President Obama Highlights Paul Ryan's Efforts to Save Medicare & Social Security

Obama: "At what point can we have a serious conversation?"
Great question, Mr. President.

Wisconsins First District Congressman Paul Ryan continues his push for alternative solutions, garnering praise from President Obama for putting forth a "serious," "legitmate" proposal to save our critical health and retirement security programs for current and future generations. The President went out of his way to commend Ryan for his proposal, calling it genuine, detailed and a legitimate plan to tackle our fiscal crisis. President Obama spoke at the GOP Retreat in Baltimore earlier today, and discussed entitlement reform and additional budget challenges with Ryan.

To learn more: http://www.americanroadmap.org

President Obama: I think Paul [Ryan], for example, the head of the Budget Committee, has looked at the budget and has made a serious proposal. Ive read it. I can tell you whats in it. And theres some ideas in there that I would agree with but theres some ideas we should have a healthy debate about because I dont agree with them. The major driver of our long-term liabilities, everybody here knows, is Medicare and Medicaid and our health care spending. Nothing comes close. Thats going to be what our children have to worry about. Now, Pauls approach, and I want to be careful not to simplify this, I know youve got a lot of detail in your plan, but, if I understand it correctly, would say, were going to provide vouchers of some sort for current Medicare recipients at the current level No?

Congressman Ryan: No we protect the program for Americans 55 and above [those in and near retirement]

Obama: I understand theres a grandfathering in.Thats why I said I wanted to make sure that Im not being unfair to your proposal. I just want to point out that Ive read it, and the basic idea would be that, at some point, we hold Medicare cost per recipient constant as a way of making sure that that doesnt go way out of whack, and Im sure there some details

Ryan: We increase the Medicare payments with a blend of inflation and health inflation. The point of our plan is, because Medicare as you know is a $38 trillion unfunded liability.

Obama: Right.

Ryan: It has to be reformed for younger generations because it wont exist. Its going bankrupt. The premise of our idea is look, why not give people the same kind of health care plan we here have in Congress? Thats the kind of reform were proposing for Medicare. [applause]

Obama: As I said before, this is an entirely legitimate proposal. There is a political vulnerability to doing anything that tinkers with Medicare. And that's probably the biggest savings that are obtained through Paul's plan. And I raise that, not because we shouldnt have a serious discussion about it; I raise that because we're not going to be able to do anything about any of these entitlements if what we do is characterize whatever proposals are put out there as 'Well, you know, that's the other party being irresponsible...the other party is trying to hurt our senior citizens.' That's why I say: if we're going to frame these in the way that allow us to solve them, then we can't start off by figuring out a) who is to blame; b) how can we make the American people afraid of the other side. And unfortunately that's how our politics works right now. Every time somebody speaks in Congress, the first thing they do, they have all the talking points, I see Frank Luntz up here, he's already polled it. I've done a focus group, they way we're going to box Obama in on this one, or make Pelosi look bad on that one. That's how we operate. It's all tactics. It's not solving problems. And so the question is: at what point can we have a serious conversation about Medicare and its long-term liability, or a serious conversation about Social Security or serious conversation about budget and debt where aren't simply trying to position ourselves politically. That's what I'm committed to doing.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• paul-ryan
• roadmap
• wisconsin
• president
• obama
• medicare
• reform
• budget
• congress

[rb3264]

@padude64 And according to the CBO medicare and social security will take up almost half our budget by 2050. What does that do for my generation? Tell me. Young people paying in will see nothing.

[rb3264]

@padude64 You sure do love name calling. How can anyone have an intelligent conversation? It sure sounds like you only listen to the news and you do not o out to do any type of research. How about the Ryan-Wyden plan? You should know that Ron Wyden is a Democrat. So is he evil as well? Grow up and open your mind.

[padude64]

@rb3264 Paul Ryan wants to get of medicare Obama hating prick!

[padude64]

@rb3264 You republians want to benefit from the middle class bitch! Not happening here bitch!

[padude64]

I never wante to go into Iraq you right wing liars! 

[rb3264]

@padude64 And It was a bipartisan vote to go into Iraq. Even Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and John Kerry voted to go.

[rb3264]

@padude64 I thouhgt liberals were supposed to be open minded. You apparently aren't. You give all liberals a bad name by making ALL liberals look stupid. But that is only because you cant form an opinion of your own. The reason I am conservative is because I CAN form an opinion of my own. I watch Fox, yes, but I watch CNN, MSNBC, and ABC as well, and I also look up the facts the news stations spout out. You really should broaden your thinking.

[rb3264]

@padude64 Are you really as uneducated as you seem? Obamacare is working? Like hell it is, my premiums went up. GM hasn't paid it all back and if the government sold all of its shares of GM it would lose money. Republicans want to raise taxes? Come on. And guess what, it isn't a crime to ask someone to prove they're 1) registered to vote and 2) a legal citizen of the US when they go to vote. Maybe you should actually educate yourself.

[padude64]

You republicans trying to bust unions, and stopping people from voting shall be arested!

[padude64]

@USfutbol You are wrong! Republicans wnt to raise taxes on the middle class and the poor as well as taking away voter rights so fuck you!