Aug 16, 2012
Washington Has Changed Congressman Bill Young
After many years of honorable service, Congressman Bill Young (FL-13) has been in Congress too long and has grown out of touch with middle class families and seniors in Florida. Congressman Bill Young enters the general election as a vulnerable incumbent who will be forced to defend his votes to end Medicare and force seniors to pay more for health care while protecting tax breaks for millionaires, special interests and corporations that ship jobs overseas.
Congressman Bill Young is Wrong for Seniors, Women and Middle Class Families. In addition to voting to raid the Social Security trust fund, Congressman Bill Young voted to end Medicare and raise health care costs by $6,400 for Florida seniors while giving people earning at least $1 million a year a $265,000 tax cut. Congressman Bill Young is not watching out for the women in our community and has voted repeatedly against a woman's right to make her own personal medical decisions.
Congressman Young Voted for Budgets With the Wrong Priorities. Congressman Young voted for two budgets authored by Congressman Paul Ryan. These budgets would end Medicare’s guaranteed benefit while providing people earning more than $1 million a year with an average tax cut of $265,000. Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office estimated it will increase health care costs by an extra $6,359 by 2022 for future Medicare beneficiaries, while the Center for American progress has claimed that it is likely that that a middle-class family with two kids making about $70,000 a year would pay about $1,150 more in income tax. [H Con. Res. 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11; H Con Res 112, Vote #151, 3/29/12; Center for American Progress, 3/20/12; Center for American Progress, 3/20/12; Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/27/12; Tax Policy Center, Table T12-0078 and T10-0132; Citizens for Tax Justice, 3/22/12; CBO, 4/5/11; CNN, 3/23/12]
Congressman Young Voted to Restrict Women’s Reproductive Health Care. In 2011, Young voted to allow hospitals to deny lifesaving health care to women and restrict a woman’s ability to use her own private insurance for health care. The bill barred insurance plans that receive federal subsidies, or if any of its customers receive federal subsidies under the new healthcare law, from covering abortion. The bill also increased conscience protections for health care providers who are anti-abortion. [The Virginian-Pilot, 10/14/11; Huffington Post, 10/11/11; HR 358, Vote #789, 10/13/11]
In 2005, Young Voted to Raid $1.1 Trillion from the Social Security Trust Fund. In 2005, Young voted in favor of a budget conference report that spent $1.1 trillion of the Social Security Trust Fund over five years to pay for other government spending. According to Congressional Quarterly, “the budget deficits in the conference agreement are produced, however, only by using surpluses in the Social Security trust fund.” [CQ House Action Reports, “The Budget Agreement,” 4/28/05; HCR95, Vote #149, 4/28/05]
Congressman Young Has Been in Washington Too Long. Since joining Congress in 1971, Congressman Young has accepted $131,500 in pay raises while the national debt has increased almost $16 trillion under Young’s watch.
Young has Accepted $131,500 in Pay Raises. In 1971, Young earned a $42,500 Congressional salary. As of 2012, Young’s Congressional salary has increased $131,500 to $174,000. [Congressional Research Service, 2/01/12]
Debt Limit Has Increased Almost $16 Trillion Since 1971. When Young took office in 1971, the debt limit was $430 billion. In January 2012, the debt limit rose to $16.4 trillion. [Financial Times, 8/01/11; New York Times, 5/16/12]
Congressman Young is Out of Touch With Floridians. While Florida middle class families and seniors are struggling in this economy, Bill Young told a constituent to “get a job” when asked about raising the minimum wage. The Tampa Bay Times called him the “Loser of the Week” in Florida politics since his comments “came across as insensitive in a tough economy.”
Asked About Support for Minimum Wage Increase, Young Said to “Get a Job.” “The man told Young that U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is passing around a bill to increase the minimum wage to $10 an hour. Would Young support that, he asked. ‘Probably not,’ Young says on the video. The man countered: ‘It’s 10 bucks an hour. It would give us a living wage.’ Young countered, ‘How about getting a job. Why do you want that benefit? Get a job.” [Tampa Bay Times, 7/07/12]
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