On the recordMarch 25, 2015
I rise today in offering an amendment with Senator Stabenow to guarantee we keep a sacred promise to our Nation's seniors to protect the Medicare Program for years to come. The budget we have in front of us doesn't balance our values or priorities as a country. Unfortunately, it misses the mark entirely for our seniors. To put it into perspective, the Senate Republican budget cuts the Medicare Program by almost three times as much as the House Republican budget. My amendment ensures we protect our seniors from any effort to cut Medicare beneficiaries' guaranteed benefits, privatize Medicare into a premium support plan or increase out-of-pocket spending on drugs or prevention services. In 2013, over half the Medicare beneficiaries had incomes below $23,000 a year. We can't attempt to balance the Nation's budget on the backs of our seniors. There is a reason why the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare is urging a ``yes'' vote on this amendment and a ``no'' vote on the Republican budget. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Bennet-Stabenow amendment, and I yield whatever time remains to the senior Senator from Michigan. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired. The Senator from Wyoming.
