Frank Pallone: “the Republicans have failed to make a commitment to use any of the Federal surplus to shore up the Medicare Trust Fund.…”

“the Republicans have failed to make a commitment to use any of the Federal surplus to shore up the Medicare Trust Fund. Medicare, as we know, is projected to become insolvent in 2008. Democrats call for strengthening and improving Medicare by locking in 15 percent of the projected budget surplus over the next 15 years in the Medicare trust fund. Democrats would add at least a decade to the life of the Medicare Trust Fund while we work to enact long-term reforms to extend the life of the plan. Republicans, on the other hand, are pursuing broad-based tax cuts instead of saving Medicare, and they want short-term giveaways instead of long-term investments in the future. The Democrats have the only plan that extends the life span of both Social Security and Medicare and strengthens retirement security for middle class families well into the 21st century.”