Campaign to keep Medicare as is visits Michigan retirement communities

Opponents of proposals for major changes to Medicare spent today making the rounds of retirement communities in Michigan.

They denounced the budget plan passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.  Under the Republican budget plan, future retirees would get a stipend to buy health insurance.   Its an approach Republicans say would hold down costs and begin to rein in the deficit.

Max Richtman  is the president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.   He says House Republicans want to do away with what’s left of the ‘New Deal’.

“We want to make sure we don’t go back in time to the 19th century…when the message to citizens (was) ‘you’re on your own and good luck," says Richtman. 

Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow says the House budget bill will “not see the light of day” in the U.S. Senate.

Stabenow says the proposed Medicare cuts would do nothing to lower the federal deficit.  

"(The Republicans) use it to provide another round of tax cuts to millionaires…that would equal 150 thousand dollars per person earning over a million dollars a year.   And it would continue the deficit.  It makes no sense," says Stabenow.

Democrat Stabenow is facing reelection this year.   There are several Republican candidates vying for the GOP nomination.