A new ad campaign by the National Republican Congressional Committee accuses House Democrats of “ripping away” Medicare from millions of senior citizens.
The 30-second spot focuses on rising inflation under President Biden and how it affects America’s seniors in more ways than one.
“America’s seniors are getting squeezed from every angle, from groceries to gas to housing. Joe Biden and extreme House Democrats just made it worse,” the narrator says. “Biden is ripping healthcare benefits away from those who rely on them most — seniors on a fixed income.”
“Now Medicare Advantage recipients could see costs go up by $400 a year and extreme House Democrats are letting him get away with it,” the ad says. “Tell extreme House Democrats: stop the war on American seniors.”
The ad was shared first with The Washington Times.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Viet Sheldon shot back that the “truth is extreme House Republicans are the ones actively pushing a plan to end Medicare as we know it while Democrats are helping to lower the cost of life-saving medicines for seniors.”
“Voters see through these cheap political stunts for what they are,” he said in a statement to The Times.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
The Biden administration earlier this month cut next year’s base payments to Medicare Advantage plans by 0.16%. More than half of Medicare members use the private Medicare Advantage plans.
The change shocked health insurers, who said the rates for 2025 are insufficient. It also angered GOP lawmakers, especially those in states with large numbers of older residents.
“President Biden has no plan to protect Social Security, and now he just cut Medicare benefits. Biden’s war on seniors is disastrous – especially for seniors on fixed incomes who are already struggling with skyrocketing inflation,” Sen. Rick Scott, Florida Republican, said earlier this month.
“The takeaway from Biden’s actions is clear: Democrats don’t give a damn about the 2.8 MILLION Florida seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage who will see costs go up by nearly $400 a year,” he said. “Nearly 60% of Florida’s Medicare beneficiaries choose Medicare Advantage because it works.”
NRCC Rapid Response Director Macy Gardner said Mr. Biden and “extreme House Democrats don’t care about struggling seniors. In a time of skyrocketing inflation, they allowed the most vulnerable to be the target of their heartless plan to rip away medical benefits.”
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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