Dr. Richard Carmona responds to Congressman Flake’s call to cut Medicare

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Press release from the Dr. Richard Carmona for U.S. Senate campaign:

Congressman Jeff Flake was in Tucson recently defending his plan to slash Medicare and other benefits. Flake would turn Medicare into a voucher system, raising out-of-pocket health care costs on the average Arizona senior by $6,400 a year. Flake has also previously voted against veterans' benefits and would privatize Social Security. 

According to the Arizona Daily Star, Flake said he wanted to cut "entitlement programs, in particular Medicare." 

In response, Dr. Richard Carmona released the following statement:

"Medicare and Social Security aren't entitlements, they're investments. We work and pay into these programs for years on the promise that we'll see that money when we retire. For Congressman Flake to suggest that we should cut the deficit by slashing the return on our investments is absurd."

"I firmly oppose the across the board cuts that would come from the sequester, which are the result of Congress's failure to work together. But the answer to our deficit problem isn't slashing benefits for our seniors or veterans, as Congressman Flake would do. The answer is eliminating redundant programs, reorienting our military away from Cold War threats and fixing our health care system's broken business plan. There is a responsible way to reduce the deficit, but Congressman Flake's desire to cut benefits for our seniors and veterans isn't it — those are contracts that can't be broken."

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