Jun 21, 2011
Tea Party Says West Voted for “Public Policy Nightmare” For Florida Seniors
South Florida Tea Party Chairman Everett Wilkinson said that Representative Allen West (FL-22) and other Republicans backed a plan to end Medicare which is a “public policy nightmare” that could lead to “huge Democratic wins in 2012.” West voted for the Republican plan to end Medicare, while protecting subsidies for Big Oil and tax breaks for millionaires.
“Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Tea Party leaders and seniors all know that Representative Allen West voted to sell them out when he backed a plan to end Medicare,” said Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “West voted to deny Medicare to 470,000 people in his district who earned it and instead protected subsidies for Big Oil and tax breaks for millionaires. West’s vote would raise health care costs for seniors and even his most loyal followers now say it would be a nightmare.”
According to a new House Energy and Commerce Committee report, Representative Allen West’s (FL-22) plan to end Medicare and protect taxpayer giveaways for Big Oil companies will deny 470,000 constituents their Medicare, increase prescription drug costs for 14,200 seniors and raise out-of -pocket health care costs by more than $6,000 per year for 124,000 Americans.
BACKGROUND
South Florida Tea Party chief slams GOP Rep. Paul Ryan's Medicare plan. “But all three are now on record slamming Republican House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan's Medicare plan. Wilkinson broke with much of the tea party movement last week when he sent an email that calls the Ryan plan a "public policy nightmare" that could lead to "huge Democratic wins in 2012." [Palm Beach Post, 6/19/11]
West Voted for the 2012 Republican Budget Proposal. Representative Allen West voted to end Medicare by supporting the Republican budget. [H Con. Res. 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11]
Wall Street Journal: The House Republican Budget for 2012 Would “Essentially End Medicare.” “The plan would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills.” [Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11]
West’s Plan Would Increase Prescription Drug Costs for 14,200 Seniors in FL-22. According to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the House Republican budget would: increase prescription drug costs for 14,200 seniors currently on Medicare who enter the Part D donut hole in the district and eliminate preventive care benefits for 125,000 current Medicare beneficiaries in the district. [House Energy and Commerce Committee, 6/11]
Republican Budget Would Deny 470,000 Individuals Access to Medicare in FL-22. According to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the House Republican budget would: deny 470,000 individuals age 54 and younger in the district access to Medicare’s guaranteed benefit; increase the out-of-pocket costs of health coverage by over $6,000 per year in 2022 and by almost $12,000 per year in 2032; and require the 124,000 individuals in the district between the ages of 44 and 54 to save an average of $182,000 to $287,000 per individual – to pay for the increased cost of health coverage over their lifetimes. [House Energy and Commerce Committee, 6/11]
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