For decades, Democrats have been the party fighting for seniors and retirees. Democratic presidents created both Medicare and Social Security, two cornerstones of American society that not only grant seniors financial and medical security but also the peace of mind to enjoy their golden years to the fullest.
Democrats believe that a dignified retirement is central to the American Dream and that Medicare and Social Security are the foundation of realizing that dream. In recent years, Democrats have beaten back Republican plans to privatize Social Security—plans that would have exposed the retirement funds of millions of American seniors to great risk on the eve of the financial crisis. Instead, no one lost a penny of Social Security.
When they chose not to come to the table and stop the sequester, Republicans in Congress declared tax breaks for rich were more important than jobs or education, health care or defense. Check out—and share—http://www.gopsequester.com/ to see how the the GOP sequester is hurting communities across the country.
When they chose not to come to the table and stop the sequester, Republicans in Congress declared tax breaks for rich were more important than jobs or education, health care or defense. Check out—and share—http://www.gopsequester.com/ to see how the the GOP sequester is hurting communities across the country.
If you ask supporters from Sioux City to Miami why they support President Obama, they'll tell you stories about their kids, their grandkids, their student loan debt. "2008 was historic; 2012 is personal" is more than a campaign catchphrase—it's a reality for so many folks like Jack, who stopped by a Gotta Vote event near his home in Coconut Creek, Florida, yesterday. This year really is personal.
Former Iowa Gov. Chet Culver stopped by a standing-room-only senior-to-senior phone bank in The Villages, Florida, this morning on the Gotta Vote bus tour. Florida is one of the key battleground states in this election, and the race remains close—but seniors here know who's fighting for them, and it's not the guy who's planning to end Medicare as we know it by turning it into a voucher program.
Former Iowa Gov. Chet Culver stopped by a standing-room-only senior-to-senior phone bank in The Villages, Florida, this morning on the Gotta Vote bus tour. Florida is one of the key battleground states in this election, and the race remains close—but seniors here know who's fighting for them, and it's not the guy who's planning to end Medicare as we know it by turning it into a voucher program.
"I don't know how a senior citizen in the state of Florida could vote for [Mitt Romney]," said Culver. "I just don't know how. He's telling you right now, along with his running mate, that they're going to turn Medicare into a voucher system. That voucher system could come up at least $6,000–$7,000 short. Do you all have an extra $6,000–7,000 lying around each year for the next five, 10, 20 years? This is an issue I care about, you care about, my mother cares about, my father cares about. This guy is wrong, and Florida, you can' t let him win."
Seniors aren't just fighting for Medicare. They're fighting for a president who's not going to write them off as dependent victims.
"I would be ashamed if I were Romney," says Nancy, who participated in today's senior-to-senior phone bank. "The rest of us struggle all the time. I'm in one of the groups he calls the 47 percent. If we didn't have Social Security and Medicare, we would be bankrupt. My husband and I would be bankrupt. That's just how simple it is.
"He doesn't have a clue about what people go through to pay the bills and save a little bit."
Protecting Medicare payments and helping preserve employee pensions
Democrats passed the Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act to reduce the potential for Medicare fraud and help employer pensions suffering from the recession.
Creating greater health care competition and accountability
Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act, providing consumers more choices and improved accountability.
Increasing access to higher education
Democrats passed the Recovery Act, which made targeted investments to increase college affordability and ensure greater access for more students.
