releases: http://kuster.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kuster-urges-budget-negotiators-to-protect-medicare-and-social-security
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://kuster.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kuster-urges-budget-negotiators-to-protect-medicare-and-social-security | Kuster Urges Budget Negotiators to Protect Medicare and Social Security | 2013-11-21 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Democrat | House | NH | Ann Kuster | K000382 | kuster.house.gov | legacy | As Budget Conference Committee works toward an agreement, Kuster calls on negotiators to protect programs Granite State seniors have paid into their entire lives Kuster to Negotiators: Don’t balance the budget on the backs of NH seniors WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) called on the leaders of the Budget Conference Committee to protect Medicare and Social Security as they work toward a long-term budget agreement. In a letter to the leaders of the committee, Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Kuster and a coalition of more than 60 Democratic lawmakers underscored that while reaching a responsible budget agreement will require difficult choices, it does not require Americans to surrender their hard-earned benefits. “As you work with your colleagues on the conference committee for the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget, we urge you to support policies that prioritize America’s seniors and the benefits that they have earned over a lifetime of hard work,” Kuster and other lawmakers wrote. “While we understand that you and your fellow conferees will have to make difficult decisions to find common ground, we believe that any compromise the conference produces must protect Medicare and Social Security for current and future generations.” The Budget Conference Committee, which is made up of a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers, was created as part of the deal to end the government shutdown and prevent a default in October. The committee is tasked with shaping a budget agreement that will be presented to both the House and Senate by December 13. Kuster is deeply committed to protecting and strengthening Medicare and Social Security for Granite State seniors who have worked hard their entire lives and paid into these safety net programs. During her first months in office, Kuster sent a letter to President Obama urging him to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security as he works with Congress to address our nation’s fiscal challenges. Kuster is a cosponsor of a House resolution opposing the use of Chained CPI for calculating the cost of living adjustment for Social Security benefits. She has also highlighted the harmful impacts that mindless, across-the-board budget cuts – known as sequestration – are having on programs like Meals on Wheels that serve hungry New Hampshire seniors. Earlier this year, Kuster held a telephone town hall with thousands of Granite State seniors to discuss her commitment to protecting the programs they count on. The full text of the letter is below: November 20, 2013 Dear Senator Murray and Representative Ryan, As you work with your colleagues on the conference committee for the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget, we urge you to support policies that prioritize America’s seniors and the benefits that they have earned over a lifetime of hard work. While we understand that you and your fellow conferees will have to make difficult decisions to find common ground, we believe that any compromise the conference produces must protect Medicare and Social Security for current and future generations. In the aftermath of the disgraceful and avoidable government shutdown you have an opportunity to develop a bipartisan budget that reduces our debt and deficit in a responsible manner. To make good on this opportunity, the conference must reject policy reforms that place Medicare and Social Security benefits on the chopping block. Too often, we hear of proposals to drastically slash benefits provided through these critical programs. These proposals are presented under the guise of fiscal responsibility, but would jeopardize the livelihood and health of the millions of seniors who depend on Social Security and Medicare. What the conference committee does in the coming weeks will shape the outcome of the FY 2014 budget process. Now is the time to send a clear message to the American people: While arriving at a solution to a budget impasse does require difficult choices, it does not require Americans to surrender their hard-earned benefits. Medicare and Social Security are central to the health and retirement security of our nation’s seniors. Millions of Americans who have paid into these systems are counting on these investments to be there for them. That is why we urge you and your fellow conferees to support a responsible conference agreement that protects these bedrock promises we have made to our seniors. We thank you for your attention to this matter. We hope and expect that your deliberations will be successful. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |