Seniors Task Force Co-Chairs Statement on House Republican Refusal to Protect Seniors

Democratic Caucus Seniors Task Force Co-Chairs Statement on House Republican Refusal to Protect Seniors

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today,House Democratic Caucus Seniors Task Force co-chairs Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) released the following statement in response to House Republican opposition to H.R. 3630 - Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011:

"The House Republican majority is once again playing partisan games instead of working to find consensus. Seniors spent the summer worried that their Social Security checks would be delayed because of the artificial crisis Republicans in Congress created around the debt ceiling. Now, House Republicans have created another eleventh hour crisis leaving 48 million seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare, many of whom have scheduled appointments with their physicians next month, worried that their doctors won't see them or will decide to bill them extra.

In what can only be seen as a partisan tantrum, House Republicans are walking away from a fix already approved overwhelmingly by Senate Republicans that will prevent a tax increase on 160 million middle class Americans and a 27% cut in Medicare physician payments scheduled to take place in less than two weeks — a cut that could keep many seniors from getting needed care — while Congress continues to work for a long term solution.

It's time to stop playing politics with our seniors' wellbeing. We can and must act now to assure seniors, and the doctors who care for them, that payments will be adequate and will be made on time. We urge our Republican colleagues to think of America's seniors, and pass the Senate bipartisan compromise....

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

CONTACTS:

Adjoa Adofo (Schakowsky) — 202.225.2111

Alana Juteau (Matsui) — 202.225.7163