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Congressman Paul Tonko announced today that he would be introducing an amendment tomorrow during the only House Budget Committee Hearing on the Ryan Roadmap. His amendment will be the only amendment offered to prevent Medicare’s privatization and to protect seniors from heavily rationed care.

“The Republican majority has called their budget a Path to Prosperity,” said Congressman Paul Tonko. “However, their budget will pave a Road to Ruin for our nation’s seniors by ending Medicare as we know it, while building a Road to Riches for millionaires, oil companies, and other special interests by offering them even more handouts and special tax breaks. This budget is all pain and no gain for our nation’s middle class and working families. My amendment ensures that Medicare is guaranteed and that seniors have a reliable and reasonable source of dignity and security as they age.”

The amendment, entitled “Protect health care for seniors, military service members and their families, and veterans” ensures that Medicare will not be dissolved and replaced with a voucher system. It protects Medicare, as well as other vulnerable health programs – including Tricare coverage for our troops and military families and VA coverage for our veterans – from being subject to privatization or arbitrary spending caps that would cut benefits and effectively ration care.

Congressman Paul Tonko continued: “Paul Ryan’s Road to Ruin budget ends Medicare. If the Republican Majority does not wish to ration Medicare into a voucher program, I expect that they will accept my invitation to cosponsor this amendment and join us in defending health security and the rights of the elderly in America.”

Starting at 10:30a tomorrow, the Budget Committee will mark up the concurrent resolution for FY 2012 in Cannon 210. Congressman Tonko’s amendment is expected to be considered sometime after 12:30p.

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