Brandon Williams: “The Medicare Select Program as a model deserves support, and it should be renewed. In fact, we should expand the model…”

“The Medicare Select Program as a model deserves support, and it should be renewed. In fact, we should expand the model, but we should keep it as a model until we know how well in fact it is going to work and what the difficulties in it are. And we already have reports that tell us there are difficulties in it. So, yes, we would like to see the program continued, but that is not what is going on here. This is a full-scale expansion of the program. We are not certain it works that well. And they want to put it, the Republicans do, in every State in this country. Now, why? and why today? Because yesterday the Republicans voted to cut Medicare. I know they say they did not cut Medicare but, my senior citizen friends, inflation is going to continue in health care; right? Of course. And new people are going to come into the system, of course. Are they going to receive the same services that today's senior citizens receive on Medicare? No, because the Republicans are going to cut close to $300 billion out of what is needed to meet current services. So do not let them tell you they are not cutting the program. This proposal being brought to the floor today is a duck and cover for yesterday's action of cutting close to $300 billion.”