan to end Medicare and raise health care costs for seniors while protecting taxpayer giveaways to Big Oil companies and tax breaks for millionaires in their budget. More recently, NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions introduced a controversial plan to end Social Security as we know it.
“While Maggie Brooks refuses to tell voters where she stands on anything, if Republicans in Washington who are pushing to end Medicare and privatize Social Security are putting Brooks on their list of favorite Republicans, it tells us all we need to know,” said Josh Schwerin of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Republicans who are determined to make seniors sacrifice while protecting Big Oil companies and billionaires seem to think that Maggie Brooks will fit right in. If you want a candidate who thinks the priority is to end Medicare and privatize Social Security, then Brooks is probably your candidate.”
Background
Brooks Named a “Young Gun.” Maggie Brooks has been named to the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Young Guns program. [Capital Tonight, 4/19/12]
Brooks Said It’s Too Early to Discuss Issues. Brooks told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle that it was premature for her “to be pinned down on issues.” [Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 3/20/12]
Brooks Won’t Take a Stand on The Issues. On March 29, 2012, Messenger Post columnist Benjamin Wachs wrote: “Now that Maggie Brooks is running for Congress, you can expect a lot of people to talk about her record. So far she isn’t one of them. Whenever asked, Maggie has said that she and her campaign aren’t ready to talk about issues yet.” [Messenger Post, 3/29/12]
House Republicans Propose Social Security Opt-Out. “House Republicans on Friday introduced legislation that would allow workers to partially opt out of Social Security immediately, and fully opt out after 15 years.” The measure was introduced by NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (TX-32) and Republican Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling (TX-05) among others. [The Hill, 6/6/11]
Dallas Morning News: Dow’s fall shows peril of changing Social Security. “The stock market fell again Friday, marking a six-week slump. That’s bad news for investors — and bad timing for Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions and others who want to transform Social Security by creating investment accounts for workers. Sessions, who runs the Republican congressional campaign effort, has been pushing as long as he’s been in the House to partly privatize Social Security. […] Indeed, after President George W. Bush’s failed push for a similar plan early in his second term, most Republicans backed away from the idea.” [Dallas Morning News, 6/12/11]
House Republicans Voted to End Medicare, Protect Millionaires and Big Oil. On March 29, 2012, House Republicans supported a budget that would end Medicare’s guaranteed benefit, protects $40 billion in tax breaks for big oil, and provides people earning more than $1 million a year with an average tax cut of $394,000. [H Con Res 112, Vote #151, 3/29/12; New York Times Editorial, 3/20/12; Center for American Progress, 3/20/12; Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/27/12; see also: Tax Policy Center, Table T12-0078 and T10-0132]
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