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ICYMI: Extreme House Freedom Caucus Agenda Would Gut Medicare and Hurt Seniors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 23, 2023
PRESS CONTACT: [email protected]

ICYMI: EXTREME HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS AGENDA WOULD GUT MEDICARE AND HURT SENIORS

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Earlier this month, Congressional Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus released an extreme budget proposal that threatens essential programs like Medicare, worsens wait times for Medicare and Social Security benefits, and cuts food assistance and housing support. Republicans in Congress want to give the ultra wealthy and big corporations massive tax breaks – and pay for it by making cuts to services that seniors rely on.

“Millions of seniors have paid into Medicare and Social Security for their entire lives. They’ve earned these benefits, and deserve to have them protected,” said Building Back Together spokesperson McKenzie Wilson. “Attacks on this sacred promise by Republicans in Congress should be treated as what they are: wage theft from the American people. Anyone willing to put our seniors’ retirement security on the line to give tax breaks to the ultra rich and big corporations should be ashamed.”

The House Freedom Caucus agenda hurts seniors by:

  • Making massive cuts to Medicare – Republicans in Congress want to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation that saves Medicare recipients money by capping the cost of prescription drugs, including insulin, negotiating down the cost of prescriptions, and making recommended vaccines free for 3.4 million seniors.
  • Worsening wait times for Medicare and Social Security – The MAGA plan would force seniors to wait an additional two months to receive a decision on disability benefits, and would force an estimated 240 Social Security field offices to close, making it harder for seniors to get service.
  • Cutting healthy meal programs – More than 1 million seniors would lose access to nutrition services like Meals on Wheels under this MAGA proposal.
  • Eliminating housing assistance – Republicans in Congress want to eliminate funding for Housing Choice Vouchers for as many as 100,000 households headed by seniors, putting these families at greater risk of homelessness.

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