NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
For Immediate Release: October 12, 2011
Contact: Brannon Jordan, (850) 222-3411

George LeMieux Ramps Up Assault On Social Security, Florida’s Seniors and Middle Class
After Pledging To Support The Extreme Republican Plan To End Medicare, George LeMieux Unveils New Plan To Destroy Social Security And Give New Handouts To Big Oil, The Rich and Wall Street Banks

Tallahassee, FL – Just months after announcing his support for the extreme Republican plan to end Medicare, George LeMieux unveiled his own dangerous prescription to balance our nation’s budget – raise the retirement age for millions of Floridians facing retirement and make even deeper cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Veterans benefits for those who already receive them.  Worse still, it makes all of these changes while still giving taxpayer funded handouts to the Big Oil companies, the rich and Wall Street.
 
“Florida Republican Senate candidates keep ramping up their full-on assault on Social Security, Medicare and the Floridians who are counting on the benefits theyhave spent decades paying for,” said Brannon Jordan, communications director for the Florida Democratic Party.  “It’s bad enough each Florida Republican has vowed to force cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Veterans benefits in order to preserve big tax breaks for the rich and special interests. George LeMieux’s new plan is the worst of all potentially forcing millions of Floridians to delay their retirement until they are nearly 70 years old, all while allowing Big Oil companies to endanger Florida beaches and giving millionaires big tax breaks.”
 
George LeMieux released a new budget proposal today that makes the extreme Republican budget plan to end Medicare look like childs play. According to the OrlandoSentinel, LeMieux’s plan raises the retirement age to 69 and would force many Floridians who have been paying into the system for decades to put off retirement until they are nearly 70 years old.
 
LeMieux’s extreme proposal would also let Big Oil companies endanger Florida beaches and tourism by allowing them companies to drill off Florida shores.
 
Big Oil isn’t the only special interest group that would reap the rewards of LeMieux’s assault on Florida seniors.  His proposal would repeal rules that protect consumers from excessive bank fees and even give taxpayer handouts to Wall Street banks.
 
“George LeMieux’s extreme proposal doesn’t just hurt Florida seniors — it gives big taxpayer funded gifts to special interests at the expense of every Floridian who is counting on Social Security to retire. Middle-class Floridians don’t need George LeMieux or his bankrupt priorities in Washington, D.C.,” added Jordan.
 
Background:
 
LeMieux Released Plan to Raise the Retirement Age, Give Control Back to Wall Street, and Allow Drilling off Florida’s Coasts. Today, LeMieux released a policy plan, dubbed the “Four Freedoms Plan,” that would repeal the Dodd-Frank law to crack down on Wall Street, require passing a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget, raise the retirement age to 69, and allow oil drilling 100 miles from Florida and in Alaska. [Orlando Sentinel, 10/12/11]
 
Previously, LeMieux Said He Would Have Voted Yes For Ryan Plan. In June, 2011 LeMieux told The Buzz that while he prefers his ‘2007 plan,’ he would have voted in favor of the Ryan budget plan. LeMieux said: “Look, if I were in the senate last week when they voted on this thing, having the choice between doing nothing and letting Medicare fail in the next 10 years I would have voted for the proposal.  We’re not going to save this country from financial disaster unless people start entertaining serious proposals” [The Buzz, St. Petersburg Times, 6/1/11]
 
Previously, LeMieux Signed Cut, Cap, and Kill Medicare Pledge That Will Force Deep Cuts to Social Security and Medicare. LeMieux signed a radical Cut, Cap, and Kill Medicare budget pledge. “The measure does not cut Social Security or Medicare in 2012.  And it does not subject them to automatic cuts if its global spending caps are missed.  It is inconceivable, however, that policymakers would meet the bill’s severe annual spending caps through automatic across-the board cuts year after year; if they did, key government functions would be crippled. Policymakers would have little alternative but to institute deep cuts in specific programs. […] Reaching and maintaining a balanced budget in the decade ahead while barring any tax increases would necessitate deep cuts in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.”  [Cut Cap Balance Act.com signers, accessed 7/19/2011; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 7/16/11]

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