Entitlement reform is a big piece of the puzzle in the battle over the budget but some Democrats are digging in their heels when it comes the issue of Social Security and Medicare.
On The Daily Rundown Tuesday, Freshman Congresswoman Lois Frankel, D-Fla., resisted the idea of raising the age of Medicare eligibility, telling Chuck Todd the real problem is the rising cost of healthcare.
“We need to try to control the cost of health care,” said Rep. Frankel. “I think that’s the way to go at it rather than targeting people who are the oldest and the sickest.”
Frankel represents Florida’s 22nd, a district that skews older with an average age of 44, and with more than 19% of the population over the age of 65.
She vowed to protect entitlements during her campaign and on Tuesday argued that Medicare and Social Security are programs that protect those who need it the most.
“Most people who make those [entitlement reform] proposals are people who actually have jobs or may have jobs that they feel secure about that they can keep until they are age 70,” said Frankel. “If you talk to any man or woman today who are in their 60s they’re not going to agree with you at all.”
Many lawmakers have pushed for entitlement reform as part of deficit reduction, including the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles commission.
Xuan Thai