NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
For Immediate Release: November 13, 2011
Contact: Brannon Jordan, (850) 222-3411

 IN LIGHT OF AARP POLL, ‘WHICH MITT’ WILL FLORIDIANS SEE ON MONDAY?

Tallahassee, FL – In light of the new AARP poll showing that even Republican voters in Florida oppose GOP plans to cut Medicare and Social Security, we wonder ‘Which Mitt’ will Floridians see on Monday? The Mitt Romney that is trying to paint himself as the Social Security savoir of the Republican Party or the Mitt Romney that is calling for ending Medicare as Floridians know it.

ROMNEY’S PLAN – LIKE THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN BUDGET – PRIVATIZES MEDICARE

Romney’s Plan “By Turning The Federal Role In Seniors’ Health Care Into A Voucher – Or Premium Support” Romney’s Plan Could “Shift Costs From Taxpayers To Seniors.” “But by turning the federal role in seniors’ health care into a voucher – or premium support – Mr. Romney would give the government considerably more latitude to lower its costs. A Congressional Budget Office analysis of the Ryan plan suggested that a voucher system would shift costs from the taxpayers to seniors, as the rising cost of health care outstrips the value of the voucher.” [Wall Street Journal, 11/4/11<http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/11/04/romney-proposes-to-privatize-medicare/?mod=google_news_blog>]

• Headline: “Romney’s Plan Would Fundamentally Change Medicare.” [Kaiser Health News, 11/8/11< http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2011/November/09/Romney-Plan-Would-Fundamentally-Change-Medicare.aspx>]
• Kaiser Health: Romney’s Program Would Move Medicare Into A Voucher System From A “Defined Benefit Program That Pays A Share Of All Medical Bills A Senior Incurs.” “The GOP presidential candidate’s ‘premium support’ plan would provide a set amount of money to beneficiaries, allowing them to shop around for health coverage. Romney has promised that beneficiaries who like the current fee-for-serviceMedicare plan can opt for that instead of purchasing private insurance. But by giving beneficiaries a fixed amount of money to buy that government coverage, it is clear that Romney’s plan would move Medicare from a ‘defined benefit’ program that pays a share of all medical bills a senior incurs.” [Kaiser Health News, 11/8/11< http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2011/November/09/Romney-Plan-Would-Fundamentally-Change-Medicare.aspx>]

Ryan’s Plan For Medicare Would Give Seniors A Voucher To Purchase Health Care. “Under Ryan’s proposal, seniors and others on Medicare would begin receiving a set amount of money, starting in 2022, to offset the cost of buying a private insurance plan that would replace the federal government’s Medicare plan. Wealthier and healthier seniors would receive less, while poorer and sickerbeneficiaries would get more. This voucher system – or ‘premium support,’ asRyan calls it – would give the typical 65-year-old American $8,000 annually to buy a health plan, about the same amount of money that analysts expect the Medicare program would spend on that senior in 2022 under the current program.” [Los Angeles Times, 4/7/11<http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/07/nation/la-na-gop-budget-20110408>]

• WSJ: “The [GOP Budget] Plan 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<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703806304576240751124518520.html>]

• The GOP Budget Would Force Seniors To Pay Twice As Much. The Republican budget would end the traditional Medicareprogram for those 55 and under and essentially convert it into a voucher program. The budget forces seniors into a more expensive private plan. In 2022, a typical 65-year-old would have to pay $6,400 more in health care expenses, or twice the amount they would under the current system. [LA Times, 4/7/11<http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/07/nation/la-na-gop-budget-20110408>]

ROMNEY’S PLAN AND THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN PLAN WOULD RAISE THE ELIGIBILITY AGE FOR MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY

Romney’s Medicare Plan Would “Gradually Raise The Retirement Age To Reflect Increases In Longevity.” [Romney Fiscal Spending Plan, 11/4/11<http://mittromney.com/blogs/mitts-view/2011/11/romney-presents-plan-turn-around-federal-government>]

Rep. Ryan Would Raise The Age Of Eligibility For Medicare And Social Security To Around 70. “Under the Roadmap, federal Medicare and Medicaid spending would peak at 6.7% of the economy in 2035 and then begin falling. Under current policy, today’s figure of 5.3% would nearly double to 10.0% over the same period, continuing to rise therafter. Ryan would achieve these savings by taking Americans currently under 55 out of Medicare and instead give them vouchers to buy private insurance in retirement. The value of these vouchers would grow more slowly than medical inflation. Additionally,Ryan would introduce means testing and gradually raise the retirement age to69. Medicaid would undergo a similar reform. Social Security would not see short-term savings, partly because the Roadmap introduces individual accounts that raise the near-term cost of providing benefits. Like Medicare, Social Security would also undergo means testing and a rise in the retirement age (to 70) which would produce long term savings.” [Real Clear Markets, 2/16/10<http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2010/02/16/rep_ryans_economic_road_map_is_a_good_start_98347.html>]

ROMNEY SUPPORTED USING SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST FUND FOR PRIVATE ACCOUNTS

Romney Touted President Bush’s Plan To Privatize Social Security Saying “That Works.” At the republican debate, Mitt Romney said: “Number two, the president said let’s have private accounts and take that surplus money that’s being gathered now in Social Security and put that into private accounts. That works.” [Fox News Republican Presidential Debate, 10/21/07<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/21/us/politics/21debate-transcript.html?pagewanted=15>]

Romney Praised Private Accounts For Social Security Recipients Calling Them “A Big Plus.” “Republican Mitt Romney yesterday praised the notion of personal accounts for Social Security recipients, a key aspect of the Social Security reform plan of President Bush that never made it out of Congress. Romney said it would be a good idea to use the Social Security trust fund to allow personal accounts, which could earn higher rates of return for beneficiaries. ‘Personal accounts would be a big plus,’ Romney said at the New Hampshire Institute of Art yesterday afternoon.” [Union Leader, 6/7/07]

Romney Said Americans Investing Their Retirement In The Stock Market Was”A Good Idea.” “One thing that the president proposed [on Social Security] that is a good idea is to take some of that money, or all of that surplus money and allow people to have a personal account. So they caninvest in things that have a higher rate of return than just government debt. They can invest in things like our stock market or the world’s stock market or whatever so that they can get a better return, and maybe that would make up for some of the shortfall. That’s a good idea.” [Romney Town Hall, 6/6/07<http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5778702045016883195&hl=en>]

Romney Said Of Social Security: “You Call It Privatization. I Call It A Private Account.” “One, to raise taxes on people, which I don’t want to do and the other is to allow some portion of people’s money that they’re now having taken out of their salaries to be invested in Social Security. Have some of that be allowed by them to be invested in…” Audience Member: “That’s privatization.” Romney: “You call it privatization. I call it a private account.” [Romney Town Hall, Madison, Iowa 10/26/07<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOefv1WWdXY&feature=player_embedded>]

Romney Touted Private Social Security Accounts Adding “I Also Like The Fact The Individual Retirement Accounts Would Encourage More Americans To Invest In The Private Sector That Powers Our Economy.”  “Individual retirement accounts offer a fourth option, one that would allow today’s wage earners to direct a portion of their Social Security tax to a private account rather than go entirely to pay the benefits of current retirees, as is the case today… Owners of these individual accounts would invest in a combination of stocks and bonds and – presuming these investments paid a higher rate of return than new treasuries – the return on these investments would boost the payments to seniors. I also like the fact the individual retirement accounts would encourage more Americans to invest in the private sector that powers our economy.” [Romney, No Apology, Pg. 160]

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