Senate Dems: No debt deal with Medicare cuts

Medicare is the biggest obstacle to a deal on raising the debt ceiling, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Monday.

Senate Democrats again said they were calling on Republicans to take a dramatic Medicare overhaul “off the table” in the debt negotiations being led by Vice President Joe Biden.

Pressed on whether any Republicans involved in those talks are actually pushing for the Medicare proposal, Schumer said the GOP hasn’t given any public indications to the contrary.

“We need them to come clean,” he said.

The GOP has mostly stood behind the Medicare proposal, crafted by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). But it’s been Democrats who have highlighted the proposal at every opportunity, and they’ve repeatedly called on debt negotiators to say publicly that Medicare cuts are off the table entirely.

If Congress is going to look to the program for savings, Schumer said, the money should come from cuts to the pharmaceutical industry rather than benefit cuts. He cited two policies Democrats have consistently supported: price controls on prescription drugs and extended rebates for people who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.

A deal will be “impossible” if Ryan’s Medicare proposal is included, Schumer said.

The negotiations are aimed at finding a workable solution that both parties can support — which clearly would not describe the Ryan plan.

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